Chen Xi had originally intended to capture Jiang Ning alive, yet Jiang Ning had chosen to detonate himself, causing Chen Xi to have no choice but to give the idea up.

After gasping rapidly for breath for some time, Chen Xi’s pale white countenance returned to normal, and the injuries he suffered earlier recovered at an extremely swift speed.

As for his clone, even though his clone had been cut into pieces by Jiang Ning earlier, his clone’s ability of recovery was even stronger than his main body. In merely the time of a few breaths, besides losing a great deal of Blood Essence, his clone’s injuries had healed completely as well.

“Starry, let’s go.” Chen Xi pondered deeply for a moment before he patted the head of the Starsoul Beast by his side, and then he turned and left.

He didn’t leave this place but found a hidden gorge in the vicinity before sitting down cross-legged in meditation while contemplating.

Jiang Ning was extremely strong. Even though he was only at the intermediate-stage of the Mysterious Immortal Realm, his combat strength couldn’t be compared to other Mysterious Immortals at all, and it could be described as terrifying.

Chen Xi was very well aware that if he relied merely on the strength of his clone, then perhaps he would engage in fierce battle with Jiang Ning for a long time, yet the possibility of him failing in the end was greater.

I’ll absolutely not be encountering only one such opponent on my way... Yue Zhen’s figure appeared in Chen Xi’s mind.

Chen Xi didn’t know Yue Zhen’s name, yet he was clearly aware that Yue Zhen was Jiang Ning’s companion, and Yue Zhen’s strength was definitely not inferior to Jiang Ning.

Similarly, Chen Xi didn’t know their origins or background, yet he was clearly aware that they were his enemies that wanted to take his life. Moreover, it was possible that a great power stood behind them.

Who exactly is it?

Bing Shitian?

The Zuoqiu Clan?

Or perhaps the enemy forces that wiped out the Nine Radiance Sword Sect in the Immortal Dimension?

The unknown was the source of fear, and it wasn’t any different for Chen Xi. If he was unable to figure out their identities, then he wouldn’t be able to rest easy all along the way to Valiant Star Continent.

So he decided to wait here for some time and wait for Yue Zhen to arrive!

...

Once he made a decision, Chen Xi thought no further about it, and he started to make preparations to deal with Yue Zhen.

Firstly, it was a comparison of combat strength.

Chen Xi referred to Jiang Ning to determine this. Moreover, Chen Xi would only make his estimation of Yue Zhen’s strength even higher than Jiang Ning because only in this way would he be able to avoid any mishaps.

On the other hand, Chen Xi’s main body had attained the extreme of the intermediate-stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. He was able to execute the energy of nine Laws at the same time and was capable of being ranked at the 999th position on the Ascensio Immortal Rankings, and it was the most directly perceived proof of his main body’s combat strength.

But it was only a ranking after all, and it wasn’t a reflection of combat strength that would erupt during a real battle of life and death.

If he was really putting his life on the line, then merely the strength of his main body combined with the Godslaughter Burst technique, he was absolutely capable of easily annihilating Jiang Ning. But in that way, his main body would be in a weak state for a few months of time, and it was extremely disadvantageous towards his registration to enter Dao Emperor Academy. So unless it was a critical moment of life and death, he wouldn’t utilize this technique.

On the other hand, the cultivation of his clone was still at the initial-stage of the Heavenly Immortal Realm in body refinement, and it was merely capable of executing the energy of five Laws at the same time. However, due to his clone having cultivated the Nethergod Nine Cauldron Form, the true combat strength it possessed was merely slightly inferior to his main body.

According to Chen Xi’s estimation, if his clone participated in the competition for rankings on the Southbridge Continent’s Continental Ascensio Rankings, then it should be able to easily be ranked in the top twenty. Moreover, if he fought at full strength, then there was even hope for his clone to be ranked in the top ten.

In this way, if his main body and clone cooperated each other to launch a surprise attack, they would probably be sufficient to kill Yue Zhen.

If the Starsoul Beast, Starry, was included, then his possibility of success would increase even more.

Chen Xi still couldn’t help but exclaim endlessly with surprise when he thought about the Starsoul Beast. According to his knowledge, Starry was probably only an infant beast, yet its combat strength had already attained the intermediate-stage of the Mysterious Immortal Realm!

Coupled with the innate Grand Dao Laws of wind, fire, water, and devour it possessed, its combat strength was even more formidable than an ordinary expert at the intermediate-stage of the Mysterious Immortal Realm.

He could foresee that when Starry truly grew up, it would be able to transform into a terrifying existence that devoured the world with ferocious might that shook the heavens and the earth!

Most importantly, Chen Xi didn’t have to raise Starry with immortal stones or spirit medicine at all. Starry was able to consume the immortal energy of the heavens and the earth to temper its body and improve its cultivation.

Moreover, its speed of cultivation was extremely terrifying. If an immortal was said to gradually absorb immortal energy in mouthfuls, then Starry was directly opening its bloody mouth to swallow immortal energy!

This was because it innately possessed the natural talent of the Laws of Devour. Even if it was in a real battle, Starry was able to devour its opponent’s attacks and transform the attacks into its own strength!

This was why the Grand Dao of Devour was so terrifying, astonishing, and capable of being on par with the Grand Daos of light, darkness, oblivion, and so on and so forth.

I’ll wait here for him to come to me. Besides that, I naturally have to prepare some special measures... Chen Xi muttered before he stood up.

...

Two days later.

Swoosh!

