Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator

by Stayrr

Chen Fan, the great cultivator, failed to transcend the Tribulation of Heaven: the final stage of his cultivation. Little did he know that this accident would bring him back to Earth and turn back time to five hundred years ago when he was just a teenager. 'I had once reached the precipice of power in the known universe and could look down on the ten thousand realms with pride; I

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Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator #Chapter 353 - Kill Lord Susano - Read Rebirth Of The Urban Immortal Cultivator Chapter 353 - Kill Lord Susano Online - All Page - FREEWN

Chapter 353: Kill Lord Susano

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

As Chen Fan spread his Divine Will over the entire mountain peak, he noticed that the dark mist that previously loomed over the Susano Shrine had grown significantly larger. Worse, there was an eldritch menace ever so tempting yet terrifying lurking in the dark mist. It cast a spell that deluded the minds of the fighters, make them turn a blind eye on their situation.

"Mist of Delusion?"

Chen Fan was not a stranger to such tricks since it was often used by Evil Immortals in the universe to control its subjects. It was evident that Lord Susano was a master of manipulation, without his influence, his subjects would have already thrown down their weapons and ran away.

"UMMMMM!"

Chen Fan stamped the ground and let out a droning that mimicked the sound of a dragon.

The droning started quiet and increasing get higher both in volume and pitch. In a few seconds, the droning and turned into a deep rumbling of distant thunder. The sound reverberated as it gained more intensity. Those who were under its influence had a vivid hallucination of a real dragon snarling at them. As the sound cleansed the vile grip of the dark mist on people's minds, the warriors were rendered stupefied and stunned. Some dropped their sword in dizziness.

"Eight Timbres of a True Dragon."

This was a very powerful mystic-art that mimicked the different timbre of a real dragon's droning.

True Dragons are the most righteous beings in the universe due to their pure Yang energy. The roars of those True Dragons wandering in the space could cleanse the effects of any evil spells over an entire planet. Chen Fan's spell had a similar effect and therefore everyone at the Susano Shrine was severely affected by the spell.

The piercing timbre swirled the listener's souls, staggering them and knocking them off balance.

One after another, dark mists rose from these warrior's bodies as they slowly regained consciousness. When they finally saw the blood bath before them, they threw down their weapons and ran away, screaming.

After a while, only Chizuru Masahiro, Genkaza Takeda, and Violet were able to stand still and unwavering. Yukishiro Sa was under Violet's protection so she was safe amidst the chaos.

Chizuru Masahiro looked at Chen Fan with a dark face while others were taut with fear.

Chen Fan had killed a few hundred people in a short period of time, however, the bloody slaughter didn't take even the slightest toll on Chen Fan's conscience. It was as if he had just squashed an anthill under his boots and walked away.

For the first time, Chizuru Masahiro started to wonder if Lord Susano could really achieve victory.

Chen Fan gazed at the statue inside the inner sanctum and didn't spare anyone a glance.

"You ordered them to swarm me because you wish to cast an array formation, didn't you? Do you think that will stop me?" Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and said lightly.

"Who the hell are you?"

A plume of dark mist swarmed to the ground from which Lord Susano emerged.

His look had changed. He was wearing a ceremonial hat and was in an Onmyoji outfit. His face was thin and severe and he glared at Chen Fan: "You are not a Grandmaster from China. Nothing about you, from your Dharma Spells, Divine powers to your energy, is of this time period. Are you some kind of reincarnation of an immortal?"

Chizuru Masahiro and the others might not be able to see through Chen Fan's cover, but Lord Susano had lived hundreds of years and had seen many Immortal State warriors. He finally picked up the extraordinary otherworldliness in Chen Fan that had escaped him earlier. What struck him the most was Chen Fan's divine indifference that screamed a contradiction against his young age.

Lord Susano was convinced that Chen Fan held a big secret in him.

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"You talk too much."

Chen Fan cracked a smile, his eyes were indifferent.

He reached out a hand and closed his fingers. Suddenly, a few-meter tall palm, made out of Azure energy appeared out of thin air above Lord Susano. It turned the palm down and bore it down onto the inner sanctum. A heavy force weighted on the structure even before the azure light landed on its roof.

"Yi Wood Connate Spirit Grand Qin Na Hand!"

Chen Fan's power had surged ever since he reached the mid-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment, making his attack even more deadly than before.

Lord Susano's face colored a little after he saw Chen Fan's attack coming down on the inner sanctum. He transformed back into a plume of dark mist and flew back into the inner sanctum. A cold voice rose inside everyone's ears.

"Chen Beixuan, I don't care what you are. You have offended me and desecrated my shrine, therefore, you must die!"

As soon as Lord Susano's icy threats faded, the floor of the Shrine started to tremble as if there was an energy about to erupt from under the earth. Dark mist thickened and fell over the shrine as a heavy blanket.

"What is going on?" Violet asked nervously.

Genkaza Takeda also looked to the Inner Sanctum in confusion.

Suddenly, realization dawned upon Chizuru Masahiro and the old man put in: "Shit! Our Lord is going to initiate the Yin Yang Grand Array"

"Yin Yang Grand Array? What the heck is that?" Violet and Genkaza Takeda both looked at Chizuru Masahiro in puzzlement. Chizuru Masahiro hesitated a moment and then let out raspy laughter: "Yin Yang Grand Array is a Dharma Array cast by Lord Susano himself before he passed away. It had been dormant but not entirely inactive since it had been harnessing the Yang energy from the volcanos deep inside the mountain as well as Yin Energies from the Shrine. Once the seal over the array was opened, it would unleash these two deadly elements and cause them to react with each other. By then, the entire shrine would be reduced into ashes while it was caught in between the two elements."

"Then what are we doing here? Let's go!"

Violet shouted as her face paled.

Genkaza Takeda acted first and darted toward the exit without uttering a word.

"It's useless. Once the Yin Yang Grand Array was open, the entire Shrine would be under its spell. Only an Immortal State cultivator would be able to break through the entrapment. Just look around you." Chizuru Masahiro's face was colorless and lifeless.

Yukishiro Sa and Violet surveyed around them and noticed that an impenetrable dark smoke had already surrounded them. Through the smokescreen, they saw a ring of burning flame that lapped around the shrine. The fire seemed to be fueled by the dark mist as it burned the brightest where the dark smoke was the thickest.

The color drained from Violet's face as she was suddenly at a loss as to what to do.

Lord Susano had committed everything he had into this fight. If he died in the battle, so would all of his subjects.

"Chen Beixuan, I didn't intend to use the Grand Array because once it got started, even I can't stop it. All the things I have built over these hundred years would turn into dust. But what choice do I have?" Lord Susano's voice reverberated in the air. "Behold, the power of my hundred-year-old Dharma Array!"

The Demon Lord let out a peal of laughter as the two waves of energy—the Yin and Yang —crashed into each other, slowly, but unequivocally, like the irreversible passage of time.

A deep rumbling spilled out from the Void Dimension to the real world, it sounded like two giant stones grinding on each other. Caught in between the two overbearing forces was shrine the shrine and everyone in it. Soon, walls started to crumble under the crushing weight.

Genkaza Takeda was forced back by two deadly forces.

"Master, what should we do?"

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Yukishiro Sa looked to Chen Fan distraughtly.

Seeing the unimaginable Power of Heaven and Earth, Yukishiro Sa had lost all of her hope.

Chen Fan didn't reply. His body disappeared and reappeared before Takeda.

"What do you want? We are all trapped in here. We need to work together to get out of here." Genkaza Takeda pulled a taut face and asked

"This is for your sneak attack early." Chen Fan looked at Genkaza Takeda stoically and threw a punch at Takeda.

"Kaboom!"

After a tremor in the void dimension, a ring of white mist came up from the point of impact rippled across space.

Chen Fan's body might have shaken a little, but it was difficult to tell amidst the dark mist. Meanwhile, Genkaza Takeda's face was flushed red and then turned purple, dark, until even the darkness on his face ebbed away, leaving an ashen face as pale as snow.

His lips twitched a little as he struggled to let out a smirk, but the half-smile froze on his face and formed an ugly grin.

By then, the others finally realized that Genkaza Takeda's chest was pressed inward. A pulse of energy had reached into Genkaza Takeda's body and exploded from inside, making the sky rain blood and small bits of body parts.

Chen Fan had killed a peak level Transcendent State warrior with one punch!

The mighty warrior of Kyushu, powerful as he was, met a gruesome death at the end of his life.

Chizuru Masahiro and Violet shuttered as the promise of imminent death gripped their hearts. They had thought Chen Fan was going to deal with them next, but to their surprise, Chen Fan cast around and found the Oni statue in the half-collapsed shrine.

"You think this pathetic trick can stop me? Get out of there now!"

Chen Fan shot out a hand toward the statue and closed his fingers as if he was grabbing the statue from a distance. Suddenly, azure energy lanced out from his hand and flew toward the statue. Chen Fan knew that as long as he can find and destroy the "Eye of the Array", he would get out of here with ease.

It was clear to Chen Fan from the very beginning that the Array's eye was the Oni statue. Without it, the Yin Yang Grand Array would disappear.

When the azure energy landed on its target, dark smoke bubbled from the statue as if it started to rot from the inside.

Suddenly, the statue let out a saddening scream. Then it crumbled to the floor as it burst into countless pieces.

Another maddening cry came up in the ruined shrine.

"Chen Beixuan, I will make you pay for this!"

A cloud of dark smoke rose from the ruins of the statue and lanced into the sky. It was trying to get away. The Statue and the Dharma Array were what had kept Lord Susano alive. As soon as the statue was shattered into pieces, Lord Susano hurried to escape. He needed to find a host as quickly as possible before the Essence Qi in nature wore out his Divine Soul.

"You think you can run away?"

Chen Fan smiled derisively and produced an ancient bone flute from the yellow-skinned gourd.

The bone flute buzzed as soon as it was out of the gourd and suddenly it flew out of Chen Fan's hand and after the dark most. Lord Susano noticed the incoming flute and he picked up some speed after letting out a panicked screech.

However, Lord Susano was not fast enough to outrun the Dharma Treasure made out of the bone of a Connate Cultivator.

The bone flute plunged into Lord Susano's back and started to suck the dark substance into its hollow middle. Lord Susano's furious cry became a heart wrenching scream. He sobbed and begged Chen Fan for mercy, but he got none. After a while, the ball of dark smoke was gone as if it had never existed.

Chizuru Masahiro and the others watched on with disbelief.

Lord Susano who had dominated Kyushu for hundreds of years was finally dead.

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Chapter 354: Summoning Flute of Demon God

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Lord Susano had claimed supremacy over the Kyushu island for hundreds of years.

He had been the most powerful Grand Onmyoji of Japan two hundred years ago, and even the Shogun and the Emperor had to speak with him with veneration. In the last hundred years or so, he was confined to the Susano Shrine with only intermittent visits to the outside world using Divine Soul. However, he had a slew of mighty figures pinned under his thumb. The Yukishiro family, Takeda Family, Chizuru Family and the Fuji Ninja Clan all served him as his subjects.

Using an invisible web of influence, he had the entire Kyushu island held firmly in his grasp.

However, mighty as he was, he was killed by Chen Fan with ease.

How was that possible?

Chizuru Masahiro and the others simply couldn't come to terms with reality.

The reality, however unlikely it was it was thrust in front of their eyes: the shrine was gone, statue shattered. In the void dimension, the sound of the Yin and Yang energy grinding each other subsided. As Yang Energy returned to its source inside the mountain, the Yin Energy became unbridled and went rough. It quickly swept through the entire mountain peak, devouring the vitality of trees and plants.

Seeing the crisis was averted, Chizuru Masahiro and the others heaved a sigh of relief. They looked to Chen Fan, eyes filled with veneration.

Even Lord Susano's finally trump card, the Yin Yang Grand Array was destroyed by Chen Fan without using much effort. How powerful exactly was he? Chizuru Masahiro started to suspect that Chen Fan was not a Transcendent Grandmaster, instead, he was an Immortal State Cultivator, a legend of the present time.

"Ummm."

Having absorbed all the dark substance that used to make up Lord Susano's body, the bone flute flew back to Chen Fan and circled closely about his body. It let out a soft whir that sounded like the purr of a kitten.

Chen Fan reached out and grabbed it in the air. Its texture felt silky and warm on his finger

He had taken this bone flute from the Young Master of the Ghost Witch Sect and it was the Dharma Treasure of the sect. The Ghost Witch Sect elder discovered it in a tomb of an ancient sage. The elder used one section of the bone and made it into a Primordial Ghost Flute to contain the ghosts under his command. A perfected cultivator from the Ghost Witch Sect during the Qing dynasty used to use this very artifact to command a hundred thousand and defeated a thousand Manchu horse warriors.

However, those ghosts soldiers were all but perished after Chen Fan had used Li Fire Golden Eyes on it. That being said, it was a waste to use the bone of a Connate Cultivator as a container for ghosts. Chen Fan had a better plan for it.

He had been refining the bone flute ever since he got it a year ago, but had made little progress. Chen Fan knew that he needed to instill an Artifact Spirit into the artifact but couldn't find an appropriate Divine Soul in China. It was in Japan that he finally found what he was looking for.

"I finally got you!" Chen Fan tapped the bone flute with a fingernail, making a crisp sound. "Since you have a Demon God inside, I shall call you the 'Summoning Flute of Demon God'"

The bone flute let out a droning as if consenting to his new name.

An azure light came up in Chen Fan's hand as he channeled his energy into the bone flute. Suddenly, a dark smoke spilled out from the bone flute, down to the floor. The smoke then formed into the shape of the Oni Demon God.

However, unlike the statue that was destroyed, this iteration of the Demon God was wearing shining golden armor and lacked the sinister quality that he used to possess. He stood firmly with a face as heavy as an anvil, looking like the celestial guardians before the gate to heaven. He looked exactly like Lord Susano, despite the unblinking, almost mechanical gaze.

"It... it..."

Chizuru Masahiro stared at the image incredulously.

Hadn't Lord Susano been consumed by the bone flute? Why did he appear again?

"It's not Lord Susano, he is an Immortal Guardian for my Dharma Treasure." Chen Fan waved a hand and the image disappeared.

The Ghost Witch Sect had wasted the bone of a Connate Cultivator by using it to harness ghost soldiers. Chen Fan had used it to its full potential and gave it a powerful Golden Armor Immortal Guardian who was as powerful as Lord Susano. It could destroy a hundred Oni with a single sweep of a hand. Thus it was, the power of a Dharmic treasure heavily depended on the level of attainment of the user. In Chen Fan's hand, this bone flute was much more powerful than when it was used by the Ghost Witch Sect.

Once Chen Fan reached the Golden Core level, he could summon the Immortal Guardian to move a mountain out of his way.

Such power was also portable. Chen Fan didn't have to be confined in a shrine in order to summon the Immortal Guardian. The Bone Flute was the Shrine and Chen Fan could carry it with him wherever he went.

After the Summoning Flute of Demon God was completed, Chen Fan looked to Chizuru Masahiro and the others.

There were only three of them who had survived the onslaught: Chizuru Masahiro, Violet and Yukishiro Sa

Genkaza Takeda was the servant of Lord Susano, and he was killed by Chen Fan with one punch. Chen Fan had decided to spare Violet's life since she had been protecting Yukishiro Sa amidst the chaos. However, Chizuru Masahiro, the Grand Onmyoji was the mind of the Shrine's operation. Chen Fan wouldn't let him getaway.

Lo and behold, Chen Fan's gaze landed on Chizuru Masahiro.

Violet's face changed colors while Chizuru Masahiro dropped to his knees before Chen Fan. His body shook with trepidation.

"My lord, please spare my life. I control all the wealth that Susano Shrine had accumulated over hundreds of years. With all the other assets I own, there are over trillions of Yen that I can offer to you. I also controlled the entire Underground World of Kyushu. I can make them work for you if you let me live."

Chizuru Masahiro was the Grand Onmyoji of the Susano Shrine and the most influential man in Kyushu. However, there and then, he kowtowed to Chen Fan and begged for his life like a pathetic worm. The sight somehow gave Violet a sense of pleasure.

She relished the fact that she had hedged her position by protecting Yukishiro Sa so that Chen Fan didn't have to be distracted. However, a fear quickly rose inside of her as she saw the mighty Chizuru Masahiro kneel before Chen Fan, begging for his life.

"My lord, the Susano Shrine is extremely wealthy, they even have stakes in the Mitsui Group. "

Yukishiro Sa put in quietly.

The shrine had controlled the third-largest island of Japan, the Kyushu island for hundreds of years since the Edo period. They had accumulated unimaginable wealth during that time. Cash and other liquid assets were only the tip of the glacial wealth the shrine owned. Most other assets were hidden beneath the surface, such as hoards of antiques, real estate property, and shares in the Mitsui Group.

Mitsui Group managed over trillions of US dollar investments. Even if the Shrine owned just a small portion of the shares, it would have more money than the combined wealth of the Zheng family, Tang Family and Su Family.

Such unimaginable wealth took hundreds of years to accumulate and would be tempting to even a Transcendent Level Grandmaster.

Chizuru Masahiro had thought that his offer should have an effect on Chen Fan, however, Chen Fan's face was stoic as usual. He fiddled with the bone flute, twirling it between his fingers, and asked: "In Japan, are there any other Shrines that have Demon Gods other than the Susano Shrine?"

Chizuru Masahiro didn't expect the reply. Yukishiro Sa and Violet were both confused.

"What does he mean?"

Chen Fan didn't seem to care about Susano Shrine's wealth, instead, his focus was on Demon God. Why?

Chizuru Masahiro was a seasoned Grand Onmyoji and was well versed in the topic of Dharma Artifact. Once he noticed the Summoning Flute of Demon God, realization finally dawned upon him. He answered in a fearful voice: "My lord, are you gonna catch 'em all?"

Before Yukishiro Sa had realized what Chizuru Masahiro was talking about, Violet's face turned dark. She shot Chen Fan an incredulous glare.

He was still not satisfied after capturing Lord Susano and he wanted more?

Thousands had lost their lives today and the entire elite forces of Kyushu's underground world were gone. Two Grandmasters, over a hundred Internal Force users, and a dozen Onmyoji were all dead because Chen Fan wanted to capture a "pokemon". Yet, he was not satisfied, and wanted more bloodshed: gotta catch 'em all.

Despite his resentment, Chizuru Masahiro managed to pull himself together and answered respectfully:

"My lord, we have six shrines of similar nature in Japan. Three were the Kurome Shrine, Yamamizuki Shrine... and the Ise Grand Shrine. All these six shrines held the souls of an ancient Grand Onmyoji. The Ise Grand Shrine was the most powerful one out of the six. The Demon God in that shrine is able to leave the shrine for a long period of time."

Chizuru Masahiro paused a second and continued hesitantly: "Rumor had it that the Ise Grand Shrine held a real deity who was in slumber. However, that rumor itself was ancient, and no one seemed to bring it up anymore. "

"Six, you said?" Chen Fan flicked a finger and narrowed his eyes.

Although Chen Fan wanted to feed the Summoning Flute of Demon God with only the most powerful Divine Souls, it was the more the merrier nonetheless. With the addition of every single Immortal Guardian, the power of the flute would be doubled. With six powerful Divine Souls, the bone flute alone should be able to deal with any Immortal State cultivator.

Chen Fan's thoughtful expression scared Chizuru Masahiro.

"My Lord, are you going to do the same to all those shrines? They are backed by the real top dogs of Japan. You will be an enemy of the entire nation and have to face the deadly force of the Japan Self-Defense Units. Even if you are an Immortal State Cultivator, you—"

"You talk too much."

Chen Fan cut the old man short and lifted a finger. A beam of Azure light pierced through the old man's skull, killing him in an instant.

Even in his death, Chizuru Masahiro's eyes were wide open with disbelief. He was shocked that Chen Fan would ignore the huge financial gain and chose instead to kill him.

Violet trembled in fear after seeing Chen Fan end the old man's life. When Chen Fan's gaze found her, she dropped to her knees and started begging for her life.

Chen Fan said lightly: "You are smart, I like that."

"You are the leader of the Ninjas, so I wager that you have full access to the Susano Shrine's assets. Bring them to me along with information about the other five shrines." Chen Fan ordered. He then shot out a golden flame into Violet's body: "Don't worry your pretty head about double-crossing me. You are under my surveillance no matter where you are."

"Yes.. my lord," Violet answered in a shaky voice.

Yukishiro Sa stood beside Chen Fan quietly and meekly. Her heart was filled with admiration and respect.

