Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The wind whipped up the sand and gravel on the ground, stinging people's faces.

The broken sword in Chen Xuan's hand had no luster, was rusted, and looked like a piece of scrap metal.

Chen Tianyou stood beside the luxurious chariot, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with disdain, as if watching an ant brandishing its claws at a dragon.

He didn't even adopt a defensive stance; he simply raised his right hand casually, a faint golden light emanating from his palm.

That was the protective aura unique to the imperial bloodline.

"Brother, this sword of yours is barely enough to kill a chicken, is it?"

Chen Tianyou's voice was lazy and nonchalant.

Chen Xuan remained silent.

He simply took one step forward.

With that step, the rock beneath his feet instantly shattered into powder.

The broken sword was raised and then lowered.

The movements are simple and direct, without any fancy sword techniques, just like a country bumpkin chopping wood.

But the moment the sword fell, the surrounding air suddenly froze.

An extreme chill emanated from the rust on the broken sword.

That wasn't the chill of spiritual energy, but a pure killing intent.

Chen Tianyou's smile froze.

He felt a sharp pain coming from his palm.

That layer of imperial aura, supposedly impervious to all laws, was as brittle as paper in front of this rusty sword.

"laugh!"

A soft sound.

Blood splattered.

Chen Tianyou grunted and took three steps back, each step leaving a deep crater in the ground.

He raised his hand and looked at his palm.

A deep, bone-revealing wound ran across his entire palm, and blood dripped from his fingertips, staining his spotless white robe.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene.

A sword strike from a Casting Cauldron Realm cultivator actually injured the Central Continent Imperial Prince, who was at the Transformation Realm.

And it was a direct confrontation!

Li Manzi, the Blood Fiend Sect member with the broken arm, gaped open, forgetting even to cry out in pain.

Luo Qingxue's hand holding the sword trembled, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Su Chang'an sat on the rock, spat out the fruit pit from his mouth, and clapped his hands.

"Tsk, this blood doesn't look any more expensive than other people's."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was particularly jarring in the desolate wasteland.

Chen Tianyou suddenly looked up, staring intently at Chen Xuan, his contempt instantly turning into fury.

That was the shame and annoyance of being bitten by ants.

"Okay, very good."

Chen Tianyou stuck out his tongue and licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, his expression turning ferocious.

"I was originally going to spare your life and play with you for a few more days, but since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish."

"boom!"

The golden Dharma image behind him instantly solidified, reaching a height of a hundred feet, radiating a suffocating pressure.

Fa Xiang slowly raised the giant sword in his hand, aiming it at Chen Xuan.

The surrounding space began to distort, and countless cracks appeared in the earth.

Those disciples with lower cultivation levels were directly shaken by this oppressive force, causing them to vomit blood and collapse to the ground.

Chen Xuan remained standing in the same spot, his broken sword pointing diagonally at the ground, his figure as upright as a pine tree.

He neither retreated nor hid.

Just as the giant sword was about to fall.

Several figures suddenly appeared between the two.

Those were the captains and elders of the major sects in the Northern Region.

The Grand Elder of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect was the first to be affected. He flicked his whisk, which transformed into a barrier of light to block the oppressive force.

Elders from the Blood Fiend Sect, the Myriad Beasts Sect, and the Listening Snow Pavilion also joined forces to set up a barrier.

"Young Master Chen, wait!"

The elder's beard and hair stood on end, and his expression was solemn.

Chen Tianyou paused, his gaze sweeping coldly over the old men.

"What? You barbarians from the Northern Regions, are you planning a rebellion?"

"I wouldn't dare."

The elder cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"This place is the ruins of a fallen god, the venue for the Northern Region Grand Competition."

"Since Young Master Chen has come, he is a guest, and we should treat him with courtesy."

"But if the young master intends to go on a killing spree here and break the thousand-year-old rules of my Northern Region, that would probably not be appropriate."

Chen Tianyou sneered.

"Rules? My words are the rules."

"Today I will kill him, who dares to stop me?"

As he spoke, the image behind him trembled again, its golden light shining even brighter.

The elders' expressions changed, and they all summoned their magical treasures, ready for battle.

Although they were wary of the Chen family of Zhongzhou, this was, after all, the Northern Region.

If we allow a junior from outside to kill people at will on our own territory, how will the sects in the Northern Region survive in the future?

Moreover, Chen Xuan now represents the face of the entire younger generation in the Northern Region.

"Young Master Chen."

The elder of Tingxuelou, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.

His voice was hoarse, carrying a sinister chill.

"Although the Chen family is powerful, their reach cannot extend this far."

"If the young master insists on taking action, we old bones may be useless, but we have no choice but to risk our lives to experience the imperial family's superior skills."

There was a threat in those words.

This place is too far from the Central Continent; even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

If a real fight breaks out, even though Chen Tianyou is strong, he won't fare well against a group of old monsters at the Cave Profound Realm working together.

Chen Tianyou narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the elders.

The old servant behind him stepped forward and whispered a few words in his ear.

