Chapter 555: Choices

Chen Yan stood shirtless amidst the sea of fire, his skin taking on a golden luster like shards of glazed glass against the backdrop of the surrounding fire domain.

He looked down at Zhang Ting just like this.

A powerful surge of energy instantly radiated outward, the palpable pressure resonating with the churning sea of fire to create a strange and formidable momentum.

Roar!

Within the fire domain, those few flame giants roared as they emerged, their voices filled with fury.

As Chen Yan glanced indifferently behind him.

Woo!

The flame giants actually let out a sound of terror.

Quiet!

Aside from the rolling waves of fire, everything fell into an inexplicable state of shock at this moment.

Even the terrifying, incessant tremors that had been erupting ended in an instant.

"Chen Yan..." Shen Yiwei's eyes widened:

"You aren't..."

"I returned long ago," Chen Yan said with a smile.

Shen Yiwei nodded, but he suddenly shuddered.

That wasn't what he was asking.

What he was asking about was Chen Yan's strength.

This place...

This is the one-hundredth level of the fire domain!

Chen Yan's strength...

It wasn't just Shen Yiwei; the few people standing beside him all wore expressions of disbelief.

Especially Zhang Ting, who was already frozen in place; meeting Chen Yan's gaze, Zhang Ting couldn't help but shrink his neck:

"Just now... I thought you were an enemy."

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow and said indifferently:

"Is that so? I thought Acting Chief Zhang wanted to criticize my cultivation."

Zhang Ting's expression shifted slightly, and he stopped speaking.

The energy Chen Yan radiated left him feeling incredibly shocked; although he couldn't believe it, his own strike just now had not been weak.

Yet it had been blocked by Chen Yan so casually.

That Chen Yan who walked the Great Xia was clearly a fake.

At this moment, in Zhang Ting's eyes, the young man who had walked out of Qinzhou had already grown into a terrifying demon king capable of obliterating him.

How on earth did he cultivate?

Zhang Ting roared in his heart.

He couldn't understand it.

He hadn't even discovered that Chen Yan had any body parts he didn't have!

Such a person, and he, Zhang Ting, had actually thought the other party was getting carried away and neglecting his cultivation.

An extremely uncomfortable feeling churned in Zhang Ting's heart, making him not want to stay here for even a moment longer.

Shen Xin, however, was frowning at this moment, trying to discern whether the person in front of him was truly Chen Yan.

Waves of indescribable emotions churned and surged in his mind, making it difficult for him to cope.

With a hum.

A white light flashed, and the red-robed, white-haired King Changsheng appeared beside the group:

"What happened?"

"King Changsheng," Chen Yan looked at King Changsheng and smiled:

"It was just me making a bit of a stir while cultivating."

King Changsheng opened his mouth, looked at Chen Yan, and nodded; he had already learned of Chen Yan's current situation from Xia Hanzhou.

Yet, after coming into close contact with Chen Yan, he couldn't help but feel a sense of astonishment in his heart.

"Chen Yan, if you find it noisy, I'll have them all leave," King Changsheng smiled.

"No need," Chen Yan felt slightly surprised, but still smiled:

"It was I who caused some trouble for everyone."

"Very well," King Changsheng nodded and said to Shen Yiwei and the others:

"Since everything is fine, you may all return to your respective places to cultivate."

Everyone nodded.

Chen Yan, however, called out to Shen Yiwei: "Old Shen, take this."

Chen Yan took out two blood pills and tossed them to Shen Yiwei.

Shen Yiwei also cultivated blood energy.

Shen Yiwei was stunned:

"This is too much."

"I still have plenty," Chen Yan said with a smile.

Shen Yiwei wore a complex expression, but he didn't stand on ceremony and directly stored the blood pills into his origin space.

To the side, people like Li Xuanxiao all looked at Shen Yiwei with envy.

That damn thing looked like a blood pill comparable to a Sun-level Grade A blood energy treasure medicine.

Chen Yan just gave it away like that?

Huh?

At this moment, everyone present, except for the Longevity King, had their expressions shift slightly as they looked at Chen Yan.

It was like the look one gives a wealthy tycoon.

"Old Shen, if it's not enough, just tell me," Chen Yan said with a smile.

Shen Yiwei nodded, then said with a sheepish smile:

"It's enough for now."

