Jiang Chen stood across from Nie Xiaoqian and asked, "How am I supposed to know whether what you're saying is true or false?"
"I can swear an oath under the Covenant of Heaven and Earth. If I lie even in the slightest, may I be reduced to ashes this instant."
Seeing the determination in Nie Xiaoqian's eyes, Jiang Chen didn't know whether to use the soul power he had left to save his life to summon Omniscient, or spend his last bit of soul power killing Nie Xiaoqian.
Could he trust what a demon said?
Jiang Chen wasn't sure.
"Promise her!"
Omniscient appeared, wearing a white Shinigami uniform.
"Omniscient, could you at least give me a heads-up before showing up? Your appearance just cost me most of my soul power."
Jiang Chen spoke to her in his mind.
Omniscient was Jiang Chen's Zanpakuto. Only he could see her; no one else could.
They only saw Jiang Chen's expression suddenly turn grim.
They were very worried.
They feared that if Jiang Chen lost, they wouldn't survive either.
Someone asked, "Is Jiang Chen about to lose?"
"If he loses, will I still be alive?"
Someone else spoke in despair.
"We'll be fine. Brother Chen will protect us." The Fatty was worried about Jiang Chen's safety too, but there was nothing he could do right now. All he could do was stand behind Jiang Chen and avoid holding him back.
At that moment, he had never yearned for power so badly.
If he were strong enough, he could help Brother Chen.
Damn it!
The Fatty cursed himself for being useless.
He couldn't help Brother Chen.
What could he do? Nothing.
All he could do was watch and pray that Brother Chen would win.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen wasn't in good shape either.
Omniscient's appearance had consumed too much of his soul power.
Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai state was gradually becoming impossible to maintain.
Without showing any weakness, he calmly looked at Nie Xiaoqian. "If you really know where the Demon's Heart is, I can tell you where Ning Caichen is."
After Jiang Chen promised her, Nie Xiaoqian immediately swore an oath under the Covenant of Heaven and Earth.
If she told even the slightest lie, she would be reduced to ashes in an instant.
As soon as she finished speaking, the most powerful force of the covenant between heaven and earth descended upon her.
An invisible force bound Nie Xiaoqian's soul.
When it was done, Nie Xiaoqian looked at Jiang Chen. "Now you can believe me, right?"
Jiang Chen didn't answer.
He still couldn't decide whether to follow Omniscient's advice.
If he did, he would have to summon Omniscient as promised.
He would lose even his last bit of soul power, and then the fox demon could kill him with ease.
Jiang Chen couldn't decide whether to risk his life on this choice.
Seeing that Jiang Chen wasn't answering, Nie Xiaoqian gave a desolate smile. "I know everyone despises demons. I'm a demon, so of course the world has no place for me."
"If you don't trust me, then we have nothing left to discuss. If you want to kill me, go ahead."
"Where is the Demon's Heart?"
Jiang Chen made his decision. He didn't know whether he would regret it, but at least he didn't regret it now.
"It's..."
Nie Xiaoqian was just about to reveal where the Demon's Heart was when a hand pierced through her chest before she could finish.
"Demon, die!"
The voice belonged to General Pagoda.
His fists were now covered in a golden layer.
They had become incomparably hard. This was one of General Pagoda's abilities: reinforcement.
It was said that this wasn't ordinary reinforcement. The golden substance covering his hands was the bane of demons.
Nie Xiaoqian had never expected to be ambushed. She strained to turn around and see who had attacked her.
When she saw General Pagoda's single eye, her face filled with shock and disbelief.
Summoning all her strength, she asked, "Why you?"
"Go ask King Yama!"
As he spoke, General Pagoda swiftly tore out Nie Xiaoqian's heart and crushed it in the blink of an eye.
Without her heart, Nie Xiaoqian's life force rapidly drained away, and she was on the verge of death.
Her eyes turned toward Jiang Chen, pleading with him as if to ask, "Where is he?"
"He's by the banks of Huangquan, waiting for you. He's been waiting for a thousand years."
Jiang Chen used his last bit of soul power to summon Omniscient and give Nie Xiaoqian her answer.
Satisfied, Nie Xiaoqian closed her eyes. She was going to find him.
He had waited for her for a thousand years. She couldn't make him wait any longer.
A breeze swept past, and Nie Xiaoqian's body gradually turned to dust.
It drifted away on the wind.
Through the haze, Jiang Chen seemed to hear Nie Xiaoqian say to him, "Be careful!"
Be careful?
Of what?
He was perfectly safe right now!
Jiang Chen didn't understand what she meant, so he didn't dwell on it.
He slid his Zanpakuto into its sheath.
Looking at General Pagoda, who stood not far away, he asked, "General Pagoda, what brought you here?"
"I heard reports that something unusual was happening here, so I came to take a look myself. I never expected to run into an S-Class Demonic Beast."
"Luckily, you subdued it. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to eliminate it so easily!"
General Pagoda gave Jiang Chen an approving look. To defeat S-Class Demonic Beasts twice at such a young age—Jiang Chen's future was limitless.
"Kid, you did well. I'll report this to my superiors and make sure you're rewarded. You might even receive an even greater reward."
"Thank you, General. I'm really not that impressive. I just got lucky."
At some point, the barrier surrounding them had disappeared. The Fatty hurried over to Jiang Chen and said, "Brother Chen's the amazing one! I saw it with my own eyes. That demon couldn't fight back at all!"
Jiang Chen only smiled and said nothing.
No one but him knew that if he hadn't replenished his soul power twice and drunk a Restoration Potion, there was no way to know who would have won.
The others who had been trapped in the stands were all grateful to Jiang Chen. If he hadn't turned the tide, they wouldn't have known whether they were alive or dead now.
Everyone said, "Thank you for saving us, Jiang Chen!"
Jiang Chen replied, "There's no need to be so polite. We're classmates. It was only right."
"One day, we'll become strong too. We'll learn from Jiang Chen and protect everyone."
"That's right. We need to work hard and grow stronger so we can protect everyone."
Once one person spoke up, the others began to echo him.
Somehow, something seemed to have changed, though Jiang Chen didn't notice it, and neither did anyone else.
They just knew things were different.
In the past, they'd seen one another as rivals and hadn't truly cared for each other. But when someone risked his life to protect a group of people who barely mattered to him, they realized how small-minded they'd been, thinking only of themselves.
They began to choose strength. Wasn't that what strength was for—to protect?
To protect this sky, this land, their families, and their classmates.
At that moment, something seemed to be changing.
"How does it feel to have people admire you?" Omniscient asked, standing beside Jiang Chen.
"If only I knew where the Demon's Heart was. Then everything would be perfect!"
"Nie Xiaoqian already told you. Don't you know?"
Before you continue