Why Pretend to Be the Heavenly Emperor When You're Dead?

"All Future Buddha Successors must die!"

A voice brimming with killing intent rang out from the golden rainbow light.

A golden-haired man with crimson eyes charged straight at Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan answered with a single slash.

Demon Slaying Saber!

Jiang Chuan used his palm as a blade and cleaved down at the golden-haired man.

The blood-colored blade light stretched over thirty meters, like a river of blood flowing out of hell itself. It radiated an icy, soul-chilling killing intent, seeking to drag every living thing into hell.

"Kill!"

The golden-haired man threw back his head and howled. Soundwaves turned into ripples that shook the void.

The blood-colored blade light collided with the soundwaves and shattered inch by inch.

At the same time, he threw a punch.

This punch was incomparably domineering.

At that moment, the golden-haired man seemed like a supreme being who ruled over all living things, bent on exterminating every disobedient subject.

"Why pretend to be the Heavenly Emperor when you're dead? Ghost Rain Sword!"

Cold lightning flashed in Jiang Chuan's eyes. His voice was icy as he threw out a punch as well.

Treasured Mountain Seal!

Jiang Chuan's right arm transformed into a pitch-black divine sword, sharp enough to seem capable of slaying immortals and killing gods.

Boom!

Their fists collided.

Jiang Chuan felt a piercing pain shoot through the web between his thumb and forefinger, and his body staggered backward of its own accord.

The golden-haired man also took a step back, a trace of astonishment appearing in his blood-red eyes.

"The Golden Crow I possess may not be pureblooded, but its bloodline is still extraordinary. You actually forced me back a step. As expected of a Future Buddha Successor."

"I won't just force you back—I'll kill you!"

Jiang Chuan shouted and pointed a finger, unleashing the Star Spirit Myriad Transformations Light with all his strength!

Over a hundred azure rays descended like immortal dawn-glow from the nine heavens, dazzling and resplendent.

With a thought from Jiang Chuan, they transformed into four great formations radiating profound, mysterious auras.

Heaven Punishing Evil Formation!

Rumble!

Nine silver bolts of heavenly lightning, like a river bursting through a broken dam, tore across the sky and poured down upon the golden-haired man. Their terrifying might made even Que Jinling, watching from the side, tremble.

Golden Blade Spring Rain Formation!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The formation patterns spun, and golden longswords appeared out of thin air.

At Jiang Chuan's thought, the golden longswords shot toward the golden-haired man like a torrential downpour.

Mysterious Nether Silver Wind Formation!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Bone-piercing cold transformed into howling gales that surged forth.

It was as if a god of ice and snow had unleashed his fury, seeking to freeze the entire world.

Jiang Chuan drove the three great formations with all his strength. Their terrifying power seemed like the end of days descending, turning Que Jinling pale and shaking her heart.

"You think this is enough to deal with me? Heavenly Demon God Annihilation Curse!" The golden-haired man chanted an incantation.

One tiny azure character after another, each the size of a tadpole, appeared between heaven and earth.

Some of the azure characters resembled roc birds, while others looked like heavenly hounds. They branded themselves into the void and emitted a ghostly glow.

The glow was not dazzling. It could even be described as faint, like candlelight on a rainy night, liable to be extinguished at any moment.

Yet strangely, the instant the heavenly lightning, golden blades, and freezing wind touched the ghostly glow, they melted away without cease, like ice and snow meeting the warm sun.

The azure characters shot toward Jiang Chuan like mercury spilling across the ground.

"Jiang Chuan, be careful! The Heavenly Demon God Annihilation Curse has annihilated countless gods, immortals, and Buddhas! You must not let it touch you!" Que Jinling cried out in alarm.

Void Exile Formation, activate!

Jiang Chuan activated the final formation.

Hum! Hum! Hum!

Divine radiance flowed through the formation patterns. The void above the golden-haired man abruptly split open, revealing the dark and unfathomable Void Abyss.

