Before Jiang Chen’s eyes...

Within the thick fog was an enormous Blood Lake.

Viscous, bloody liquid writhed within the Blood Lake. It wasn’t water at all, but a lake formed entirely of congealed blood!

The lake’s surface spanned at least a thousand square meters.

’How many people must have been killed to gather such a vast amount of blood?’

’And... based on what I’d learned earlier, this must all be the blood of young boys and girls!’

’How much blood does a single child have?’

’To create a lake this large, would it take a hundred thousand dead children? Two hundred thousand? Or even more?’

Within the bloody water, Jiang Chen could even see fragmented corpses—children’s arms, skeletons...

Horrific.

Utterly ghastly.

It was a sight too gruesome to bear.

Rage churned inside Jiang Chen like molten lava, boiling over. He was so furious his eyes turned bloodshot. "Yun Jianshen, Yun Jianshen... If I don’t kill you today, I am no man!"

ROAR!

With a furious roar, Jiang Chen’s entire body erupted in a dark golden light as he charged into the fog.

BOOM—

A terrifying storm formed around Jiang Chen, forcibly blowing away the dense mist and tearing a huge opening in it.

Jiang Chen’s figure abruptly appeared above the Blood Lake.

Yun Jianshen, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the Blood Lake, shuddered and snapped his head up, a flash of fury in his eyes. "Who is so bold as to trespass in my Cloud Dragon Valley’s Forbidden Land?"

"It’s me!"

Jiang Chen hovered in midair, growling in a low voice.

"Hmm?"

Yun Jianshen froze. As he looked up and met Jiang Chen’s icy gaze, he trembled slightly, feeling as if he’d been plunged into an ice cellar. A deathly chill washed over him. His heart skipped a beat, and his expression filled with shock and uncertainty. "Who are you?"

In that moment, Yun Jianshen was secretly terrified.

After all... the things he was doing could not see the light of day. If an ordinary person had dared to break into the Forbidden Land, he would have killed them long ago.

But the aura emanating from Jiang Chen was incredibly powerful.

It made Yun Jianshen afraid to act rashly.

Jiang Chen’s expression was glacial. "Yun Jianshen, how forgetful the great can be. Take a closer look. Do you really not recognize me?"

"You..."

Yun Jianshen frowned. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically. His eyes widened in disbelief. "You-you’re that kid from Yunxian Valley back then?"

"That’s right. It’s me!" Jiang Chen said coldly.

"N-No, impossible! How can that be? Back then, you were just some kid in the Martial Arts Realm! How long has it been? H-how could you have gotten so strong?" Yun Jianshen said, utterly horrified.

He found it truly hard to imagine how a little guy who was only in the Martial Arts Realm just over a year ago could suddenly become so powerful.

The sheer power of Jiang Chen’s aura alone was enough to make his heart pound with fear.

After all, over the past year, Yun Jianshen had also used that treasure to raise his cultivation to the Heavenly Destiny Realm Sixth Stage. He was quite proud of his cultivation speed.

But...

’How old is Jiang Chen?’

Just the aura he emanated was enough to make Yun Jianshen’s blood run cold.

Jiang Chen snorted, his icy gaze sweeping over the Blood Lake. He spoke, enunciating each word, "Yun Jianshen... back when you destroyed Taoyuan Town, I told you I would kill you. I would avenge the townspeople and Aunt Yun. I originally thought just killing you would be enough, but now, I’ve changed my mind. Not only am I going to kill you, but I’m also going to imprison your soul and burn it with Divine Thought Fire. I’ll make you suffer every possible torment before I let you die!"

In this world where might makes right and the weak are prey for the strong.

Jiang Chen never opposed killing!

Because that was the law of survival in this world. Even if you had no intention to kill, others would be plotting your demise.

It was kill or be killed!

But... Jiang Chen had never laid a hand on a single innocent person!

He only killed those who deserved to die, only his enemies!

’But what about Yun Jianshen?’

’Who has he been killing? Innocent children! Children who had just learned to walk, some who couldn’t even speak clearly yet!’

’How horrifying this Blood Lake is!’

’Utterly depraved!’

’A person like this must be killed in the cruelest way possible...’

"Kill me?"

Yun Jianshen’s expression changed, then twisted into a ferocious grin. "Kid, I admit you’re very strong now, strong enough to startle even me. But if you think you can kill me, you’re dreaming!"

"Is that so?"

