After Jiang Chen's words, the other party's person in charge became far more cautious. Right in front of Jiang Chen, he put away the Storage Ring.
"Rest assured, Your Excellency. Within one month, regardless of what happens, this item will definitely be delivered to the Scarlet Cauldron Central Domain. By the way, to whom exactly should it be delivered?"
"The Emperor of the Scarlet Cauldron Empire," Jiang Chen said coolly.
The other party stiffened, glanced at Jiang Chen, but said nothing.
Delivering to the Imperial Court was no great matter for them. It was merely a transaction. Although delivering to the court required slightly more effort, in the end it was not a major issue.
Given such generous compensation, there was no reason to turn down such an effortless piece of business.
After handling this matter, Jiang Chen did not linger in Longxing City for long.
The journey from Jiantian Central Domain to the Liuli Royal City was still extremely far, but Jiang Chen did not slack off. During this period, the Indestructible Heavenly Capital and the forces pursuing them had perished at Yingqi Valley, severing all channels of information. This was naturally a rare window for Jiang Chen to make headway on the road.
Without two First-Rank Sects clinging to him like bone-rotting maggots, Jiang Chen's journey became far more leisurely.
However, Jiang Chen was very clear that this leisure was only temporary. Before long, once those two sects mobilized their forces again, the journey would become even more arduous.
During this time, he should naturally cover as much ground as possible.
Although the two First-Rank Sects had temporarily gone silent, the enthusiasm of the rogue cultivators along the way showed no signs of waning. Clearly, that hefty bounty still held tremendous appeal.
And news of the two sects' annihilation at Yingqi Valley apparently had not yet leaked out.
But Jiang Chen estimated that it would not be long before the news broke.
With every person from both sects missing, their higher-ups would inevitably send people to investigate. One investigation would easily lead to Yingqi Valley.
In that case, there would be no way to keep it hidden.
Jiang Chen guessed that the leadership of both sects had probably already pieced it together by now. It was just that such news would likely be kept under wraps.
After all, for two First-Rank Sects, this was far too humiliating.
Both sects had dispatched no fewer than three thousand people, including numerous Imperial Realm powerhouses, yet they had been utterly annihilated. If word got out, it would certainly become a laughingstock.
Therefore, the seemingly calm situation did not put Jiang Chen at ease.
On the road ahead, there would surely be even more trials waiting for him.
Fortunately, after emerging from Yingqi Valley, Jiang Chen and Huang'er had found a secluded spot and secluded themselves for several days to refine the Indestructible Mark left by the Indestructible Heavenly Capital.
If this mark were not refined, no matter where they went, they would remain living targets for the Indestructible Heavenly Capital.
...
Time flowed on. More than twenty days passed since Jiang Chen's appearance in Longxing City.
At this moment, the situation had undergone yet another tremendous upheaval.
News of the two sects' total annihilation had finally managed to break through the suppression and been leaked to the public.
This news immediately caused an uproar throughout the surrounding domains.
Two First-Rank Sects, along with numerous Fourth-Rank Sect powerhouses from the Scarlet Cauldron Central Domain — a combined force of as many as three thousand — had been completely wiped out!
And the ones they had been pursuing were merely two people!
In an instant, Jiang Chen's name spread far and wide, across rivers and plains, throughout all the surrounding domains.
The Indestructible Heavenly Capital and the Nine Sun Heavenly Sect — those lofty First-Rank Sects — had lost all face in one fell swoop, tumbling from their exalted pedestals.
They became the laughingstock of rogue cultivators everywhere.
Though the rogue cultivators were also hunting Jiang Chen frantically for the bounty, deep in their hearts, most of them stood on the side of the underdog.
The First-Rank Sects had been tyrannical and overbearing, invading the Myriad Phenomena Domain, destroying another sect's foundation, killing and plundering — these were ironclad facts.
Therefore, Jiang Chen's counterattack, in the eyes of the rogue cultivators, was an astonishing and worship-worthy reversal — the absolute king of comebacks!
In a short span of time, Jiang Chen's name was mentioned countless times. And those rogue cultivators who had been hunting him for the bounty now thought twice, abandoning the ambitions in their hearts.
They all understood clearly that this bounty was not something they had any right to claim.
Even a three-thousand-strong force from a First-Rank Sect had been wiped out by him. What weight did these rogue cultivators carry? What right did they have to hunt Jiang Chen?
Jiang Chen's name, at street corners and alleyways, in taverns and teahouses, became the hottest topic among rogue cultivators. It was as though they were already forging him into a legend.
Although everyone remained pessimistic about Jiang Chen's prospects — believing he had truly incurred the wrath of both sects this time and would perhaps still meet his end one day — so what?
Setting aside future matters, a young man from the Myriad Phenomena Domain who could accomplish so many extraordinary feats had already earned a place in history!
He had already earned his place as a legend of the Divine Abyss Continent!
"A real man should live like this — grand and glorious!" In a tavern, a rogue cultivator downed a large bowl of wine in one go and slammed the table with a sigh of admiration.
Situations like this played out thousands upon thousands of times every single day across the surrounding domains.
In an instant, Jiang Chen became the spokesperson for the underdog's rise to glory, an object of worship for countless rogue cultivators, and the hero in the hearts of these grassroots folk who resented the powerful.
What contrasted sharply with the rogue cultivators' reactions was the indescribable shock felt by the sect powers across the various domains.
From the Myriad Phenomena Domain to the Liuli Royal City, the path crossed through many territories. Many of the forces along the way had been invited by the Indestructible Heavenly Capital or the Nine Sun Heavenly Sect to help capture Jiang Chen.