The Void Abyss was like the Divine Beast Kunpeng opening its enormous maw to devour all things.

The Heavenly Demon God Annihilation Curse was immediately drawn in and flew toward the Void Abyss.

The golden-haired man resisted with all his might, but his body still flew involuntarily toward the Void Abyss.

"Damn it!"

The golden-haired man knew full well how terrifying the Void Abyss was. Once he entered it, this incarnation of his would surely be torn apart by the twisted void within the abyss.

As the golden-haired man drew closer and closer to the Void Abyss, regret appeared on Jiang Chuan's face.

Noticing the change in Jiang Chuan's expression, Que Jinling asked, "What is it?"

Jiang Chuan said faintly, "It's a pity he couldn't force out my full strength and let me find out just how strong I really am."

Que Jinling: "..."

I suggest you go find this ancient demon's true body and test your strength on it directly.

Then Que Jinling remembered that she and Jiang Chuan were both at the third realm, and her heart filled with emotion.

With Jiang Chuan's current strength, even ordinary fourth-realm cultivators are probably no match for him. Fifth-realm cultivators should be able to defeat Jiang Chuan, but killing him would likely be no easy matter.

"Future Buddha Successor, don't think defeating me means this is over."

The golden-haired man's body was about to be exiled into the Void Abyss.

"The Demon Race will not let you off. What awaits you is only—"

Before the golden-haired man could finish speaking, the Void Abyss swallowed him completely.

"Why does the Demon Race want to kill Future Buddha Successors?"

Jiang Chuan was full of doubts. Abbot Kong Ming had never mentioned at Bodhi Temple that cultivating the "Future Star Sutra" would make one a mortal enemy of the Demon Race.

"I don't know."

Que Jinling shook her head. "I've never heard the elders of my clan mention the Demon Race issuing a wanted order to hunt down Future Buddha Successors."

Unable to reach an answer after pondering it, Jiang Chuan stopped dwelling on it. "Forget it. Let's find the Bone Remolding Pill first."

After repelling the enemy that had attacked you, you and Que Jinling began searching for the Bone Remolding Pill.

Que Jinling repeatedly compared the fragmentary map in her hand before finally leading you to an island occupied by demon beasts.

The demon beasts on the island attacked the moment they saw you and Que Jinling.

Facing the siege of numerous third- and fourth-realm demon beasts, although you were powerful, you still found yourself in constant peril.

In the end, after killing two fourth-realm demon beasts with the Flame Sun Needle, you barely drove back the besieging demon beasts and arrived at the foot of the volcano in the center of the island.

Molten lava rushed down from the mountaintop, as if it could scorch the void itself.

A gentle breeze brushed past, carrying wave after wave of searing heat.

Jiang Chuan looked at the yellowish-brown stone stele before him, covered in volcanic ash, and read aloud the three damaged ancient characters inscribed upon it.

"Lesser Red Heaven."

Seeing that name, Jiang Chuan could not help but think of the legendary Great Scarlet Heaven.

"I wonder whether this so-called Lesser Red Heaven is related to Great Scarlet Heaven?"

"The cave abode Daoist Lihuo left behind can only be opened by obtaining the treasure he left behind, or by one of his successors."

As Que Jinling spoke, she took out a palm-sized Purple Gold Pill Furnace marked with a Bagua sigil.

"Otherwise, it wouldn't have fallen to us."

The pill furnace was activated. The black-and-white Taiji Diagram within the Bagua sigil began to turn, shooting out one black and one white ray of light.

The yellowish-brown stone stele seemed to come alive. Dense runes rose from it and transformed into a curtain of azure light.

A vast, majestic aura spread outward, as though an otherworldly heaven and earth lay beyond the light curtain, shaking the mind and spirit.

"Let's go."

Que Jinling took the lead and entered.

Filled with curiosity and anticipation, Jiang Chuan followed her inside.