Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Murong Xiangming Reappears

Jiang Chen’s power instantly shattered Bai Shu’s.

Bai Shu was left completely powerless, unable to offer the slightest resistance.

"No... impossible."

"How could this be happening?"

Bai Shu was in utter disbelief, nearly crying out in shock.

He had gone all out, and by using the Bai Family’s Demon-Catching Hand, he’d increased his power by a full twenty percent—a truly incredible feat.

Yet, in an instant, the force traveling from Jiang Chen’s hand had completely shattered it, leaving not a trace behind.

Now, he was unable to summon any strength at all.

Horror washed over him.

A situation like this was undoubtedly fatal. If Jiang Chen wanted to kill him now, it would be effortless.

It was tantamount to placing his life in Jiang Chen’s hands.

Cold sweat streamed down his back.

Jiang Chen, however, just gave Bai Shu a sinister smile.

Then, his hand moved slightly.

HISS...

Bai Shu immediately felt a terrifying force crushing his hand, as if his bones were about to shatter.

Panic seized him.

At this critical moment, Bai Shu immediately shot his father, Bai Xiong, a look begging for help.

Bai Xiong had already noticed all this, but he wasn’t sure if his son could hold on.

But upon seeing his son’s pleading gaze, Bai Xiong’s expression changed drastically.

’This is bad. How is that good-for-nothing so strong?’

’My son is completely outmatched.’

Panicked and furious, he shot out his hand and clamped it down on his son’s right wrist.

An ocean-like power, vast and overwhelming, surged into Bai Shu’s body.

It coursed through Bai Shu’s meridians and straight to his right hand, poised to strike Jiang Chen.

This would not only save his son but also inflict massive damage on Jiang Chen.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion, but in reality, it unfolded in an instant.

From the start of their silent struggle to Bai Shu’s utter defeat, only a breath or two had passed.

The battles between Martial Cultivators were, it could be said, just this incredible.

The moment Bai Xiong’s power rushed in, Bai Shu’s trembling body immediately stopped shaking.

He let out a huge sigh of relief.

He knew that with his father’s intervention, he was safe.

At this very moment, Jiang Han also let out a cold snort.

"A father and son ganging up on my boy? Do you think I, Jiang Han, don’t exist?"

He also slapped a hand onto Jiang Chen’s left shoulder.

An abyssal power instantly flooded Jiang Chen’s body, coursing through his meridians to converge in his right hand.

BOOM!

Jiang Han’s and Bai Xiong’s powers met almost simultaneously within the grasp of their sons’ hands.

The two terrifying forces, one like a dragon and the other a sea, clashed menacingly in a silent collision.

However, both Bai Xiong and Jiang Han knew that if the two of them were to fight right now, it would cause immense harm to Jiang Chen and Bai Shu, perhaps even endangering their lives. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Neither man wanted to let such a dangerous situation unfold.

In their eyes, their sons were precious.

At that very instant, Jiang Han and Bai Xiong snorted in unison.

"Let go!"

After a brief clash of their surging powers, both men understood that, for now, they were at a stalemate.

They had no choice but to soften their power.

Jiang Chen felt a jolt in his hand and involuntarily released his grip on Bai Shu.

Bai Shu was also freed from Jiang Chen’s grasp.

The entire exchange had been incredibly perilous, yet it had ended without causing any injury.

Jiang Han slowly removed his hand from Jiang Chen’s shoulder.

"Son, are you alright?" he asked.

Jiang Chen shook his head.

"I’m fine."

’He knew he could have easily killed Bai Shu just now, but he chose not to.’

’He only wanted to teach Bai Shu a lesson.’

But Bai Xiong had intervened and neutralized the situation.

So his own father stepped in, and the two men resolved the silent struggle.

Overall, Jiang Chen had clearly held the absolute upper hand.

After answering his father, he sat back down as if nothing had happened, his demeanor perfectly calm and composed.

Only Bai Shu, beside him, was ashen-faced and squirming as if sitting on pins and needles.

It was clear his confidence had been severely shaken by the defeat.

Bai Shu shot Jiang Chen a glare but didn’t dare to provoke him again. He knew that to do so would be to invite his own humiliation.

He was no match for Jiang Chen.

’How did that good-for-nothing suddenly get so strong?’

He knew that his own Cultivation at the Warrior Third Heaven realm was the result of painstaking training.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen was known as the most carefree wastrel in all of Hanwu City, living a life of leisure, yet his Cultivation was somehow on par with his own.

It was yet another blow to his pride.

’Was the rumor about his Martial Vein being ripped out true or not?’

Now, Bai Shu was beginning to doubt the rumors.

"Hmph!"

Bai Shu didn’t speak, but Bai Xiong couldn’t hold back.

He gave Jiang Chen a long, deep look, as if trying to see right through him.

Finally, he spoke to Jiang Han in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Jiang Han, I must admit, you have a worthy successor."

He was, of course, displeased that his son had been defeated by Jiang Chen.

But he was too proud to admit defeat.

He could only use such hollow pleasantries to mask his fury.

He was furious that his son had lost to Jiang Han’s.

But the fact remained that his son was inferior.

Jiang Han, on the other hand, was immensely proud. His son had won him face yet again.

He let out a hearty laugh. "Naturally! I, Jiang Han, am a tiger. The son I sire can be nothing less than a dragon."

He then glanced at Bai Shu, unconcerned, even though the boy had been constantly flaunting his status as an Alchemist.

’Too bad,’ Jiang Han thought, ’my son’s Alchemy Skill is countless times greater than Bai Shu’s.’

’It seemed his son, Jiang Chen, was superior to Bai Shu in every way.’

"Your son isn’t bad either," he said. "Quite good, in fact."

It was hard to tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic.

To Bai Xiong, it dripped with sarcasm.

"Hmph!"

He gave another angry snort and turned away, ignoring Jiang Han and his son.

But whenever his gaze fell on Jiang Chen, his eyes glittered with a strange light.

「Meanwhile, as more and more consortiums and powerful families invited by the Treasure Elephant Pavilion arrived, the auction was about to begin in earnest.」

The auction was officially kicked off by the appearance of a woman on the stage.

The moment the woman appeared on stage, the entire auction house erupted in gasps of astonishment.

Some of the men in the crowd, like animals in heat, let out guttural screams and deafening roars.

"Gods, it’s Murong Xiangming!"

"The Young Miss of the Treasure Elephant Pavilion, Murong Xiangming, is here!"

"Unbelievable! It’s really her! Hanwu City’s number one beauty, Murong Xiangming! Oh my god, she’s my goddess!"

"Murong Xiangming, you’re my everything! My life would be meaningless without you!"

Some of the shameless animals in the crowd even shouted their love for her directly.

Their frenzied passion was so intense, it seemed they were ready to die for her, to perish at the hem of her skirt without a second thought.