Jiang Chen sneered, "I’d like to see what you, Yun Jianshen, have to stop me!"

SWISH...

Jiang Chen reached out into the air. A hundred-zhang-tall mountain peak nearby was instantly uprooted. With a flick of his arm, he hurled it toward Yun Jianshen.

Yun Jianshen’s gaze was cold. He roared, "Break!"

VMM!

A sharp sword light pierced the sky.

It sliced the hundred-zhang mountain in half. Yun Jianshen laughed heartily, "Kid, it seems you’re not all that great after all!"

"Is that so?"

Jiang Chen’s icy voice suddenly rang out beside his ear, causing Yun Jianshen to stiffen all over. He looked to his side with a horrified gaze.

A beam of light shot from a fingertip flashed past.

PFFT!

That finger strike plunged directly into Yun Jianshen’s body. He shuddered, his face turning deathly pale, a look of horror spreading across it. "You... you... you actually destroyed my Life Palaces?"

The six Life Palaces within his body had crumbled and disintegrated.

Vanishing without a trace.

The True Essence in his body continuously dissipated, scattering out of him.

Jiang Chen grabbed Yun Jianshen’s neck with one hand, lifting him up in front of him. His expression was icy as he said, "Yun Jianshen, I told you... today, you die!"

SCHLICK!

With a flick of his arm, Jiang Chen sent a spray of blood erupting from Yun Jianshen’s shoulder. His entire left arm had been brutally severed.

"AGHHH..."

Yun Jianshen let out a miserable howl. "No, don’t, please don’t..."

"Don’t? We’re just getting started. How can you say ’don’t’?" Jiang Chen said indifferently. Another Sword Finger flashed by, and Yun Jianshen’s right arm was also severed at the shoulder. "This is just a little interest for the people of Taoyuan Town!"

"Spare me, Jiang Chen, spare my life..."

Yun Jianshen roared, his face filled with terror and despair.

Jiang Chen was unmoved. "This is for Aunt Yun!"

His hand grabbed Yun Jianshen’s left leg and yanked hard. With a "RRRIP," a sound like tearing cloth, Yun Jianshen’s left leg was ripped right off. Immediately after, he moved his arm again and tore Yun Jianshen’s right leg off at the hip.

Two mangled stumps of flesh hung from his hips, blood pouring out unceasingly.

Yun Jianshen’s facial features were completely contorted in pain. He howled in agony and despair, "Demon! You’re a Demon..."

"I’m a Demon?"

Jiang Chen froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Yun Jianshen, do you have the right to call me a Demon? You didn’t even spare those innocent children, some of whom could barely even speak! Did you ever think about their parents? Did you think about their families? Between you and me, who is the real Demon?"

Yun Jianshen’s face was full of defiance. He roared hysterically, "I’m stronger than them! What’s wrong with killing them? They’re just ants! To become sacrifices for my grand ambition is their honor... What did I do wrong?"

"Ants? You kill them and think it’s their honor?"

Jiang Chen took a deep breath. "Yun Jianshen, maybe in your eyes they’re just insignificant ants, the weak. But in my eyes, a single hair from one of those innocent children is a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times more precious than the life of scum like you, who is lower than a beast. You call me a Demon? If killing irredeemable villains like you makes me a demon, then so be it!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

Jiang Chen smashed Yun Jianshen’s head with a palm strike. He formed his five fingers into a tiger’s claw and growled, "Thunder Punishment!"

BOOM...

Between his five fingers, terrifying bolts of golden lightning suddenly shot out.

CRACKLE...

Under the assault of the lightning, Yun Jianshen was obliterated in both body and soul, never to be reincarnated!

Jiang Chen took a deep breath. Looking at the vast Blood Lake, his heart was exceptionally heavy. "May you all rest in peace! I have avenged you!"

He waved his arm, and the earth split asunder. A giant fissure opened in the center of the Blood Lake, swallowing all the blood whole.

He suddenly brought his hands together, and the cracked earth closed back up.

Jiang Chen let out a long, heavy breath.

The children in the lake were already dead; all he could do was give them a peaceful burial. His gaze fell upon the ten prison carts, and compassion stirred in his heart. "Don’t worry. I will get you all home safely!"

Treading through the air, Jiang Chen prepared to take the prison carts toward Yulan Mansion. But just as he turned, the corner of his eye caught a faint silver glint. It flashed from where the center of the Blood Lake had been, instantly capturing his attention...

[Third update of the day is complete! Good night!]