Just as he had promised, he had quashed the Susano Shrine all by himself. Once the news got out, his name would instill fear in everyone in Japan.

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Chapter 355: Astonishing Development From Japan

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Susano Shrine was no more.

This news swept across Kyushu's underground like a hurricane. From Kyushu, it reached all over Japan and spilled out throughout the entire East Asia like a wildfire.

The Cultivation world in Japan was shocked.

Susano Shrine was one of the six remaining Shrines in Japan. Everyone knew that it was the abode of a powerful Demon God called Susano Nihon. Even without the Demon God's interference, the shrine was a force to be reckoned since it had powerful followers such as Chizuru Masahiro, Genkaza Takeda, and Kitaniwakawa.

Kitaniwakawa was one of the four most deadliest Kendo Grandmasters.

Genkaza Takeda was a powerful Martial artist who had reached the peak of Transcendent State.

Chizuru Masahiro was a Grand Onmyoji who had perfected the art of Dharma Spells.

Adding Violet from the Fuji Ninja Clan, Susano Shrine sat comfortably at the second spot among the six shrines, trailing closely behind the Ise Grand Shrine. The other shrines simply couldn't compare.

The Cultivation world in Japan found it difficult to grapple with the death of three mighty warriors and the utter annihilation of the Susano Shrine. Worse, the entire Kyushu underground world had fallen into the state of desolation after thousands of its members were slaughtered during the attack on Susano Shrine.

The cultivation world in Japan sizzled with disbelief and excitement.

Meanwhile, in a Kendo Judo in Tokyo, an old man wearing martial arts outfit asked people around him: "Who did you say was the one that destroyed the Susano Shrine?"

The old man sat on his folded legs, and he rested an Uchigatana sideways across his lap. He was surrounded by his disciples many of those were heirs of financial groups and sons of top bureaucrats. These youngsters lowered their heads, scarcely daring to connect gazes with the Kendo Master: Kurokawa Sho.

He was one of the most powerful Kendo Grandmasters in Japan.

He was considered the second most powerful of the four, closely following Erika. He was also the founder of the Kendo School called Peace Current that was renowned for its unpredictability. He was praised by other Kendo Masters for his never of steel and unwavering determination. Once during a fight, an onlooker suddenly shot him with a gun. While his life was hanging by a thread, he remained calm and reacted just in time to slice that bullet into halves.

"Er..."

His disciples looked at each other helplessly, none of them knew what had happened.

The fall of the Susano Shrine happened too fast. Those who had seen what happened with their own eyes had either gone mad or dead. People had been relying on vague descriptions to reconstruct the brutal slaughter. However, no one was one hundred percent certain of what had happened.

"Was he from the Hong Sect?"

Someone guessed.

"The Hong Sect was dealt a huge blow ever since Chen Beixuan had killed three of its Underbosses. It wouldn't be them." Someone else put in.

"Then could it be the Special Case Department in China? If Azure dragon and his colleagues work together, they might have a chance uprooting Susano Shrine."

"That's unlikely. The Ise Grand Shrine shouldn't sit around and let Azure dragon wreak havoc in Japan." Kurokawa Sho shook his head and said.

"Could be the Dragon Hall from South East Asia? Or was it Square Tower?"

The disciples listed all the possible candidates, but Kurokawa Sho dismissed all of them.

Hong Sect, Divine Kingdom and Square Tower were all-powerful ancient forces that had co-existed with Japan for hundreds of years. There was no reason for them to suddenly wage a war against the Japanese by slaughtering hundreds of people at the Susano Shrine. Plus, there had to be some kind of signal before these powerful forces made a move on Japan. They were too big to have slipped under the radar.

"Then who would that be?"

The disciples were at a loss after failing all their attempts at guessing.

The Susano Shrine had a Kendo Grandmaster, a Transcendent Grandmaster, and a Grand Onmyoji, it's power was nearly half of Hong Sects. Hong Sect was an international group dominated the global underground world, yet, they had only seven underbosses. Plus, Susano Shrine also had a trump card that the Hong Sect lacked: the Demon God Lord Susano.

It would take either an army or the combined might of the aforementioned groups to get rid of the Susano Shrine so thoroughly.

If those big groups didn't do it, who did then?

Even as Kurokawa Sho fell into deep thought, a clear and musical voice came from by the door.

"It is Chen Beixuan."

The voice startled everyone. They looked toward the speaker and saw a girl dressed in a white martial arts outfit sauntered into the room while carrying a long blade in her hand. Her face was cold but pretty, with clearly defined features that looked like chiseled onto his hard face. As she spoke, condescension and a stately quality flickered in her eyes, making her look like a monarch of a medieval kingdom.

As soon as the girl walked into the room, Kurokawa Sho hurried to stand up and said: "Lord Erika, what brings you here?"

The girl looked like a strident heroine in fantasy movies. She was the most powerful Kendo Grandmaster in Japan: Erika!

Erika walked into the meeting room with wide strides, a few more people trailing behind her. Kurokawa Sho looked at the group and was shocked after he recognized the rest of the visitors.

"Ito Imi, Lord Kurome, and Chiba Yosiko"

Ito Imi was also a Kendo master, Lord Kurome was the chief priest of the Kurome Shrine, Chiba Yosiko was the Grand Onmyoji from the Chiba family. There were five more people that followed the group, and these warriors and Onmyojis filled the meeting room up quickly.

Nearly half of the Overlords in Japan had gathered together.

Kurome Shrine had sent all of their three overlords to this gathering.

These Overlords were scattered all over Japan: Hokkaido, Osaka, Tokyo, Kyushu, and Shikoku, just to name a few. Kurokawa Sho knew right away that something bad had happened after seeing all these powerful men and women arrived at his Judo.

"Lord Erika, are you here to discuss the ordeal at the Susano Shrine?"

"Indeed. Chen Beixuan has blatantly insulted us by all the bloodshed at the Susano Shrine. We can't let him continue this destructive path." Lord Kurome said coldly.

Lord Kurome was a very peculiar looking middle-aged man with a pair of red eyes. He was an S-Level Overlord and possessed incredible Pupil Arts which allowed him to shoot out rays of burning energy from his eyes. Rumor had it that Lord Kurome had such unimaginable power because he was, in fact, an Illusion Form of the Demon God Kurome.

Lord Kurome seemed the most anxious to get rid of Chen Fan among all the attendees.

The chaos Chen Fan had stirred up at the Susano Shrine had unnerved Lord Kurome since Susano Shrine was superior to Kurome Shrine in nearly every measure. After he had learned that Chen Fan was gathering intel on other Japanese Shrines, he was outright terrified. Kurome Shrine was the closest to the Kyushu island, where Chen Fan currently was.

He feared that he would be Chen Fan's next target.

Therefore, Lord Kurome had sent urgent messages to all the Overlords in Japan, rallying them to join him and fight back against Chen Fan.

"Did you say that it was Chen Beixuan?" Kurokawa Sho gathered himself and asked with shock and disbelief.

Chen Fan garnered a lot of attention after he had killed many Grandmasters. During the very last battle, while he was in China, he stood against five Grandmasters and killed four of them, including Theseus the Phantom. Since then, he was ranked the third deadliest man on earth by the CIA and was considered as deadly as a fully equipped army. Slowly, a consensus started to form that Chen Fan was soon going to dominate the entire East Asia.

"Why would such a powerful Overlord come to Japan and cause such a racket and kill Lord Susano?"

"Chen Beixuan was only half-step away from reaching Immortal State and he was clearly after Lord Susano." Lord Kurome said with a troubled face.

Ito Imi and the others nodded in agreement.

Only a Demon God as powerful as Lord Susano could have attracted the attention of Chen Beixuan.

"Lord Susano had nearly reached Immortal State and he also had the assistant of Chizuru Sensei and Takeda Sensei, yet they were still no match against Chen Beixuan?" Kurokawa Sho said in disbelief.

"Chen Beixuan's level of attainment was near that of an immortal, otherwise, he would not be able to use the Hypersonic punch. Those who managed to get out of the Susano Shrine alive said that Lord Susano was dealt with nine Hypersonic punches in a row before he died." Lord Kurome said with a wry smile.

His words unnerved everyone as their faces became taut with concern.

They had believed that Chen Fan could only use Hypersonic punch once during a fight. However, the fact that he had used it nine times meant he could easily defeat everyone in this room even if they ganged up on him.

Of all the warriors in the meeting room, only Erika might have a chance countering Chen Fan's Hypersonic Punch.

"What should we do then? If Chen Beixuan really is so powerful, he could easily defeat us even if we join forces." Kurokawa Sho said with furrowed brows.

He had kept what he really wanted to say hidden in between the lines and let the others ponder on it.

Even if they managed to bring down Chen Fan by joining forces together, Chen Fan's desperate attack would kill at least five or six of them. Who would want to mess with such a deadly man for Lord Susano who was already dead? No one. However, as renowned Overlords in China, they couldn't simply let Chen Fan do whatever he wants in Japan either.

"What does Ise Grand Shrine say about this? If they decided to stay out of this, we might have to petition the government to mobilize the Japanese Self-Defense Forces."

Everyone was shocked after hearing the words.

The Self-Defense Forces were the only militia unit in Japan. Despite its small size, they were well equipped with modern weapons. Due to historical reasons, the Self-Defense Forces were used mostly as a showpiece. Its mobilization would invite the ire and condemnation of other countries such as China.

However, without using the self-defense force, no one in Japan could deal with Chen Beixuan.

However powerful Erika was, she ranked at the bottom of the Dark Roll and would be of no use against Chen Fan.

"Kurokawa San, we came to request Lord Takemiya's aid. We wish that he could help us kill Chen Beixuan and restore honor and dignity to the Japanese Martial arts community." Erika took a step forward and bowed at Kurokawa Sho

"What? You want Sansei... he is almost a hundred years old." Kurokawa Sho was taken aback by the request.

He then saw Lord Kurome and Ito Imi also rise to their feet and bow toward him. Kurokawa Sho knew that he would not be able to refuse this request. He pondered a while on it and then agreed that it might be the best option they had.

Heads were going to roll if his sansei didn't intervene now.

"Fine then."

Kurokawa Sho sat down slowly and nodded.

His consent lit up everyone's faces with joy.

Takemiya Hiro, the Sword Sage was a legend in present-day Japan.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 356: Cut Through The Waterfall

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

For most martial artists in Japan, Takemiya Hiro was the stuff of legends.

He was the last Sword Sage in Japan.

Sword Sage was an extremely honorable title. It was usually granted by personally by both the prime minister and the emperor to the most powerful Kendo Master in Japan. Takemiya Hiro had owned the title ever since he was fifty years old. He was undefeated in all of his fights and even challenged a few Demon Gods without getting injured.

Since the 60s, he retired from his martial arts career and lived in seclusion in a small mountain somewhere outside of Tokyo. It had been a few decades since he got involved in any matters.

Martial Arts world could turn on a dime and since then many brilliant Kendo Grandmasters had emerged. However, no one dared to compare themselves with the legendary Sword Sage. Although Takemiya Hiro was not listed on the Dark Roll, all the Kendo Masters knew that Takemiya Hiro was very close to the Immortal State, if not already there. Therefore, his power should be neck and neck with the top three fighters on the Dark Roll and was one of the most powerful men on this planet.

Yamamizuki was one of Takemiya Hiro's disciples.

Yamamizuki Sho led everyone to a small garden like residence outside of Tokyo. This garden was made after the style of the Edo period. Surrounded by a bamboo forest was a couple of small wooden houses with Lanterns hanging by its roof. A small stream gurgled through the garden. It was peaceful and zenful.

"Sansei is meditating inside." Yamamizuki pointed to a wooden house and said to Erika.

"Ever since the 60s, Sensei put down his sword and started focus on Buddhism trying to seek enlightenment from its wisdom. By now, I have no idea how powerful Sansei had gotten. His presence was as calm and still as a pool of water in a windless night and as deep and vast as the ocean. He had inspired me to create the Art of Peace Current "

Erika nodded.

Fifty years ago, Takemiya Hiro was the most powerful Kento Master in Japan.

Even then, he had already reached Transcendent State and was placed at the eleventh spot on the Dark Roll. Although the old man had kept mostly to himself over the last fifty years, he had never stopped cultivating. No one knew how powerful he had gotten. If not because the trouble at hand spiraling out of control after Chen Fan had annihilated the Susano Shrine, Erika wouldn't want to disturb the old man's peaceful cultivation.

"Bring me to Takemiya Sensei please," Erika said coldly.

She was wearing a white martial arts outfit and pulled her hair back in a ponytail, which made her face looked severe. An Uchigatana was hitched by her waist, lending a measure of decisiveness toward her otherwise decorous appearance.

"Sure thing"

Yamamizuki Sho bowed slightly and led her into the humble wooden house. The room was mostly empty save for a table and a couple of chairs. A large Chinese character was painting on the wall. It read: "Zen."

Under the character, a scrawny cold man sat on his folded legs.

Age hasn't been kind to the old man. His white hair was thin and patchy, his prey and yellows blotches covered his skin. His muscles were almost atrophied due to prolonged inactivity, making him look like a skeleton. He sat still with his eyes closed; his heart pulsed only once in a long while.

Yamamizuki Sho and Erika both came up to the old man and bowed deeply.

"Sensei, Erika is here to visit you." Yamamizuki Sho said quietly almost whispered.

The old man opened his eyes with some effort, and then he looked around at Erika, nodded and then said in a husky voice: "I know this lass. Quite talented you were. You came to see me when you were only twelve. Look at you now."

"Takemiya Sensei, that was thirty years ago."

Erika came a bit closer and spoke under her breath. Her voice sounded unsure.

She knew Takemiya Hiro was old and his age should have reached three digits. However, the old man's wizen state took her by surprise nonetheless. He looked like he would need assistance even in daily routines, much less fighting.

She doubted that this dying old man would be of any use against Chen Fan.

"Ah... indeed. That was the mid 70s. Thirty years already, time flies by so fast." Takemiya Hiro lisped. His teeth were gone so air came out of his mouth when he spoke.

Erika suddenly felt a pang of sorrow after seeing what the renowned Sword Sage had become.

"Yamamizuki Sho, I haven't seen you for a while. What brings you here?" Takemiya Hiro reached out a hand and Yamamizuki Sho hurried to help the old man to his feet and make his way to a bamboo chair outside the house.

The old man sat down, letting the sunlight pour over his shriveled body.

A small stream ran around the house, and opposite it was a ten-meter tall waterfall above a deep pool. Water fell from a height, and hit the pool with its weight and momentum, letting out a constant roar.

The gurglings of the small stream mixed with the chirping of birds and the deep droning of the waterfall created a serene symphony of nature.

"Sensei, a Chinese man named Chen Beixuan had risen to power. He is not even twenty years old, yet he is already the most powerful Grandmaster in China." After the old man had settled in his chair, Yamamizuki Sho put in respectfully.

"Oh? Less than twenty years old? Incredible!" Takemiya Hiro was taken aback by the news. He looked up at his disciple and asked: "Even Sword Sage Watanabe and the one from Lin Family didn't reach Transcendent State until thirty. The one from the Lin Family should be in his fifties now, what happened to him? Why is a youngster the most powerful man in China?"

Erika stood aside and listened attentively.

She was in her forties but considered young among her peers. Meanwhile, Takemiya Hiro had lived over a hundred years. He was in the military as well as the Kokuryūkai: the Amur River Society. In the 30s, he had followed the last Sword Sage to China and challenged the Grandmasters there. Stories about the fight between Sword Sage Watanabe and the Lin Family could still be heard today.

However, that was ancient history before the Great War started.

Sword Sage Watanabe and the Lin Family were both ancient and distant tales for Erika or Yamamizuki Sho.

"Isn't there a lad called Ye Nantian? Isn't he was ranked number ten on the Dark Roll? Was he also defeated by Chen Beixuan?" Takemiya Hiro asked.

"Not just him, Azure dragon was also bested by Chen Beixuan. CIA had ranked the young man number three on the Dark Roll." Yamamizuki Sho let out a wry smile.

"Oh? Number three you said?"

The listless old man narrowed his eyes as a hint of life finally appeared in his eyes.

Takemiya Hiro used to be on the Dark Roll as well, but that was forty years ago. He was removed from the list ever since he retired. However, Takemiya Hiro knew what it meant to have ranked number three on the Dark Roll.

"The third-place used to be Zeus the Thunder Lord, someone who had escaped the American Military. It sounded like he really is a force to be reckoned with if he could outrank Zeus." After a flash of excitement, Takemiya Hiro's expression was slack again. He closed his eyes and tapped the bamboo chair with a finger.

"Takemiya Sensei, have you met Zeus before?" Erika asked curiously.

"Yes... twenty years ago... Zeus came to visit me and... we sparred." Takemiya Hiro struggled to finish his words as he was seized by a bout of coughs.

"What?"

The other two were shocked. Yamamizuki Sho had never heard his Sansei mentioned it before.

"What happened then?" Erika asked curiously.

"We couldn't defeat each other at that time. But now..."

The old man paused, as a flicker of contempt flashed across his eye.

Yamamizuki Sho and Erika were rendered speechless. If the news of the fight got out to the public, the old man would be back in the top five of the Dark Roll right away.

That being said, the fight occurred twenty years ago and Takemiya Hiro was a different man now. He couldn't even finish his sentences without catching a breath. Erika clearly had missed the content on the old man's face. She lamented the bad timing: if Chen Beixuan was here twenty years ago, Takemiya Hiro might be of help.

"Did you both come here to tell me about Chen Beixuan?"

A perspicacious light glinted in Takemiya Hiro's eyes as he asked.

"Yes, Takemiya Sensai. Not long ago, Chen Beixuan had disgraced our nation by destroying the Susano Shrine. Now he is eyeing other Shrines as well. We are out of means to stop him so, here we are. Please help us." Erika bowed deeply.

"What?"

Takemiya Hiro's face changed colors as he was shocked.

He suddenly rose to his feet without any difficulties. A light beamed out from his eyes and reached a few meters in length. His body was upright and straight, taut with belligerent energy. His overbearing appearance intimidated even Erika.

Then and only then, Erika felt that the old man hadn't lost his touch at all. He was still the invincible Sword Sage.

"Susano Shrine was one of the strongest Shrines in Japan, it was just below the Ise Grand Shrine in terms of power. Lord Susano was very close to Immortal State, and not even Watanabe could have killed him. Yet, you said Chen Beixuan had destroyed the Susano Shrine? Is he already at Immortal State?" Takemiya Hiro murmured as he shook his head.

"No..no... he shouldn't be. Otherwise, he wouldn't come after Lord Susano. He must have some kind of powerful Dharma Artifact at his disposal. Lord Susano was a Divine Soul and was vulnerable to certain spells. Chen Beixuan might have exploited his vulnerability."

Takemiya Hiro spoke effortlessly with great emotion. He looked nothing like the dying old man the others saw just a moment ago.

Erika was pleasantly surprised by the development. She hurried to ask: "That is why SwordSage, we need you to help us. But your condition..."

Erika hesitated, couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"Hahaha!"

Takemiya Hiro let out a peal of laughter and straightened his back a little.

Suddenly, his body grew in size as if a balloon being blown up. His scrawny arms and legs became buffed with muscles. As his joints rearranged themselves, they let out a series of popping sounds. The old man grew taller as well as younger. The patchy white hair fell off from his head as a bush of dark coarse hair grew out on his head and face. Even his teeth emerged from his gums to fill up his cheek.

In less than a minute, the dying old man had transformed into a tall, handsome and extremely fit middle-aged man. He jumped up and landed on the stream of water, walked on it until he reached the waterfall and then pulled out a Katana from a stone.

"Clank!"

Takemiya Hiro brought the blade around and delivered a flat backhand slash at the waterfall. The force in the attack could even be felt by Erika who stood at a distance.

The glinting blade sliced through the roaring current and tore it in half. It was as if he had put a sliver of an invisible block in the middle of the waterfall.

He had severed a waterfall!

Kitaniwakawa used his Kitaniwakawa's One Cut to sever a ten-meter tall waterfall, but this waterfall was at least a hundred meter tall. This meant that the energy force in Takemiya Hiro's attack could reach as far as a hundred meters. Worse, Takemiya Hiro didn't even seem to put in any effort in that attack. How powerful was he when he was fully committed to delivering a death blow?

Erika and Yamamizuki were both speechless. They held their breath in utter disbelief.

Were they looking at the power of the Transcendent State? Or was it Immortal State?