Constantly being subsidized by Chen Yan gave him a very awkward feeling.

Zhang Ting glanced at Shen Yiwei and felt that this place was simply not suitable for lingering; although he was protected by the phantom of the Great Cauldron, he still felt as if he were being scorched by flames.

The next moment, Zhang Ting flew away directly.

Sss!

As soon as Zhang Ting flew out of the Great Cauldron's phantom, the surrounding flames instantly scorched his skin until it split open.

The Longevity King reached out, and a surge of Qi and blood enveloped Zhang Ting.

"Let's go out together."

Zhang Ting's expression sank, and he remained silent.

Soon, the crowd departed.

Shen Xin, however, remained behind; he stared fixedly at Chen Yan, all the hesitation in his heart now transformed into shock.

"Chen Yan, may I disturb you for a moment?" Shen Xin stood within the phantom of the Great Cauldron, looking at Chen Yan who was about to leave.

Chen Yan frowned slightly; he was currently in a critical period and did not want to be disturbed.

At this moment, sensing Shen Xin's emotions, Chen Yan's expression tightened slightly.

"Shen Xin from the Investigation Hall," Shen Xin said hurriedly.

"I know," Chen Yan nodded:

"Fifteen minutes, I still need to cultivate."

Shen Xin took a deep breath; if an ordinary person had said this to him, especially a junior, he would certainly have suppressed them immediately.

But this moment was completely different.

Chen Yan's cultivation even concerned the direction of the Great Xia in a few days' time.

At this moment, Shen Xin's eyes were filled with solemnity.

"Good!"

He pursed his lips:

"Some say that you have extreme faith in the Lord of Will; is that true?"

He stared at Chen Yan, wanting to know if the news his subordinates had heard from the high-level officials of the Five Clans was true.

If it were true...

How could a Great Xia Divine General believe in an unknown god?

"The Lord of Will?" Chen Yan raised his eyebrows slightly:

"Let's change to the next question."

Shen Xin's expression stiffened.

…………

At the same time.

Flying warships streaked across the azure sky, leaving behind trails of white clouds.

On the distant horizon, the coastline of Ji Province had already appeared at the edge of sight.

On one of the flying warships, a woman named Ke Qingxuan sat in the lounge, looking worried.

She had not expected that she would be chosen by the Great Xia to participate in the Five Clans Struggle.

Logically speaking, given her situation, there shouldn't have been a spot for her.

Although she was the Deputy Chief of Yun Province, among the many Creation Realm powerhouses of the Great Xia, she was by no means an outstanding figure.

After all, the Great Xia was vast and rich in resources; the ancestors within many families, or even rogue cultivators, were extremely powerful and prominent.

Not everyone was willing to accept the conscription of the Xia Clan.

But now that the Great Xia was to participate in the Five Clans Struggle, those people had all appeared.

The Five Clans Struggle was the strongest cultivation petri dish in history; who wouldn't want to participate?

Ke Qingxuan had never thought she would be chosen.

Moreover, her identity was too special.

She was a Creation Realm powerhouse cultivated by the Ji Clan's spy organization.

Just then.

A figure in white appeared in the lounge.

Ke Qingxuan stood up hurriedly:

"Greetings, Director of the Astrological Bureau."

The Director of the Astrological Bureau nodded:

"What business do you have with me?"

Ke Qingxuan felt nervous; after pondering for a moment, she said, "I came to ask why I was chosen to enter the Five Clans Struggle."

The Director of the Astrological Bureau glanced at Ke Qingxuan and said:

"It was not I who wanted you to enter the Five Clans Struggle; it was Chen Yan. He personally mentioned your name to the State Ruler in Jin Province."

Ke Qingxuan was stunned.

Chen Yan!

It was actually him.

They had clearly only met once.

Ke Qingxuan looked out the window; Chen Yan was currently sitting inside the very first ship of the flying warship fleet.

Ke Qingxuan felt incredibly uneasy; she had originally prepared to confess everything to the Great Xia, but she never expected the Great Xia to arrange for her to enter the Five Clans Conflict.

If she confessed to the Great Xia, given her identity as a spy for the Ji Clan, she would absolutely have her opportunity to enter the Five Clans Conflict revoked.

