Chapter 158: Your goddess? I kicked her into a wild chicken!

Hua Tiandu never imagined his fiancée would, while Chen Zheng had him by the throat and he begged her for help, not only refuse to assist but instead act politely toward Chen Zheng.

He felt his spirit wounded.

"No… wrong, Junior Sister Yan is my woman—how could she not help me? Besides, as a senior sister of the Grand Unity Sect, she bears a blood‑deed grudge against Chen Zheng and wishes him dead. So she must be feigning this attitude to paralyze him, then strike at a crucial moment to rescue me from peril."

Hua Tiandu's thoughts raced, constantly fantasizing.

Indeed, Chen Zheng's power is terrifying—he can seize him as easily as pinching a chick.

Although Yan Shuiyi ranks one place above him on the Longevity Candidate List, they are roughly equal in ability.

She might even lose to him.

She is certainly no match for Chen Zheng.

Yan Shuiyi felt wary, and to save him, pretending to show weakness toward Chen Zheng is only natural.

That must be it!

Hua Tiandu was quite convinced.

At the same time he secretly communicated with the Great Wilderness Ancient Furnace, preparing to cooperate with Yan Shuiyi's sneak attack to suppress Chen Zheng.

In fact, not only Hua Tiandu thought this way; many disciples of the Grand Unity Sect did as well.

Although Fang Han was shocked by Chen Zheng's strength, he also realized this and hurriedly sent a mental warning: "Yan Shuiyi might be plotting against Senior Brother Chen; she possesses an Azure Sea Divine Pearl, a top‑grade dao artifact she left from her past life as a water god, extremely formidable—Senior Brother must not be careless."

"It's fine; I can crush her anytime." Chen Zheng turned his head toward Fang Han, gesturing for him to relax.

He then turned his gaze to Yan Shuiyi and said bluntly, "I have a deep grudge with your Grand Unity Sect, and I've captured your fiancé, yet you treat me so politely—are you trying to recruit me for the sect?"

Yan Shuiyi's eyes flickered slightly as she smiled, "Daoist Chen, your perception is sharp—I won't beat around the bush. The sect master of my Grand Unity Sect has already spoken: if you're willing to leave the Feather Ascension Sect and join my Grand Unity Sect, you may set any terms, and our grudges will be erased."

She paused, glanced at Hua Tiandu held in Chen Zheng's hand, and spoke frankly, "As for the grudge between Daoist Chen and this person, it has nothing to do with me."

Hearing these words from Yan Shuiyi, Hua Tiandu felt a surge of anger rise in his heart, feeling very uneasy.

But he knew she was doing this to save him, disregarding the Grand Unity Sect's dignity, fabricating the lie that Taihuntian wanted to recruit Chen Zheng, and also distancing herself from him, speaking against her conscience.

He didn't say much more.

Instead, he secretly praised Yan Shuiyi's cleverness and quick wit, her superb acting, and believed she would surely become his capable wife in the future.

Chen Zheng, meanwhile, looked at Yan Shuiyi with interest and said, "Joining your Grand Unity Sect is not out of the question, but I first need to see your sincerity."

Yan Shuiyi asked, "What sincerity does Daoist Chen require?"

Taihuntian had once solemnly told her that someone like Chen Zheng, capable of killing across four major realms a figure such as Wan Lianshan, is unparalleled in ancient and modern times; if there were a chance to win him over, even a supreme‑grade dao artifact could be expended.

If necessary, even Hua Tiandu could be sacrificed.

Chen Zheng said lightly, "It's simple: you now annul your engagement with Hua Tiandu, then strike and sever his fifth limb."

"What?" Hua Tiandu startled, almost thinking his ears had malfunctioned, then flew into a rage.

This damned Chen Zheng, how vicious he is!

However, Yan Shuiyi would surely not agree; she was about to turn against him for Chen Zheng's sake.