Even if Takemiya Hiro was not of Immortal State yet, he must be very close.

"My Sensei, he still has it!" Yamamizuki Sho exclaimed excitedly.

Erika looked to the man under the waterfall hopefully. Finally, Japan would stand a chance against Chen Beixuan.

Three days later, the Sword Sage of Japan Takemiya Hiro challenged Chen Beixuan, the most powerful man in China to a duel in Tokyo.

Entire East Asia was shocked.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 357: China Getting Excited

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Takemiya Hiro was the last Sword Sage of Japan and an immortalized legend. In the eyes of Japanese martial artists, he might as well be the most powerful man on earth. It had been forty years since the last time he was in a fight. Even his disciple had become one of the four deadliest Kendo Grandmasters in Japan. Both Erika and Genkaza Takeda held the old man with the utmost reverence and veneration.

In Japan, he was the paragon of strength, a sanctified hero!

On the other hand, Chen Fan's fame seemed to have caught up with Takemiya Hiro within recent years after he had garnered interest and attention from the underground world. He had killed many Grandmasters and had even laid low four Grandmasters in one battle. He was feared even by the Hong Sect.

Soon after he was placed at first place on the Heaven roll, he was added to third place on the CIA's Dark Roll. The news of his battle against Takemiya Hiro made the entire East Asia seeth with excitement and expectation.

The Sword Sage of Japan was going to duke it out with the most powerful Grandmaster in China!

"It is Japan versus China."

There was no title more attention-grabbing than that.

Japan and China's relations were in tatters a hundred years ago when the Japanese invaded China and nearly succeeded in bringing China to its knees. The resentment between the two nations spilled into the martial arts world like it spilled into all other aspects of the societies. Rumor had it that the former Sword Sage, Watanabe Shirō had ventured into the Chinese mainland with only one sword. He defeated nearly all the powerful figures of the Chinese martial arts community and eventually forced the Lin Family to intervene. The battle between the two was remembered as the fight of the century.

After the War, animosity slowly subsided but with the rise of China, a new era of conflict between the two nations began as the two nations' interests clashed.

Due to the special political moment, the fight between Chen Fan and Takemiya Hiro was tainted by nationalism from both sides of the firing line.

It was no longer as simple as a duel between two powerful men, it was instead a showdown between the two nations.

As soon as the news reached China, the Chinese martial arts community boiled over.

Meanwhile, on a private online forum where martial artists hung out, discussions about the imminent battle dominated the forum and made up nearly eighty percent of all posts.

"Chen Beixuan went to Japan? When? Why does no one know about it?"

Someone asked.

"He has been there for a few days. I heard he has destroyed a Japanese Shrine and killed Kitaniwakawa, Genkaza Takeda and a Grand Onmyoji. He is stirring up quite a racket in Japan now. No wonder Takemiya Hiro had to intervene. " Someone replied.

"Damn! He is badass! How many Grandmasters has he killed now? Over a dozen I guess?"

Another netizen exclaimed.

A few more netizens replied with impressed emojis,

"Let me see: Lu Tianwu, Lu Tianwu, Blacksnake, Zhou Daoji, Theseus, Buck, Zoro, Park Kyung-hwan, Kitaniwakawa, Genkaza Takeda and Chizuru Masahiro. That would be twelve, thirteen if you count Takemiya Hiro." Username "LIttle Red Sparrow" commented.

"Little Red Sparrow, who are you? Most of us here haven't even heard of Zhou Daoji or Chizuru Masahiro." The one who asked the question asked again.

"Ah, right, does anyone know who Takemiya Hiro is? Why is he called Sword Sage? Is he powerful?"

The original poster asked.

It was followed by a few vague replies that couldn't really shed any light on the question.

Takemiya Hiro was active forty years ago and had almost disappeared since then. A few generations of Martial Artists had come and gone within that time and therefore, no one knew who the old man was. The men and women of the moment were not Takemiya Hiro, but Ye Nantian, Lei Qianjue, and Erika.

"Takemiya Hiro, born in 1910, was a Japanese Kendo genius who had reached the peak of Internal Force cultivation when he was only twenty. He followed the last Sword Sage, Watanabe Shirō to China and witnessed the battle of the century. After the great war ended, Takemiya Hiro returned to Japan and focused on his cultivation. He had reached the peak of Transcendent State when he was fifty years old. That made him one of the most powerful men in Japan and earned him the title of Sword Sage. He was also the last Sword Sage in Japan."

"He used to be listed on the Dark Roll when he was active. However, he had secluded himself from the world since the 60s. His name was also subsequently removed from the Dark Roll. However, rumor had it that he sparred with the former third place of the Dark Roll, Zeus the Thunder Lord, some twenty years ago, and the fight ended in a draw."

Someone typed a long paragraph. The user name was again "Little Red Sparrow."

"OMG! He had reached Transcendent State forty years ago? So is he in the Immortal State now? "

"I don't think so, we must have heard of his name if he was of Immortal State. Plus, he is over a hundred years old now, he couldn't even lift a katana."

"Little Red Sparrow, who are you? Why do you know so much about it? #Deepstate #Wikileaks"

Many more people joined in the conversation after that, but Little Red Sparrow had gone silent.

Information about Takemiya Hiro unnerved Chinese martial artists. He was a Peak Transcendent State cultivator, a battle-hardened warrior. He had also proven that his power was on par with Zeus the Thunder Lord.

Chen Fan might be powerful, but he had never fought anyone who was on the top five list of the Dark Roll. CIA had ranked him the third on the list solely because of his illustrious battle results and his ability to use the hypersonic punch.

"Don't worry your pretty head about it. My teacher is a god. That Japanese dude couldn't compare." Someone with the username "Big Xiu-Xiu" put in.

"Your Teacher? Ha! Maybe we are sect-brothers." Someone replied sarcastically.

"Girl, half of the users on this forum wanted to be Chen Beixuan's disciple. You need to wait in line." Someone else jeered at the girl.

Most Martial Artists using the forum were people in their late twenty to early thirties.

These youngster's levity was not shared by the top dogs of the Chinese Martial arts community.

"We know exactly how powerful Takemiya Hiro is. He appeared to be living a peaceful retirement life, but in reality, underneath the facade, he challenged nearly all the top ten fighters on the Dark Roll: Zeus, Azure dragon, you name it. He seemed to have slowed down over the recent decade."

Inside the military base hidden inside the Kunlun mountain, Lieutenant General Xiao sat at the head of a table and announced with furrowed brows.

Sitting with him were a few deputy ministers, Red Sparrow, and other powerful soldiers. Since Chen Fan's battle with Takemiya Hiro had escalated beyond a personal matter, it had caught the attention of the Special Case Departments.

"He had a fight with Boss? How did it end?" White Tiger asked curiously.

"Azure Dragon told me that neither of them could best each other. But he said he could feel that Takemiya Hiro had held back his power a little, making Azure dragon feel like he was sparring with his teacher." Lieutenant General Xiao said heavily.

"What? Facing his teacher? Is Takemiya Hiro already an Immortal State cultivator?" Red Sparrow said incredulously.

She knew very well how powerful and deadly Azure dragon's Immortal State teacher was.

The difference between an Immortal State cultivator and those at Transcendent State was much greater than just one level.

Once he entered the Immortal State, he was no longer a mortal, instead, the cultivator would be considered semi-immortal. Lord Sasuno was an Immortal State Divine Soul. He was confined to his shrine, yet he was able to dominate the Kyushu Island. What if his movement was not restricted? How powerful could he get?

However strong Chen Fan was, he was no match against Immortal State warriors.

"Azure Dragon didn't think he was of Immortal State yet, but he was very close. All he needed was a push or stimuli in order for him to enter the Immortal State and became a living legend." Lieutenant General Xiao said heavily. "It is evident that he is going to use Chen Beixuan as the push."

His remarks made everyone's hearts feel heavy.

If Azure Dragon was right, then Takemiya Hiro must be the most powerful man under the Immortal State. He didn't fight Chen Beixuan because he had to, he did it to find the final enlightenment during battle.

"What worried us the most was that Chen Beixuan still had no clue what this fight was all about. I am afraid that he is going to underestimate Takemiya Hiro. That's a big no-no." Lieutenant General Xiao tapped the table and said.

"Just so. Chen Beixuan doesn't have as much intel as we do. He was working alone in Japan and lacked any assistant. Worse, Takemiya Hiro had disappeared from everyone's radar for forty years and by the, only the major intelligence institutes have his profile in the archives. "

White Tiger slapped his thigh and shouted: "Shit, Chen Beixuan is walking into a trap."

Red Sparrow's face changed colors as she internalized all the information. After a while, she snapped into action and darted out of the room, leaving a trail of clacking footsteps.

"Mr. Xiao, Little Sparrow needed to keep her impetuosity in check. The meeting hasn't adjourned yet, but look at her!" A deputy minister castigated with a scowl.

"Let her be. She must be rushing to Chen Beixuan to warn him. This silly girl never changed." Director Xiao shook his head and let out a faint smile.

Meanwhile, such conversation was carried out everywhere in China: Lu family, Gu family, Diamond Temple, Ba Ji Sect, Medicine God Valley Sect, and Hua Family of Zhong Hai.

This battle was going to be one of the highest-profile battles in the recent fifty years. It had caught more attention than the fight between Chen Fan and Lei Qianjue. After all, both sides drummed up the nationalism rhetoric, the fight had become heavily political.

Many martial artists and Grandmasters decided to fly to Japan to cheer for Chen Fan.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had returned to Yukishiro family residence. He got an invitation for him written in Chinese characters with powerful brush strokes.

"Takemiya Hiro? Who is he?"

Violet and Yukishiro Sa were stunned after hearing what came out of Chen Fan's mouth.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 358: The Final Battle Begins

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, Takemiya Sensai is the Sword Sage of our country. He is revered and venerated by everyone in Japan. He also has the privilege to not bow to the emperor or the prime minister in the royal court. Please choose your words carefully."

Erika was the messenger who sent the invitation. She scolded Chen Fan with a scowl.

She was wearing a white outfit and carried the infamous katana called "Moon Fang." Her face was severe but attractive with well-defined lines that gave her a no-nonsense quality.

"Who are you to question me?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and sent out a pulse of Divine Will. He didn't hold back his power because Erika was a girl. Although Erika was a Transcendent level Kendo Master, her soul energy was weak compared to her internal force. Chen Fan's Divine Will easily overwhelmed her and sent her staggering back a few steps, face pale as a piece of paper.

In that brief moment, Erika's Divine Soul—however insignificant it was—was damaged by Chen Fan.

The rest of the envoy was shocked after seeing even Erika, the most powerful Kendo master could not withstand Chen Fan's harmful glance. Ito Imi hurried to mollify Chen Fan.

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, you are the most powerful Overlord in China and a top member of the Dark Roll. Please forgive Erika's impudence. Takemiya Hiro used to help Miss Erika in her career and, therefore, she holds him in high regard. It must be difficult for her, please understand."

"He could be Takemiya Hiro or Take-me-a-hero, I don't care. He is not in a position to challenge me. Who does he think I am?" Chen Beixuan grunted and then threw the invitation letter to the table. He sat down in an armchair with a great measure of levity.

Violet came up to him and massaged his neck while Yukishiro Sa was already working on peeling the grapes for Chen Fan. Chen Fan lolled in his chair, taking in all the joys and pleasures of being served by two drop-dead gorgeous ladies.

Chen Fan's reaction didn't sit well with Erika nor Ito Imi.

Takemiya Hiro was the most revered elder in the Japanese Martial arts community. Chen Fan's arrogant reply to his official invitation was a blatant insult to Japan.

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, you might not be aware of what this fight means." A stately looking man wearing a suit came up to him and said with a bow.

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and looked around at the man, realizing that he was just an ordinary Japanese man.

However, the fact that he was surrounded by many powerful Grandmasters and seemed pretty comfortable with himself told Chen Fan that he was a high-level bureaucrat. Even Erika stopped talking as soon as the middle-aged man started speaking.

"Master, he is the head of the Mitsui Group, their chief executive Mitsui Yuto. " Yukishiro Sa's face paled as soon as she saw the man. She came closer to Chen Fan and whispered in his ear.

Chen Fan was unfazed by the new information, but he was curious nonetheless.

Mitsui Group was the largest Financial Group in Japan. It was a conglomeration of twenty-five large firms. It was worth over trillions of US dollars. The leaders of the Mitsui Group wielded nearly the same amount of power as the prime minister of Japan.

Under its corporate umbrella, there were famous brands such as Toshiba, Sony, Toyota, Sanyo, NEC, The Sakura Bank, Mitsui Co., Oji Paper Company, Mitsukoshi and Toray Industries, just to name a few.

Mitsui Group was a cross industry giant, it was in heavy machinery, Electronics, Semiconductors, Real Estate, Nuclear Energy, Medical Equipments and many other areas. It held the entire Japanese economy firmly in its grasp.

So powerful was the Mitsui Group that even the Samsung group of Korea simply couldn't compare.

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, the Mitsui Group, along with Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, and Fuji had opened a joined foundation with ten billion US dollar worth of assets as the prize for the winner. I hope you may find it more compelling to join the match." Mitsui Yuto bowed and said.

"Ten billion?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself.

Ten billion US dollars was over seventy billion Chinese Yuan back in 2009. That was a much larger pool of wealth than the ten billion Chinese Yuan owned by the Zheng family. The Zheng family claimed to have owned over a hundred billion Chinese yuan, but there was much water in that figure. They owned at the most half that much.

Only the owners of Japanese International megacorp could have offered such a large sum readily.

"Fine, I agree to the terms." Chen Fan nodded.

"Three days later, at the highest spot in Tokyo, we will wait for your arrival."Mitsui Yuto bowed again and then left the room with his cohort in tow.

Erika gave Chen Fan a vicious stare before she left.

With her white outfit and cold expression, Erika looked indignant. She had never been talked down by anyone for her entire life. However, she knew that if she acted up, Chen Fan would easily do away with her. She might be able to last a few moments if they chose to fight with weapons, but the battle will soon be over once Chen Fan started using Soul Energy.

After Mitsui Yuto and Erika left, Yukishiro Sa finally showed some stress on her face.

"Master, are you really going to fight this battle?"

"It's a free ten billion US dollars, why not?" Chen Fan shrugged. As he leveled up, he would require more and more resources to support his growth. The medicine in the Green Dragon Grand Array could support him at the Immortal State at the most. After that, he would have to seek other revenues. That would no doubt require a huge amount of money.

"But, Mr. Takemiya Hiro is a Sword Sage." Yukishiro Sa said fearfully.

In her mind, a Sword Sage was invincible since he was more powerful than any Kendo Grandmaster. Although Takemiya Hiro had retired even before Yukishiro Sa was born, she had heard of Takemiya Hiro' s name and many of his tales.

"Is he some kind of big deal?" Chen Fan asked nonchalantly.

"Yes. When I was just a child, he came to visit the Susano Shrine and sparred with Lord Susano. The battle ended in a draw." Violet said with a solemn expression.

"Oh?" Chen Fan raised an eyebrow.

Lord Susano was nearly invincible while he was within the confines of the shrine. Despite the injury he had sustained, he was still as powerful as an Immortal State cultivator. Chen Fan was able to do away with Lord Susano after he had used the Hypersonic Punch, but for most Grandmasters, venturing into the Susano Shrine would spell their doom.

The fact that Takemiya Hiro was able to end the battle with a draw spoke loudly of his power. No doubt that he was more powerful than Lei Qianjue and Zhou Daoji. In addition, that was thirty years ago, and Takemiya Hiro's level of attainment must be improved by now.

However, the thought didn't faze Chen Fan. He gropped Yukishiro Sa's ass and said:

"Don't overthink, just do what you do best and give me a massage. I will show you how I defeat your Sword Sage."

"As you wish."

Yukishiro Sa blushed and replied.

A light came up in Violet's eyes as Chen Fan's levity made her ponder the situation.

Three days later...

Tokyo University was a thousand kilometer away from Fukuoka, so Chen Fan had left early. He didn't end up bringing Yukishiro Sa with him, instead, he chose Violet as his companion. Yukishiro Sa was ordered to guard the fort at the Yukishiro family's base of operation while he was away.

Violet was an elite Ninja and was capable of protecting herself. However, Yukishiro Sa was only an average girl and she would be a hindrance than a help to Chen Fan during the perilous journey.

Many more people had risen even earlier than Chen Fan and headed toward Tokyo.

They flew in from all over the world after hearing the news about the battle.

Some of them were from China Mainland, some were from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and some were from Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam.

This battle was too important to miss. It was a showdown between the Martial arts community in China and Japan. The entire Japanese martial arts community had gathered in Tokyo and as a result, there were over twenty Grandmaster level Super Overlords in Tokyo with thousands more ordinary Martial artists.

They even had caught the attention of the Japanese police force fearing the potential violence once the match was over.

Although the police force ramped up security measures, they couldn't call off the match since the event was attended by the leaders of Japanese financial monopolies and high level bureaucrats.

As everyone waited expectantly and patiently, Chen Fan finally arrived in Tokyo with Violet unhurriedly.

"Master, where is the battleground?" Violet asked in confusion.

"Where do you think it is?" Chen Fan cracked a smile and then scanned the jungle of cement and concrete. At the center was a huge iron tower with red and white strips that stood out among the rest of the buildings.

There, that was the highest spot in Tokyo.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 359: At The Peak of Tokyo

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Located at the Shiba Park of central Tokyo, The Tokyo Tower was the tallest building in the city. Standing three hundred meters tall, It was modeled after the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Even from afar, one could see its white and red bands erected above the rooflines of skyscrapers.

Before the construction of the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower had been the tallest structure in Japan and also one of the most popular tourist attractions.

When Chen Fan arrived at the base of the tower, many martial artists had already gathered there. The perimeter of the tower had been blocked off to visitors.

"What is going one today? Why is Tokyo Tower closed to tourists?" Ai Jinqi asked annoyedly.

The long-legged hottie was at Shiba Park, standing with a throng of tourists from all over the world just outside the entrance to the Tokyo Tower. Before them were a group of Law enforcement units from Tokyo's police department. They had set up a perimeter around the tower with yellow tape.

"Could there be anything wrong with it?" Ren Hao asked with furrowed brows.

Although the Tokyo Tower could be closed from time to time for maintenance, the presence of police force was unusual. It was as if they were investigating a murder.

"I have no clue. I have heard that you could even see Fuji Mountain from the top of the tower, so I thought to visit Tokyo Tower as the last stop of our trip to Japan. But it's closed. My flight is tomorrow morning, and I don't think I will be here for a while." Ai Jinqi lamented.

The trip was ruined by not only her bad luck but also by Ren Hao's unwanted companionship. He was as clinging and sticky as a piece of gum at the bottom of her shoe.

"I wonder where Chen Beixuan is right now? It had been days since I last saw him at the Susano Shrine. Sigh... I should have asked him for his number. Maybe I can even make a move on him." Ai Jinqi said wistfully.

Suddenly, a swell of murmurs rose from the crowd.

The crowd spread apart in the middle, making way for a long convoy to file through. The first vehicle was a Toyota Land Cruiser, and it was followed by a slew of luxurious cars: Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce. It was like a high-end vehicle exhibition.

The convoy pulled over near the yellow tape as a group of men in black suits and sunglasses emerged. They stood in a column on both sides of the road. Their intimidating appearances had scared the crowd as people backed away from the perimeter and watched them from a distance.

"Looks like some kind of a hotshot is coming. I thought it was the prime minister." Ai Jinqi pouted and complained.

"Miss Jinqi, please be careful about what you say."

A Japanese man beside the girl suddenly spoke to her in Chinese.

"Touche, Xiao Qi, we don't want to mess with these people."

A middle-aged woman put in.

"Sister Xu, Who are these men? Why can't I even talk?" Ai Jinqi asked indignantly.

The girl had been spoiled by her parents and was not accustomed to caution as she always spoke her mind readily. Otherwise, she would not have chatted with Chen Fan as soon as she saw him on the plan.

Sister Xu and the other Japanese man who spoke to her were a couple she met during her travels. The woman's Japanese husband was called Takanori Suke. Sister Xu was from also Zhong Hai and therefore had a lot in common with Ai Jinqi.

"They were all from Tokyo's underground world, the so-called Yamaguchi." Before sister Xu had a chance to talk, Takanori Suke spoke up. His voice was laced with disdain.

