Outside Taoyuan Town.

A swirling gale of True Essence blew away a large patch of the hazy white mist, revealing dense throngs of experts following close behind.

At their head were the leaders of the top ten factions of the Hundred Beasts Mountains and Rivers!

Tu Zhantian, leader of the Brotherhood; Sword Demon, Alliance Leader of the Golden Sword Alliance; Lei Tianhao, Sect Master of the Hundred Beasts Sect; Yun Jianshen, Valley Master of Cloud Dragon Valley; Blood Wolf, Chief of Blood Wolf Village; and many more...

These experts all possessed a cultivation at the True Martial Realm Seventh Stage or higher!

Among them was Yun Jianshen, a Half-step Heavenly Destiny Realm expert, an Overlord of the Hundred Beasts Mountains and Rivers whose combat prowess defied the heavens.

At this very moment...

All these experts stared with cold, greedy eyes at the middle-aged woman ahead of them. She was dressed in blood-red clothes, and a pair of black, feathered wings wreathed in dark energy grew from her back.

This was the person known to the world as the Vampire Witch—the woman Xiao Qingyi called Aunt Yun!

"Vampire Witch, surrender without a fight!" Ding Qianqiu, the Alliance Leader of the Fire Bandit Alliance, was the first to step forward, his face a mask of greed and ferocity as he spoke coldly.

"Surrender without a fight? You’re not qualified to make me!"

Aunt Yun’s face was deathly pale. Her cold gaze swept over Ding Qianqiu and the others before finally landing on the indifferent Yun Jianshen. "Yun Jianshen, you were the one who injured me half a year ago. I never thought you’d be the one to corner me like this again. You’d better pray you can kill me today. Otherwise, I will one day raze your Cloud Dragon Valley to the ground!"

As it turned out...

Aunt Yun had originally been patrolling Yunxian Valley to prevent the location of Taoyuan Town from being exposed.

But then she ran into Yun Jianshen.

Yun Jianshen was a Half-step Heavenly Destiny Realm master, ranked second on the Demon Hunting List, with combat power that defied the heavens.

His Cloud Dragon Sky-roaming Sword technique was considered unmatched in the Hundred Beasts Mountains and Rivers.

Even though Aunt Yun’s power after transforming into the Vampire Witch was comparable to the True Martial Realm Ninth Stage, she was still wounded by a single sword strike from Yun Jianshen and forced to flee in a sorry state. More experts spotted her along the way, tracking her all the way here.

Yun Jianshen looked at Aunt Yun impassively and said faintly, "Vampire Witch, you have committed countless evils and slaughtered living beings. Your crimes are unforgivable. I, Yun Jianshen, am merely enacting heaven’s justice by killing you!"

"Enacting heaven’s justice? I’ve committed countless evils? HAHAHAHA..."

Aunt Yun threw her head back and laughed. Streams of black energy gushed from her body, forming dark clouds of mist that swirled around her. A bloodthirsty, hateful light filled her eyes as she scanned the crowd. "I, Yun Yu, can say with a clear conscience that everyone I’ve killed deserved to die! My hands are stained with blood, yes, but it is the blood of the deserving dead. Not a single innocent person has died by my hand. But what about you all?"

"I am just a lone woman, yet I dare swear to the heavens that my conscience is clear. And you? You towering, strapping men—do you dare? Do you dare swear that you have never killed an innocent person?"

Aunt Yun’s voice was icy and resonant, piercing straight to the soul.

Amidst the vast, dark crowd of experts, not a single person dared to step forward.

Yun Jianshen’s expression remained cold. He let out a disdainful snort. "A great man’s philosophy—’kill one and you are a villain, kill a million and you are a hero’—is beyond the comprehension of a mere woman like you."

"Hahaha, Master Yun is right!"

Just then, a boisterous laugh echoed out as a figure in blue shot across the sky, swiftly approaching. It was Luo Meng.

