Gong Qi let out a cold laugh. "A formation? Child's play!"
He glanced around, only to find himself standing in the crater of a volcano, surrounded by magma on the verge of eruption, the ambient temperature climbing without limit.
Gong Qi was, after all, a man of exceptional skill and courage. He showed not the slightest hint of fear, his hand snatching out to grab a talisman, ready to blast it straight at the formation.
But just then, several streaks of golden light erupted from beneath his feet. In the next instant, the light swirled and coalesced into six golden-armored warriors, charging at him with frenzied abandon.
Panic seized Gong Qi without warning. His pupils contracted sharply.
A terrible premonition surged through his heart, because he realized that the three charging at the very front were Heaven-tier golden-armored warriors.
Any single one of them could crush his fifth-level Saint Realm cultivation, let alone three attacking simultaneously. And outside the ring, three more Earth-tier golden-armored warriors stood watching like tigers eyeing their prey.
In that moment, every hair on Gong Qi's body stood on end, and he vaguely felt the sensation of having stumbled into a trap.
Gong Qi was strong—stronger than
Especially since "Ding Rong," played by
That fatal carelessness had only grown deeper as the trap closed.
And now Jiang Chen had unleashed the formation first, then activated the Soldier-Beads of Thought—a combination of his most devastating moves.
These measures, even against a top-tier genius like
If Jiang Chen hadn't needed him alive, two Gong Qis would have been utterly destroyed by this single strike.
The moment Jiang Chen activated the formation, Gong Qi's two bodyguards had already reacted and were about to rush onto the stage.
But Huang'er, who had been standing below the ring, shattered two offensive talismands in her hands and sent them blasting toward the pair.
These offensive talismans were something Jiang Chen had obtained from Cao Jin, each one carrying first-rate destructive power. Even those two bodyguards had no choice but to dodge.
This bought Jiang Chen the perfect window to strike.
By the time the two bodyguards recovered, Huang'er had already leapt onto the stage. Jiang Chen, meanwhile, had wrapped Gong Qi up like a zongzi, sealing every vital point on his body and casually feeding him several exclusive pills refined from the Mind-Deluding Miasma.
Moreover, the Mind-Deluding Miasma in these pills was formulated differently from the one Zhang Laosan had taken.
Jiang Chen threw back his head and laughed, then tore away his disguise to reveal his true face.
"Tell that old bastard
Jiang Chen's tone was cold and imperious. He stood atop the ring, surveying the scene with disdain, his gaze falling on the two bodyguards who dared not act rashly. "If that old man doesn't show up within ten breaths, the only thing he'll be collecting is his grandson's corpse."
"Kid, don't you dare!"
"That's Jiang Chen—look, it's Jiang Chen!" someone recognized him.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. He had never intended to conceal his identity. This time, venturing into the tiger's den, he was here to take a desperate gamble.
Last time, he had heard from Zhang Laosan that Gong Qi had a particular obsession with challenging the top prodigies of the Leiyin Sect and the Giant Kun Sect. That piece of intelligence had immediately given Jiang Chen his inspiration and a preliminary plan.
He had judged that Gong Qi, young and arrogant, would make an excellent breakthrough point.
So, step by step, he had lured out Ding Rong, killed Ding Rong, impersonated Ding Rong, and then met Gong Qi—retreating to advance at every turn, each move deliberately stoking Gong Qi's competitive fire.
Sure enough, the cocky young Gong Qi had been hooked onto the stage, one step at a time, allowing Jiang Chen to deliver this perfect strike.
With Gong Qi in hand, Jiang Chen suddenly held a trump card—free to advance or retreat as he pleased.
News reached Gong Wuji's ears in short order.
Gong Wuji, who had been in the middle of a meeting, turned green on the spot. Gong Qi was his youngest grandson, the very apple of his eye. He doted on this boy more than he doted on his own sons.
Because Gong Qi was practically molded from the same cast—whether in temperament or talent, he had inherited everything from Gong Wuji, and had even surpassed his grandfather.
Gong Wuji had poured all his hopes and effort into this grandson.
Now, hearing that Gong Qi had fallen into Jiang Chen's hands—how could he not be seized by shock and fury?
"Jiang Chen… if you so much as touch a single hair on my grandson, I, Gong, will shatter your soul and leave you unable to live or die!"
A wild, piercing howl rolled in from the distance, crashing forward like countless thunderclaps. Weaker martial artists who heard it felt their faces drain of color, their seas of consciousness boiling, on the verge of instantaneous collapse.
But Jiang Chen stood as if descended from the heavens, facing that overwhelming pressure with perfect composure.
His martial cultivation was far below Gong Wuji's. But when it came to spiritual realm, Gong Wuji was not necessarily much stronger.
Gong Wuji had clearly miscalculated if he thought intimidation could work on Jiang Chen.
Through the boundless, rolling tide of pressure, Jiang Chen's voice cut through with startling clarity.
"Old bastard, anyone can talk big. So what if I touch your grandson?" Jiang Chen raised both hands and slapped Gong Qi across the face twice in succession.
Pa! Pa!