For Takanori Suke, all Chinese people lived in a backward country and was far behind Japan. If not because Ai Jinqi's pretty face that was pleasing to his eyes, he would have already left the girl with his wife.

"Yamaguchi?"

Ai Jinqi tucked her tongue out fearfully and didn't speak again. Even Ren Hao's face changed colors.

Yamaguchi was famous even in China and Ai Jinqi had heard many terrifying stories about them.

In contrary to most people's belief, Yamaguchi Was not a specific criminal group, it was a term used for all groups of the underground world in Japan. It was no different than the term mafia. What made Yamaguchi stand out was its legal status. They were legally registered groups with full constitutional rights. Most of them were disguised as debt collection companies. The Yamaguchi were ancient, but it was still thriving and made over tens of billions of US dollars a year.

Ai Jinqi surveyed the entrance and noticed these men had blocked off the gate in two columns. It was as if they were waiting for someone's arrival. She asked: "Who are they waiting for? The boss of the Yamaguchi?"

"You bet." Takanori Suke replied readily. However, questions quickly flickered in his eyes.

"Hold on a second... Genyōsha, Seiwakai, Nihsen..."

"Bosses of all seventeen underground groups are here. Something big is happening."

Takanori Suke worked as a manager in an entertainment company and had to work with these groups on a daily basis. Therefore, he was able to recognize some of these men.

What kind of event could have brought all the prominent groups in the underground world together?

What Takanori saw next shocked him to the core.

He watched as these leaders came up to a Mercedes-Benz S-series and the leader of the Seiwakai—who Takanori knew personally—opened up the door with great respect and held it for a gorgeous woman in a white outfit to get out of the car. The woman's face was cold, severe but extremely attractive. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail and was carrying an Uchigatana.

The bosses of the underground bowed to the woman in white with great respect.

"How... how is that possible?" Takanori Suke gaped at the development in disbelief.

Takanori Suke knew these bosses as powerful tycoons who lorded over their group's territory. Not even the high profile bureaucrats dared to cross them. Who could have made them bow as a subject would to their master?

Could it be the owners of the mega-corps, or, the so-called Zaibatsu, was here?

What happened next completely changed Takanori Suke's perspective on the world he lived in.

He saw the woman in white get out of the car, and stand by the entrance instead of getting into the park. She was waiting for someone. Soon, another slew of luxury cars pulled over and powerful magnates emerged from the cars.

"The CEO of Sony, Toyota, Mitsui Group, Head of the Peace Current Judo, Vice President of Sumitomo, Deputy Mayor of Tokyo and many parliament representatives."

The name of powerful men and women come out of Takanori Suke's mouth one after another.

Ai Jinqi had heard of some of the names, but not all of them. She knew Sony and Toyota like all the other Chinese people. This tycoon walked over to the entrance, and just like their underground world counterparts, they stood by the gate and waited.

They waited patiently from the afternoon till dusk.

As more and more prominent figures showed up, the entrance became crowded. Tourists were pushed off the road and were forced to stand on the road's shoulders and ditches. However, none of them wanted to leave. They wanted to find out what was going on.

It was evident that these men and women were waiting for someone even more influential and powerful than them. It made sense to the crowd now why the police forces had closed the tower today.

"I bet it is the prime minister himself, or someone as powerful as him." Someone guessed.

"Not likely. Didn't you see the manager from Mitsui Group? I say its a leader from the western countries." Another person put in.

Everyone put in their two cents. Despite hunger and thirst, they were determined to find out the answer.

"Sister Xu, do you think it's someone from China?" Ai Jinqi asked.

Before Sister Xu could say anything, Takanori Suke snorted and said: "The leader of the Mitsui Group is highly respected even in the Japanese parliament. No Chinese person is worth his time. "

Ai Jinqi was miffed by the rude remark, but she didn't act up.

China was already on the verge of surpassing Japan in terms of economic power, but most Japanese people still held deep prejudice against the Chinese. Sister Xu looked embarrassed by her husband's remark, but the embarrassment quickly turned into a helpless resentment. She had to deal with her husband's bias every day.

As the night fell and the lights on the Tokyo Tower lit up, many onlookers finally lost their patience and were about to leave. Suddenly, they saw a young man in a black outfit walking with a purple-haired female toward the entrance. The woman was taken aback by the crowd already gathered at the Tokyo Tower, but the young man didn't much care.

A security guard in a black suit came up to them and was going to stop them.

Many others smiled gloatingly: "He is courting death. What makes him think that he could walk on the road occupied by these tycoons?"

Ai Jinqi and Ren Hao were stunned when they recognized the young man. He was Chen Beixuan who they met on the plane.

"It's my lucky day!" Ai Jinqi waved her hand, gesturing Chen Fan to get off the road.

Suddenly, she saw the woman in a white outfit come up to Chen Fan and bowed.

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, we have been waiting for you."

Mitsui Yuto, Ito Imi, Yamamizuki Sho and many other Japanese Grandmasters, along with the bosses of mega-corporations and all of their cohorts bowed deeply at Chen Fan.

Before them, a few hundred guards wearing black suit also bowed in unison.

A deadly silence fell over the park. Ai Jinqi rounded here eyes, mouth gaped in disbelief as her hand froze in the air.

"What the heck?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 360: Red Sparrow's Warning

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Under the shadow of the Tokyo Tower, cars filled up the parking lot by the entrance to Shiba Park. Two columns of men in black suits flanked on either side of the path that led toward the tower. Everyone around the path looked to the young boy in a black outfit in surprise.

"Who is he? I have never seen him on Tv before."

"Is he the son of the United State's president? Or the heir of the British prime minister? Why are these political and business heavyweights coming to welcome him?"

"The current president of America is a black man, that young man is clearly Asian..."

As the tourists murmured to each other, those from China were more perplexed than those from other countries. They had head Erika's words and learned that the young man's name was Chen Beixuan. But who was Chen Beixuan anyways?

"Is he the son of the richest man in China?" Someone speculated.

"Bullshit, didn't you saw the owner of the Mitsui Group? He controls ten times more wealth than the richest Chinese businessman. I think the young man had to be our nation's leader, no other person in China would be important enough for the Japanese to roll out the red carpet. That being said, most of our nation's leaders were in their sixties, Chen Beixuan is too young for that." Someone else put in.

The ones that spoke out were ordinary tourists from China, among them were also many martial artists from China. They kept their silence and looked at Chen Fan.

They had flown all the way to here from China to bathe in Chen Beixuan's glory and witness the momentous fight. Chen Beixuan had finally arrived, and the battle would begin soon.

Ai Jinqi and her travel companions were still struggling to grasp reality. Ren Hao was a high-level manager of a public firm in China, so he knew the power and influence wielded by Mitsui Yuto and the Mitsui Group. Even Mitsui Yuto's inferior counterpart at Toyota would receive a hero's welcome whenever he traveled to Zhong Hai. He would be received by the mayor of Zhong Hai personally at the airport.

However, all those mighty tycoons only got to stand at the sidelines, waiting for the real star to show up.

Who was Chen Beixuan? Was he the heir of some kind of discrete super-rich family no one ever heard of? Or was he the son of a director at the Central Bureau? The thought gave Ren Hao a shiver. Although he had no clue who Chen Beixuan was, he knew one thing for sure: he shouldn't have mocked him earlier.

Suddenly, Ren Hao's face paled as he felt Chen Fan's searing glance on his face. Chen Fan didn't notice him until he caught a glimpse of Ai Jinqi's tall and glamorous figure. Chen Fan paused a second and then came over toward the Chinese couple.

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, Takemiya Sensei is already waiting for you inside the Tokyo Tower. We have closed this area off and no one would interrupt you two."

Erika spoke to Chen Fan with all the seriousness she could muster. However, Chen Fan didn't even spare her a look and walked straight toward the side of the road. Erika's face darkened and anger spilled out from her eyes.

"Konoyarou!"

She cursed in her mind.

"Hum? How come this man is Chinese?"

Takanori Suke could speak a little Chinese and therefore, he was taken aback by the revelation. He was a chauvinistic Japanese nationalist and had always considered Chinese people inferior to Japanese. In his mind, only a political heavyweight from American or European countries were worth a reception involving the leader of the Mitsui Group.

Even when he was pondering, he noticed the Chinese young man came over to them with an attractive woman with purple hair. The young man greeted Ai Jinqi as if they were old friends.

Takanori Suke gaped in disbelief.

How was that possible?

All the while, Chen Fan started chatting with Ai Jinqi.

"What a coincidence. I didn't expect to meet you here in Tokyo."

"Just so! Can you believe it? This is our third time running into each other." Ai Jinqi replied excitedly. She could feel the surprised stares and gapes of many Japanese tycoons and political top dogs. Takanori Suke and Sister Xu were both rendered speechless, trying to come to terms with reality.

She was unaccustomed to so much attention suddenly thrown at her and let her ego bloat however uncomfortable she felt.

Ai Jinqi batted her brows as she stared into Chen Fan's eyes. Already, lights flickered in her eyes. Chen Fan was no longer just a potential romantic fling partner she encountered during an oversea trip, he had turned into a mystery that compelled her to unravel.

Was he a super-rich in China who had been staying low profile? Or was he the son of a bureaucrat at the center of power?

Many speculations surfaced in the girl's mind. However, Chen Fan only wanted to say hi simply because he had recognized her and was compelled to do so after running into her for the third time.

"If you are here for the Tokyo Tower, you better leave now. Something bad is going to happen." Chen Fan gave Ai Jinqi a thoughtful look and walked into the park with his hands linked behind his back.

All the while, he didn't even give Ren Hao a single glance since he was as insignificant as an insect to the North Mystic Celestial Lord.

Ren Hao heaved a sigh of relief, but her nervousness was quickly replaced by anger after having received no attention at all from Chen Fan.

Surrounded by the high profile leaders of Japan, Chen Fan walked into the Tokyo Tower. Takanori Suke finally managed to gather himself and asked in broken English: "Do..do you know him?"

"Why of course, we are friends."

Ai Jinqi lifted her chin and said proudly.

She had overstated their relationship since they had only met three times so far, a far cry from being friends. A groveling smile broke over Takanori Suke's face. Since Chen Fan was the honored guest of prominent tycoons such as Mitsui Yuto, he could easily use his prestige to strip Takanori Suke of his job in Japan's extremely hieratical society. Takanori Suke wouldn't dare to give Chen Fan's friend a sour face.

Seeing her husband's toady reaction, Sister Xu felt disappointed and annoyed.

She had regretted marrying a Japanese man the moment she landed in Japan but never had that sentiment been stronger than now.

Guided by many Grandmasters and politicians, Chen Fan finally made it to the inside of the Shiba Park. This park was one of the oldest of its kind in Tokyo. It was praised for its sight during blooming seasons of sakura flowers.

Inside the park, martial artists from all over the world had already gathered around and were waiting.

Chen Fan recognized Guo Xiaomang and Guo Xiaomang from the Ba Ji sect. Guo Xiaomang pumped her fist in the air, cheering for Chen Fan in the silent gesture. Guo Xiaomang had already fully recovered from his injury. He was less excited than his Sect Sister, but there was a hint of joy and proud on his face too. In his eyes, Chen Fan represented the nation, and his personal strife was insignificant before national pride.

Chen Fan continued to scan the crowd and suddenly his gaze paused on a familiar face.

A girl in a leather jacket and short hair was perched over a tree branch. She connected her gaze with Chen Fan's and rolled her eyes. Chen Fan recognized her right away, she was Red Sparrow from the Special Case Departments.

"Why is she here?" Even as Chen Fan pondered the question, he heard Red Sparrow's voice in his mind.

"Be careful, Takemiya Hiro is a formidable foe. He is at the least as powerful as top Overlords on Dark Roll. He is only half-step away from reaching Immortal State and is expected to achieve that at any moment during the fight. Have your wits about you, and run if things turn south. You are still young and the future of Chinese Martial arts needs people like you. You will enter the Immortal State sometime in the future, and there is no point to waste your life on a petty duel."

Red Sparrow and spoken to him using a secret ar of voice transmission through soul energy.

Her soul energy was not as strong as that of Chen Fan, so her voice became shaky for the last half of her message. The message finally ended when her voice had reduced to only a thin wisp.

"Don't worry, Takemiya Hiro is no match against me."

Chen Fan cracked an appreciative smile. Even if Takemiya Hiro was of Immortal State, Chen Fan was confident in his victory. However, he appreciated the Red Sparrow's warning.

His reply didn't sit well with Red Sparrow. Her face grew cold and hard as she turned her face around to avoid eye contact.

Many Chinese Martial Artists believed in Chen Fan's victory, but not Red Sparrow. She had seen Takemiya Hiro's profile and was stunned by the old man's incredible achievements. He had dedicated his entire life to Martial Artists, a real Sword Master through and through. He had secretly sparred with nearly everyone on the Dark Roll, including those in the top three and was able to end most of the fights in a draw. It was evident that he had held back his strength during a lot of those fights.

But this was the moment that he would let go of his full power.

It was no longer a fight between two martial artists, national pride was at stake and he had to go all in.

Violet watched expectantly as Chen Fan slowly made his way to the foot of the Tokyo Tower. Chen Fan looked up and surveyed the cloud-covered tower. Huaman seemed so insignificant under the foot of such behemoth.

"Mr. Chen, Lord Sword Sage is already waiting for you inside the tower. "

Erika came up to Chen Fan and said with a cold face and a hot glare.

"I will make you regret it If you even look at me like that. " Chen Fan grunted. Before Erika's face was contorted by anger, Chen Fan launched himself a few dozen meters into the sky, fang out his arm as a bird would and glided in the air for a fraction of second until his foot found another ledge of the tower and launched himself up again. He repeated this process a few times and disappeared behind the thick clouds.

"What?."

The onlookers blenched after seeing Chen Fan's moves.

They had no idea how Takemiya Hiro got to the top, but Chen Fan's method was unheard of. How could anyone spring a few dozen meters at once as if gravity had lost its effect?

Despite the roiling anger, Erika was deeply impressed.

The more powerful she was, the more fearful she would be after seeing Chen Fan's ability to launch himself into the air without using True Essence. Chen Fan had relied solely on the strength of his muscle and it blew Erika's mind to contemplate how powerful Chen Fan's body was.

Chen Fan quickly made his way to the top of the tower, and he was greeted by a tall and thin middle-aged man on the viewing platform. He spoke out to Chen Fan as soon as he saw him.

"Chen Beixuan San, I have been waiting for you."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 361: Half-Step Away From Immortal State

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The middle-aged man was thin but well built nonetheless with nearly perfect proportions.

He sat on the floor with his legs folded, resting a Katana sideways in his lap. The sheath of the blade was worn and had seen better days. The pattern on its handle had faded due to repetitive use. This seemingly ordinary katana laid casually in this man's lap was, in fact, one of the most infamous weapons in Japan. The man sat with his back facing Chen Fan. He looked into the distant night sky and said nonchalantly.

"Did you know that the Tokyo Tower was the tallest building in Tokyo as well as in Japan? We can have a view of the entire city from here. You and me, we are not only standing at the highest point in Japan but also that of martial arts."

The middle-aged man's Chinese was fluent, and his accent was nearly indistinguishable. Takemiya Hiro was born in the early 20th century and all Japanese born during that time period spoke Chinese to some degree.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and looked into the distant sprawling city.

The night was old and the city was lit up with lights that helped Chen Fan trace the outline of the city. A vague dark looming shadow at the end of the glittering lights was Mount Fuji.

Meanwhile, right underneath the tower was a wash of lights. The wind came up, howling around Chen Fan's ears.

"Only here, the highest point of Japan could bear the significance of our battle."

Takemiya Hiro heaved a sigh and rose to his feet. He turned around to look at Chen Fan. Chen Fan was caught by surprise to see Takemiya Hiro looked like at the most in his thirties.

"Chen San, we might as well have reached the end of our martial arts journey in the mortal world. Once we reach the immortal state, we would live without the worldly burdens and be truly free. My life was punctuated by seemingly powerful foes, but all of them had disappointed me until you showed up." After he said that, he bowed to Chen Fan deeply with genuine respect and appreciation.

It was as if he was thanking the gods for finally sending him a worthy opponent.

His devotion to his art had formed a glinting light in his eyes.

Only the most determined cultivator could have lived in seclusion for decades to contemplate the key to his final enlightenment. Chen Fan knew of only one more cultivator who could match such dedication, and that man was Lei Qianjue.

"If I didn't kill Lei Qianjue, he might have been able to reach Takemiya's level of attainment in ten years."

Chen Fan thought to himself.

The wind howled past the two men with great ferocity. Any ordinary man would be rendered ungainly and heady by the gale. However, Takemiya Hiro had planted his feet firmly to the ground and stood firmly like a flag pole.

Chen Fan listened intently to the coursing energy inside of his opponent. He could sense the energy's heaviness as if mercury at boiling point, that his soul energy was as strong and unwavering as a rocky mountain.

The Sword Sage of japan and honed his physique and soul energy to perfection over the decades, far exceeding that of Lei Qianjue. His internal force was as powerful and vast as that of an Immortal State cultivator.

Only at Takemiya Hiro's level was one truly half-step away from Immortal State. All he needed was a push, a catalyst to force his soul energy, external force, and internal force into one to reach Immortal State and became a true legend.

"It's a pity that you have not yet reached immortal state." Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and heaved a sigh.

The difference between Immortal State cultivators and those at Transcendent State were much greater than what it appeared on the paper.

Once a cultivator reached Immortal State, his external force, internal force and soul energy would blend into one to form the basis for the Connate Dao Body during the Connate Spirit Level. By then, the cultivator would no longer be a mortal, instead became half-mortal and half ethereal. That was why a Connate Cultivator could live without any usual sustenance for hundreds of years.

"I can kill you even if you are of Immortal State." Chen Fan cracked a disdainful smirk and announced almost lazily: "Come at me now. I don't have all the time in the world."

"Chen Beixuan, you are a fool to think that you know how powerful Immortal State is."

Takemiya Hiro narrowed his gleaming eyes after he heard Chen Fan's words. "Your smooth sailing has made you arrogant and foolish. I have seen Immortal State Cultivators in action with my own eyes, you would never imagine such power. It is far greater than you and Lord Susano."

"Lord Susano was just a Ghost Spirit without any grip in the real world. His power was a far cry from that of an Immortal Cultivator."

"Oh, so you have seen Immortal Cultivators?"

The conversation finally caught Chen Fan's interest. He rose his eyebrows and asked curiously.

"That was a long time ago." Takemiya Hiro brushed the question off quickly as if he didn't want to bring it up again. He then spoke in a harsh voice: "today, I will use you to help me enter the Immortal State and became invincible!"

So saying, he thrust the blade into a wall and shot out a hand.

Did Takemiya Hiro want to fight Chen Fan without using a weapon? Was he really that confident of his victory?

"You? Kill me? Haha! I will do away with you even if you are of Immortal State, much less you at your current state." Chen Fan laughed out loud.

"Humph! Ignorant fool! You will bring those thoughts with you to your grave today."

Takemiya Hiro snorted as his eyes grew cold. He no longer wasted time talking as he hacked at the air with the side of his palm.

"Sssth-Wack!"

A powerful gale came up in the void dimension.

Takemiya Hiro had shot out a pulse of Blade Qi that sliced through the Void Dimension and appeared in the real world with a screech as it flew toward Chen Fan.

Before the actual attack reached Chen Fan, a wave of Blade Qi arrived first. The viewing platform was made out of steel and the structure moaned and squeaked under the enormous strain. Then came the sound of blade scraping against metal that projected a powerful intent to kill around Chen Fan.

At Takemiya Hiro's level, the line between a Martial arts strike and that of Soul energy had blurred.

Such was the might of Dual Cultivation of Dharma Spell and Martial Arts, that a Martial Artist, even without any Dharmic powers, could unload incredible destruction by using the Power of Heaven and Earth.

"Break!"

Chen Fan punched readily.

The hefty True Essence in the azure-colored fist aura condensed and formed a beam of light and lanced at the silvery blade auras in a head-on collision. Once Chen Fan had reached the Ethereal Enlightenment level, his True Essence was over ten times stronger than when he was at Foundation Establishment level. This punch could have pulverized even Lu Tianfen.

"Kaboom!"

The silvery Blade Auras and the azure-colored Fist Qi collided.

A deep thunderous boom erupted at the top of the Tokyo tower, sending out a shock wave that ripped out the railing on the tower. Even the steel behemoth moaned after the explosive impact.

The first exchange of fire let out the same amount of destruction as a collision of two semi-trucks. The blaring impact reverberated across the sky and could be heard hundreds of miles away.

