Chapter 2653: Xi Yu’s Assassination Attempt
The Tian Yuan clan had become the undisputed ruler of the southern region. However, the Tian Yuan clan did not unite the entire region. After gaining control over the Heavenly Moon Empire and the Blood Sun Empire, they fell quiet once again. The Tian Yuan clan did not interfere with the development of the few other ancient organisations and the many divine kingdoms in the southern region either.
This did not mean that the Tian Yuan clan had no ambition. It was the exact opposite. Most members of the upper echelon were teeming with ambition. They wanted to unite the southern region and develop into the other regions. Some of them even wanted to establish branches in the central region.
With the Tian Yuan clan’s current strength and prestige, they could easily achieve that.
However, all of these suggestions for expansion were firmly turned down by Jian Chen. No one dared to object. Not only did Jian Chen’s actions confuse these members of the upper echelon, but even many cultivators and scholars of the outside world were left at a loss.
The forbidden grounds of the Tian Yuan clan was beautiful and extremely quiet. It was a sharp contrast to the front courtyard of the clan.
A water-blue divine hall stood silently in the forbidden grounds, giving off an imposing pressure.
This divine hall was the Watercloud Hall Jian Chen had obtained from the Gloomwater sect.
Jian Chen stood on top of the divine hall, peering out a window at the Tian Yuan clan as he sank into his thoughts.
“Jian Chen, is something bothering you?” Shangguan Mu’er arrived beside Jian Chen. Her voice was gentle and full of concern.
“I’m thinking about just how much longer the Tian Yuan clan’s current glory can last,” Jian Chen said with somewhat mixed emotions. He was rather worried. If his identity was exposed one day, would the Tian Yuan clan be hunted down by the entire Saints’ World?
After all, he was the successor of the twin swords, a disciple of the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens from the Immortals’ World; this was determined the moment he obtained the twin swords. This was something that could no longer be changed, nor could he refuse to accept it.
The Immortals’ World opposed the Saints’ World. The previous master of the twin swords was one of the five Grand Exalts of the Immortals’ World. When the war between the two worlds erupted last time, he had used the twin swords to kill many experts of the Saints’ World. He had already left behind deep grievances.
The people who could die to the twin swords were naturally anything but ordinary. He could say that basically any of them were existences that dominated an entire region in the Saints’ World. They were individuals with many disciples and descendants. If his identity were exposed, he could anticipate the terrifying consequences he would have to face.
“As long as you’re here, I think the Tian Yuan clan will remain glorious forever,” said Shangguan Mu’er.
“What if I’m gone?” Jian Chen sighed gently. He looked at Shangguan Mu’er, and a sliver of shame flashed through the depths of his eyes.
He suddenly felt very lost about his future path, nor did he know where Shangguan Mu’er would go if he left the Saints’ World one day.
Was she supposed to go with him to the Immortals’ World, or did she have to remain in the Saints’ World?
The situation in the Immortals’ World was unknown. No one knew what would happen to him once he went there; it was unknown whether it would be good or bad.
Back in the Neptunean Diving Palace, the clone that the Samsaric Immortal Exalt had conjured from a wisp of his soul had said, “Before you’ve become powerful, returning to the Immortals’ World rashly won’t turn out well.”
Just that short sentence disclosed far, far too much to Jian Chen.
As a result, Jian Chen did not wish for Shangguan Mu’er to continue risking her life with him in the Immortals’ World, as it was unsuitable for her to go there in the first place with her identity as the successor of the Third Ancestor.
However, if she remained in the Saints’ World, she would still be affected by him. She was the successor of the Third Ancestor, yet she had married a person from the Immortals’ World. She would definitely be condemned by all.
“If you’re not around, I’ll protect the Tian Yuan clan,” Shangguan Mu’er said firmly. She stared off into the distance, giving off an inspiring sense of determination.
