Chapter 1445: Dead and Resurrected?

Emperor Panlong's voice trailed off as he spoke. He had seen Jiang Chen's expression and realized something was wrong, so he immediately fell silent.

"Continue," Jiang Chen said, striving to keep his voice calm. "Tell me everything you know, in as much detail as possible. Especially any information about Emperor Yunlan and the others."

At that moment, Jiang Chen was doing his best to rein in his emotions.

Emperor Panlong, however, suddenly didn't know what to say.

Silence fell over the room. Everyone's gaze became evasive. Clearly, these Emperor-realm powerhouses had been startled by Jiang Chen's reaction.

Sensing the subtle shift in the atmosphere, Jiang Chen let out a soft sigh. "Everyone... are you certain that Emperor Yunlan, Emperor Luoqi, Venerable Vimala, and the others truly appeared?"

"Young Master, is there something wrong with that?" Emperor Jiemie suddenly spoke up.

Everyone was now deeply curious. What could have happened to provoke such a strong reaction from Young Master Chen Shao?

Jiang Chen's gaze swept over the crowd, heavy and serious. "What you've just told me makes me question whether the people sitting before me right now are the real you."

Everyone was utterly bewildered.

What did that mean? They found that Young Master Chen Shao's words were becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

Emperor Panlong scratched his head. "Young Master, would anyone dare to impersonate us? And even if they could fake appearances, the power of the bloodline cannot be forged. Take the bloodline of my Panlong clan—who could possibly impersonate that?"

Jiang Chen smiled bitterly. "But the Emperor Yunlan and Emperor Luoqi that the world has seen are definitely imposters."

"What?"

The others were stunned, completely clueless as to what Jiang Chen was implying.

"Those people are already dead in Chenxiang Valley."

What?

Dead?

The Emperors of the Glazed Light City exchanged incredulous looks, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Young Master, this... this isn't a joke, is it? That Emperor Yunlan gathered his group and is currently slandering you throughout the human territories. That part is absolutely true. It's been happening these past few days, and the news has spread everywhere. One person spreading a rumor could be false. But if the entire martial world is talking about it, it must be true!"

Jiang Chen nodded. "That's exactly why I find it so strange. There's definitely something wrong with this situation. But one thing is certain: those people are dead! Among those who entered Chenxiang Valley, aside from myself, only Emperor Shaoyang and an ancestor of the Purple Smoke Sect survived. Everyone else is dead! However, if Emperor Shaoyang also steps forward to accuse me, then his fate is likely sealed as well."

The expressions of everyone present became extremely complex. They could tell that Jiang Chen was not joking; he was dead serious.

Jiang Chen didn't keep them in suspense. "Within the Chenxiang Valley secret realm, an ancient Heavenly Demon Lord was imprisoned, trapped by the formations of an ancient sect. He used his demonic consciousness to lure human cultivators into his Heavenly Demon Domain. If I hadn't been suspicious from the start, I might have fallen for the Heavenly Demon Lord's trap too..."

Thereupon, Jiang Chen recounted everything that had happened in Chenxiang Valley in meticulous detail. He told them about those who had fallen into the Heavenly Demon Lord's trap, about how Emperor Shaoyang had escaped under the protection of his subordinates, and how he had lingered for a while before leaving with that ancestor of the Purple Smoke Sect.

He also told them about the subsequent invasion by cultivators from the Southern Dipper Clan, and how the Heavenly Demon Lord had broken free of his seal...

Jiang Chen held nothing back. He even told them about the ancient divine bow. This matter was of utmost importance, and he needed to be completely transparent.

He had a very ominous premonition that behind this bizarre incident, an even more terrifying conspiracy was brewing. The most frightening part was that the power behind this conspiracy was incredibly formidable. They knew every detail of what had happened in the Saint First Sect's sacred ground.

This shocked Jiang Chen deeply.

He was absolutely certain that in that situation, a third party of experts had been present. And this third party was terrifyingly powerful.

Neither he himself, nor the Divine Vermilion Bird, nor the eight brothers of the Giant Stone Clan had detected them. Most frightening of all, even the arrogant Heavenly Demon Lord, with his immense demonic consciousness, had not sensed anything. From beginning to end, no one had noticed a thing.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Jiang Chen had never fully grasped that saying before. But in this moment, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine and understood its meaning profoundly.

The power lurking behind this was too terrifying. Their frightening capabilities lay not only in their concealment but also in their sinister ambition and their mastery of disguise.

To mimic the already-deceased Emperor Yunlan and the others so perfectly, creating convincing replicas that didn't raise the slightest suspicion among their respective factions and sects—that was something only a truly extraordinary force could accomplish.

He had to admit, this entire affair was steeped in strangeness, sending shivers down Jiang Chen's spine.

The Heavenly Demon Lord, the Southern Dipper Clan—these were threats he already knew about. While he was wary of them, they hadn't kept him up at night.