"Huh?"

Takemiya Hiro's face changed color after he was staggered by the impact. Meanwhile, Chen Fan's body barely moved.

The match was practically over after the first round. Takemiya Hiro's internal force was powerful and his blade skills impeccable, however, he was no match against Chen Fan. Although Chen Fan had only reached the mid-stage of the Ethereal Enlightenment level, the Azure Thearch Longevity Art was one of the most sacred and powerful arts in the known universe. Therefore, his True Essence was way ahead of anyone of the same level.

The outcome of the first round of attacks had already taken the wind out of Takemiya Hiro. He had gained his Internal Force with nearly a hundred years of cultivation. He had spent the last forty years perfecting it until it was so concentrated and pure that it could take physical form in the real world.

However, Chen Fan's True Essence had easily trumped his Internal Force. When his blade landed on it, he felt it had landed on an unwavering rock and the hard impact churned his internal force, rendering it unstable.

Worse, Chen Fan was unharmed. His powerful blade attack didn't even have any effect on him.

"How is that possible?"

Takemiya Hiro was stunned.

Even Zeus the Thunder Lord dared not to take the brunt of the force of my attack.

"It's not real!"

Takemiya Hiro shouted madly. He repeated his last attack with even more ferociousness. The Blade Auras surged until they were fifteen meters long, looking like a beacon of light that threatened to pierce the night sky. Takemiya Hiro had fully committed himself to this blow, just as he had when he severed open a ten-meter wide waterfall with bare hands some decades ago.

The blade bore down on Chen Fan with an icy and deadly intent, like that of a violent winter hail.

Chen Fan acted almost casually. He extended two fingers from which a Blade Qi grew out and then he hacked back.

Mystic Art of Five Elements Immortal Sect: Azure Wood Qi Blade!

The Blade Qi scintillated against the dark night. Although it was only three meters long, much shorter than his opponent's, it was packed with deadly energy. A flame as thin as a needle danced in the ethereal azure light.

Chen Fan hacked down.

"Kacha!"

A loud snapping sound was followed by Takemiya Hiro's incredulous expression. He watched, in disbelief, as the shorter azure Blade Qi sliced his longer Blade Qi in half from the middle. It looked like a small dagger had split a large tree trunk. The deadly energy in his attack dissolved almost instantly into a gentle breeze. So unswerving was Chen Fan's Divine Will that it was unaffected by Takemiya Hiro's attack.

"Size doesn't always matter."

Chen Fan cracked a smirk.

Takemiya Hiro was fighting a losing battle should he continue to bet on his Internal Force. Any Immortal Cultivator's True Essence would be much more reliable and powerful than his Internal Force, much less the True Essence that was refined by the mystic art of Azure Wood Qi Blade.

Chen Fan's body flickered out of view and reappeared right before Takemiya Hiro in half a heartbeat. He brought the Blade Auras around and hacked at Takemiya Hiro with abandon. Takemiya Hiro believed that Chen Fan's attack was intended to kill since it was able to shred through a few meter thick steel plates.

Takemiya Hiro heaved a sigh and gave in. He reached out to the handle of the blade.

"Kacha!"

A crack of silvery lightning scared the night sky as the infamous Current Breaker was out of its cage once again.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 362: The Battle at the Highest Point of Japan

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Current Breaker was just over a meter in length. It bore the hallmark of master weaponsmith Taōtsuka a few hundred years ago. It had been the prized possession of a great swordmaster during the Edo period and ended up in the hands of Takemiya Hiro nearly a hundred years ago. He had carried it with him during each and every battle in his life, big and small and had witnessed Takemiya Hiro's unbroken win streak.

Takemiya Hiro didn't have to use his legendary blade very often since he was able to deal with any opponent who was under the Immortal State level using the Blade Qi alone.

His internal force was extremely solid and condensed and once they were shot out of his system, it was as powerful as any well-made weapons. His Blade Qi attack would be an even headache for Erika, Lei Qianjue and Hua Yunfeng.

To Takemiya Hiro's surprise, Chen Fan's True Essence was much more powerful than his Internal Force, especially when it was combined with the Azure Wood Qi Blade. When Chen Fan was at the early-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment, the Azure Wood Qi Blade could deal with at the most mid-stage Transcendent State cultivators. However, now Chen Fan was confident to defeat even a late-stage Transcendent State Cultivator using the same technique.

"Clank!"

A flash of lightning pierced the night sky above the Tokyo Tower.

This flash of lightning was seen across the city. Many citizens of Tokyo looked up to see if it was going to rain. The night sky was covered by dark clouds and none of the onlookers underneath the tower knew what was going on at the top.

Everyone except for Erika and the martial artists around her.

They knew that the momentous battle had finally begun. Red Sparrow looked troubled. Chen Fan's defeat would be a huge blow to the Chinese Martial arts community. After all, he was the future of Chinese martial arts.

Once Takemiya Hiro unsheathed The Current Breaker, he regained his composure.

Holding the blade in one hand, he looked haughty and overwhelming as a Sword Sage should be.

Takemiya Hiro lifted the blade with both hands and swinging it around in a flat sidearm slash. Another silvery Blade Auras lightened up the dark sky. This time, Takemiya Hiro didn't spread out his Internal Force, instead, he concentrated them within the shimmering silvery blade.

"Ka-Ka-Ka."

As the Azure Wood Qi Blade and the Silvery Blade Qi collided, they let out a series of crisp sounds.

The Azure Wood Qi Blade started to waver after a few rounds of exchange. The impact had put great strain on it and threatened to put it out. Chen Fan heaved a sigh in his mind. Azure Wood Qi Blade was made out of True Essence, and therefore could not endure repetitive direct impacts against real weapons infused with internal force. Although the Azure Wood Qi Blade was able to break any ordinary weapon, the Current Breaker was nothing but ordinary. Worse, this extraordinary weapon was wielded by an extraordinary warrior: Takemiya Hiro.

Takemiya Hiro swung the blade around to his side as he turned his body in the same direction. Before he had finished his motion, a dozen blade auras had already shot out from the spinning blade at Chen Fan from all directions.

Suddenly, Takemiya Hiro flashed out of view and reappeared mere inches away from Chen Fan.

Chen Fan was unfazed by the series of strikes. He punched readily.

"Kaboom!"

A deep thunderous rumbling came out from the Void Dimension. It sounded like two giant stones grinding against each other. Chen Fan's punch didn't break the hypersonic barrier, but it was extremely fast. Force rippled from his fist and seem to have sent a tremor throughout the Void Dimension, threatening to tear away the boundary between reality and the other dimensions. Chen Fan doubled down on his attack, bringing more energy into the fist until it was so powerful that it could punch a hole through Mount Tai. It would have terrified and stupefied any ordinary Grandmasters.

However, Takemiya Hiro was not just any Grandmaster, he was only a half-step away from Immortal State.

He held the blade tightly in one hand and started to work on diminishing the overwhelming Qi Energy using all sorts of sword techniques: poking, hacking, jabbing, blocking, sweeping, knocking and so on. In a blink, he had rained a dozen different attacks on Chen Fan and was able to drain away half of Chen Fan's Blade Qi. In the end, he unleashed the final strike by combining all forms of attacks into one and the attack landed squarely on Chen Fan's fist.

"Clang!"

The impact made a blaring din that sounded like bell chime at close distance. It was the kind of muffled droning, instead, it was an explosive metal on metal clank with sharp reverberation.

The impact was not only a showdown of the two's internal forces but also their external strength and level of physique refinement. The floor under both fighters gave in at the impact. Two sets of the footprint were deeply grooved into the steel floor of the Tokyo Tower.

Takemiya Hiro staggered back slightly and was shocked once again.

He had never thought that Chen Fan had the audacity to take the brunt of his attack using his body. Worse, Chen Fan was unharmed after the impact. No one should have survived that attack, but Chen Fan did.

As it turned out, his surprise was mutual. Chen Fan pulled his fist back and noticed a white line of slightly grazed skin on the back of his hand where the blade had landed. This was the first time anyone had damaged his Azure Thearch Longevity Body, even though it had done barely any harm.

"Bravo!"

Chen Fan let out a peal of laughter after the promise of a worthy opponent heightened his spirit and made his blood boil.

He punched again, this time he had used less external strength, and changed the tone of the strike. Instead of belligerence, it had an ancient and primordial effect and expressed power that lay in between reality and ethereal, where mortals shall not go. Chen Fan was lead by the power and as if a long slumbering Naga finally awaken by a beacon of light. The dragon sprung up into the sky and chased after the light, twisting and writhing its body as if dancing.

"Naga's Transform!"

Takemiya Hiro's face grew more serious by the second. He slowly lifted Current Breaker, one inch at a time and with focus and dedication to the present moment. Then he hacked.

Even as the blade was still coming down from above, it seemed to have changed its form multiple times. In the end, there was no blade, in its place a full circle of Blade Aura brimming with light. The circle had surrounded Takemiya Hiro, its light serene and zenful. At Takemiya Hiro's level, he could use any secret art that required great enlightenment. His cultivation had granted him the degree of perspicacity required to understand the fundamental inner-workings of any art on earth.

"Bang!"

The Blade and the fist clashed again. The Ring of Blade Aura was shattered and Takemiya Hiro winded. He staggered a few more steps back, as Current Breaker shivered on the verge of shattering. Chen Fan didn't seem to use any more strength than his last punch, but the technique he used was sublime. Much to Takemiya Hiro's dismay, he had realized the ineffectiveness of his art moments before the impact. Therefore, he had to take the burnt of Chen Fan's force using his body.

That, proved to be a grave mistake.

"No bad, come again!"

Chen Fan let out a shout, his voice pierced through the night sky and invited a gust of wind. His Long flowy hair fell loose over his shoulders, and the loose fold of his outfit flapped against the wind. An azure fire rekindled in his eyes and his body taut with belligerence. He reached out both arms to form a circle, as if he intended to grope the entire night sky above Tokyo, including the moon and the stars. Energy started to roil about him: dark and powerful energies.

"True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, the first form: Skyfall Hammer!"

A tsunami of Qi Energy turned the Void Dimension upside down and bore down at Takemiya Hiro from above. An azure fire could be seen burning inside the deluge of dark current. Takemiya Hiro hunkered down for the blow as he charged up his Internal Force. He moved his Katana slowly in a circle, dedicating every nerve and muscle to the task. He didn't want to face Chen Fan's attack, but he had to.

"Bang!"

Takemiya Hiro backed away right before the punch landed on him. The Fist Qi smashed into a steel truss and knocked it off of the tower. Chen Fan launched himself into the air again and spread out both arms as a bird would. Then he suddenly closed both arms, turning them into a pair of scissors and shot out a pulse of Azure energy.

"Second Form, Humble Cloud Hand."

Takemiya Hiro lifted the Current Breaker with both hands and hacked right in the middle of the Azure energy. The impact spat a wave of energy at him, forcing Takemiya Hiro to take another few steps back.

"The third form: Void Dimension Shockwave!"

Chen Fan didn't stop and kept ton raining attacks on his opponent. Takemiya Hiro barely had time to gather himself and scrambled to deal with the next attack.

"Fourth Form, Naga's Transform"

"Fifth Form, Heaven Trampling!"

...

"Seventh Form, Mountain River Cut!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 363: Immortal State?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

A golden light surged from Chen Fan's finger when he executed the seventh form: The Mountain River Cut. The light lanced up at the sky's dark prison, threatening to pierce a hole through the final barrier between Earth and Heaven.

The beam of golden energy was not thick but extremely condensed. It's presence unnerved Takemiya Hiro and fear drove him to back away until he reached the other end of the platform. There was nowhere to go, behind him was a few-hundred-meter fall.

Back against the wall, Takemiya Hiro was cornered.

The Japanese Sword Sage snarled at his opponent with the ferociousness unlike ever before. A shining white light beamed out from his eyes as he lifted the blade above his head, forming a line along the tip of the blade to the bottom of his feet. He had become one with the blade, a new level he had never entered, a new domain where all energies collapsed to a singularity inside of him.

"Ancient Sword Art-The The Ultimate Enlightenment-Cut of Abandoning!"

The Blade Qi gushed upward a few dozen meters, giving the Tokyo Tower an illusion of gaining more height. Many people had seen the flashing white light at a distance and were all curious about what it was.

Takemiya Hiro locked his gaze on Chen Fan and took a step forward. sending a tremor throughout the tower.

He hacked the few dozen meters longe Blade Auras at Chen Fan with abandon, threatening to tear down the tower with it. The collision of the Blade Auras and the golden light caused a huge tremor throughout the Void Dimension. The Tokyo Tower moaned with a deep rumble which was punctuated by jarring squeaks from its joints.

Even as the two washes of light, one white one gold tangled with each other, Takemiya Hiro let go of the Blade Qi, poured his energy into the blade once again, and closed in on Chen Fan while lifting deadly silvery Blade Qi high above his head.

This was the real attack of the Cut of Abandoning.

By now, Takemiya Hiro had channeled all of his power into the blade and attacked with abandon. This was a do-or-die tactic so he had made sure that this was the most powerful strike he had ever delivered in his entire life by committing every single cell of his body to it. Takemiya Hiro was confident that this attack could even kill an Immortal State warrior.

Chen Fan was unfazed by the sudden attack. He adjusted his tactic unhurriedly as he threw a punch at his opponent.

"Bang!"

The seemingly ordinary punch pierced through the Void Dimension as a ring of white mist suddenly appeared around his fist. Chen Fan's fist accelerated, then came the boom.

This was Chen Fan's infamous killing bow.

Hypersonic Punch!

So far, no one was able to withstand Chen Fan's Hypersonic Punch; even Lord Susano was killed before he had the time to react. Takemiya Hiro knew he had no chance of avoiding the attack, however, he barely had the time to tilt the tip of his blade ever so slightly to point at Chen Fan's incoming fist.

"Kaboom!"

The clash between the fist and the blade set off an explosion at the top of the Tokyo Tower that sounded like an air raid. Such was the power of Chen Fan's hypersonic punch, that not even Takemiya Hiro could have countered it. The moment Chen Fan's fist touched the tip of Current Breaker, the renowned blade of legendary craftsmanship shivered into pieces. The fist carried on and easily went through Takemiya Hiro's Four Righteousness protection aura, and landed squarely on his chest.

The punch had collapsed Takemiya Hiro's rib cage. Blood spilled out from Takemiya Hiro's mouth as he was sent flying, over the ledge of the tower, and down.

Then and only then, the sound of the booming explosion came to the people at the foot of the tower.

"Creak... Creak..."

Everyone looked up and saw an unbelievable sight.

The Tokyo Tower had buckled from the middle by an insurmountable weight. The upper part of the tower slowly slide off its base and fell to the ground. In a blink, the Tokyo Tower was only half the height of it used to be.

Everyone was stunned by the unimaginable development.

"No mortal is capable of that."

Many people murmured to themselves.

Although the cloud had blocked their view of the top, they needed no more evidence than the broken tower to know that the momentous fight had reached its climax.

"Who won?"

The same question rose in almost everyone's mind.

After the dust had settled, a martial artist had noticed a man standing on a beam of what remains of the Tokyo Tower some two hundred meters above the ground. Martial Artists all had good vision and therefore were able to make out a young man in a black flowy outfit against the moonless sky.

"That's Chen Beixuan."

"Where is Sword Sage?"

"Did Chen Beixuan win the match? That's impossible"

Erika and the other Grandmasters of Japan were stunned by the development. The promise of defeat had taken the wind out of Lord Kurome's sails. His face turned pale as anger and disbelief burning in his eyes. Meanwhile, the Martial Artists from China cheered for the victory.

Chen Beixuan had won!

Chinese Martial Arts won!

Guo Xiaomang hugged her sect brothers in elation. Her cheerful reaction was a stark contrast with the gloomy expression on the Japanese Martial Artist's faces.

"Chen Beixuan really is worthy of the third spot on the Dark Roll."

A mixed martial arts master from Europe exclaimed.

The outcome had also taken Red Sparrow by surprise. Did Chen Fan really win? Was he really that powerful?

Meanwhile, Chen Fan perched at the top of the broken tower, letting the wind tousle his black hair. He didn't look relieved since the fight was over, instead, he looked even more serious than the beginning of the battle.

"That pulse of energy at the end... it felt like belong to Immortal Sea level. But It wasn't exactly the same either. It was improvised as if roughly put together in a hurry. It wasn't a perfect consummation of the three elements: Soul Energy, Internal Force, and External Force. Is it the so-called Immortal State on earth? "

Even as Chen Fan pondered on, a powerful wave of energy gushed out from the base of the tower as if a volcano had erupted.

Chen Fan flew himself into the air, drifting a few meters away from the tower. He then saw a dark shadow shoot up into the air through layers of steel floorings. After the shadowy man reached the top of the broken tower, he remained floating in the air and let his long loose sleeves flap against the wind. His eyes were dark and incandescent all the same time.

"Chen Beixuan, I must thank you."

The man was Takemiya Hiroa. He floated in the air, as well as in the void dimension surrounding himself with impenetrable Qi Energy. Despite his dusty hair, tattered clothing, broken katana, and the caved-in rib cage, his spirit was high and looked almost jovial.

"Without your help, I would never enter Immortal State. "

"Chen Beixuan, you would never understand the power of Immortal State. I have the power of Heaven and Earth at my disposal. Even from here, I can discern even the smallest movement in the darkest corner anywhere in Tokyo. I can smash you into pulp using the Power of Heaven and Earth."

Takemiya Hiro shot both arms above his head as he exclaimed, drunken with his own self-imagined glory.

His energy surged even as he spoke as if it would keep going forever. It surpassed the Transcendent level so quickly as if an ape had suddenly evolved into a modern human. Let it be Physique, soul energy or Internal force, all aspects of his power grew at an incredible speed. His soul energy gained physical forms in the real world and reached out of his body like tentacles.

He was completing the transformation into Immortal State. Even though it seemed broken and incomplete compared to the Immortal State Level, he was reaching a similar level of attainment nonetheless.

Takemiya Hiro pointed a finger at Chen Fan and announced: "I will reward you with a quick death!"

Joy mixed with excitement glinted in his eyes as a flash of Blade Auras formed by white mists fell down on Chen Fan. This Blade Qi was only ten meters long, but the Qi Energy was extremely condensed. It's blinding light lit up the dark night as it bore down on Chen Fan with the weight of a mountain. Fueled by the Power of Heaven and Earth, this attack was much more deadly than Takemiya Hiro's previous killing blow.

However, Chen Fan didn't flinch; instead, he cracked a derisive smirk.

"You are still far from the real Immortal State. Even if you had reached it, you are still doomed."

"I will kill an immortal state cultivator today just to prove my point."

So saying, Chen Fan reached out both hands.

"True Martial Thirty-Six Forms, fifteen forms,

"Wheel of Sun and Moon"

Suddenly, the sky churned and turned upside down as day and night lost its meaning. In the Void Dimension, blazing sun and a bright full moon both appeared. Then, the citizens of Tokyo watched as an incredible phenomenon in the sky presented itself to them.

The sky turned a wash of grey making people lose any hold on reality, then the sun and the moon both emerged out of thin air, shining but failing to shed any light on the lifeless greyness around them.

When the sun and moon rose together, the world would be changed forever.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 364: Annihilate Everything!

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The True Martial Thirty-Six Forms was a fighting technique used by the True Martial Sect's disciples when they were at Foundation Establishment level. Most of them would have abandoned this True Martial Thirty-Six Forms once they reached Connate Spirit and Golden Core Levels since by then, they would have numerous powerful arts and Dharma Treasures at their disposal.

However, there were a few physique refinement cultivators who didn't give up on the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms and cultivated even after they had entered higher levels. Some of those cultivators had used the True Martial Thirty-Six Forms and defeated Connate Spirit level opponents while they were still at the Qi Refinement level. After all, this sansho technique was created and refined by generations of Perfected Immortals of the True Martial Sect and its true power was immeasurable.

Of all the thirty-six forms, the most powerful ones were the seventh, fifteenth, twenty-first, twenty-eighth and the thirty-sixth forms. Mastering each of those forms would greatly boost the cultivator's power. The seventh form: Mountain River Cut, for example, was more powerful than the combined might of all the six forms before it and the same went for the fifteenth form: Wheel of Sun and Moon.

