"How is this possible?"

"Zhao Qingshui was actually defeated?"

"He’s a master at the True Martial Realm Fourth Stage, a top expert second only to Zhao Qinghuo, Yulan Shouqing, and Wang Yizhou! How could he fail to block even a single one of Jiang Chen’s sword strikes?"

Watching Zhao Qingshui slam viciously into the ground, everyone revealed looks of horror, crying out in alarm one after another.

Even Zhao Qinghuo’s sword-like brows furrowed, a trace of shock in his eyes. ’This kid is actually this strong? It seems... Kun’er was most likely killed by him.’

If Zhao Qiankun had unleashed his full power, his strength would have been comparable to an expert at the True Martial Realm Fifth Stage.

Furthermore, the most powerful Demon Beast within the Celestial Demon Ancient Realm was the Dragon-Horned Demon Flood Dragon that Zhao Qinghuo had left there years ago; it certainly wouldn’t have killed Zhao Qiankun. Therefore, Jiang Chen, who was capable of defeating Zhao Qingshui, was naturally the prime suspect.

"Hmph. No matter how talented you are, you’re merely at the True Martial Realm Third Stage. You are no match for me. Today, I will take your head to have you accompany my son in death!" Zhao Qinghuo clenched his fists, his expression turning grim.

BOOM—

Dust flew and the ground shattered.

Zhao Qingshui performed a kip-up, bursting out of the crater. Disheveled and grimy, his face was a mask of gloom and horror as he stared intently at Jiang Chen. "Brat, you have thoroughly infuriated me."

"The fury of an ant can hardly overturn the heavens," Jiang Chen said lightly.

"An ant? You dare call me an ant?"

Zhao Qingshui’s face went from pale to flushed as he roared in fury, "Today, this ends with your death!"

BOOM!

A terrifying shockwave surged forth as a torrent of True Essence Light erupted from his body. The fluctuations of his Martial Soul were incredibly swift; Zhao Qingshui had released his Martial Soul and activated his Martial Soul Talent.

ROAR—

A clear, loud roar shook the Celestial Vault.

A blue figure materialized behind Zhao Qingshui—it was a giant, venomous anaconda, azure from head to tail!

The venomous anaconda Martial Soul reared its head. A savage and hateful look appeared on Zhao Qingshui’s face as he circulated his True Essence to command his Martial Soul. The anaconda’s raised head suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a cloud of emerald-green toxic mist. The mist spread for dozens of yards, and wherever it passed, plants withered and even rocks were corroded, turning into pools of black liquid that emitted black smoke.

"That’s Zhao Qingshui’s Innate Divine Technique, Corrosive Venom! Even a True Martial Realm master wouldn’t dare touch it..."

"Jiang Chen, be careful! You absolutely must not touch that toxic mist."

"Damn it! Surrounded by the toxic mist, Zhao Qingshui is already in an invincible position..."

The expressions of the crowd changed.

Si Xiaosheng and Yulan Tianpeng even shouted warnings, their faces etched with worry.

With a sinister chuckle, Zhao Qingshui said smugly, "Brat, are you scared now? They’re right. Standing within this corrosive mist, I am already invincible. Today, this will be your grave!" He let out a cackle as plumes of emerald-green toxic mist swirled around his body.

It prevented anyone from touching his body.

Against an ordinary True Martial Realm expert, Zhao Qingshui was indeed in an invincible position.

However, Jiang Chen merely curled his lip and said flatly, "Utterly worthless."

"What?"

Zhao Qingshui’s expression changed abruptly, his face flushing red with uncontrollable rage. "You brat! Still talking tough when death is at your door! Go die!"

RUMBLE!

Zhao Qingshui charged forward like a meteor, corroding everything in his path. The onlookers fled in terror, avoiding him like the plague, not daring to let him get close!

Jiang Chen’s gaze was icy. He flicked his sword, letting out a sharp cry, "Wind Fluctuation!"

SWOOSH—

A flurry of sword light danced, and a silvery Sword Aura spread out before him, like a silver peacock proudly raising its head and fanning its tail feathers.

The peacock-fan of silver Sword Qi shot forward like a shuttle!

It charged forward with wild abandon!

WHOOSH...

Layer upon layer of a Sword Qi Storm billowed out, kicking up a gale that blew the emerald-green toxic mist away. Guided by Jiang Chen’s Sword Qi, the mist surged toward the formation of Qinghuo Gang experts, frightening the vicious-looking gang members into crying out and scattering in all directions.

"Fuck, my leg... It’s been corroded..."

"I don’t want to die..."

Some of the slower Qinghuo Gang experts were touched by the corrosive mist and melted into pools of blood.

Screams, gasps, and roars filled the air endlessly.

Several hundred Qinghuo Gang experts were caught in this one exchange.

Zhao Qingshui wore a look of disbelief. "H-How could this happen?"

"I told you. You are—utterly worthless," Jiang Chen said flatly.

Immediately after, his figure flashed forward. His sword streaked across the sky like a cold star. The sword appeared in an instant and left no trace as it passed—it was the final move of the Aurora Sword Technique: Instant Sword!

SWISH!

Jiang Chen brushed past Zhao Qingshui.

Zhao Qingshui’s face turned deathly pale and his body trembled violently. He tried to take a step forward. As he moved his left leg, his body tilted, and his leg was severed from the knee down. His right leg then slid to the ground, also having been cut off at the knee by that same sword strike.

THUMP...

His entire body slammed heavily to the ground. It wasn’t that he didn’t try to use his hands to support himself, but that in the instant Jiang Chen had brushed past him, his arms had been severed at the shoulders.

With all four limbs gone, Zhao Qingshui was like a human torso, lying in a pool of blood and wailing in agony, "My arms and legs... Help... Big Brother, help me..."

"Noisy!"

An icy voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.

It was like the summons of the Death God himself, and a chill of despair shot through Zhao Qingshui. He saw a flash of sword light streak before his eyes, slicing into his left cheek. It cut straight through his tongue and exited through his right cheek. This single strike not only severed his tongue but also sliced his entire jaw clean off, letting it fall to the side.

Blood gushed like a spring, bubbling out with a "GURGLE GURGLE" sound.

Zhao Qingshui’s face was ashen. He looked with desperate eyes at the sword-wielding youth, letting out muffled, whimpering sounds as his eyes filled with despair and pleading.

"You crippled Uncle Lui’s four limbs, so I severed your arms and legs. You cut out his tongue, so I destroyed your mouth. You gouged out Uncle Lui’s eyes... but I won’t be as vicious as you. I will leave you your eyes, so you can watch with them what it means to be sliced to death!" With every step Jiang Chen took, his sword carved another piece of flesh from Zhao Qingshui’s body.

One slice...

Two slices...

Three slices...

Each slice was incomparably precise, carving off a palm-sized piece of flesh while perfectly avoiding any vital spots, making him wish for a death that would not come.

He could only watch as his own flesh was cut away, piece by piece.

Zhao Qingshui’s eyes were wide with terror. At this moment, he would rather have been blind. If he could, he would have gouged out his own eyes. But alas, he couldn’t. He couldn’t even bite his own tongue to commit suicide. He could only watch as the flesh was carved from his body piece by piece, revealing the stark white bone beneath.

He could only watch as death approached, step by step.

After the two hundred and sixty-seventh slice, Zhao Qingshui could finally take no more. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he died from the sheer agony.

At that moment, everyone in Celestial Demon Canyon felt as if they had been plunged into an Ice and Snow World, a cold that chilled them to the bone...