His body crashed into the ground like a falling meteor with a dull RUMBLE. The earth beneath his feet fractured, cracks spreading for dozens of meters. His eyes, filled with an icy chill, locked onto Aunt Yun. "So you’re the Vampire Witch who killed my cousin Luo Hong and wiped out a hundred of my Luo Family’s Demon Hunting Teams?"

"You’re from the Luo Family?" Aunt Yun’s body flared with Evil Qi, and a bloodthirsty red light gleamed in her eyes.

She could never forget how arrogant and vicious Luo Hong had been, nor the sight of him brutally slaughtering thousands of innocent townspeople in Taoyuan Town.

"Since you know I’m from the Luo Family, then you should also know that today, there is only one path for you: death!" Luo Meng said with an arrogant expression.

"Sigh, the Luo Family actually sent Luo Meng. He’s a powerhouse capable of suppressing even Yun Jianshen. I heard he’s a Core Disciple of the Saint Martial Sword Sect. With him here, doesn’t that mean the massive bounty will just end up back in the Luo Family’s hands?"

"What can you do about it? Fight him for it? Do you think you can win?"

"Damn it, this was all for nothing..."

Seeing Luo Meng appear, everyone revealed expressions of resignation.

Luo Meng was a Core Disciple of the Saint Martial Sword Sect, a genius with a Profound Tier Ninth Grade Martial Soul and a True Martial Realm Ninth-Stage Cultivation.

Among all those present, who could possibly contend with him?

In everyone’s eyes, the Vampire Witch was sure to be killed by Luo Meng, and the enormous bounty would be his.

The corners of Luo Meng’s lips curled up in a confident and satisfied smirk. He reveled in this feeling of being looked up to by the masses. Squinting his eyes at Aunt Yun, he said, "Witch, are you going to surrender or not? If you wait for me to make a move, then death will be your only escape!"

However, just as Luo Meng finished speaking, a cold sneer came from within Taoyuan Town. "Only one path, death? I wouldn’t be so sure!"

SWOOSH—

A man and a woman walked out from Taoyuan Town.

The man was handsome, with sword-like brows, star-bright eyes, and a heroic bearing. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, her elegant aura like that of a budding Clear Lotus or a fairy descended to the mortal realm.

*GASP*...

"My heavens, are my eyes playing tricks on me? How can such a beautiful woman exist in this world?"

"I-If I could spend one night with her, I’d willingly give up ten years of my life!"

Even Yun Jianshen and Luo Meng stared blankly, stunned for a moment.

Luo Meng’s burning gaze fell upon Xiao Qingyi. ’What a beautiful woman... She’s mine! I must have her!’ However, his gaze shifted and he saw Jiang Chen’s hand tightly holding Xiao Qingyi’s. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he yelled at Jiang Chen, "Brat, let go of her with your filthy hands! How dare you touch my woman?"

"Your woman? Idiot!"

Jiang Chen shot him a glance and shook his head, speechless.

"You..."

Luo Meng’s face darkened, and killing intent surged in his eyes.

But Jiang Chen ignored him, leading Xiao Qingyi over to Aunt Yun.

Seeing Aunt Yun covered in blood, Xiao Qingyi was already frantic. Her eyes red, she threw herself into Aunt Yun’s arms. "Aunt Yun... How are you? How did you get hurt so badly? Who did this to you?"

"I’m fine, Qingyi. Aunt Yun is fine!"

Aunt Yun shook her head, gently patting Xiao Qingyi’s head with a doting look in her eyes. She then glanced at Jiang Chen and asked, confused, "Qingyi, who is this? And you two are..."

Her gaze fell on their tightly clasped hands.

Xiao Qingyi let out a little yelp, her face flushing red. She let go of Jiang Chen’s hand and quickly said, "Aunt Yun, h-he’s Jiang Chen. He’s here to help us!"

