Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Slaying Jiang Hu with a Sword

"So it was you? You’re behind all of this?"

Jiang Hu’s eyes widened, his pupils constricting violently. His face was a mask of disbelief as he cried out in alarm.

He had guessed there was a reason for the Ape King’s rampage, that someone might even be pulling the strings from the shadows.

But he never would have imagined that the person responsible would be Jiang Chen!

Jiang Chen’s expression was cold and indifferent as he smiled faintly. "That’s right. This was all a welcome gift from me to you. What do you think? Are you satisfied?"

"You little bastard. I never thought you’d be even more vicious than your old man."

Jiang Hu’s face was filled with venomous resentment as he snarled, spitting out each word, "Back then, your father cut off my arm over some lowly commoner, making me lose all face and forcing me to leave my home. Now, you’ve crippled my two sons and caused my Tiger Fang Squad to suffer heavy losses. Today, if I, Jiang Hu, don’t tear you limb from limb, I swear I’m not a man..."

His bloodshot eyes, like two blood-stained Luminous Pearls, glowed with a ghastly, crimson light. He stared intently at Jiang Chen, wishing he could devour him whole. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Unafraid, Jiang Chen stood calmly, his Fine Steel Sword in hand.

"Me, vicious? How laughable. My father took your arm because you used your strength to bully the weak and abduct women—it was what you deserved. Your two sons helped a tyrant do evil and repeatedly oppressed me; they got what was coming to them. As for the Tiger Fang Squad..."

Jiang Chen’s voice was resonant and powerful as he rebuked coldly, "If you hadn’t sent the Tiger Fang Squad to hunt me down and put me to death, why would I have plotted against you? When it comes down to it, this is all your own doing. You have no one to blame but yourself!"

’My original plan was simply to enter the Bluestone Mountain Range to train and improve my strength.’

’But Jiang Hu wanted to see me dead...’

Jiang Chen’s principle was simple: I don’t bother others if they don’t bother me. But if someone crosses me, I leave no one standing.

’If I hadn’t discovered the Tiger Fang Squad’s movements beforehand, if my strength hadn’t been great enough, then the Bluestone Mountain Range would have surely become my grave!’

’Jiang Ziyou, Jiang Ming, and Jiang Hu are all inextricably linked to this!’

Jiang Hu had already staunched the bleeding from his wound. The corner of his mouth twitched, revealing a set of ghastly white teeth as he sneered, "Abducting women? Hmph. This has always been a world where the strong devour the weak. I’m stronger than those peasants, so of course I can be the Sovereign of their fates. What gives Jiang Taixu the right to meddle in my affairs?"

"As for you? You’re nothing but the wretched offspring Jiang Taixu left behind. My sons were just going to cripple your cultivation and teach you a lesson. Even if they had wanted to kill you, you had no right to fight back. But you crippled them, so now you must die!"

Jiang Hu gritted his teeth, True Qi surging within him. A ball of pale blue frost condensed on the palm of his remaining right hand. "Jiang Chen, this day next year will be the anniversary of your death! When you get to Hell, give your piece-of-trash father a message for me: it was I, Jiang Hu, who personally sent you to reunite with him!"

Before his voice had even faded, Jiang Hu lunged at Jiang Chen like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.

Despite the wound on his chest, the force of Jiang Hu’s attack had barely diminished. His Profound Nether Palm, at the Perfection Realm, was still capable of unleashing immense power.

As he struck, streams of blue frost shot out from all five of his fingertips.

The frost extended from his fingers, transforming into five half-meter-long Ice Swords. These were Ice Blades condensed from True Qi using the Profound Nether Palm’s Dharma Technique!

The five Ice Blades were completely transparent and crystal clear, yet they were incomparably hard!

SWOOSH!

With a palm strike, the five Ice Blades formed a set of pale blue Cold Ice Claws, leaving five pale blue trails of light in the air as they slashed down toward Jiang Chen’s head.

Jiang Chen gave a cold smile and suddenly flicked his Fine Steel Sword upward.

DING—

The Fine Steel Sword and the Ice Blades collided, instantly creating a shower of blinding sparks.

"Hahaha, despair, you little bastard! My Profound Nether Palm has reached the Perfection Realm. The Profound Nether Ice Claw it condenses is comparable to Hundred-refined Profound Iron. Just accept your death!" Jiang Hu laughed maniacally, his killing intent palpable.