Powerful as the Wheel of Sun and Moon might be, it also consumed a great amount of energy. Chen Fan wouldn't be able to use this form if he hadn't reached the mid-stage of Ethereal Enlightenment level and had gained the Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

"Donn Donn Donn"

As the inconceivable phenomenon occurred in the sky, a miniature version of the sun and the moon appeared in Chen Fan's both hands. In the void dimension, the sun and moon rose and set countless times around Chen Fan in a timeless loop.

Life and color drained from Takemiya Hiro's face after he had seen its power with his own eyes.

Takemiya Hiro had cultivated over a hundred years and it was the first time he had ever seen any martial arts technique like it. This was not martial arts, it was a divine spell, a Divine power! A sense of urgency and threat rose inside of Takemiya Hiro as he had never felt before.

Instinct told Takemiya Hiro that Chen Fan's attack would outright kill him. It was even more deadly than the hypersonic punch.

Takemiya Hiro was confident that he should be able to hold himself while under the attack of the Hypersonic punch. However, the same could not be said about the unimaginable power of Chen Fan.

He snarled like a cornered animal as a white light surged in his eyes.

He summoned a tsunami of Soul Energy from within him that was much more belligerent and potent than that of the One-eyed Naga King. The Soul Energy had a similar breadth and depth like Chen Fan's and it as deadly as that of Lord Susano. However, as a rouge wave of Soul Energy smashed into Chen Fan, Chen Fan stood still without flinching. He stood like a stubborn rock deeply rooted on the beach that had withstood thousands of years of storm.

Plus, Chen Fan was not just any rock, he had the stately and imposing quality of a mountain.

"Ancient Sword Art, The Ultimate Enlightenment, Cut of Army Breaking! "

Takemiya Hiro folded his hands as a Blade Qi grew from the middle of his two palms. He swung the blade qi up above his head, letting the silvery light pierce through the air and shed onto everything around it. The light increased its intensity by the second and quickly surpassed the brightness during his last attack. By then, Takemiya Hiro could readily unleash the same amount of energy that had taken him a while to muster before he reached Immortal state

One key benefits of reaching Immortal State was to sense the sea of Primordial Essence. This ability would allow the cultivator to harness the Qi in the surrounding area in order to supplement his own Qi. That was why Hiro was able to amass so much Qi Energy so quickly.

Takemiya Hiro had not fully entered the Immortal State and his ability to harness the Qi was limited, but it helped him greatly nonetheless.

"Shu!" "Shu!" "Shu!"

Wave after wave of ruinous Blade Qi swooped down, threatening to tear a hole in the reality itself.

These attacks landed on the already broken tower, severing smaller bracings and truss, and make the entire structure tremble. Takemiya Hiro's attack had landed on the Tower as a sharp knife landed on a block of soft cheese. In less than half a heartbeat, the Takemiya Hiro's height was reduced by another thirty meters.

All the while, Chen Fan stood still unwavering. He narrowed his eyes as the cycle of day and night played in his eyes. The miniature version of the sun and the moon started to increase the size by the second.

The countless Blade Qi bore down on Chen Fan, however, the deadly Blade Qi simply melted once it touched the powerful Grand Yin Qi and Grand Yang Qi surrounding Chen Fan.

Seeing attacking from above didn't work, Takemiya Hiro changed tactic and rained attacks from under Chen Fan. The blows stripped out the steel floor but Chen Fan floated in the air as if nothing had happened.

"How is that possible? Are you also an immortal state?"

Takemiya Hiro was taken aback.

Only those who had entered the Immortal State could float in the air. Some more powerful Immortal State cultivators could even fly in the air for a few kilometers without falling—something Takemiya Hiro could not pull off just yet. However, Takemiya Hiro's ability to remain airborne, however brief it was, had already made him stood out among other Martial Artists. That being said, he was shocked to see Chen Fan was able to float in the air as much as he did.

"Do you really think Immortal State is such a big deal? It means nothing to me."

Chen Fan cracked a light smile and suddenly rounded his eyes as the silvery moon and blazing sun in either of his hands merged together and so did the sun and the moon in the sky. This had placed an inconceivable amount of strain on the very fabric of time and space. The entire world seemed to be moaning as a deep rumbling noise shot through the sky.

Takemiya Hiro knew that Chen Fan was on the brink of completing an attack that even he at the immortal state would not be able to withstand.

The thought made Takemiya Hiro panicked.

He desperately showered Chen Fan with more attack, summoning a curtain made out of countless Blade Qi to swoop down on Chen Fan.

"Ancient Sword Art, The Ultimate Enlightenment, Cut of Thousand Birds!"

"Ancient Sword Art, The Ultimate Enlightenment, Cut of Heretic Breaking!"

"Ancient Sword Art, The Ultimate Enlightenment..."

Takemiya Hiro committed all of his energy into the attack and even put his transformation to the Immortal State on hold. A three-meter long white Blade Aura appeared again in his hand.

This Blade Qi was thinner and much smaller in size, but the energy inside was extremely concentrated. It beamed like a laser, yet it was vaguely translucent. Inside its crystal form was wisps of flowing mist that appeared as quickly as it disappeared. From afar, it looked like Takemiya Hiro was holding a crystal blade.

Takemiya Hiro lifted the blade with both hands slowly as if the seemingly insubstantial blade was weighed a few tons.

With every inch he moved the blade upward, the energy grew and multiply in his system. His chest puffed up as blood started to spill out from the wound he got earlier. A few moments later, blood started to well in his eyes and nose. It was evident that he pushed his body to the limit. He had taken in too much energy that his body could handle. However, Takemiya Hiro didn't heed the signs his body had given him and kept at it until the blade was high above his head.

Then he hacked.

"Cut of Gautama Buddha!"

The attack let out a deep roar. In the Void Dimension, a beam of scintillating Blade Aura shot from one end of the landscape to the other. No one knew where it came from and where it was heading, like a shooting star that streaked the night sky, except that it didn't disappear.

The citizens of Tokyo and the martial artists at the base of the tower head the roaring and looked up, but they only saw a flash of blinding white light and nothing else.

"Who won?"

Even as they pondered what had happened, they heard a nonchalant voice drifted to them from above.

"Wheel of Sun and Moon!"

The Sun and the moon had finished merging and formed a circle with white and red stripes that matched the pattern on Tokyo Tower. There were two vague forms swimming underneath the translucent circle, like the fish of Ying and Yang in a pond of Primordial soup. The two shapes chased each other in circles and appeared spiral outward into the third dimension and intercepted the white Blade Aura, shattered it and continued to spiral upward into the night sky.

Takemiya Hiro was frozen into a statue while he was still executing his attack. The white and red spiraling energy had pierced through his body, leaving a gaping hole on his chest that looked like an unblinking eye that stated at the night sky.

His overbearing Blade Qi and the Four Righteousness Protection Aura both melted as soon as they came to contact with Chen Fan's Wheel of Sun and Moon. The Wheel of Sun and Moon was an Immortal Art meant for immortal cultivators who specialized in Body tempering techniques. Chen Fan possessed one of the most powerful Body tempering art: the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, and therefore, he could bring out every ounce of destructiveness in the art.

"Kaboom!"

A powerful Qi Energy rippled in the sky from the point of impact. Looking from afar, it looked like an atom bomb had been detonated in the air. A mushroom cloud high above the ground, looking magnificent and terrifying at the same time. The cloud was so huge that even people in nearby cities had seen it.

"How.. how is that possible? I have reached Immortal State... I can't be defeated."

Takemiya Hiro's lips trembled and soon he was unable to form any words. His vital signs were gone but his Divine Soul still kept him alive.

He couldn't and wouldn't accept his defeat.

He had reached Immortal State and should be invincible from now on, yet, he was crushed by Chen Fan. What's the point of reaching the Immortal State then?

"I have told you that I can kill you even if you are of Immortal State."

Chen Fan said indifferently as he descended upon the dying man from the sky above.

Takemiya Hiro's Divine Soul let out a scream and burst out of his physical form to run away. His Divine Soul was still nascent and was translucent in appearance. It was a car cry from Lord Susano's powerful Divine Soul.

Chen Fan snorted and folded his hands to summon a smaller version of the Wheel of Sun and Moon. Then he pushed the wheel toward the escaping Divine Soul.

"Break!"

The wheel caught up with Takemiya Hiro in a blink and somehow swallowed the flowy form of the Divine Soul into its belly. As the Grand Yang Qi and the Grand Yang Qi started grinding on the Divine Soul, the latter disappeared in an instant.

The mighty Japanese Super Overlord who had presided over Japan for decades was dead.

The battel was over, leaving the ruined Tokyo Tower as its sole witness.

After the dust had settled, please beneath the tower looked up, trying to search for the winner.

"Who won?"

Someone asked.

"Of course the Sword Sage had won. Haven't you saw his transformation? I think he must have reached Immortal State. That shower of white Blade Qi was the prof. "

A Japanese Martial Artist said loudly.

The other Martial Artists around him nodded in agreement. They had sensed Takemiya Hiro's incredible surge in power even from afar.

"If Sensei really had leveled up, we will have more Immortal State cultivators in our country." Kurokawa Sho sad joyfully.

Excitement and pride were written all over the faces of Erika and the other Japanese.

In stark contrast with the jolly mood was the gloomy troubled expression of Chinese Martial arts. No one had thought that Takemiya Hiro could transform mid-battle and snatch their victory from under their nose. It was evident that for the last half of the battle, Takemiya Hiro had reached the Immortal State.

"I can't believe Chen Beixuan had lost."

Guo Xiaomang murmured to herself as tears welled in her eyes.

Gao Baisheng pulled a long face and heaved a sigh.

Even as the Chinese Martial Artists trying to come to terms with their losses, a voice drifted down from above

"Why the long faces?"

Everyone looked up and saw a young man in black outfit descend upon them in the air a few hundred meters above the ground. Despite the empty nothingness his foot landed on, his stride was sure and confident. Wind blow through the loss fold of his clothes, lending his appearance even more transcendental quality.

The Japanese Martial artists were stunned after recognizing the young man. Life and color ebbed away from their faces as if they had just heard the death of their loved one.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 365: I Am Invincible In This World

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"How is that possible?"

Many Japanese Martial Artists and Grandmasters were stunned by the turn of the events. They gaped at Chen Fan as the latter descended upon them like a sage. He walked on nothingness so naturally that people started to think there was invisible stairs in the air. Chen Fan had defied gravity and the laws of physics. Such ability should only exist in high tales and legends.

So unthinkable were Immortal State Cultivators' power that they could levitate while walking.

"Why do I only see Chen Beixuan? Where is my Sensei? Where is Sword Sage?" Kurokawa Sho suddenly felt a chill down his spine as his mind reeled. He had finally lost hold of his calm and tranquil state of mind in which he had always prided himself.

The development had taken the air out of Erika and the others.

Chen Beixuan's appearance meant that the battle was finally over, and unlike what they had expected, the victor of this momentous battle was the Overlord from China: Chen Beixuan.

Some Japanese Grandmasters who still had some wits about them had already started to contemplate the unthinkable implication of this battle. Chen Beixuan had defeated the Sword Sage of Japan on Japanese soil. This meant the Chinese Martial arts community had finally surpassed its Japanese counterpart and would pin the Japanese Martial artists under its thumb for years if not decades to come.

The Japanese Martial artists found it nearly impossible to reconcile Chen Fan's power to his young age. How powerful would he be in fifty years? It was not unlikely that he would have already reached the peak of the Immortal State during that time. Meanwhile, who in Japan would rise to challenge him?

Mitsui Yuto and the political heavyweights' faces were taut with worry and concern.

The Chinese economy had just surpassed Japan and the same thing happened in the field of martial arts. Does it mean that the once mighty nation of Japan had lost its touch and the glory days were already the things of the past?

Did Takemiya Hiro's defeat at the hands of Chen Beixuan mark the beginning of a new era?

The audience from China didn't overthink their victory as they were too busy cheering for their champion.

"I told you so. Grandmaster Chen had never lost a fight since he has risen to power. No one is his worthy opponent, so what does a good-for-nothing old man in Japan mean to him?"

Someone announced firmly.

"Humph! You had told me that Grandmaster Chen is going to lose." Guo Xiaomang gave the speaker a hot glare. The young man was from the Xin Yi Sect, he blushed and scratched his head embarrassingly.

However, no one was in the mood to dwell on the young man's faux pas right now.

The Chinese audience swarmed toward Chen Fan while Red Sparrow regarded the young man as many emotions—shock, disbelief, and surprise—roiled inside of her. She had turned over Takemiya Hiro's profile many times and had concluded that he was perhaps one of the strongest beings on the earth. Most other Super Overlord could at the most drag a fight with him into a draw and beating him was nearly impossible.

Chen Fan really had won?

He was barely twenty years old, yet, he had defeated the hundred-year old Sword Sage, Takemiya Hiro?

Was he the one in ten thousand years Martial arts prodigy who had the inner ability to master any martial arts?

The strong emotions in Red Sparrow became more complicated, there was a hint of regret and remorse.

Suddenly, a booming voice shot through the crowd.

"Chen Beixuan, where is my master?"

Kurokawa Sho pressed tightly against the blade hitched at his waist as he glared at Chen Fan. A wave of overbearing Qi Energy radiated out from within him. Most Chinese Martial Artists were affected by the deadly energy. Some were startled, and some blanched. Those weaker martial artists even staggered a few steps backward.

These Chinese Martial Artists were from major sects in China. Only a few of them were leaders of the sects, and most of them were young heirs and disciples. They had at the most reached the peak of Internal Force cultivation. On the other hand, Kurokawa Sho was one of the four deadliest Grandmasters in Japan, a powerful warrior of the mid-stage of Transcendent state. No wonder these Chinese martial artists couldn't handle his outburst of power.

"How dare you speak to me like that?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes, and waved a hand, sending an invisible, but powerful pulse of energy toward Kurokawa Sho. This plus of energy swooshed across the Void Dimension and kicked up ripples of airwaves. When it blew past the lawn, it racked the grass and left a dark path of turned soil.

Seeing the immense power that had churned out from Chen Fan's seemingly random attack, many martial artist onlookers were stunned. However heated the battle was at the top of the tower, they weren't able to see the actions with their own eyes, save the destruction of the Tokyo Tower. It wasn't until they saw Chen Fan lash out at another opponent did they gain a deeper insight on Chen Fan's true power.

"Hurr!"

Kurokawa Sho grumbled and then unsheathed his blade.

The light spilled down from the body of the gleaming blade. Everyone registered a flash of light and then saw Kurokawa Sho was already at Chen Fan. He threw himself at the young boy, lifting the blade high above his head, against the wind and hacked with abandon. A three-meter long Blade Aura also appeared along the sharp edge.

The three-meter long blade auras were made out of condensed energy. It fell straight down like a waterfall and splashed onto Chen Fan's invisible Qi Energy.

"Kaboom!"

The impact sounded like a small explosion. Kurokawa Sho was able to hold up to this title as one of the four deadliest Grandmasters in Japan. His counter-attack had blocked Chen Fan's Qi Energy. However, the explosion caught him by surprise as the shock wave knocked him back a few feet. His hands had grown so numb from the impact that he nearly dropped the blade.

"He is... incredible!"

Kurokawa Sho exclaimed in his mind.

Only then did he catch a glimpse of Chen Fan's terrifying power. Although his counterattack had blocked the wave of Qi Energy, the impact numbed his hand as he had never experienced before. Chen Fan's energy was so overwhelming that it felt like a ten-meter tall tsunami, and when the blade landed on it, it felt as hard as a boulder that made out of ten thousand tons of granite.

"Uh? Still alive?"

Chen Fan muttered in surprise. He didn't expect Kurokawa Sho to survive his attack.

Chen Fan didn't waste any time and attacked again. The second attack sent a tremor in the Void Dimension. The path of the attack looked like a slithering azure snake. It zig-zagged across the air and come at Kurokawa Sho like a flash of lightning.

The fourth Form: Naga's Transform!

The technique was named after the legendary transformation of a Naga into a Dragon. A Perfected Immortal from the True Martial Celestial Sect created this technique after witnessed this transformation. The attack was accompanied by a deep droning that mimicked the sound of a dragon, meanwhile, the azure-colored Fist Qi rammed into its target with the same finality as a meteorite had when it smashed into a planet.

Kurokawa Sho's heart sank to the bottom as soon as he saw the incoming attack.

His last move to block Chen Fan's attack had exhausted him. Before he could fully gather himself, Chen Fan's attack was already snapping at his heels. How was he going to defend himself now?

"Am I going to die?"

Kurokawa Sho finally gave up his struggle in utter despair.

Suddenly, a bright Blade Aura came up and amidst the wash of shining light, a nimble figure appeared and landed a blow on the azure Fist Qi.

"Boom!"

An explosion, bigger than the last one erupted.

The shockwave swept across space and knocked many Japanese Martial Artists on to the ground. The Chinese Martial Artists stood behind Chen Fan who had shielded the shock wave for them.

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, why waste your time on someone such as Kurokawa San? Sword Sage was Kurokawa San's Sensei, it's not his fault to overreact to Sword Sage's well being. I would expect you to have understood that."

The speaker was Erika and she was also the one who saved the Kendo Grandmaster.

Erika was the most powerful Kendo Grandmaster in japan. The Katana in her hands gleamed like a pool of water under the full moon. The shock wave had staggered her but wasn't able to knock her down. After she gathered herself, she stood beside Kurokawa Sho, guarding him. She was wearing a white outfit and the features on her face were not only attractive but also lent her a heroic and righteous quality.

The Japanese Martial artists were shocked by the development.

In order to save Kurokawa, Erika had to commit everything she had in the defense. It screamed loudly of Chen Beixuan's unimaginable power.

"Humph!!"

Chen Fan snorted and flashed out of view. Then he appeared right in front of Kurokawa Sho with a cloud of mist around him: he had broken the sonic speed again. Kurokawa Sho snarled at Chen Fan like a trapped beat who knew his end was near. Before he was able to lift his blade, Chen Fan had landed a punch on his chest. The blow sent the Kento Master flying, and then Kurokawa Sho's chest burst from within while his body was still in the air, killing him in an instant. Chen Fan reappeared back at where he had been. To most ordinary people, he might as well have never left.

"Bang!"

A second or two later, the blaring din of the impact finally came to everyone and the white mist—a result of hypersonic movement—finally dissipated.

"How dare you?"

Erika and the others couldn't believe their eyes. Ito Imi and the other Kendo masters unsheathed their blades at once and glared at Chen Fan hotly. They couldn't believe that Chen Fan had the audacity to kill Kurokawa Sho before all of them.

The anger aside, they were also shocked and afraid of Chen Fan's decisiveness and power.

It took them awhile to realize that they had just witnessed the hypersonic punch, but as soon as the realization dawned upon them, their hearts sank to the bottom of an icy cave. Erika felt a chill down her spine, in her mind's eyes, she saw Chen Fan use the same move on her, reducing her to a pulp.

Was he still a mortal with such power?

Chen Fan was unfazed by the ire of so many Grandmasters. He linked his hands behind his back and said lightly.

"A lowly Grandmaster should know his place. He should never talk about my business, much less unsheathing his blade."

"Oh, as for Takemiya Hiro, he is already dead."

Despite the fact that they had already guessed that much, the news of Takemiya Hiro's death had taken the oxygen out of all the Japanese Martial Artists' lungs. Lord Kurome had lost his last shred of hope, already, he heard death knocking on his door. Takemiya Hiro was only a half-step away from Immortal State before the battle and he had reached the Immortal State during the battle. Yet, he was still not powerful enough to do away with Chen Fan.

Kurokawa Sho had only asked a question, yet he was killed for doing so.

The most powerful Chinese Grandmaster was such an arrogant and ruthless man! Many Japanese Grandmasters squeezed the handles of their weapons, ready to pay the ultimate price in order to teach Chen Fan a lesson.

Suddenly, Erika turned around and scolded her fellow martial artists.

"Sheath your blades, now! Defeat is part of life, part of our cultivation. Don't make a fool out of yourself."

The Japanese Grandmasters blushed as they obeyed Erika's order.

"Humph!!"

Seeing the hostility toward him had waned, Chen Fan shook his head and walked out of the Shiba Park with his hands behind his back. Violet hurried to catch up. Red Sparrow gritted her teeth and also followed Chen Fan, trailing a long line of joyful Chinese Martial Artists.

Their celebratory mood was a stark contrast with their Japanese counterparts.

The Martial Artists and Spellcasters from other nations shook their heads.

Once the news about what happened today got out, it would shock the entire underground world in East Asia. Chen Fan had killed the Sword Sage of Japan, who else would dare stand up against him?