The murderous intent in Chen Tianyou's eyes gradually subsided.

He took a deep breath, and the Dharma image behind him slowly dissipated.

"Okay, very good."

He clapped his hands, the ferocity on his face disappeared, and he regained his previous arrogant and haughty demeanor.

"Since the elders are so particular about the rules, then I, the young master, will grant you this favor."

He turned his head and looked at Chen Xuan.

"Brother, it seems you're quite lucky to have so many old dogs protecting you."

Chen Xuan remained expressionless, only tightening his grip on his sword.

Chen Tianyou took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket and slowly bandaged the wound on his hand.

"However, the competition has only just begun."

"The next battle for supremacy will take place inside the Emperor's palace."

He pointed to the palace that was faintly visible deep within the ruins.

"The restrictions inside can't distinguish between the imperial prince and the good-for-nothing."

"Then let's see who can protect you."

Chen Tianyou finished bandaging his wound, threw the blood-stained handkerchief on the ground, and stepped into the mud.

"I will take every single bone out of your body."

"Peel off the skin of your demonic pet, bit by bit."

"I'll make you kneel on the ground like a stray dog, begging me to kill you."

After saying that, he turned around and walked back to the chariot, never looking at Chen Xuan again.

The troops of the Great Qian Dynasty immediately followed, marching in a grand procession into the depths of the ruins.

The elders breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

Just a moment ago, they were truly prepared to fight to the death.

The Grand Elder turned around, looked at Chen Xuan, and his eyes were complicated.

"Chen Xuan, you're being too impulsive."

"That's the Chen family of Zhongzhou. Their foundation is far deeper than you can imagine."

"If we hadn't stopped you, you'd be dead by now."

Chen Xuan sheathed his broken sword and bowed to the elders.

"Thank you for your help, elders."

His voice was calm, without a trace of relief at surviving the ordeal.

The Grand Elder sighed.

"Will you participate in the next championship battle?"

"Chen Tianyou has his eye on you. Once you're inside the palace, he definitely won't let you go."

"Maybe... we should just forget about it."

"Where there's life, there's hope."

The surrounding disciples were all looking at Chen Xuan.

Although the sword strike just now was very satisfying, reason told them that the gap between Chen Xuan and Chen Tianyou was still an insurmountable chasm.

One is the Casting Tripod Realm, and the other is the Transformation Realm.

One is a disciple of a sect in the Northern Region, and the other is the young master of an imperial clan in the Central Continent.

How do we fight this?

Chen Xuan raised his head and looked in the direction Chen Tianyou had left.

The wind blew his black hair, revealing his eyes, which were as black as ink.

"never mind?"

He shook his head.

"Some scores always need to be settled."

"Some things always have to be taken back."

He turned around, walked to Su Chang'an's side, and squatted down.

"Were you scared?"

Su Chang'an rolled her eyes and handed him the bag of dried fruit in her hand.

"You scared me to death! My hands were shaking, look!"

She stretched out her hand, as steady as a rock.

Chen Xuan smiled slightly, took the bag, and tied the opening for her.

"rest assured."

He stood up and carried Su Chang'an on his back.

"Once he enters the palace, I will execute him."

This was said very casually, as if it were just a casual question about what to eat for dinner.

But the Grand Elder heard it clearly, and so did everyone around him.

Everyone was stunned.

Kill him?

Kill the Prince of Zhongzhou?

Has this kid gone mad?

Ignoring the stares of the crowd, Chen Xuan carried Su Chang'an on his back and strode into the depths of the ruins.

His back was not broad; in fact, it appeared somewhat thin.

But at this moment, it exudes an unwavering determination.

Su Chang'an lay on his back, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"The traitor."

"Um?"

"That sword strike just now was pretty cool, too."

"It's a bit of a loss."

"deficit?"

"Look, you slashed him with your sword, but you didn't gain anything and just got yourself into trouble."

"Next time, remember to take the storage bag from someone's body while you're chopping them up."

"That guy looks pretty rich; that jade pendant on his waist could probably be exchanged for a lot of spirit stones."

Chen Xuan paused for a moment, then smiled helplessly.

"it is good."

"And also, didn't that prince of the Great Qian Dynasty glare at me just now?"

"Um."

"When you go inside, remember to gouge his eyes out for me."

"it is good."

The two exchanged questions and answers, their voices gradually fading into the distance.

A group of dumbfounded monks were left standing there, bewildered in the wind.

These two...

Are they really going to participate in a life-or-death battle?

Why does it feel like they're going to buy goods?

Luo Qingxue watched that figure's retreating figure, bit her lip, gripped her sword tightly, and followed after him.

Li Manzi crawled out of the pile of rocks and touched his bald head with his good hand.

"Damn it, this Senior Brother Chen is really awesome."

"My life, Old Li's life, belongs to him from now on."

He roared and led the Blood Fiend Sect disciples inside.

Deep within the ruins of the Fallen God, black mist surged.

That ancient imperial palace stood silently in the darkness, like a giant beast ready to devour its prey.

An even bigger storm is brewing.