"Good, that's exactly what should be done." Fang Han had long hated Hua Tiandu; seeing Chen Zheng make this demand of Yan Shuiyi, his eyes lit up with pleasure.

Yan Shuiyi, however, furrowed her brows, wearing a troubled expression, and hesitated, "Annul my engagement with Hua Tiandu is not impossible, but the other demand……"

Although she had cultivated for hundreds of years, she was still an unmarried young lady, naturally possessing her own propriety; as a senior sister of a sect, with many people watching, how could she do such a lewd act?

Chen Zheng firmly said, "If you don't comply with my demand, you lack sincerity, and I could never join the Grand Unity Sect."

"This……" Yan Shuiyi hesitated.

Chen Zheng urged, "Hurry up, my patience is limited."

Yan Shuiyi gritted her teeth: "Fine, I hope after this Daoist Chen will follow me back to the Grand Unity Sect to become my disciple."

She stepped onto the void, walking toward Chen Zheng, a green longsword appearing in her hand—a low‑grade dao artifact, its blade sharp and threatening, seeming able to cut through anything.

"Junior Sister Yan just endured humiliation and burden; surely she now intends to seize this chance to sneak‑attack Chen Zheng!" Hua Tiandu felt greatly heartened, still believing Yan Shuiyi was pretending.

He also put on a look of alarm on the surface, anxiously urging, "Junior Sister Yan, what are you trying to do? You must absolutely not heed the words of that devil Chen Zheng and do something that makes loved ones suffer and enemies rejoice."

Yan Shuiyi heard this and said nothing, seeming to become an emotionless deity.

One step, two steps……

She drew ever closer to Chen Zheng.

Hua Tiandu also grew increasingly tense, focusing all his mind on the Great Wilderness Ancient Furnace within his body, ready to seize the moment, cooperate with Yan Shuiyi, and strike down Chen Zheng in one blow.

He failed to notice that Yan Shuiyi's peripheral glance, intentional or not, swept toward his lower region.

"Chen Zheng, you go…… ah!"

Puchi!

Seeing Yan Shuiyi arrive before him, she swung her longsword without hesitation to strike, and Hua Tiandu instantly broke into a grim smile.

However!

The grim smile stopped abruptly.

"Ah!"

A fierce pain came from below his body, a thumb‑sized object fell off, and Hua Tiandu let out a heart‑rending scream.

He had been castrated by Yan Shuiyi's sword!

How could this happen?

Wasn't Yan Shuiyi supposed to sneak‑attack Chen Zheng?

Why did the sword cut toward him?

He is Yan Shuiyi's fiancé!

He still holds the secret of the Heavenly Martial Armory, which is of utmost importance to the Grand Unity Sect.

Yet Chen Zheng is a mortal enemy of the Grand Unity Sect.

Could it be that the Grand Unity Sect, or Yan Shuiyi herself, has abandoned him to choose Chen Zheng, that enemy?

At this moment, compared to the pain in his body, Hua Tiandu's spiritual pain was even worse; he suffered an unprecedented blow.

He wanted to roar loudly and question Yan Shuiyi, but Chen Zheng's hand gripping his neck tightened, rendering him unable to speak, even sealing his divine sense so he could not activate the Great Desolate Ancient Furnace.

At this moment, he opened and closed his mouth, his eyes bulging as he stared at Chen Zheng, like a fish about to die.

"Hua Tiandu finally got his comeuppance!" Fang Han, standing nearby, felt greatly relieved by the sight and clapped his hands in approval.

And Chen Zheng, seeing Hua Tiandu's face filled with both pain and frustration, unable to speak, also felt his mood lighten.

Ru Yizi, Wang Daoling, and others who wanted to harm him were doing so because Hua Tiandu was the chief culprit.

When Chi Rongtian and others had gone up to the Feather Ascension Sect to demand accountability, Hua Tiandu had even boasted that he would personally suppress them and send them to the Taiyi Sect to apologize.