"Chen Beixuan is going to be the most powerful man on earth."

An old man lamented.

The people around him nodded fearfully in agreement.

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Chapter 366: Shook The Martial Arts World

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Chen Beixuan had won!

As soon as Chen Fan was out of Shiba Park, news about the fight had already reached across the ocean to China.

The outcome had at first shocked the entire Chinese Martial arts community.

Chen Fan had won! He had defeated the most powerful Overlord in Japan, a Sword Sage who was anointed by the Japanese emperor himself.

After the shock wore off, everyone cheered for Chen Fan's victory. A joyous and celebratory mood hung in the air wherever there were martial artists: the Wu Family of North-Western China, Ba Ji Sect at Zhong Zhou, Tai Chi Sect, Xin Yi Sect, Lu family and Gu family, just to name a few.

China and been bullied by Japan for too long and it was about time for a change.

The last hundred years in Chinese history was the hundred years of shame and disgrace. China was plagued by internal strife and external invitations then. However, the Chinese people had never given up hope and started to rebuild their country from the ashes of war. Japan, on the other hand, had a head start on modernization and was the first Asian country to industrialize. After decades of accumulation, Japan had reached a higher level of standard in nearly all aspects of life than China. They grew content and became contemptuous toward Chinese, considering them inferior in all ways. They viewed China as an American plantation landlord would to Africa.

War had brought deep hatred between the people of the two nations, and a little spark would often cause a bloody duel between the two nations martial artists.

That was the premise that had made Chen Fan's fight with Takemiya Hiro so much bigger than it was. Chen Fan's victory had made him a hero of the Chinese people, a poster boy of their national pride. Although in present-day age, the national competition was mostly in the area of economy or culture influence, it didn't mean that martial arts had become obsolete. Every Grandmaster added some weight to the overall strength of a nation. A powerful Grandmaster such as Takemiya Hiro and Chen Fan were even more valuable than a breakthrough in military technology.

At their level, they were more powerful than most modern weapons and the ruined Tokyo Tower was a testament of their power. The Tokyo Tower was made out of steel and not even bombs could have caused as much damage as it had sustained.

"I told you so! I knew Chen Beixuan was going to win the fight."

"Just think about it: Chen Beixuan had never lost a fight ever since he rose to prominence. That Japanese dude, did you see how old he was? There was no way he could —"

A group of young martial artists gathered at the Xin Yi Sect and they were all engrossed in their conversation about the fight. Suddenly, a one-armed middle-aged man passed the crowd and caught the speaker's attention. The young man's face paled and one of his listeners hurried to covered his mouth as if he was speaking blasphemy in a church.

To his surprise and relief, the middle-aged man nodded at them with a smile and walked away.

After the one-armed man disappeared, the listener finally let go of his hold on the young man's mouth. He castigated hotly: "Are you crazy? Chen Beixuan is Elder Sun's sworn enemy, yet you praised Chen Beixuan as if he was a hero. Are you tired of living? "

The young man's head drooped in silence as he struggled to gather himself from fear.

The one-armed man was Sun Wudi, one of the semi transcendent warriors at the Xin Yi Sect. He had joined a mission with a few others to do away with Chen Fan, but he ended up losing one of his arms after Tong Shan ripped it off of his body. There was no doubt that he loathed Chen Fan.

"But I saw Elder Sun smiling at me. I guess he didn't hear what I have said?"

The young man scratched his head and was dumbfounded.

Such a scene played out in many places in China.

Inside the Medicine God Valley Sect, Jin Yi looked to the east and imagined Chen Fan standing at the end of the horizon where Japan was. A mix of complicated feelings rose inside of her. King of Elixirs stood beside her and patted her shoulders to offer some solace but he was unable to smooth the girl's knotted brows.

Lu Yanxue sat before an office table. She was wearing a business outfit with a black and white button-down shirt. She wore pulled back hair that was up in a bun, making the lines on her face look severe. Those lines softened a little after she got a message about Chen Fan's victory. However, a hint of morose flickered in her eyes.

Zheng Anqi was in a board meeting when she received a phone call. She nearly jumped out of her seat and paced around the large conference room, startling the rest of the attendees. They have never seen Zheng Anqi break her seasoned and aloof shell and became so anxious. Only those board members who were close to Zheng Anqi had guessed that the phone call might have something to do with the mysterious owner of the company.

Jinlin City, Zhong Hai, Yan Jin...

Regardless of where they were, the reaction to the news was the same: they were shocked at first, and then relief. Too much was at stake, if Chen Fan lost the fight, it would be another few decades at least for the Chinese Martial Arts community to regain momentum. On the other hand, Chen Fan's victory would be able to allow the Chinese Martial Artist community to pin their Japanese counterpart under its thumb for many years. They no longer needed to stomach the arrogance and disdain of the Japanese Martial Artists.

Meanwhile, other news came out of the military.

Leader of Dragon's Fang, the backbone of the squad that was stationed at Northern China had decided to resign from his post in order to focus on his cultivation after he had received a phone call. His resignation had already been approved by the military leaders.

Meanwhile, in a mountain valley somewhere in Zhong Zhou...

A girl of elegant features sat by a pond, watching the mist rise from the calm surface of the water. The girl used to have a strident and boisterous personality, after spending much of her recent months by the calm and serene lake, she had grown much quieter and more focused.

Her features were well defined as if they were chiseled out from a smooth marble. Her skin was the color of fresh snow and was as smooth as silk: a perfect combination with her long dark hair that tumbled down to her waist. She sat by the lake, hugging her legs close to her chest, and stared into the pond thoughtfully.

An elder came over to her.

"A'Xiu, you have not yet reached Transcendent State. Don't sit so close to the Yin Dragon Pond, it's not good for you."

The girl was Chen Fan's in-name disciple that he had taken up a year ago: A'Xiu. She had become much more beautiful than she had been a year ago. She used to have the charm of a girl next door, but now she had outgrown her childish shell and transformed into a drop-dead gorgeous lady.

A'Xiu didn't seem to hear the old man's warning. She murmured to herself.

"I have thought that if I put my heart into training, I could catch up with master one day. But now I feel that even when I finally reached the peak of Internal Force cultivation, It would still be a far cry compared to Master. I will have to live with the reality that I would never ever catch up with him."

Wu Shanhe heaved a sigh; he was not sure what to say to the girl.

The old man had lived a rough and tumble life and had tasted all flavors the world had to offer him. However, he was still an amateur when it came down to romantic affections.

However, A'Xiu quickly gathered herself and said: "What was I thinking. Master has led me by example and had trampled over the Japanese Martial arts community. I should not fall behind."

"Sect Brother Wu, let's go deal with that annoying bunch at Jiu Ding City. I have heard reports that someone was trying to incite a mutiny against me."

The tone of A'Xiu's voice changed and so did her expression. Her face became hard and severe and her expression was like an icy wind sweeping across the tundra, turning her into the legendary queen of blizzards.

"As you wish."

Wu Shanhe replied as he lowered his head.

Even the spell caster from the Yin Ghost Sect started to fear the power and the decisiveness of the young girl.

When the news reached the international underground world, it had the same effect on people as it did in China.

The family lord of the Lee Family of the Samsung Group called for a family meeting during which they removed Lee Hyeok-Gyu of all his responsibilities in the family and decided to put him under house arrest. They also approved the motion to shelf all activities against Azure Talisman Pharmaceutical and Chen Beixuan.

Aid International and other large corporations were also quick to send out representatives to touch base with Chen Fan.

The news also reached Hong Sect. An insider who worked closely with the sect leader said that the sect leader didn't take the news very well. He had watched as the leader smashed everything, including his most prized china collection in a fit of anger. Afterward, the leader confessed that he regretted ever making a move against Chen Beixuan.

The rest of the underbosses of Hong Sect were also terrified after hearing the news.

They relished in the fact that they were not the one who was sent to deal with Chen Beixuan, otherwise, none of them would still be alive. No one doubted that Chen Beixuan had the ability to kill all seven underbosses of Hong Sect at once.

Olga's face paled as she reflected on her near escape from death.

Many more underground organizations debated with each other passionately.

"Is Chen Beixuan really an Immortal Level Overlord?"

Someone posted a post on the CIA's private server.

"He killed Takemiya Hiro who we haven't seen in action for decades. Regardless of how highly regarded he was in Japan, no one knows for sure how powerful he was."

"We might not have any evidence to prove that Chen Beixuan is of Immortal State, but he had displayed his incredible power that had crushed the Tokyo Tower. Plus, he killed Kurokawa Sho with one punch under everyone's watch. It doesn't really matter that much if he is Immortal State or not, the point is, no one could have defeated him now. Could Zeus do that, or anyone of the other two fighters at the top of the list?" Someone else replied.

The reply was liked by many netizens.

Then a user called Observer posted more information.

"I have heard that Takemiya Hiro had kept himself busy while he led his life in isolation. He challenged nearly everyone on the top ten spots of the list. Zeus told me in person that their spar twenty years ago had ended in a draw. He believed that Takemiya Hiro had the ability to take one of the top three spots."

"Observer" was a well-known alias online. He seemed to be very well connected and always got a whiff of something happening before anyone else. The other users suspected that he was either a high clearance level intelligence officer from one of the major powers in the world, or he was an insider of an international megacorp. Otherwise, no ordinary man could have gathered that much information so quickly. As soon as the Observer showed up, many users came out of their lurking state and greeted him.

"Mr. Observer, you are finally here."

"I think Mr. Observer is right, he always is."

"If Mr. Observer is right and Takemiya Hiro had what it takes to be placed at the top three spot, should we reevaluate Chen Beixuan's rank then? Would he rank number two if not one?"

Someone asked with a surprised emoji.

"Mr. Observer, can you please shed some light on Chen Beixuan's exact level of attainment? Is he really an Immortal Level Overlord?"

The original poster asked.

After a while, the Observer finally replied: "no, he is more powerful than Immortal level."

Then the entire forum went dead silent.

A question arose in the minds of whoever was reading the perplexing and stunning revelation. Was there going to be a new Immortal Level Overlord in this world? There hadn't been one for sixty years. Takemiya Hiro had been the closest one to reach Immortal state, but he was dead now.

"I can't be certain if Chen Beixuan is the most powerful man in the world at this moment, but I think it's safe to say that he is the most powerful man in East Asia"

That was Observer's last message.

The entire East Asia Martial arts community was shocked by the revelation.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 367: The Most Powerful Man In East Asia

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Compared to the actions in China, the Japanese Martial arts community had been deadly silent.

Regardless of where the Martial Artists were from, let it be Hokkaido, Osaka, Nagoya, or Shikoku, none of them could believe what had happened. The Sword Sage who had dominated Japan for decades was killed in a battle? How was that even possible?

The title of Sword Sage held the utmost prestige in Japan.

Even Erika who had made it onto the Dark Roll scarcely dared to provoke Takemiya Hiro. Instead, she had waited patiently, biding her time until the death of Hiro to inherit his title. All the while, she knew that the old man might even outlive herself. Many people claimed that Takemiya Hiro was the last Sword Sage in Japan, and the emperor might never hand out such a title again.

However, such a powerful mighty figure in Japan, the cornerstone of Japan's martial arts society was killed by Chen Fan. Worse, the symbol of Japan, the Tokyo Tower was trampled on and desecrated by Chen Fan. The Japanese Martial Artists simply couldn't stomach such an insult.

"Death to Chen Beixuan!"

"The Japanese Martial Artist community has so many talents, we could never be defeated so easily by a Chinese!"

"We request Lord Erika to rally all the Grandmasters in Japan and fight against Chen Beixuan until the last of us! We need to avenge our humiliation! We MUST!"

Many hot-headed young martial artists yelled at the top of their lungs.

Chen Fan's victory had shattered their fragile egos.

However, many more experienced warriors simply shook their heads sulkily. This battle was a legitimate duel and had many witnesses. If Japan walked back on the promises without considering the consequences, no one would ever trust Japanese Martial Artists ever again. This would be an even bigger loss than losing the battle and a Sword Sage.

Plus, Chen Beixuan was not that easily killed.

It would require at least an army to pull it off. Many lives of Grandmasters would be lost during that process and was Japan really ready for that? So far, five Grandmasters had already been slain, how many more Grandmasters was Japan willing to sacrifice?

Takemiya Hiro, Takemiya, Chizuru Masahiro, Genkaza Takeda, and Kitaniwakawa, wasn't that enough?

The combined might of these five Grandmasters represented nearly one third of the total power of the Japanese Martial Artist community. It would cost at least another five Grandmasters' lives in order to kill Chen Beixuan, so even if they succeeded, the cost would be too high to bear and their weakened state would invite unwanted attention from their other rivals such as China, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, and SouthEast Asia.

The Dragon Hall, Hong Sect and the Square Tower would lash out at Japan, carve it up like a slab of meat on a chopping block.

By then, no one in Japan would have the ability to stop those rivals with a ravenous appetite.

That was the reason why Erika had restrained Ito Imi and other Grandmaster's impulse for seeking revenge. If they really had to do away with Chen Beixuan, they need to prepare and plan carefully so that the action was swift and clean; any complications or failure would have grave consequences.

The discussion of how to deal with Chen Beixuan was only carried out among a very small circle of people, most men and women were busy with more trivial matters.

"Chen Beixuan must be the most powerful man in East Asia now, don't you think?"

"I think that's an understatement. He is the strongest in the world, I say."

"Not yet. You have no idea what kind of freaks there are out there. The lack of Immortal Level Overlord's presence doesn't mean that they don't exist. That being said, I agree that Chen Beixuan is the most powerful man in East Asia. Chen Beixuan defeated Takemiya Hiro, the number one warrior in Japan, and he was also regarded as the most powerful man in China, which makes Korea the only variable in the equation. But since we all know that the Korean Martial arts community was always inferior to Japan's, so there you have it: Chen Beixuan is the strongest in East Asia."

The Japanese Grandmasters felt their fear toward Chen Fan multiplied each time they turned over the question regarding Chen Fan's true power.

Chen Fan had only risen to power in the last two years, yet he had already claimed the seat of power in East Asia. He did it with ruthless brute force and his throne might as well be a heap of flesh and bones of his victims.

Many grandmasters in China had been convinced that Chen Fan was the most ruthless man they had ever met, however, Chen Fan never ceased to surprise them and proved that his thirst for blood knows no bounds while he was in Japan. He had killed over seven Grandmasters in Japan in less than ten days and butchered Kurokawa Sho before everyone's eyes simply because the poor Japanese man had spoken up against him.

His ruthlessness and decisiveness were terrifying, and mesmerizing at the same time.

Many underground groups had included Chen Fan in their don't-touch list. He was a mass murder who knew no limits and worse, he was unpredictable. No one, not even Takemiya Hiro could force him to show his trump card. That was later proven by the dead body of Takemiya Hiro discovered among the rubble.

Takemiya Hiro's hair fell loose over his face. His shirt was in tatters, and a large hole went straight through his chest as if he was shot by a cannon at close range. His body offered many clues about how difficult it had been for Takemiya Hiro during the battle. The condition of his mangled body was a stark contrast with Chen Fan's almost leisure demeanor and his spotless shirt while he emerged out of the battlefield. It was evident that he had killed Kurokawa Sho with ease.

Japanese martial artists were a vengeful lot, and if Chen Fan had won the battle with a costly victory, they might as well join forces and do away with Chen Fan while he was weak. However, the fact that Chen Fan had won the battle so easily deterred Erika and others and made them think better of seeking revenge right away.

Meanwhile, the man who had been at the center of everyone's attention was sitting in a high-end Coffee Shop at Tokyo's Ginza district.

Ginza district was one of the most famous nexus for shopping in the world. It was located at the center of downtown Tokyo and was well known for the numerous luxury outlets. Its street was flanked by all kinds of shopping malls with squeaky clean windows and artsy decorations. It was also a hub for food all around the world. A visitor might find an Italian restaurant right next to an Arabic one that was across the street from a French Cafe.

Red Sparrow sat across the table from Chen Fan and was scrolling through some documents on her computer. She asked: "Chen Beixuan, do you know what they call you now? The most powerful man in East Asia."

Red Sparrow fixed her gaze on Chen Fan, her eyes were filled with admiration and disbelief.

She knew the beleaguered path of Martial arts at first hand. Ye Nantian, Azure dragon, and Takemiya Hiro, each one of them were powerful warriors in their own right, but none of them were able to reach Immortal State.

What had made Chen Fan so special?

The first person to claim supremacy in East Asia was not Ye Nantian, neither was it Azure dragon or Takemiya Hiro, much less Erika or Lei Qianjue. It was Chen Beixuan, a teenager not even twenty years old.

She wagered that she had to look hard and deep to find anyone in the entire planet who could deal with Chen Fan.

Red Sparrow had wracked her brain to find a reason for the young man's extraordinary power but failed. She wondered if Chen Fan was the legendary one in a hundred-year genius who was born with the ability to master any martial arts that he came across.

"Oh? really?" Chen Fan replied quietly. He didn't seem to mind whatever people were calling him.

These titles, let it be number one in China or Number one in East Asia, meant little to nothing to Chen Fan. He used to be the North Mystic Celestial Lord who presided over the top of the universe. He had crushed countless celestial beings and brought a slew of immortals to their knees.

What did the title of "Number One in East Asia" mean to someone as mighty as him?

"Chen Beixuan, have you really reached Immortal State? I'm just curious. And what about Takemiya Hiro? Did he make it to the Immortal State during the battle?" Red Sparrow couldn't hold back her curiosity, so she asked Chen Fan.

Violet had been cutting up the steak for Chen Fan, but she also paused and looked at Chen Fan curiously.

This was the most contentious question in the world. People had waged a war of words over each other for this one.

Although no one had seen the battle up close, the ruined Tokyo Tower was a telltale sign of what had happened. Plus, they had seen the Blade Qi that surged a few hundred meters above the tower, the otherworldly phenomenon of Sun and Moon hanging in the grey sky, and the utterly catastrophic damage the two warriors had done to the steel giant, the Tokyo Tower.

All signs pointed to one conclusion: the destructive energy unleashed by the two combatants were way beyond that of Transcendent State.

However, some people were still not convinced. After all, the last Immortal State warrior had only disappeared a few decades ago and many nations and organizations kept detailed descriptions of an Immortal State cultivator's power. Chen Fan's ability to levitate himself could count as one, but that was far from enough to be convincing.

"An Immortal State cultivator could control the power of heaven and earth, merge the Dharma Spell and Martial Arts cultivation. He was able to read minds, levitate, controlling natural elements, and many other clairvoyant abilities. In other words, they were no longer mortals, but demi-gods. That was why it was called Immortal State." Red Sparrow murmured to herself.

"You have shown some of those abilities but not all of them. However, if you have not yet reached Immortal State, how could you kill Takemiya Hiro and destroy Tokyo Tower?"

Red Sparrow continued. It appeared that the enigma was starting to get on her nerves.

Ever since her power has awakened, she always bragged about herself being the youngest member of the department and a genius. However, She felt so insignificant after she met Chen Fan. He had made her abilities look like a joke.

Me? Of course, I am not at Immortal State." Chen Fan shrugged. "But Takemiya Hiro was, for a while at least. He had reached Immortal State during the battle, but his injury had prevented him from taking full control of his new power."

Despite the airy way Chen Fan had offered the answer, Red Sparrow and Violet couldn't help but feel terrified.

If Takemiya Hiro had reached Immortal State—however unstable his power was—how powerful exactly was Chen Fan to be able to bring him down? What would happen if Chen Fan had to face a seasoned Immortal State cultivator?

Even as they pondered on the questions, a group of men in black suits filed into the coffee shop, scaring other guests away. They came closer to Chen Fan in two neat rows.

A well dressed, stately looking middle age man walked over to Chen Fan with a mechanical smile.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. Chen Beixuan. "

"You are Mitsui Yuto?" Chen Fan nodded as he recognized the leader of the Mitsui Group. "Are you here to fulfill the payment? "

"Yes, of course. Japanese people are honorable people. We have already wired ten billion US dollars to this account." So saying, Mitsui Yuto handed over Chen Fan a debit card. The middle-aged man then paused a second and said: "Mr. Chen, I also have a message for you from a... certain individual."

"Japan does not welcome you, please leave, or else..."

Chen Fan narrowed his glinting eyes and hissed: "Or else what?"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 368: Meeting An Old Friend

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Mitsui Yuto was the leader of the Mitsui Group and the backbone of the Japanese financial sector. He was much wealthier than the richest man in China, and only the Lee Family of the Samsung Group might be able to rival his family fortune.

