Chapter 426: Sunchaser Backs Down

Jiang Chen felt infinitely close to this voice, and his lips curved slightly in a heartfelt smile.

Old tutor Ye Chonglou had finally emerged from his closed door cultivation after three years. Him emerging now meant that he’d already entered the origin realm, and he’d thoroughly consolidated his cultivation in that realm.

Otherwise, he never would’ve hastily exited his training, not with his personality.

Ye Chonglou was riding the Five Winged Phoenix-Dragon in the air. He landed in front of forefather Thousandleaf as if a divine deity arriving from the heavens.

Jiang Chen was also slightly taken aback when he saw the Phoenix-Dragon’s noble head. He hadn’t thought that this beast would awaken another portion of its bloodlines after the old tutor broke through. The Phoenix-Dragon had ascended to a saint rank spirit creature!

Twin blessings were knocking on the lordmaster’s door!

If Jiang Chen was surprised, then Thousandleaf and the Precious Tree Sect were the epitome of shock.

“Chonglou, you... broke through to the origin realm?” Thousandleaf felt both joy and surprise.

“It was about time I stirred a bit after dithering in the spirit king realm for so long.” Ye Chonglou chuckled.

Thousandleaf was utterly delighted, “I truly must congratulate you for this. I, Thousandleaf, finally have another on the same path as me with the same ideals, one I can call brother.”

In the Precious Tree Sect, Thousandleaf was one in the high reaches, unafraid of the cold in his lofty position as the forefather over a horde of juniors. Now that Ye Chonglou had broken through, this meant that there were two original realm cultivators in their camp, and that they could spar at any time.

Although Ye Chonglou had angrily left the Precious Tree Sect back in the day, his heart still remained with the sect, and was still of one mind with the sect in important matters.

Ye Chonglou smiled dashingly and looked at Jiang Chen with a thick sense of affection.

“Little friend, you’re something alright! I’ve only entered closed door cultivation for three or so years, but you’ve soared to prominence and have caused this amount of ruckus. Good, good! Young folk should be thus, afraid of nothing and displaying an unrestrained and vigorous style that brims with talent. Who cares if even an emperor himself is present? Blast them all away if they dare step on your head!”

Ye Chonglou was profuse in his praise, and his bias towards Jiang Chen could be obviously seen.

Sunchaser’s gaze was cold and austere as he sized up Ye Chonglou, who’d descended from the skies. He too was incredibly surprised.

Ye Chonglou had broken through to the origin realm?

This was an enormously bad piece of news! This meant that there was another origin realm cultivator on the Precious Tree Sect side. This was definitely a negative development for Purple Sun Sect dominance in the sixteen kingdom alliance!

“Ye Chonglou, you’re a mere newly-ascended cultivator. Are you thinking of strutting foolishly in front of me?” Sunchaser boomed lowly.

Ye Chonglou had always possessed an unbridled and dashing nature. He’d laid dormant in the Skylaurel Kingdom only because he was focusing on his dao and didn’t want to keep high profile.

In addition, being unable to break through to the origin realm had given him no desire to go about in society.

But now, how would Ye Chonglou show any face to Sunchaser’s mocking words? Ye Chonglou smiled remotely, “Sunchaser, who is possibly more arrogant than you? However, all of your arrogance will be useless today! If you want to fight, you should prepare yourself to face off against the combined attacks of three origin realm cultivators!”

“Three?” Sunchaser leered. “Forgive me for not seeing it, which three?”

The Phoenix-Dragon couldn’t hold back any longer after Sunchaser spoke. It threw its head to the skies and gave a monstrous roar that crested like rolling thunder.

It was apparent that having reached the origin realm, it had gained full sentience and completely comprehended human speech. The proud Phoenix-Dragon was greatly displeased by Sunchaser’s dismissal of it.

“Mm?” Sunchaser’s pupils contracted slightly. It was obvious that he previously hadn’t noticed this steed had also broken through to the origin realm!

Boundless envy surged up in his heart in that instant. As strong as Sunchaser was, he didn’t have a origin realm steed!

By what right and virtue did this Ye Chonglou possess a saint rank steed?

Sunchase was thrown into disarray in that moment.

He had a ninety percent certainty facing off against Thousandleaf.

He would still have at least fifty percent confidence versus Thousandleaf and Ye Chonglou combined.

But if you add a fierce saint rank spirit creature to the mix, then his chances of victory would absolutely not be higher than thirty percent.

This kind of contracted spirit creature was the sort that was the least afraid of death. Once it discovered that its master was in danger, it would go utterly berserk and muster forth frightening, explosive battle power.

Sunchaser would rather face three origin realm cultivators rather than two origin realms, and a saint rank creature that might go berserk at any time.

The scales of power had noticeably tipped towards the Precious Tree Sect as soon as Ye Chonglou and the Phoenix-Dragon had appeared.

As strong as Sunchaser might be, he could only barely manage to meet three origin realm cultivators in battle. There was almost no hope of victory.

Those remaining in the Purple Sun Sect were certainly stronger than the Precious Tree Sect, but how could Sunchaser ignore the monstrous killing machine that was Jiang Chen?

And what of Jiang Chen’s million strong Swordbird army?

Sunchaser wasn’t of the mind that anyone else in the Purple Sun Sect would be able to resist the Swordbird army, especially in that mysterious formation.

With these conjectures, Sunchaser was shocked to realize that if they were to meet in battle today, it would very likely be the Purple Sun Sect who would end up decimated, rather than the Precious Tree Sect.

Ye Chonglou’s eyes blazed like torches as he noted Sunchaser’s hesitation. He laughed heartily. “Sunchaser, fight if you will, why the apprehension? You’ve always liked playing with fire. Let’s see if this time it’ll result in the annihilation of the Purple Sun Sect, or what?”

