Chapter 93: You, Finally Returned

Dongxing Jidi Shi, the small island at the center of the core district.

Chen Xiaohu and the others arrived at the island in the lake one after another. What they saw was a Golden Dragon Pattern Sword driven half its length into the ground; a terrifying pressure radiated from the blade, and the air itself seemed to freeze.

The Military Department representative finally asked curiously: This book's first release — for the smoothest reading experience, read novels at tiantiankanxiaoshuo, ⓣⓣⓚ. ⓣⓦ, error-free chapters, no out-of-order chapters.

"Miss Su, do you know this sword is…?"

A sword falling from the sky in broad daylight, and the expressions of the Base Chief and Su Lingwei were so agitated.

Anyone would be curious at this point.

"Let me explain."

Chen Xiaohu took the initiative to pick up the thread, a look of recollection on his face, and began:

"You should know that she and I were both students of Zhenling Academy. By today's rankings, I imagine many people think we were the leading figures of the younger generation back then."

"Wasn't that the case?"

Someone asked curiously.

A Martial Artist of the Divine Image Realm under thirty, Chen Xiaohu's strength today could rank in the top ten across the entire Inside the Circle, and among the younger generation he could fight for the top three.

If even such a figure wasn't the leading person of those days, then what kind of existence would that be?

Chen Xiaohu shook his head: "Back then, a saying circulated among the Four Great Academies: A prodigy is a prodigy; Jiang Qin is Jiang Qin."

"Jiang Qin was also the captain of both me and Su Lingwei. Don't be fooled by how impressive Ye Lingyun looks now, calling himself the strongest of the younger generation — back in those days, he joined forces with the strongest students from the other three academies to attack at once, and still couldn't last a single move against our captain."

Everyone who heard this was struck dumb, their faces full of disbelief.

Some among them also recalled Jiang Qin and said in confusion: "Wait, isn't it said that Jiang Qin sacrificed himself in a battle against a god at Tianyun Shi together with a Law Enforcement Officer? What does that have to do with what we're discussing now?"

"No, strictly speaking, he didn't truly die."

Chen Xiaohu's expression grew solemn as he began to recount a past event.

"Two years ago, Bureau Chief Yue gave me a mission. Our nation's strongest had prophesied that the captain would definitely return! On the day he reappears in the world, he will automatically assume the position of the highest leader of the Zhenling Bureau within the Circle, and then… bathe the Circle in blood!"

Ever since Yue Beishan departed for the Frontier, everyone had wondered why no Director-General had been officially appointed.

And now, at last, someone knew the truth.

It was simply to wait for one person to return…

As they spoke, the Ren Dao Sword's blade suddenly blazed with golden light!

This sudden anomaly made everyone instinctively shut their eyes. Only when the golden radiance gradually gathered did they finally manage to open them — and what appeared before them was a figure condensed from that golden light.

He opened his eyes. Though his entire body radiated golden light, making details impossible to discern, everyone felt a cold indifference in that gaze — he looked at them all, yet regarded none of them.

It was Jiang Qin. In his current state, he remained a soul-form body.

This scene shattered the understanding of the onlookers; it was the first time they had ever seen a human soul.

Jiang Qin paid them no heed, and instead raised his head to look at the sky above.

A voice, betraying no emotion, sounded in their ears.

"Heaven, I know you are watching this place."

"If you don't want to be devoured by Cangling's Heaven, the only way now is to gather all your hope in me. Only by cooperating with me can you gain a slim chance of victory. Choose — cooperate with me, or keep struggling in vain. The choice is yours."

Since Cangling has 【Heaven】, Lanxing should also have 【Heaven】.

It's just that He has never appeared before the world.

Chen Xiaohu and the others listened, utterly bewildered.

Who is he speaking to? And who is Heaven?

The next second, heaven and earth suddenly changed drastically!

No one knew where the gale sprang from; dark, heavy black clouds shrouded the entire Dongxing Jidi Shi.

Rain came pouring down with a "shwa—!"

The city's residents couldn't understand how the weather, which had been perfectly fine just moments ago, had changed so suddenly.

The raging wind and torrential rain already made His attitude clear.

He is supreme.

How could He cooperate with humanity.

He wanted Jiang Qin to kneel, like the ignorant commoners of ancient times begging the Dragon King, to pray for His favor — that was the way He wanted it.

And at this moment, Jiang Qin felt only hatred toward the so-called Heaven.

His gaze was icy as he stared at a certain spot in the sky: "Don't get it wrong — it's you who needs me now. To be honest, this world no longer matters to me; death would be a release. I'm giving you one last chance to choose. You have exactly one minute to consider."

"When that one minute ends, I will self-detonate my soul, and this world will have nothing more to do with me."

The storm grew even more violent; endless cold winds slashed at Jiang Qin, looking very much like impotent rage.

Second by second, the time passed.

Just as the one minute was about to end, the storm abruptly ceased, then dispersed at extreme speed. Immediately after, thirty thousand li of purple qi blanketed the area — an omen that belonged only to myth.

Brilliant golden lotuses surged up from the ground, their golden light blazing ten thousand zhang.

A Heavenly Dao contract slowly descended from the sky and landed in Jiang Qin's hand. The instant he touched it, he understood its purpose — the contract of the Son of Heavenly Dao.

By signing this contract, Jiang Qin would be branded with Lanxing's mark.

At the same time, his soul would share life and death with the Heavenly Dao.

If the Heavenly Dao lives, he lives.

If the Heavenly Dao perishes, he dies.

As if sensing this, something in the depths of Jiang Qin's soul tried to surge forth, but he forcibly suppressed it. He picked up the writing brush floating beside the contract and signed his name.

Once the contract was signed, the Heavenly Dao also offered His sincerity.

A golden skeleton appeared before everyone's eyes. As Jiang Qin's soul merged into the skeleton, flesh and blood grew wildly between the bones, countless meridians winding around the entire body, followed by skin and hair.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Qin's physical body had been fully formed.

He completed his resurrection; he descended upon the world once more.

As Jiang Qin opened his eyes, his black pupils swiftly shifted to pale-gold vertical pupils, carrying an added majesty and an inviolable, sacred presence compared to before.

At the same time, his aura was climbing rapidly.

Mortal Embryo Realm… Spirit Attraction Realm… Spirit Sea Realm… Divine Image Realm…

In the span of a breath, he had already crossed four great realms, his aura finally stabilizing at the peak of the Divine Image Realm.

Boundless, overwhelming might surged outward madly.

Chen Xiaohu and the others were forced back several steps. Even though they too stood at the Divine Image Realm, once Jiang Qin's momentum fully erupted, merely withstanding this pressure was already somewhat taxing for them.

"This is… the once number-one figure of Huaguo's younger generation."

Compared to them, Su Lingwei was unaffected, simply standing quietly in place.

She felt not the slightest surprise or astonishment.

Whether before or now, in her eyes there was only ever one person who stood the strongest. No matter how peerless one's talent, before this person, there was only bowing down in submission.

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

"You've finally come back."

Jiang Qin turned to face her. "I've made you wait too long. I went through a long journey, so I've come back a little late."