Jiang Chen's decision was somewhat risky.
But he felt the risk was worth taking. The more attention he drew to himself, the fewer eyes would be watching the route his parents were taking.
It wasn't that Jiang Chen didn't want to keep his parents by his side. Rather, he had a powerful premonition that the Great Emperor Danji would stir up some kind of trouble.
Last time he had killed two Emperor-realm cultivators from Pill Fire City, and yet Pill Fire City had made no response whatsoever up to now. That kind of silence was completely out of character for the Great Emperor Danji.
The calmer it was, the quieter things stayed — the more terrifying the conspiracy being hatched might be!
This trip to the Lunar God Sect to propose a marriage — on the way there, no god or ghost would know, and he could do as he pleased. On the way back, however, it would be anything but a secret.
Jiang Chen didn't distrust the Lunar God Sect, but with a sect that large, he couldn't very well believe that nobody in it had close ties to Pill Fire City.
The moment anyone with such connections existed, the intelligence could easily reach the Great Emperor Danji.
Would the Great Emperor Danji pass up an opportunity for revenge?
Jiang Chen didn't think the Great Emperor Danji was that merciful.
Upon leaving the Lunar God Sect's territory, Jiang Chen had been contemplating where exactly the Great Emperor Danji would strike. As they passed through Pill Fire City's domain, he appeared composed on the surface, but in truth he was on constant guard against a sudden attack.
They crossed the entirety of Pill Fire City's territory, and the Great Emperor Danji still hadn't made a move.
But this didn't let Jiang Chen lower his vigilance. On the contrary, that sense of oppression not only hadn't diminished — it kept growing.
For Jiang Chen, however, this sense of oppression was actually a good thing.
As long as the Great Emperor Danji's gaze remained fixed on him, that meant absolutely wonderful news for the route his parents were taking. He had sent his parents ahead by half a month, and he himself had been traveling at an agonizingly slow pace. By his calculations, his parents should have already safely entered the Heavenly Sword Sect's territory by now.
Once inside the Heavenly Sword Sect's domain, they had at least a seventy to eighty percent guarantee of safety.
"Young Master, there's something off about the atmosphere in the Indestructible Heaven Capital," said Jiao Yun. As one of the most capable rogue cultivators around, and having spent years navigating the underworld of independent practitioners, his instincts and intuition far surpassed those of many sect powerhouses.
The moment he set foot in the Indestructible Heaven Capital's territory, he felt a deep sense of unease. It was the pure, unfiltered intuition of a strong cultivator — something about the Indestructible Heaven Capital struck him as far from peaceful.
Jiang Chen merely smiled calmly. "We have so many Emperor-realm cultivators with us. What can a mere Indestructible Heaven Capital do? Don't worry — just keep moving forward."
The Jiao brothers from Huaishan weren't the type to shy away from trouble. As scouts sent ahead to clear the path, their job was simply to deliver accurate intelligence to Jiang Chen.
How to act on that intelligence was Jiang Chen's call — they wouldn't overstep their bounds.
Han Qianzhan of the Heavenly Sword Sect had also sensed an unpleasant atmosphere and advised, "Young Master Jiang Chen, the atmosphere in the Indestructible Heaven Capital is genuinely unsettling. How about we head east instead? Once we're in my Heavenly Sword Sect's territory, we can head south from there and still reach Crystal King City. We'd only be adding a bit of extra distance. We rough-and-tumble types don't mind, but your honored parents…"
Han Qianzhan was genuinely looking out for Jiang Chen's interests. They, as Emperor-realm cultivators, were confident they could handle whatever enemy showed up.
What he feared was that Jiang Chen's parents might not be able to protect themselves if a chaotic battle broke out.
"Brother Han, there's no need to worry. I have my own plan for this matter. The Indestructible Heaven Capital destroyed the sects of my Myriad Phenomena Region back then — they and I cannot coexist under the same sky. Now, passing through their territory without slaughtering our way through is already showing remarkable restraint. Ask me to take a detour? Absolutely not!"
Jiang Chen's tone left no room for argument, and Han Qianzhan said no more. He assumed Jiang Chen was making a hot-blooded, youthful decision driven by indignation.
So he didn't press the issue. Looking at the traveling party's strength, it was more than formidable. The Indestructible Heaven Capital might be a first-rate sect, but they absolutely could not contend with this many powerhouses.
The rogue cultivator Emperors, each of them veterans of countless battles, could also sense the bizarre atmosphere. But the temperament of rogue cultivators had always been more free-spirited and unrestrained. Seeing so many powerful allies gathered together, they felt even less concern.
In fact, some of them were secretly hoping something would actually happen.
If something did happen and they got to fight a battle here, that might not be such a bad thing at all.
The group maintained their original pace, neither fast nor slow, as they pressed onward.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen raised his hand. "Hold!"
Everyone stopped in their tracks. All eyes turned to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen frowned. "It seems someone really can't sit still and is looking for trouble."
Great Emperor Huoyan burst out laughing. "Who's got such poor eyesight? Let them come and try."
"Young Master Jiang Chen, I hear you have a grudge against the Indestructible Heaven Capital? Why don't we just help you charge in there and tear them out root and stem?"
"Heh heh, Young Master Jiang Chen — just say the word, and this trip alone will count as repaying you for the Pine Crane Pills. No charge."
These rogue cultivator Emperors were none of them easy to deal with. Upon hearing there might be action, far from growing tense, they were practically itching for a fight — eager to storm into the Indestructible Heaven Capital, drag these lofty sects down from their pedestals, stamp them into the mud, and grind them into dust.
Rogue cultivators and sect forces seemed to have an innate hostility toward one another.
Jiang Chen kept frowning without saying a word, then sent a voice transmission ahead: "Jiao Yun, Jiao Feng — fall back."