Jiang Chen had killed three of the senior levels of the Purple Sun Sect, but he hadn’t truly harmed it. Several elders as well as sect head Spiritual Master Zixu all stepped forward.

They advised in low tones, “Forefather, lack of forbearance in small matters upsets great plans. They’ve come prepared today. The Shangyang Kingdom is sure to be destroyed if we fight, and our sect will be in dire straits as well.”

“Forefather, what our sect needs to do now the most is to preserve our strength and wait for the right time to strike. We shouldn’t brashly charge into battle and exhaust our sect’s main strength. It’s not worth it!”

They wouldn’t have dared give advice to Sunchaser in ordinary times. But the situation was clearly laid out now. If things devolved to a battle, the first to be eliminated would be their Purple Sun Sect.

The senior executives had all participated in attacking Jiang Chen just now. Apart from Sunchaser, none of them had the strength to break through his formation.

If Sunchaser was entangled by the three origin realm cultivators, they would be completely at the mercy of others once Jiang Chen’s formation sealed them within.

They would never want such a thing to happen.

Sunchaser had been arrogant and domineering for half his life, having always acted as he would with impudence, defying every law and order. However, he truly was hesitating this time.

When faced with the danger of sect annihilation, even one as rampantly bullying as he had to weigh up the severity of the matter.

In the end, reason finally triumphed over impulse.

He threw vicious glares at Thousandleaf and Ye Chonglou before locking his gaze on Jiang Chen, “Scum, I hope you’re always this lucky!”

The flames of fury seemed ready to spew out of his hate-filled eyes. Everything was indicating how incensed and frustrated he was at the moment.

Jiang Chen laughed heartily. “Old man Sunchaser, I know you’re feeling quite aggrieved right now. You want to erupt, and yet you can’t. However, for a sect that venerates the strong and have always bullied others, you should’ve long foreseen the day that you would be humiliated instead?”

If looks could kill, Sunchaser’s glare would’ve killed Jiang Chen a hundred times over by now.

It was a pity that he hadn’t trained in the arts of the eyes and didn’t posses such skill.

Thousandleaf also relaxed inwardly when he saw Sunchaser choose to back down.

To be honest, he was unwilling to meet a madman such as Sunchaser in battle unless he absolutely had to. He smiled faintly as he saw Sunchaser give ground. “Since this is the case, the matters of today will end here. Sunchaser, I rather hope you think of the greater picture and set aside your prejudices.”

This was undoubtedly preaching to deaf ears like playing a lute to a cow. Sunchaser snorted coldly, a supercilious smile surfacing on his face as he seemed quite dismissive of Thousandleaf’s words.

His red eyebrow arched. “What, do you plan on spending the night here after I’ve let you go?”

Although Sunchaser had decided to abstain from fighting, that didn’t mean he would be the first to withdraw his troops. After all, the Shangyang Kingdom was his sect’s territory.

Allowing someone to come in and throw their weight around, unpunished, was already past his bottom line. He would be completely unable to be the one who left first.

“Jiang Chen, let’s stop at a good spot. Will you come back to the sect with me?” Thousandleaf walked up with a slight smile.

Jiang Chen nodded. The Goldbiter Rats had long since found and secretly rescued Jiang Zheng and the others. He had taken revenge and even interest for the matter on this trip to the Shangyang Kingdom.

He felt absolutely satisfied and fulfilled having killed that old woman Shuiyue.

As for Sunchaser, although he was arrogant and a looming disaster, Jiang Chen truly didn’t have the ability to kill him at the moment.

He couldn’t bear to ask forefather Thousandleaf or lordmaster Ye Chonglou to take the stand either. After all, this was something that laid one’s life on the line. He didn’t have the right to ask this of others.

He immediately nodded. “Jiang Chen is grateful and will remember with gratitude the forefather coming to my aid. I will listen to the forefather for all arrangements.”

Jiang Chen had no reason to put on appearances since the forefather was being so kindly disposed towards him.

He then smiled at Ye Chonglou afterwards, “Lordmaster, I owe you again for this time.”

Ye Chonglou gave a barking laugh, “Good kid, you still talk like this with me?”

The old tutor actually felt great gratitude towards Jiang Chen. If it wasn’t for Jiang Chen’s pointers, he never would’ve been able to break through to the origin realm in this life. Where would all his current glory be then?

It had always been Ye Chonglou’s ardent desire to participate in the decisions at the highest levels. However, with his previous cultivation at the spirit king level, although he had some influence, it wasn’t enough to enter the circles of the four venerated ones.

But today, his high-profile entrance was also an official proclamation that he, Ye Chonglou, had also entered the ranks of the venerated origin realm cultivators!

The layout of the sixteen kingdom alliance would change from now on. It was no longer an era of the four forefathers holding sway, and it was even less one in which Sunchaser was the despot.

All of this stemmed from Jiang Chen.

As Sunchaser watched the Precious Tree Sect and Ye Chonglou talk and laugh animatedly as they left with Jiang Chen, leaving behind the Shangyang Kingdom in shambles as well as the carcasses of Master Shuiyue and the others, Sunchaser’s expression twisted as he suddenly threw his head back and howled. This howl soared to the nine heavens as a current of rage shot into the sky, unable to find an outlet.

The Purple Sun Sect disciples all cowered and trembled below. No one dared approach.

Everyone was well aware that in the forefather’s life of dominance, he’d never come off the worse after an exchange like he had today. For the forefather and the sect, this was a day of utter humiliation and disgrace!

“Jiang Chen, Precious Tree Sect, and Ye Chonglou!” Sunchaser’s teeth grated audibly as resentment suffused his tone and hatred colored his eyes!