Nine Star Hegemon Body Art (WN)
chapter-74

Xia Changfeng’s kick had contained his full power. Long Chen was sent flying dozens of meters away and then continued rolling on the ground for another dozen meters before stopping.

Looking from the fresh blood on his blade to the distant headless corpse that was Xia Changfeng, Long Chen took a deep breath.

Xia Changfeng had truly had many hidden trump cards. That last Blood Gathering Fist of his had definitely not been his strongest move. But by taking advantage of his shock, Long Chen had managed to find an opening. He naturally wouldn’t give it up.

Long Chen’s cultivation base was not in his Dantian but in his concealed FengFu Star. So that kick hadn’t caused any misgivings for Long Chen. Even if he had to risk his life in exchange, he would still have cut him down.

He had always been feeling extremely restless today as if something catastrophic was always about to happen. Now he had an extremely strange feeling in his heart. It was a very vague feeling of danger that seemed to be there and not there. That feeling had been there from the beginning, a kind of indescribable feeling.

Just like that, Xia Changfeng had ended up dying. But that kick of his when facing death had still contained his entire cultivation base’s power. When it had landed on Long Chen’s stomach, the terrifying energy within it had caused Long Chen’s blood to wildly surge. His internal organs were greatly shaken and almost burst apart.

He hastily swallowed an organ nourishing pill and suppressed his wounds. He thanked his luck for this win. Xia Changfeng had been extremely powerful.

If Xia Changfeng had truly used his full strength, it really would have been difficult to say just who would have died. And even if he was defeated, the price would definitely not have been small. It definitely wouldn’t have been as simple as the present. His luck had truly played an important factor.

Taking a deep breath, the blood poison on his hand was already being suppressed by medicinal energy and was slowly recovering.

All the medicinal pills Long Chen kept on his body were all life-saving pills. They were all higher grade, which allowed for extremely fast recovery. That was the capital a pill cultivator possessed.

He walked over to Xia Changfeng’s corpse and took away his spatial ring. However, now still wasn’t the time to examine his harvest.

Not even glancing at that glassy-eyed severed head, Long Chen immediately rushed to Wilde’s battlefield.

The current Wilde was shouting to his heart’s content. The battle-ax in his hand whistled through the air, and he was becoming more and more valiant as he fought. The battle-ax weaved deftly throughout the air. Although there was no technique, its power was shockingly great.

Wang Mang was now using both hands to wield his broadsword as he fought all out against Wilde.

It appeared fate had destined Xia Changfeng to die. He had a powerful subordinate like Wang Mang, but because his head had become a bit heated, he was fighting with Wilde using only his brute strength.

If he actually used his full repertoire of techniques and skills, he would have easily defeated Wilde. But warriors who had relied purely on strength to fight might simply have incomprehensible minds.

With another intense collision, Wang Mang was sent flying back. From the very start, he was unable to withstand the seemingly infinite power of Wilde.

Wang Mang was no longer as furious as he was at the beginning. Instead, he was absolutely shocked. He had used his powerful strength to defeat countless powerful enemies. But today his strength had completely failed him, and he was pushed back over and over.

As he was staring at Wilde with a complicated expression, he was unaware that another person had appeared behind him. Silently drawing his blade, Long Chen cut it right across his neck.

Wang Mang suddenly felt as if he was flying through the air. His first reaction was that he didn’t remember jumping, but when he looked down, he saw that his body was still on the ground just like before. That was his last thought before his mind sunk into darkness.

When Wilde saw that Long Chen could behead Wang Mang in a single blow, fear appeared in his eyes.

The Mountain Splitting Battle-Ax in his hand fell to the ground.

Looking at Wilde’s terrified expression as he looked at Wang Mang’s corpse, Long Chen knew that this reaction was normal, as this was the first time Wilde had seen a person being killed.

“Wilde, this is cruelty of reality. If we want to continue living, they had to definitely die,” sighed Long Chen.

“Brother Long, I’m fine.” Wilde shook his head. “As long as brother Long believes they must die, they must die.”

Long Chen bitterly smiled. Talking sense to Wilde was essentially useless. But Wilde’s trust in him truly did touch him greatly.

“We should leave quickly-” But just as Long Chen was about to bring Wilde away…

He had always been feeling that something was wrong throughout the entire day. His body suddenly tightened. It was as if he was being stared at by a giant, ancient beast. A powerful aura of death immediately enveloped him, causing him to feel as if he were encased in ice.

Slowly turning his head, he saw a person indifferently looking back at him on top of a distant mountain cliff.

His pupils immediately shrunk. He finally understood the reason for his fear. It hadn’t been because of Xia Changfeng, but because of that person.

That person lightly clapped a couple of times and exclaimed in admiration, “With just a cultivation base of Qi Condensation, you were able to continuously kill Blood Condensation experts, and one of them was actually at the peak of Blood Condensation. Haha, I have no choice but to admit that you, Long Chen, are truly a genius. You are worthy of being Long Tianxiao’s son.”

That voice was soft and feminine, the voice of Marquis Ying! He was standing high on a cliff, looking down on Long Chen arrogantly. He was just like a leopard stalking his prey.

Long Chen’s heart tightened. No wonder he had been continuously feeling as if the catastrophe was just one step away. He had actually caught the attention of Marquis Ying.

Obviously, Marquis Ying had long since arrived. He had merely been concealing himself until he had killed Xia Changfeng.