Over these past few days, Ke Qingxuan had suffered incomparable torment in her heart.

It was only at this moment that she finally made up her mind to ask the Director of the Astronomical Observatory, but she never expected that everything was Chen Yan's arrangement.

This made her even less able to see through him.

"Do you have anything else?" the Director of the Astronomical Observatory smiled, his pair of murky eyes staring at Ke Qingxuan.

"No... nothing else." Ke Qingxuan shook her head, then added: "I request to see the Divine General."

"You can just go find him directly," the Director of the Astronomical Observatory said, though he felt very disappointed inside.

The Great Xia already knew that Ke Qingxuan was a spy, and he had been waiting for her to confess.

Yet this woman had disappointed him time and time again.

If not for Chen Yan, he would never have agreed to let Ke Qingxuan enter the Five Clans Conflict.

What exactly was Chen Yan thinking?

The Director of the Astronomical Observatory sighed inwardly; he found himself somewhat unable to see through it.

That Chen Yan could spot Ke Qingxuan's spy identity at a glance had already surprised him immensely.

Just at this moment.

A flying warship that had flown out from Ji Province appeared in front of the warship fleet.

"Is Xia Hanzhou arranging for someone to pick us up?" the Director of the Astronomical Observatory asked in surprise, his figure flashing as he flew out of the warship.

Inside the lounge, Ke Qingxuan's expression shifted slightly; she simultaneously flew out of the flying warship and appeared outside the warship where Chen Yan was.

"Ke Qingxuan, requesting an audience with the Divine General."

"Come in."

The cabin door opened, and Chen Yan's voice came out.

Ke Qingxuan's expression tightened slightly, and she immediately entered the warship.

Inside the warship's lounge, Chen Yan was eating with his younger sister, and he looked at Ke Qingxuan:

"Do you want to eat something together?"

"No."

Ke Qingxuan shook her head; at first, she had thought Chen Yan was practicing some martial art that required experiencing the human world.

She never expected that during this time, Chen Yan was truly just eating and drinking, sometimes even flying out of the cabin to look at the sky and enjoy the scenery.

This made her even more confused; this was too different from the rumored Chen Yan.

Or could it be that this was the real Chen Yan?

Ke Qingxuan looked at Chen Yan and said:

"Divine General Chen Yan, I wonder why you nominated me to enter the Five Clans Conflict?"

"That matter, huh." Chen Yan laughed softly:

"Those family powerhouses and rogue cultivators usually have an ambiguous attitude toward the Great Xia; why must we give such an opportunity to them?

It is better to give it to someone from within our Great Xia."

Ke Qingxuan's expression shifted slightly:

"Just that?"

"Yes." Chen Yan picked up a piece of lobster meat into his mouth, chewing as he said:

"I really know very few Creation Realm experts, and I asked about your age, Senior—one hundred and twenty.

Among the community of martial artists, you are absolutely a heaven-gifted talent, enough to participate in the Five Clans Conflict."

Ke Qingxuan frowned.

She had originally thought Chen Yan had long since seen through something, but she never expected to receive such an answer.

This was so...

Childish!

At this moment, even Ke Qingxuan was unsure.

Could it be that the Great Xia's Creation Realm experts were really going to be led by such a person into the Five Clans Conflict?

"Senior, why not eat something together?" Chen Yan drank a cup of fruit juice:

"Once the war starts later, this level of food will only become harder to come by; I just don't know if the flames of war will burn into Qin Province."

Chen Yan looked at Ke Qingxuan:

"Right, Senior?"

"Yes." Ke Qingxuan nodded:

"The Divine General is about to rise, and the great trend will surely change."

"Change?" Chen Yan smiled:

"How will it change? Can the malice of the world be reduced?

Or will the Ancient Gods never awaken?"

Ke Qingxuan was stunned; she looked at Chen Yan and narrowed her eyes:

"Could it be that the Divine General believes the Five Clans' plan is the correct one?"

A chill emerged from within Ke Qingxuan's heart.

What was Chen Yan's meaning?

Was he worried about the Ancient Gods awakening?

If he were truly worried, then if the Great Xia population did not shrink, the Ancient Gods would eventually awaken one day.

And that Master of Will said the world's problem lay in Chen Prefecture, which meant the Five Clans might also have a problem.

