On Prosperous Stone Immortal Star, Jiang Chen sat quietly in his chair, immersed in cultivation.

As he circulated his cultivation method, he also drew in the power of the stars through the Ten Thousand Stars Dao Embryo Bloodline. Streams of starlight merged into his body, tempering his flesh and bones and further refining his Great Dao Immortal Body.

Nearby, Shen Xin remained where he was, waiting for news from the Immortal Martial Continent.

Time passed slowly.

At last, the spatial portal opened.

Teams of cultivators stepped into the spatial channel with caution and soon arrived at the Immortal Martial Continent.

Before long, they realized something was wrong.

The continent was completely free of demons—and there were hardly any humans to be found.

After asking around, they soon learned what had happened. The demon army had already been driven back by Jiang Chen, and the spatial channel had been destroyed as well. Since then, there had been no further attempts to invade the Immortal Martial Continent.

The news, along with the returning cultivators, was quickly relayed to Shen Xin.

His brows lifted slightly. "So… there really was no demon army?"

A moment later, the tension in his face eased, and a faint smile appeared.

Jiang Chen noticed the change. "See? I didn't lie to you. I stand with the human race. As long as no one comes looking for trouble, I won't kill."

Even so, Shen Xin didn't fully relax. "All this proves is that there are no demons on the Immortal Martial Continent."

He continued, "Whether you're secretly working with the demons is still unclear. Who's to say you don't have other plans?"

"For that reason, I won't allow you to leave Prosperous Stone Immortal Star or travel to any other life-bearing planets."

His expression hardened as he finished.

Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed. "Shen Xin, are you trying to start a fight?"

A terrifying pressure rolled outward and locked onto Shen Xin.

Jiang Chen revealed only the aura of a Half-step Void Tribulation realm, yet it was already more than Shen Xin could withstand.

A flicker of caution passed over Shen Xin's face. He took a steady breath.

"Jiang Chen, this concerns the lives of countless people across the Profound Jade Immortal Domain. I can't afford to be careless."

"I'll report everything exactly as it is. If you truly have no problems, the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance won't restrict you."

He paused, then added, "Besides, staying on Prosperous Stone Immortal Star gives you an excellent place to cultivate. Why insist on leaving?"

His reasoning wasn't unreasonable.

For an ordinary Nirvana Cleansing realm cultivator, staying here came with no real loss. They could continue cultivating in peace and work toward breaking into the Void Tribulation realm.

But Jiang Chen was different.

He needed to make contact with the mysterious protagonist as soon as possible.

Even someone like Shen Xin, who was only playing a supporting role, was already this strong. If Shen Xin's master was still alive, that person would be even more terrifying.

There was no time to waste.

If left alone, the protagonist's abnormal, heaven-defying trump cards would let him grow at an alarming speed. Once that growth started to snowball, it would only take a short time for him to shake the entire domain. By then, stopping him might no longer be possible.

As the villain, Jiang Chen would be the one paying the price when that happened.

That was why he needed to meet the protagonist as soon as possible and kill him before he could fully rise.

But now, Shen Xin was standing in his way.

I've already given more than enough reasons and proof, Jiang Chen thought.

Shen Xin's doubts are nothing but guesses.

And Heavenly Fate is clearly interfering.

If I keep waiting, won't that just give the protagonist more time to grow?

But if I act now, I'll be forced into open conflict. That slow approach—luring him along, step by step—might be finished.

This could be exactly what Heavenly Fate wants, pushing me into a direct clash with the protagonist.

His thoughts stopped there.

No matter what, I can't hesitate anymore.

A cold light flashed through Jiang Chen's eyes.

In that instant, a sense of danger washed over Shen Xin. His scalp prickled, every instinct screaming at him that something was terribly wrong.

"Jiang Chen!" His expression shifted sharply. "What are you trying to do?"

The Nirvana Cleansing–level armor robe he wore activated on its own, layers of light forming a solid defensive barrier around him.

"Take me to the place where your master fell," Jiang Chen said, staring straight at him.