Such a wretch—killing him outright would be too cheap; we must first strike at his heart, so he knows how miserable the consequences of offending him will be.

"Junior Brother Chen, you should now fulfill your promise and return with me to the Taiyi Sect to meet the Sect Master Supreme." Yan Shuiyi sheathed her sword, stood upright, and smiled as she looked at Chen Zheng.

From now on, Chen Zheng would be one of her own, and she changed her way of addressing him.

She also, as a side note, abolished Hua Tiandu, so that he would no longer have the face to pester her.

Moreover, abolishing Hua Tiandu was Chen Zheng's request; even if the sect's higher-ups wanted to blame someone, they could not pin it on her.

It could be called killing two birds with one stone.

Chen Zheng, however, shook his head and said, "What promise? When did I ever promise to join the Taiyi Sect?"

I will definitely not go to the Taiyi Sect.

Because he couldn't tell whether the sect's higher-ups genuinely wanted to take him in or were merely luring him in to seize the opportunity to suppress him.

If it were the latter, wouldn't that be like a sheep entering a tiger's den?

He would not place himself in danger.

"You..."

Yan Shuiyi's expression stiffened; she carefully recalled every word Chen Zheng had previously said and realized he had indeed never said that, once she abolished Hua Tiandu, he would definitely join the Taiyi Sect.

Could it be that Chen Zheng was playing her, merely wanting to use her to strike at Hua Tiandu?

Yan Shuiyi, unwilling to give up, suppressed her anger and asked, "Just what must I do for you to agree to join my Taiyi Sect?"

Chen Zheng said lightly, "Kneel down and become my maidservant, and I will reluctantly agree to your request."

"What did you say?" Yan Shuiyi's face darkened, and a cold, icy light flashed in her eyes.

She is the reincarnation of the Ancient Water God, pure and untouched by dust, inviolable and awe-inspiring, also the dream lover of countless cultivators.

Yet Chen Zheng had her kneel as a maidservant, which could be said to have touched her bottom line.

Even if she died, she would never bend her knee!

"Do you think I'm negotiating with you?"

Chen Zheng's eyes turned cold as he released a trace of aura that shook heaven and earth, pressing down upon her.

"Just a trace of aura—how could it possibly be this strong?"

Yan Shuiyi's expression changed drastically; earlier, when Chen Zheng seized Hua Tiandu, she had felt not a trace of his power.

Now, Chen Zheng directing his force at her, she suddenly felt the heavenly dome collapse and pour down, everything pressing upon her, seeking to crush her to death by suffocation.

She had no time to be shocked; she quickly raised her hand and struck the void, forming a massive palm imprint, within which surging waves rose, layer upon layer of towering waves, to resist the might of the collapsing heavenly dome.

In that palm, a bright pearl flickered faintly within the imprint, like a moon encircled by mist; inside the pearl, turbulent waves surged, emitting echoes of ancient Canglang waters, as if it contained an endless expanse of azure sea.

This is the Canghai Divine Pearl she forged in her past life as the Water God; in this life she has refined it into her second primordial spirit, united with her body, and each strike carries the power of a high-grade Dao artifact.

"Still dare to resist."

Chen Zheng thrust out his massive hand, black water rolling between his fingers like the tides of sun and moon, pouring heaven and earth, grabbing toward Yan Shuiyi's palm.

This is the Black Emperor Water Emperor Fist.

He wanted to see whose water was greater—his or hers.

Boom!

Without a doubt, Yan Shuiyi's massive palm imprint was instantly crushed by the grab; the Canghai Divine Pearl that burst out was sucked into a vortex of black water forming in his palm, unable to escape no matter how it trembled.

And Yan Shuiyi, that once noble goddess, was also forced by the aura to kneel in the void before Chen Zheng, her whole body trembling incessantly, like a wild pheasant driven into the mundane world.

(End of chapter)