"Aunt Yun, here are two Spirit Revitalizing Pills. They should help with your injuries. As for these people..." Jiang Chen glanced at Yun Jianshen, Luo Meng, and the others, and said flatly, "Just leave them to me. With me here, no one will harm a single hair on your heads!"

"Hahaha, what arrogant words!"

"Isn’t this kid only at the True Martial Realm Fifth Stage? How dare he spout such nonsense and look down on us? He’s really courting death!"

"Kid, are you so desperate to show off in front of a woman that you’re willing to throw your life away? Forget Young Master Luo and Master Yun—even I, the Alliance Leader, could crush you with one hand!" Ding Qianqiu of the Fire Bandit Alliance sneered mockingly.

Jiang Chen frowned and looked at Ding Qianqiu. "And who are you?"

"I am the Alliance Leader of the Fire Bandit Alliance, Ding Qianqiu!" Ding Qianqiu announced proudly.

Jiang Chen went, "Oh," and asked, "Is Ding Yunzhong your son?"

"Hm?"

Ding Qianqiu froze, then frowned. "What? You know my son, Yunzhong? Hmph, so what if you do? Thinking of trying to get on my good side now? It’s too late for that!"

Jiang Chen raised a finger and wagged it gently. "I’m not trying to get on your good side. I’m just informing you that a short while ago, I killed a man named Ding Yunzhong. Oh... he told me his father was the leader of the Fire Bandit Alliance."

"What? You killed my Yunzhong?" Ding Qianqiu’s expression changed, the killing intent in his eyes intensifying. He roared, "I’ll tear you to pieces to avenge my son!"

"You think you’re worthy of getting revenge on me? Fine. I’ll give you a chance. I won’t even use my hands or my feet," Jiang Chen said arrogantly, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk.

The moment he said this, everyone, including Aunt Yun, was stunned.

He wouldn’t use his hands or his feet?

Ding Qianqiu was a True Martial Realm Seventh Stage expert, and Jiang Chen was offering to fight him without using his hands or feet?

"Hahaha, has this kid lost his mind?"

"He’s too arrogant!"

"So arrogant! He’s got a death wish!"

Aunt Yun also shook her head. "Jiang Chen, come back! Ding Qianqiu has a True Martial Realm Seventh-Stage cultivation. You might not be his match even at full strength, and you’re going to handicap yourself?"

Jiang Chen grinned. "Aunt Yun, just relax and watch!" After a pause, he looked at Ding Qianqiu and crooked his finger. "What? I’m offering you a handicap of both my hands and feet, and you still don’t dare to fight? Weren’t you just talking about getting revenge for your son? Are you scared already?"

"You little bastard! Since you’re looking for death, don’t blame me for being merciless!"

Ding Qianqiu’s face flushed red. When had he ever been looked down upon like this?

His eyes filled with a grim, bloody light as he tightly gripped a jet-black Battle Blade. A dark radiance and crackling lightning erupted from the blade. He took a single step that covered dozens of meters, appearing before Jiang Chen in an instant.

The Battle Blade cleaved the air with a dark, sharp glint, descending on Jiang Chen. Ding Qianqiu’s face was twisted in a savage snarl. "Little bastard, take my Thunder Slash!"

It looked as if the dark blade-light was about to slice Jiang Chen in two.

At that critical moment, Jiang Chen stomped his feet and dodged to the side, the dark blade-light grazing past him. At the same time, Jiang Chen kicked off the ground again. His body, as durable as a Profound Tier Combat Weapon, launched into the air like a cannonball, ramming into Ding Qianqiu with a BOOM.

BOOM—

Jiang Chen’s body slammed into Ding Qianqiu’s, creating a massive sound like two mountains colliding.

Ding Qianqiu’s figure shuddered violently in mid-air before he was sent flying backward, spewing mouthfuls of blood. He flew for a full five or six hundred meters, his internal organs and all the bones in his body shattered by the impact.

A mighty True Martial Realm Seventh Stage expert had been rammed to death by Jiang Chen!

All who witnessed this were utterly horrified!