The pressure around him continued to rise, growing heavier and more oppressive by the second.

Then it crossed a line.

Void Tribulation realm.

Shen Xin's face drained of color. "You… you've reached the Void Tribulation realm?!"

Even if this power was only temporary, he knew he couldn't withstand it.

"Lead the way." Jiang Chen didn't look away.

There was no room for refusal.

"No." Shen Xin's gaze hardened, resolve flashing in his eyes.

"Hmph."

Jiang Chen raised his hand and cut it through the air.

The Death Moon Immortal Sword appeared out of nothing, its blade slicing forward as it struck straight toward Shen Xin.

"Bring it on!" Shen Xin stepped forward, saber intent surging as he swung his long saber in a fierce counterattack.

The moment their attacks met, a deafening boom rang out.

The violent shockwave tore through the space between them, turning the chairs nearby into dust that vanished in an instant.

Then came the sound of something breaking.

A sharp bang echoed, followed by a mournful cry from the saber itself. Half of the blade was sent flying into the air.

The Sky Illuminating Moon Suppressing Saber had been cut clean in two.

Shen Xin froze. "How is this possible?!"

That saber was a top-grade immortal tool of the Nirvana Cleansing rank, one of only a handful in the entire Profound Jade Immortal Domain. It had been issued by the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance for this mission.

And now it was broken.

Jiang Chen looked at him without the slightest change in expression.

"Lead the way, or die. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because I once crossed paths with your master."

He raised three fingers. "I'll count to three. After that, I'll decide for you."

"Jiang Chen!!"

Shen Xin roared as he was forced back hundreds of thousands of miles. Shock and fury churned in his chest, mixed with a deep sense of unwilling defeat.

For someone who walked the Saber Dao, having his weapon shattered was no different from having his pride crushed.

The frustration in his heart flared violently, pushing him closer to the edge.

No Regrets in Death Diagram!

Resolve flashed through Shen Xin's eyes as he activated his trump card without hesitation.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

His aura exploded outward like a raging storm, climbing rapidly until it reached the level of the Void Tribulation realm.

"I won't lose!"

Clutching the broken saber, Shen Xin charged straight at Jiang Chen.

This recklessness again… Heavenly Fate must be interfering, Jiang Chen thought, a trace of helplessness flickering in his eyes.

He raised the Death Moon Immortal Sword once more.

This time, the power he gathered was even more terrifying.

Clang!

The Death Moon Immortal Sword struck the broken Sky Illuminating Moon Suppressing Saber again, shaving off what little remained of its blade.

The force sent Shen Xin flying.

"No—!"

Rage burned in his eyes, anger and unwillingness surging until it felt like his chest might burst.

He turned into a streak of light and was hurled straight into the side of a towering mountain.

The peak exploded on impact, debris blasting outward as a massive cloud rose into the sky.

But the next moment, a thin line of light shot out of the cloud.

Wrapped in the laws of the Great Dao, Shen Xin dove toward Jiang Chen like a falling star.

Jiang Chen raised a hand, his expression unchanged.

"Great Dao, arise."

In an instant, the laws of wind, thunder, earth, fire, light, darkness, yin, and yang came together, weaving into a massive cage around Shen Xin.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Shen Xin's full strength crashed into the cage, but every ounce of it was swallowed by the overwhelming power of Jiang Chen's Great Dao laws.

"Forty-six Great Dao laws…!" Shen Xin stared in disbelief at the laws surrounding him, his eyes wide.

Forty-six in total.

What he didn't know was that Jiang Chen had already mastered more than fifty Great Dao laws—Space Dao included.

Even now, Jiang Chen was using only a small part of his true strength.

"Out of respect for your master, I'll spare you this once." Jiang Chen stepped into the Dao Cage and looked down at Shen Xin, his eyes cold. "Lead the way."

"No chance." Shen Xin's face twisted, but his resolve didn't waver.

Jiang Chen's gaze sharpened. "Don't you want to see your master?"

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"I'll give you one last chance. Think carefully."