Everyone stood behind Emperor Danji, staring with suspicion at this inexplicable cave dwelling that had appeared out of nowhere, their hearts filled with questions.
Even the local expert of the Undying Tiandu had no idea what this cave dwelling was all about. The whole thing was far too bizarre.
Even though every one of them was a top-tier powerhouse of the Human Domain, an Emperor Realm expert, they were also the ones most afraid of death.
"Who among you is willing to go in and explore?" Emperor Danji asked in a contemplative tone.
These great emperors exchanged glances, but not a single one was willing to move.
"Luo Jue, old friend, this is your Undying Tiandu's territory. Why don't you go in first and see what it's all about? What if this cave dwelling is some ancient secret realm that has surfaced?" Emperor Danji turned his gaze toward the Lord of Tiandu.
The Lord of Tiandu furrowed his brow. "There are no records of anything like this within my Undying Tiandu's territory. The appearance of this cave palace is far too strange — I'm afraid it can't be anything good. It must be some trick pulled by that brat Jiang Chen."
Be the first one in?
The Lord of Tiandu was not that foolish. If it were the old Jiang Chen, he would have charged in without a second thought. But the Jiang Chen of today was no longer the Jiang Chen of the past.
The Shura Emperor had fallen at that young man's hands.
The two Pill Fire City emperors, Elder Ma and Dajiao, had also perished at that young man's hands.
In other words, this brat was fully capable of killing Emperor Realm experts. Though the Lord of Tiandu was confident, he did not truly believe he was much stronger than the Shura Emperor.
Under such bizarre circumstances, he naturally had no desire to lead the charge.
Emperor Danji frowned. "Luo Jue, old friend, don't forget — if we eliminate that brat Jiang Chen, it benefits your Undying Tiandu more than anyone. Most importantly, this is your territory. If there are any treasures or fortunes inside this cave space, you'd have first claim. But if we go in first, well, you won't have any priority when it comes to good things."
The Lord of Tiandu shook his head without hesitation. "I'm perfectly willing to yield that priority to Pill Fire City."
Emperor Danji found the Lord of Tiandu utterly impervious to persuasion and was somewhat exasperated.
He turned to the others. "Is there anyone willing to go in first and investigate?"
His gaze swept across the crowd, but no one volunteered. This was no joking matter — if they were going in, they would go in together. Going in alone? Nobody was that foolish.
---
Deep within a hidden chamber of the cave dwelling, Jiang Chen sat cross-legged in meditation.
The cave dwelling that Guo Ran had left behind was designed with absolute perfection. From within it, Jiang Chen could perceive everything happening in the surrounding area with crystal clarity.
Moreover, cultivating inside this cave dwelling yielded far better results than training in the outside world.
Most critically, the cave was like a labyrinth. If Jiang Chen wanted to play cat-and-mouse with these people in here, they would never be able to find him, no matter what.
On top of that, this cave dwelling contained not only a confusion array but also the most terrifying of killing formations.
A grand killing array laid down by a Heavenly Position powerhouse — once activated, even an Emperor Realm expert would be annihilated without question.
This trump card, unless it was absolutely necessary, was something Jiang Chen was reluctant to use.
Jiang Chen treasured his time like gold, yet he sat in meditation within the cave. These past days he had been rushing about in every direction, but his cultivation routine had not slipped for a single day.
That said, with so much traveling, even his diligence could not make up for the lack of continuity in his cultivation.
Fortunately, his cultivation talent and resources far exceeded those of ordinary people. Even without the kind of secluded, intensive training, his progress in cultivation was still remarkably swift.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen's spiritual awareness stirred.
He had sensed that someone had infiltrated the cave dwelling.
His divine sense swept outward, and he detected a figure slipping in from outside the cave. The newcomer was clearly very cautious as well.
Every step was taken with extreme care, as though wading through a mountain of blades and a sea of fire.
It was Xinyun Emperor of Pill Fire City. A die-hard loyalist of Emperor Danji, when he saw that no one had responded to Emperor Danji's suggestion, he had volunteered to explore the cave dwelling first.
"Only one person came in?"
Jiang Chen felt a twinge of disappointment. If only a single emperor had entered, he did not want to waste his last charge of the killing formation.
Within this cave space, as long as Jiang Chen did not wish to reveal himself, unless the intruder was exceptionally skilled in spatial divine abilities, finding him in this labyrinthine cave would be nearly impossible.
Furthermore, this cave space had already been refined by Jiang Chen, making it his own territory. Within his own domain, Jiang Chen held every advantage — heaven, earth, and man alike.
In that instant, a bold notion flashed through Jiang Chen's mind.
"The previous kills — the Shura Emperor, Elder Ma, and Dajiao — were all achieved through the combined efforts of many. Since I first set foot on this path, I have never single-handedly slain an Emperor Realm powerhouse."
The thought took root as Jiang Chen surveyed the cave. "This dwelling is under my control. It is my territory. Even an Emperor Realm expert — it's not entirely impossible, is it?"
Even Jiang Chen himself was startled by this audacious thought. To independently kill an Emperor Realm powerhouse — for a cultivator at the early stage of the Emperor Realm, that would be nothing short of a pipe dream.
And yet, in this very moment, such a thought had arisen in his heart.