Everything in the world seemed to be deteriorating.

Chen Yan looked at Ke Qingxuan:

"Then Senior, how do you think the world can prevent the Ancient Gods from awakening?"

Ke Qingxuan's expression turned cold; this question was absolutely not something Chen Yan should be saying.

He was a Great Xia Divine General; how could he put on an air of agreeing with the Five Clans?

"Chen Yan, if the Five Clans' plan is implemented, the billions of living beings of Great Xia will have no future.

The Five Clans have long since carried out education within their respective clans.

Many of the Five Clans do not regard the living beings of Great Xia as human at all; once Great Xia loses, it will mean countless people reduced to livestock!"

Chen Yan narrowed his eyes:

"Then do you think the people of Great Xia should be reduced to livestock?"

Anger appeared on Ke Qingxuan's face:

"What do you think?"

"But if not for this, the Ancient Gods buried beneath Great Xia will awaken." Chen Yan's voice was icy.

Ke Qingxuan's body stiffened, and she looked at Chen Yan in disbelief:

"The Five Clans treat Great Xia that way; how are they any different from the Ancient Gods?"

Her voice was icy to the extreme; was Chen Yan a spy?

To actually ask her these questions?

Was he trying to turn her?

No!

The next moment, she looked at the calm Chen Yan, her expression trembling.

Immediately following, her pupils contracted violently.

The terror and shock within her mind reached their peak.

Chen Yan looked at Ke Qingxuan:

"So Senior, this is the reason I chose you to enter the struggle of the Five Clans."

Ke Qingxuan stepped back two paces, looking at Chen Yan with trembling, and at this moment, she understood completely.

"I..."

Ke Qingxuan's voice trembled, and suddenly she could not make a sound in her throat; even her breathing was gripped by an invisible hand.

So, Chen Yan had discovered it long ago.

Just from one meeting, he had discovered her problem.

Incomparable terror emerged in Ke Qingxuan's heart:

"You... how do you intend to deal with me?"

"Why would I deal with you?" Chen Yan raised his eyebrows.

"I..." Ke Qingxuan was speechless and lowered her head.

Chen Yan said calmly:

"Senior could have become the Ancient God you spoke of, but you gave it up anyway, didn't you?

I believe that you, having made such a choice, are far better than those who had no choice."

In an instant, these words washed through the depths of Ke Qingxuan's heart.

Unconcealable guilt and complexity seemed to swallow her whole in an instant.

Ke Qingxuan bowed deeply:

"Ke Qingxuan understands."

Sensing Ke Qingxuan's emotions, Chen Yan turned around and continued to eat.

"Brother, here..." Chen Yu placed a chicken leg into Chen Yan's bowl, a smile still on her face.

Ke Qingxuan paused, turned around, and prepared to leave.

There were still faint tears in her eyes, and as she looked at Chen Yan's back again, everything had changed.

However.

Just at the moment Chen Yu placed the chicken leg into Chen Yan's bowl.

The entire void seemed to freeze completely, and time became sluggish.

At the very front of the warship fleet, on that warship that had flown from Ji Prefecture, the window shattered instantly, and a black light struck toward where Chen Yan was.

There was no sound at all.

A pure black crystal of malice had already appeared inside the cabin where Chen Yan was.

In an instant.

When the clouds in the sky stopped drifting, when the ripples on the sea surface stopped swaying.

When that crystal of malice appeared four meters in front of Chen Yan, appearing between the bodies of Chen Yan and Ke Qingxuan.

Chen Yu's movement froze in mid-air, and Ke Qingxuan's step had yet to be taken.

The phantom of the Director of the Imperial Observatory appeared within the cabin, unparalleled tension congealing in their eyes.

Chen Yan's left hand was already pressed against his younger sister's chest.

The next instant.

Boom!

In a split second, Chen Yu was pushed out by Chen Yan, shattering the cabin door and flying into the cloudy sky.

The pitch-black crystal of malice exploded in an instant, its dense, unparalleled power of malice trembling the air, seeking to devour everything.

Streaks of golden-red power of will erupted from Chen Yan's body, but the terrifying malice instantly devoured the power of will and lunged toward Chen Yan to kill him.

An unparalleled horror vibrated outward instantly; Ke Qingxuan's back was the first to be corroded by the malice, and she turned around, her mouth wide open.