“A trap.” Long Chen immediately realized that Marquis Ying had come to kill him.

“Did the fourth prince send you here?” Long Chen kicked the broadsword on the ground into his hand. That was Wang Mang’s weapon. Such a heavy weapon gave him a slight sense of security.

Marquis Ying was surprised, but immediately indifferently laughed, “What do you think?”

Long Chen shook his head and sighed, “I really was stupid to think I was clever. I actually didn’t realize just how well calculated the fourth prince’s words were.”

“Why are you certain it was the fourth prince who sent me here and not just me coming of my own volition?”

“You wouldn’t come here just because of that small matter from last time to take your anger out on me. If you did, then you wouldn’t be Marquis Ying. Waiting patiently is your strongest suit. Otherwise, you would have long since been slaughtered by my father.” Long Chen’s voice was completely steady.

Many scenes began to run through his head. From Marquis Ying’s words, he was now certain that the fourth prince wanted him dead.

If he assumed that it was the fourth prince who had been abusing the Long family from the start, then he had truly schemed deeply to get him to assassinate Xia Changfeng.

First, back at the auction, he had intentionally allowed him to recognize the man who had assassinated Li Hao.

That man might be one of the crown prince’s guards on the surface, but he must definitely be one of the fourth prince’s men. He had done this in order to draw Long Chen’s hatred onto the crown prince.

And then when he went to visit Chu Yao, he ended up helping him. By telling him that he had investigated the Long family’s matter and acting like he didn’t dare say anything, he had stealthily and vaguely pointed to the hidden enemy being the crown prince.

Originally, Long Chen had only half believed him, but then when the fourth prince had brought up the departure of Xia Changfeng and what path he would be taking, he had immediately brought Long Chen’s line of thinking to there.

Back then, Long Chen had considered the possibility that he had been planning on borrowing Xia Changfeng to kill him, but for Chu Yao, he was willing to jump in even if it was a trap.

If his plan had been for Xia Changfeng to kill him, then the worst case scenario would be for him to flee to the alchemist guild and seek shelter under grandmaster Yun Qi. Then no one would dare attack him.

But obviously, the fourth prince wasn’t so stupid, as that would have just made himself his enemy.

Now that Marquis Ying had appeared, Long Chen realized he had been thinking too simply back then. He had clearly underestimated the fourth prince’s methods.

Long Chen had no choice but to admit that he had been duped. The fourth prince truly was skilled to be able to muddy his thoughts and be able to trick him like this.

“Long Chen, looking at the current you, it’s just like I’m looking at a younger Long Tianxiao. You have the same kind of spirit and smarts. Back when I lost to your father, I considered it the greatest disgrace of my life. And even after all these years, I’ve never had a chance to get revenge. But now I’m ready to openly challenge him again. However, before that, I should prepare a gift. What do you think his expression will be like when I give him his son’s head? Haha, I trust that it will definitely be marvelous.” Marquis Ying laughed, but his expression was so sinister it sent shivers down his body.

“I think the greatest disgrace of all is that you are considered on the same level of fame as my father. You aren’t sure of beating him, so you actually want to use such an atrocious method. In my father’s eyes, you will forever be a loser. The current you doesn’t even have the qualifications to challenge him.” Long Chen shook his head with pity.

Marquis Ying’s indifferent expression finally changed to become incomparably malevolent and sinister. Long Chen’s words had pierced the sole sore point in his heart.

Back when he was young, he had been an extremely talented genius with many accomplishments. But unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time. Long Tianxiao was in the same generation as him.

He had challenged Long Tianxiao several times, all ending in defeat. In the last fight, he had actually lost a finger to Long Tianxiao.

Ever since then, Marquis Ying had begun to bitterly cultivate. He also became more and more dark and feminine. Although he later also advanced to the Tendon Transformation realm to become one of Phoenix Cry’s top three experts, he could never forget the crushing defeats he had suffered to Long Tianxiao.

Once he had reached the peak of the mid Tendon Transformation realm, he had suddenly found out that his severed finger had badly damaged him, and he was unable of stepping into the late Tendon Transformation realm. His hatred of Long Tianxiao grew even greater.

Now he had coincidentally obtained the Flesh Bone Restoration Pill and had regenerated his finger. That had allowed him to finally break through to the seventh Heavenstage of Tendon Transformation, entering its late stage.

That was why the current Marquis Ying was filled with high spirits. He decided that this time he would definitely kill Long Tianxiao, wiping away his shame.

But although he had advanced to the late Tendon Transformation realm, Long Tianxiao was his heart-devil, and he was unsure of victory.

Luckily, he now had a chance to kill Long Chen. If he used Long Chen’s head to infuriate Long Tianxiao, his chances of victory would definitely rise.

Now Long Chen had used just a single sentence to point out his goal, causing him to be enraged out of humiliation. He was just like a hypocrite whose camouflage was torn off by others. Killing intent overflowed from his eyes.

“Did I touch on a sore spot? Are you too ashamed to show your face? Then, just crush your head into the cliff and everything will be resolved,” advised Long Chen.

Although his words were light, his grip on the broadsword tightened. At the same time, his cyclones slowly revolved and all his nerves were stretched tight.

“You fucking brat, go die!”

Marquis Ying angrily roared, and a cold lightning-like light appeared over half the sky. By the time Long Chen sensed anything, he was appalled to find that Marquis Ying had already arrived right in front of him with a sword pressed against his throat.