A figure suddenly flew out of a gorge outside Floating Light City in Martial Illumination Continent. He had a robust figure and a flame shaped tattoo on his left cheek. It was Yue Zhen.

“He’s actually dead... Could it be that he had the assistance of an expert?” Up until this point of time, Yue Zhen was still unable to accept the news of Jiang Ning’s death. Yet he was very well aware that Jiang Ning had died indeed because Jiang Ning’s Soulfate Tablet had always been in his possession, and it had shattered into nothingness now.

This meant that Jiang Ning had perished, and it was impossible for Jiang Ning to come back to life again.

Yue Zhen took a deep breath, causing his gaze to return once more to calm, and then a strand of strange fluctuation suddenly arose around his body. It droned like mosquitoes and transformed into a shapeless fluctuation that spread towards the surroundings.

In next to no time, he swiftly turned around, chose a direction, and flew over.

After a short moment, Yue Zhen’s figure appeared in desolated forest.

A great battle had obviously occurred here because everything in an area of 5,000km had been crushed into powder while the earth had split apart, causing numerous horrifying rifts to appear. Compared to the verdant and luxuriant mountains in the surroundings, it was like a place of absolute death.

So Jiang Ning chose to detonate himself... Yue Zhen stood amidst this desolation for a long time, and he deduced everything in the end, causing a wisp of sorrow to flash through his eyes. But it vanished very quickly, and his expression became icy cold and emotionless once more.

I wonder where that kid fled to now. This won’t do. I must report all of this to Commander Lu Chen right now. The development of the situation has exceeded my control... After a short moment, a wisp of resolution flashed on Yue Zhen’s face, and then he took out a transmission jade slip. He took a deep breath and intended to record everything he’d seen here.

Swoosh!

But right at this moment, a strand of extraordinary sword qi suddenly appeared out of thin air and it tore through space as it slashed down at Yue Zhen with an extremely shocking impetus.

However, Yue Zhen didn’t reveal the slightest trace of panic when he saw this scene. His expression was extraordinarily calm, and he seemed as if he’d expected this to happen.

It was even to the extent that a cold arc had appeared on the corners of his mouth.

His figure retreated repeatedly, and he vanished on the spot with a swish. He easily avoided Chen Xi’s assault.

“I knew you wouldn’t leave this place.” Yue Zhen’s expression was calm, yet the flame shaped tattoo on his left cheek was moving about instead, and it caused him to be covered in a strange aura. As he spoke, he was always searching the surroundings.

“You think I have someone’s help?” Chen Xi held the Talisman Armament while floating over, and his calm expression revealed a strand of indifference. Yue Zhen’s ability to avoid his attack was similarly within his expectations, otherwise Yue Zhen wouldn’t be worthy of being Jiang Ning’s companion.

Yue Zhen’s brows raised, and he seemed to not believe Chen Xi. He continued searching through the surroundings, and he said after a long time, “With only your strength, how could you be able to make Jiang Ning detonate himself? Do you think I would believe you?”

Chen Xi shrugged and said, “It doesn’t make a difference whether you believe me or not. I’m only slightly curious exactly who sent the both of you to give away your lives?”

“Give away our lives?” Yue Zhen sneered coldly and said, “To tell you the truth, if we consider only combat strength, then perhaps I’m inferior to Jiang Ning. But if it’s in terms of fleeing and escaping, then Jiang Ning is greatly inferior to me.”

Chen Xi frowned. “You don’t intend to capture and kill me now? This is a very rare opportunity, and you definitely won’t have another similar chance in the future.”

“Jiang Ning... He...detonated himself!” Yue Zhen sighed lightly and spoke rather baffling words.

But Chen Xi understood it. Yue Zhen meant that even Jiang Ning had detonated himself, so how could he be a match for Chen Xi under such circumstances?

Swoosh!

Right at this moment, Yue Zhen transformed into a wisp of black light that flew towards the distance. “Chen Xi, unless you don’t head to Dao Emperor Academy, you’re dead! The next time we meet will be the time of your death!”

His voice drifted over from afar, and it was icy cold and emotionless.

Chen Xi stood on the spot instead and didn’t pursue. However, a wisp of a ridiculing arc had appeared on the corners of his mouth. “If I allowed you to leave just like this, then I would have studied the Dao of Talismans for so many years for nothing...”

His voice hadn’t finished resounding through the air when a strange buzzing fluctuation suddenly stretched out like a thunderclap, and it enveloped a few thousands of kilometers in the vicinity in a mere instant.

At the same time, the scene in this expanse of the heavens and the earth changed abruptly. The originally clear sky, the mountain range that rose up and down without end, and the luxuriant forest; everything had been enveloped in an expanse of misty fog, causing one’s vision to be restricted as if one was in complete darkness.

“Dammit! A formation!” In the extreme distance, an extremely shocked and furious voice sounded out abruptly. It was Yue Zhen who’d spoken these words. Obviously, he was trapped within the grand formation at this moment, and he was unable to escape.

“I was only able to set up this Nine Profundity Wind Grand Formation after utilizing half of all the immortal materials I possessed. If you did flee, then it would really be a pity... Now, it’s time to draw the net in...” Chen Xi muttered lightly before he transformed into a wisp of flowing light that charged into the misty fog before vanishing in an instant.

Unfortunately, the immortal materials in Chen Xi’s possession were only sufficient to set up an Entrapment Formation like this and weren’t sufficient to set up an offensive formation. However, even if it was like this, it was sufficient.

So long as it was able to trap his opponent, then Chen Xi had already occupied an absolute advantage in the battle!

Because this was his formation, and it was his absolute domain!