The next moment, she gritted her teeth and reached out a hand to grab at the crystal of malice.

Her hand was instantly corroded, becoming as withered as a tree branch, and immediately after, terrifying blood energy erupted from within her physical body, wrapping around the crystal of malice.

"Ahhhhh!!!!"

The woman's scream rang out, shocking all directions.

Boom!

The flying warship exploded in an instant.

The Director of the Imperial Observatory flew out, carrying Chen Yan, whose arms and chest had already been corroded with streaks of bloody wounds.

Within the remaining warships, one Creation-realm expert after another erupted, each looking toward the flying warship that had flown over to meet them.

Inside that flying warship, a man sat blankly in the pilot's seat, a look of wild joy appearing on his face.

"Long live the Empress!"

He laughed, becoming increasingly manic, as streaks of terrifying light erupted from his physical body.

Immediately after!

Boom!

Self-detonation!

A sky full of fire burst open above the clouds.

"Jizhou!!!"

The Director of the Imperial Observatory roared in fury; their itinerary had been discovered by Jizhou.

The flying warship that had just come to meet them contained a semi-god-level grand array, which had instantly projected an eighth-rank crystal of malice into the cabin where Chen Yan was located.

If not for Ke Qingxuan instantly wrapping the crystal of malice within the blood energy she had unleashed...

"Who is it!!!"

The Director of the Imperial Observatory roared, looking at the Creation-realm experts all around; a terrifying eighth-rank pressure was released instantly, making everyone feel a powerful oppression.

"Who is it!"

Everyone's faces showed shock, looking at the others beside them with fury and vigilance.

A traitor had appeared among them.

The Director of the Imperial Observatory looked at Chen Yan, who was severely injured in their hands.

At this moment, Chen Yan's physical body was cracked and polluted by malice, and he had already fainted.

"Brother!"

Chen Yu screamed, flying over from the distance, her small face deathly pale.

Hum!

At Moshan Pass in Jizhou, a sword shadow floated in the air.

Xia Hanzhou's figure was like a stream of light, traversing the boundless void as he rushed toward this side.

Hum hum hum!!!

Not far away, Ke Qingxuan's physical body had already completely withered, her whole body split with hideous black marks; that crystal of malice had already seeped into her body and was still continuously overflowing with malice.

The Director of the Imperial Observatory had an ugly expression, slapping down with one hand to suppress that area with blood energy.

After a while, Xia Hanzhou arrived.

"You take them to Moshan Pass first."

Xia Hanzhou spoke with an ugly expression, glanced at the grief-stricken Chen Yu, and transmitted his voice to the Director of the Imperial Observatory:

"Take her to the one-hundredth layer of the Huo Yu."

Xia Hanzhou walked toward where Ke Qingxuan was again, his expression ugly to the extreme:

"Is this the Ke Qingxuan that Chen Yan spoke of?"

"Yes." The Director of the Imperial Observatory nodded:

"If not for her..."

The Director of the Imperial Observatory shook their head; this Chen Yan was only a clone, though unfortunately, Ke Qingxuan did not know that.

However, the other party's choice made the Director of the Imperial Observatory feel incomparably conflicted.

Just at this moment, Chen Yan's communication reached Xia Hanzhou's ears:

"King Xiayue, have the Director of the Imperial Observatory bring Ke Qingxuan over as well."

Xia Hanzhou nodded with a gloomy expression.

Everyone could see that the current Xia Hanzhou was already furious to the extreme.

After everyone had left.

Xia Hanzhou's jaw tightened, and he looked coldly toward the direction of Jizhou.

"To be a Great Xia King like this, one can truly be considered a complete failure."

He murmured to himself.

If it were not for the fact that this Chen Yan was a clone.

If it were not for Ke Qingxuan's instantaneous reaction.

Then everything would have been too late.

What should he do?

If it were Lu Xunyang, what would he do?

If it were Zong Huang, what would he do?

If it were the Xia Sovereign, what would he do?

"They are all a bunch of shit-eating subordinates, yet in the end, they all climb onto their master's head to take a shit!"

"Fuck you!"

Xia Hanzhou cursed in a low voice and reached out with one hand.

Hum!

A pitch-black longsword appeared in his hand in an instant.