In the secular Martial Dao, weapons are divided into three tiers: Fine Iron, Hundred-refined Profound Iron, and Thousand-refined Inscribed Iron.

The Ice Blades Jiang Hu condensed with his True Qi were comparable to Hundred-refined Profound Iron, able to cut through metal as if it were mud and sever a hair that blew upon them. They were truly terrifying!

Even Jiang Chen didn’t dare let those claws get close. He feared that even a light scratch would be enough to rip his flesh open and tear his bones from his meat.

DING! DING! DING!

After a series of clashes, Jiang Hu’s movements were broad and sweeping. The Perfection Realm Profound Nether Palm was indeed causing Jiang Chen a great deal of trouble.

BANG!

The longsword and Ice Blades clashed like a spear tip against a wheat awn. The collision of terrifying power forced both of them to retreat explosively.

’As expected of a Demon Hunter who constantly teeters on the edge of life and death. Jiang Hu’s combat prowess is truly terrifying!’

Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing like lightning. ’It’s a pity. Although you’ve cultivated the Profound Nether Palm to the Perfection Realm, its strongest technique requires both palms. Only when the Profound Nether energies merge can its ultimate power be released. With only one arm, you can’t possibly unleash the Profound Nether Palm’s peak power. Therefore, today, you will die!’

"Arrogant!"

Jiang Hu snorted coldly.

Before his voice faded, his legs forcefully kicked off the ground with a dull THUD, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

Jiang Hu shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, staying low to the ground. He thrust his single hand forward, his five fingers pressed together as the pale blue Ice Blades condensed into a sharp Ice Spear, thrusting toward Jiang Chen.

The thrust was incredibly fast, and the Ice Spear was incomparably sharp.

Even a master of the Martial Arts Seventh Stage would find it difficult to evade. A savage sneer appeared on Jiang Hu’s face. "Die, you little bastard!"

"A mere parlor trick. Watch me shatter it with a single strike!"

Jiang Chen snorted coldly.

He made a grasping motion with his right hand in the air. The Fine Steel Sword began to spin on its own, emitting a low HUM, before he clenched his five fingers, gripping the sword tightly.

His sharp, sword-like eyebrows, set above his deep eyes, twitched slightly. He charged to meet the oncoming Jiang Hu, and his sword shot out with a SWISH, leaving behind a faint purple Sword Aura as it flew forward like a bolt of lightning!

The speed was astonishing!

It was almost impossible to follow the sword’s path with the naked eye!

DING—

The sharp sword collided with the unstoppable Ice Spear, once again like a spear tip against a wheat awn. The two powerful forces clashed ceaselessly, generating a massive, howling gale of air.

Jiang Chen’s expression was grim. With a flick of his wrist, he shouted, "Rushing! Thunder! Style!"

SWISH!

With a flick of his wrist, his longsword swung out, creating a dazzling display of sword flashes. The afterimages merged into a Sword Qi Tornado that engulfed the Ice Spear. With each rotation, it shaved off slivers of pale blue ice, forcibly grinding the Ice Spear down until it shattered.

"How is this possible?" Jiang Hu’s expression changed dramatically.

But it was too late!

"Die!"

Jiang Chen’s voice rang in his ear as his speed suddenly surged. He flashed past Jiang Hu like a bolt of purple lightning, and a spray of bright, dazzling blood flew into the air.

"How... how could this be..." Jiang Hu’s steps faltered. He staggered forward a few paces before his knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.

He desperately clamped his hand to his neck, but he couldn’t stop the hot blood that gushed out like a fountain.

Jiang Chen’s indifferent voice sounded in his ear, "Jiang Hu, when my father took your arm back then, he also gave you a chance to turn over a new leaf. It’s a pity you didn’t cherish it. The life you’ve been living was spared by my father’s mercy. Today, I, Jiang Chen, will take it back in his stead!"

"I... I can’t accept this..."

Blood trickled from Jiang Hu’s mouth as he fell to the ground with a THUD.

The dignified captain of the Tiger Fang Squad, a master at the Peak of Martial Arts Sixth Stage, and an expert who had achieved Great Perfection in the Profound Nether Palm—Jiang Hu was dead, just like that.

Jiang Chen’s narrowed eyes gazed toward the distant Celestial Vault, in the direction of Yandu City. The Fine Steel Sword in his hand was humming, radiating a chilling killing intent. "Jiang Ziyou, Jiang Tai, and Jiang Ming... There are only twenty-five days until the appointed date. Soon. I’ll be back very soon!"