Jian Chen sighed secretly. How would he be willing to let Shangguan Mu’er inherit all the burden he had to bear? H felt especially sorry when he thought of how the burden of the clan would rest on a woman like Shangguan Mu’er.
“I hope I’ll still have the chance to leave quietly. That way, it’ll be easier for Shangguan Mu’er,” Jian Chen could only pray inside.
However, it was not like he did not have a trump card. He still had the Heavenly Palace of Bisheng as a final path of retreat. However, he was uncertain whether this card would still be useful once his identity was exposed.
Boom!
At this moment, a great rumble rang out from the front of the Tian Yuan clan. Powerful energy wreaked havoc, directly tearing the discussion hall into pieces.
The suddenness of all this broke Jian Chen’s train of thought. His face immediately became ugly as he teleported over with the Laws of Space.
The front courtyard of the Tian Yuan clan had descended into darkness. This was the work of an Infinite Prime’s Laws of Darkness. Once trapped in there, even Godkings would be rendered blind.
The person who did all this was a middle-aged man in black clothes. He hid within the darkness, stabbing towards Xi Yu with a dark sword.
Xi Yu wore a god artifact armor on her, so she was protected by three layers of light. Each layer of light came from a defensive treasure and was extremely powerful. It could block an attack from a Primordial realm expert.
This was what her father, the Xi Emperor, had given her to protect her life.
But now, a small hole had appeared appeared in the three layers of light. They had all been pierced, having been stabbed through by the middle-aged man. In the end, he left behind a deep mark on Xi Yu’s armor.
The man’s attack was just too powerful. After penetrating Xi Yu’s three layers of defence in a single stroke, the remaining force was still beyond what the god artifact could endure. A portion of it entered Xi Yu’s body.
Blood sprayed from Xi Yu’s mouth as she was launched into the air. She heavily slammed into a stone wall behind her, becoming greatly injured.
Seeing how he had failed to kill Xi Yu in a single strike, pity appeared in the man’s eyes. However, he did not hesitate. He did not launch a second attack and immediately retreated, hiding back into the darkness.
At the same time, a huge hand condensed from energy reached out from the depths of the Tian Yuan clan. Wherever it passed by, space would twist heavily. It shot right towards the black-clothed man with monstrous power.
Xu Ran had taken action. Before her hand had even arrived, a tremendous pressure descended first, sealing up the space around the black-clothed man.
However, Xu Ran actually failed to grab anything with that. The man had already vanished into the darkness without leaving any traces behind.
In the next moment, Xu Ran immediately expanded the senses of her soul. It enveloped the entire Pingtian Empire in an instant as she attempted to find where the man was hiding.
However, Xu Ran found nothing in the end. The man was clearly an extremely skilled assassin. He was only an Infinite Prime, but his ability to hide was extremely impressive. As a result, even someone like Xu Ran failed to discover his traces.
The Laws of Darkness that enveloped the Tian Yuan clan receded with the man’s retreat. Jian Chen had arrived at a certain time when this all happened, and he was currently standing right where the man appeared last with his eyes closed, as if he was sensing for something.
Only now did the Primordial realm protectors of the Tian Yuan clan rush over, but they completely missed the assassin.
The black-clothed man moved far too quickly. His attack to his retreat had been completed in a split second. He was so fast that the experts of the Tian Yuan clan failed to react in time.
Xu Ran’s figure also appeared high in the sky. She had come in person. She hovered there as she gave off a blanketing pressure.
Her expression was very ugly. An Infinite Prime had actually managed to escape under her watch, which was humiliating for her as a Chaotic Prime.
Especially when she saw the three layers of light that had been penetrated and the deep mark on the god artifact, her face became extremely sunken.
“Running won’t be that easy!” It was also at this moment that Jian Chen’s eyes snapped open. His eyes surge with killing intent as he immediately vanished. He arrived above a lake a hundred kilometres away instantly through the Laws of Space and stabbed out at the empty air with his Nine Star Sword of Heavenly Ways.