His warning was a clear message to Chen Fan from the top dogs of Japan: those who ruled the islands from behind the curtain, cautioning him that enough is enough.

"Mr. Chen Beixuan, we all have seen what you are capable of and we don't hesitate a moment in believing that you are the most powerful man in East Asia. However, please also remember that we live in the 21st century and personal strength is not as important anymore."

Mitsui Yuto bowed to Chen Fan and then left the room with a smug smile.

Mitsui Yuto's attitude didn't sit well with Violet. She complained: "He is so full of himself. Master has killed Takemiya Hiro and rose to prominence in East Asia, even the family lord of the Mitsui family would have to speak respectfully to master. What makes Mitsui Yuto think he could use that smug tone of voice? He is nothing but a pawn of the Mitsui family."

Japanese was a fiercely hieratical society and it was the case in both the prominent families and political system. Age dictates the authority one could wield in any group. Many retired seniors still had significant influence in society and they ruled the nation from behind the scenes, pulling the strings of their younger counterparts to run the third-largest economy in the world and a total population of well over a billion.

Chen Fan was quiet. He tapped the table with his finger thoughtfully.

A hint of concern surface on Red Sparrow's face.

"Mitsui Yuto's warning was a clear message to you from the real leaders of the nation. We should pack up and leave here before they resort to violence."

Chen Fan reckoned that the "violence" Red Sparrow had mentioned was not the threat of Grandmasters, instead, it was the real "violence" of the 21st century.

These were the state violence apparatus such as Law Enforcement unit and the Police force, armed not with swords, but firearms.

"Do you think they will do that?" Violet was surprised by such a prospect.

Countries in the East Asia region had been in peace with each other for many decades. Japan's Self-Defense Forces had never been mobilized ever since the fifties during the Korean War. The rank of the Japan Self-Defense Forces was only two hundred thousand strong and was mostly tasked with local peacekeeping missions. The real military missions in Japan were carried out by the Americans. Years of peace and prosperity had made most Japanese citizens forget the existence of their military.

"It's very likely. We need to be prepared." Red Sparrow said with a solemn face.

She was a super soldier in the Special Case Department in China and knew how the militaries worked around the world. She knew that the Japanese military—however small it was— had never stopped sharpening its skills and modernizing its equipment. If Chen Fan finally got on the nerves of the leaders of Japan, they would not hesitate a second to use the force at their disposal. Chen Fan was a powerful man, but no man could survive the attack of a fully armed army.

Chen Fan and Takemiya Hiro's battle had destroyed half of the Tokyo Tower, but any missile could have completely wiped Tokyo Tower off the map.

"It's also likely that Mitsui Yuto was simply bluffing. Japanese leaders were not as conspicuous as the American. Zeus had to kill an American General stationed in the Philippines, for the US government to mobilize all the American forces stationed in the pacific region to capture him." Red Sparrow put in.

"I think the most likely reaction of the Japanese Government is to send a Law enforcement unit after you. There is a special unit under the Japanese military called the Harikēn, despite its small size of merely a hundred men, it is one of the most well equipped and well-drilled forces in Japan. They served a very specific purpose in Japan: to keep the Grandmasters in check."

Red Sparrow was very familiar with the Special Law enforcement units all around the world.

To her surprise, the threat of the Huriken Unit didn't have even the slightest effect on Chen Fan. He shook his head and said: "I still have some other matters to attend to. I can't leave yet."

"What are your other businesses? Takemiya Hiro is dead, who else could you be going after?" Red Sparrow was taken aback at first, but suddenly, she remembered something. She rounded her eyes in disbelief and asked: "Are you still thinking of going after those shrines?"

"Are you crazy? What you did to Susano Shrine has already stirred the ire of the entire Japanese Martial arts world. If you keep pressing on and destroy more shrines, they will finally retaliate with full force."

Red Sparrow stomped the ground as she complained.

"Oh, how did you know my plan?" Chen Fan asked, slightly surprised.

"Humph! Do you think you are the first one who had vied for the power in the shrines? Mind you that those shrines have existed over hundreds of years." Red Sparrow grunted and said

"Countless Overlords who dreamed of reaching the Immortal State attempted to steal, or rob those shrines of their secrets about immortality. However, each one of these shrines was deep-rooted in the Japanese power matrix and was well connected with all the powerful forces in Japan. You have alarmed those forces by destroying one shrine, they would not let you so much as touch another. The leaders of the nation will get involved and things will become messy."

Despite Red Sparrow's warning, Chen Fan didn't change his mind.

The six shrines in Japan looked as tantalizing as a slab of meat would to a hungry wolf.

One Immortal Guardian might not be enough to awaken the full potential of the Summoning Flute of Demon God, but six Immortal Guardians would definitely do. Chen Fan wouldn't even need to get his hands dirty and could let the Immortal Guardians do his bidding. Such was the power of these Immortal Guardians, that they could easily rip an Immortal State cultivator into pieces.

Red Sparrow's face was contorted by anger after her words bounced off of Chen Fan's stubborn mind. Her chest moved up and down as she took a deep breath to calm herself, making her bosom seem even fuller than it already was.

"Master, many family lords from Tokyo and Chinese Martial Artists also wanted your audience." Violet opened a notebook with pages of names.

Chen Fan had killed Takemiya Hiro, he was the man of the hour, the new rising force in Japan.

Although Japan's high-level leaders wanted Chen Fan out of their territory as quickly as possible, the Japanese citizens were enamored by Chen Fan's strength and wanted him to stay so that they could know him better.

People such as Mitsui Yuto would never talk to Chen Fan as he did with such arrogance without the full support of the national leaders. Even a Kendo Master deserved an ordinary citizen's utmost veneration, much less the one who had killed a Sword Sage.

"Oh? Who are they?" Chen Fan asked airily.

"Leaders of Mitsubishi, Sharp, Sony, Astellas Pharma, Taōtsuka Pharma, and many other large corporations." Violet readout aloud a slew of names.

Chen Fan reckoned that the link between large corporations and the Martial arts world in Japan was much tighter than that in China.

However, Chen Fan was not surprised by his discovery. The Chinese government had a tight control in nearly every aspect of its citizens' lives, stability and control was their ultimate goal. It was not in their interest to see an alliance between the martial artists and the businessmen since it would make managing either one of them difficult.

However, the Japanese government had a much looser grip on things in Japan and mega-corporations had taken up that power vacuum and dominated the land. In order to remain in power, they needed help from Martial artists, thus forging an alliance between the two. Grandmasters also had a much higher social status in Japan than in China.

When Violent finally finished reading the names of the visitors, Chen Fan realized that most of them were here because of the Vitality Serum.

After Violet finished reading the list of Japanese guests, she went on to the Chinese guests. Suddenly, Chen Fan heard a familiar name.

"Wait, did you say Qi Dongsheng?"

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and mulled over the name. Wasn't that Qi Wangsun's father? Why was he in Japan wanting to see me?

"Yes, Qi Dongsheng. Owner of the Dong Sheng Group at the Northern Sea Bay. He is a friend of Lin Tai, founder of the largest Chinese Martial arts Dojo in Japan. The message was sent by Lin Tai as well on behalf of Qi Dongsheng."

"I know of him. He is a Chinese Grandmaster who lived in Tokyo. I heard he is related to the Lin family of Southeastern China. Technically, he is the uncle of Lin Tatian who you have killed." Red Sparrow said slowly.

Chen Fan was not surprised at all that the Special Case Department knew qbout his murder of Lin Tatian. The Special Case Departments were in the business of knowing things.

"Master, are you going to meet them?" Violet asked softly.

"I will be fine."

Chen Fan shook his head and then sighed.

Chen Fan didn't know why Qi Dongsheng wanted to see him and neither did he care. He is a friend of his son, not Qi Dongsheng himself. He had helped the Qi family only because of Qi Wangsun.

"We will have to leave Tokyo soon before more visitors come after me." Chen Fan heaved a sigh and said.

Red Sparrow nodded.

Chen Fan was the most popular man in Japan right now and countless martial artists from all over the world flocked to Japan in order to meet the most powerful man in East Asia. As long as Chen Fan still carried this title, he was a walking beacon in the night that attracts everyone's attention.

"Violet, get the tickets ready, we will head back to Kyushu right away. I will stop by Kyushu Shrine on the way. After that, we will have to act quickly. Hopefully, I can get rid of one or two more Shrines before the Japanese government notices." Chen Fan rose to his feet and started off.

"As you wish." Violet paused a second and then replied.

Red Sparrow gazed at the back of Violet and thought of saying something to her, but then she thought better of it.

Red Sparrow and Chen Fan took a train to Kyushu instead of a plane in order to avoid the stringent checkpoints at the airport. They traveled with fake documents. Violet had left a bit earlier than them on a different train but to the same destination.

It was close to the new year and most Japanese people were staying home with their families. As a result, the train was nearly empty and only tourists from China and Korea filled the spots here and there.

"Excuse me."

A familiar voice wrenched Chen Fan's mind out of his meditation. He then saw Ai Jinqi standing next to him, dragging a suitcase behind.

Ai Jinqi's face lit up with glee as soon as she saw Chen Fan.

"We meet again?"

"Yea, I am on my way to Kyushu. Are you taking your flight from Fukuoka back home?"

She asked Chen Fan, but her eyes wandered to Red Sparrow. Every time she met Chen Fan, he was always accompanied by a gorgeous face. Yukishiro Sa, Violet and now it was Red Sparrow. Ai Jinqi felt a bitterness rise inside of her.

Ren Hao looked at Chen Fan with complicated emotions flickering in his eyes.

He had thought Chen Fan was just another Chinese tourist, but he turned out to be a mighty figure, so much so that even Mitsui Yuto had to wait patiently for him at the bottom of the Tokyo Tower.

Right after they left the Tokyo Tower as instructed by Chen Fan, they heard a loud crash and saw a section of the tower fall down. Ren Hao had suspected that it had something to do with Chen Fan, but he would have never guessed the tower collapsed because of Chen Fan and Takemiya Hiro's battle.

"Thank you for your warning the other day. Did you know that the Tokyo Tower collapsed on that day? I heard it was aliens." Ai Jinqi sat beside Chen Fan and already started prattling.

"Aliens?"

Red Sparrow chortled.

She looked at Chen Fan as if he was a sly trickster.

Chen Fan let out a wry smile. Soon the train was on its way, many people came over to Ai Jinqia to say hi to her.

It was evident that the social butterfly had made a lot of friends.

Chen Fan soon learned that some of the Chinese tourists were traveling in a group. They were all from Zhong Hai and were on their way to Kyushu and then heading back home.

Many of the tourists gave Chen Fan a curious look and some even asked Ai Jinqi if Chen Fan was her boyfriend, to which Ai Jinqi replied with a silent blush.

The train quickly arrived at the Shikoku area. Suddenly, Chen Fan's face became taut as he registered something was amiss. Then the lights on the train went out as if the train had taken them through the gate of hell.

A jarring and sharp voice came up in everyone's mind.

"Chen Beixuan, come out and die!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 369: Gathering of Demon Gods

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The people on the train were startled by the strange voice in their heads. The crowd became struck with fear and surprise.

"What was that noise?"

"Yea, I heard it as well. It sounded as if it was in my head."

"It was calling out for Chen Beixuan. Who is Chen Beixuan? Do we have a Chen Beixuan among us?"

People murmured to each other perplexedly. They wondered why the voice seemed right in their heads but everyone on the train seemed to have heard it.

Soon, someone's panicked scream shot throughout the train.

They noticed the light outside the windows dimmed as if the night had suddenly dawned upon them. Why did the sky suddenly become so dark while it was still noon?

"Shit! Is it some kind of supernatural phenomenon?"

"Are we on The Midnight Meat Train?"

"Mom, I want my mom."

The train was suddenly filled with a cacophony of Kids' crying, women's screaming, and men's nervous pep talk that verged on a mental break down. The dim light became the passenger's only defense against the darkness outside. Without it, the complete darkness would break these passenger's minds one nerve at a time.

Ai Jinqi was terrified by the turn of events. She grabbed hold of Chen Fan's arm as her body trembled uncontrollably. She was raised in a wealthy family and never had seen anything remotely close to this. Ren Hao's legs already gave out and brought him down to the floor.

Even during this moment of distress, Ai Jinqi didn't forget about Chen Fan. She held tightly onto him and managed to ask him with as much calm as she could muster.

"How did that voice know your name? Is it coming after you? Don't leave us, we have a lot of living people here, ghosts should be afraid of us."

Chen Fan cracked a smile after seeing the girl's poor attempt to remain calm. "Don't worry, it is likely just a bunch of lost souls and minor spirits."

Chen Fan's confidence smoothed Ai Jinqi's nerves. However, Ren Hao crawled toward Chen Fan like a scared dog. He screamed as he ran toward Chen Fan.

"He is Chen Beixuan! Those Oni are after him. Don't harm us!"

People scurried away from Chen Fan as soon as they heard Ren Hao's words. Many looked at Chen Fan with shock and disbelief as if Chen Fan was some kind of a monster.

Tears welled in Ai Jinqi's eyes as she saw the other tourists' reactions. She gave Ren Hao a glare which made the young man blush. However, the hint of embarrassment on Ren Hao's face quickly evaporated. His own life was at stake now and he shouldn't feel bad for doing what was best for him.

Suddenly a jarring shriek came up from outside. Everyone peered through the windows and saw a dark shadowy figure floating in the air. Two shining round eyes stared back at the passengers like two pools of molten iron.

The sight of the ghastly shape turned people into a bundle of nerves. They were ordinary people and had never seen anything like this.

Red Sparrow who had sat opposite of Chen Fan glared at the young man.

"He was able to send his voice through soul energy, so whoever he is, he is either Immortal State or another Demon God from Japan."

"I wager it's the so-called Demon God. I wonder how many of them are out there."

"Maybe we should go take a look." Chen Fan said readily and rose to his feet under everyone's watchful eyes.

"What is he going to do? Is he going to meet those Demons out there?"

Everyone gave Chen Fan a long stare with complicated feelings. Ai Jinqi squeezed his hand and was not willing to let go. Chen Fan smiled slightly and then said, almost like an older brother to a younger sister; "Don't be afraid, I will catch these little demons for you."

Everyone thought Chen Fan was making a sick joke and even Ai Jinqi replied with a cringing smile that verged on crying. She watched as Chen Fan jumped up from the ground as a beam of azure light shot through the ceiling of the train cart. Then Red Sparrow also sprung into action and disappeared behind the hole on the ceiling by turning herself into a trail of fire.

Everyone was shocked by the incredible sight.

"Are they immortals from the legends?"

Someone stammered.

Ai Jinqi sat motionless, her mind blank.

Memories of her past encounter with Chen Fan suddenly came back to her and she was finally able to put two and two together. She had met Chen Fan at the Susano Shrine and the Susano Shrine was destroyed soon after she had left. Then, she met Chen Fan again under the Tokyo Tower, and right after she exited the park following Chen Fan's advice, the Tokyo Tower collapsed, allegedly it was the work the aliens.

Ai Jinqi had thought those were mere coincidences, but it suddenly dawned upon her that Chen Fan had caused all of this.

"Who is he? Why does he have such magical power?" Ai Jinqi pondered on.

She conceded that all her presumptions about Chen Fan were wrong. Although she had no clue who Chen Fan was, her instinct told her that the answer was much more shocking even than her wildest imagination.

Ren Hao slumped on the ground, gaping with fear and remorse.

If he knew Chen Fan wielded such unthinkable abilities, he would never throw him under the bus. Now he had pissed Chen Fan off and Ren Hao couldn't bring himself to imagine what would happen to him after he had dealt with the Demons outside.

Ren Hao had never felt so regretful before. He started to register unfriendly stares and belligerent glances all around him.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had already made it to the top of the rail cart.

The train conductor had slowed down the speed of the train due to the sudden appearance of darkness. Chen Fan looked ahead and behind the train and saw it was surrounded by an impenetrable dark mist that completely blocked out the sun. Amidst the dark mist was countless wretched spirits and vile demons swimming around each other. Their eyes were large red unblinking holes that shined a very eerie light from within. A cold gust came up, sweeping across the sky with sharp, agonizing shrieks. Chen Fan had seen a similar procession of spirits and demons in the art of the Young Lord of the Ghost Witch Sect, but this was on another level of deadliness.

These apparitions were ancient and held deep grudges toward the living. Many of them had wondered the line between living and dead for a hundred or so years.

Some of them were still dressed in the old fashion way with the Edo period styles.

"What's going on?" Red Sparrow pulled herself over the ledge and came abreast with Chen Fan. She asked in a solemn voice.

"The dark mist had stretched as far as a few thousand kilometers from here. Sunshine is just on the other side. It seemed to be the work of a Dharma Artifact. These Ghosts wouldn't be able to show up without the protection of an Artifact." Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and said lightly.

He had since projected his Divine Will as far as five kilometers away from him and got a handle on what was going on. He was not at all affected by the ghastly apparitions and jarring screaming around him.

"This is the Dark Sky Curtain from the Ise Grand Shrine. Legend has it that a grand Kannushi from Ise Grand Shrine had refined this vile artifact using the western art of alchemy. It could not only unleash ghosts into the world but also could be used as a vehicle for the Demon God." Red Sparrow explained.

As soon as she finished talking, a Demon God with three heads and six arms appeared in the darkness. Its hulking frame filled up the space between the ground and the sky. Each one of his six arms wielded a different kind of Dharma Artifact, making his appearance resemble that of a Dharmapala, the protector of the buddha.

"That's the Six-Armed Demon God from Shrine of Hell King"

Red Sparrow's face changed color a bit and then said.

"Chen Beixuan, I have heard so much about you." The soul energy roiled about the Six-Armed Demon God like the waves on the ocean. He fixed his gaze on Chen Beixuan, and didn't spare Red Sparrow any attention.

He was a Demon God and the only person who was worthy of his attention was Chen Fan. Chen Fan had killed Lord Susano, and Takemiya Hiro, so the Demon God treated him as equal, the same could not be said about Red Sparrow.

Suddenly, another shadowy figure emerged out of the dark mist. His body was wrapped in a tangle of vines. Its skin was darker than its surroundings and even the mist under its feet turned into a poll of black ichor. His appearance was similar to a hellish ghoul.

"Lord Yamamizuki from the Yamamizuki Shrine."

Red Sparrow announced. Her face turned sour.

"Chen Beixuan, are you scared?" Lord Yamamizuki asked in a high pitch screech.

"Yamamizuki, Chen Beixuan is the strongest man of East Asia, a powerful Immortal State warrior. He is not afraid of your meager power." Another voice came up from behind Lord Yamamizuki

Chen Fan saw a man-like creature with the head of a bird and a pair of ugly wings that appeared in the sky. It looked very much like the mythical creature of Karasutengu: The crow dog.

"Lord Karasutengu from the Karasutengu Shrine."

Red Sparrow's face paled.

She had never thought that all three Demon Gods would show up once: Six-Armed Demon God, Lord Yamamizuki, and Lord Karasutengu. She was confident that Chen Fan could handle each one of them individually, and he might be able to handle two if she helped him out, but three at the same time is stretching it too thinly.

The situation quickly escalated, and Red Sparrow quickly gave up the hope of saving the poor souls still trapped on the train.

"Clack-Clank, Clack-Clank."

A wave of wet footsteps came up. A tall and thin figure appeared from the dark corner at the end of the line of train carts. Red Sparrow was taken aback by the appearance of a mortal during this tense moment. When the man was close enough for Red Sparrow to see his face, she was shocked: "Lord Kurome, why are you here?"

Lord Kurome was just an S-Level Overlord, and this battle was way out of his league. Even Red Sparrow could defeat him, much less Chen Fan. Suddenly, an ominous feeling seized her mind.

"You are not a mortal, you are the Demon God Lord Kurome."

Chen Fan cracked a light smile.

Red Sparrow watched as Lord Kurome's eyes started burning with a red glow. He stood quietly as the flying ghosts and spirits bowed to him fearfully.

"Six-Armed Demon God, Lord Karasutengu, Lord Yamamizuki, and Lord Kurome."

Of the six Demon Gods in Japan, one had already been killed by Chen Fan and the other four stood right in front of him. The Demon God of The Ise Grand Shrine was still missing in action but had contributed to the cause by offering his Artifact: Dark Sky Curtain.

They were all after Chen Fan.

"Chen Beixuan, did we surprise you?"

Lord Kurome laughed out loud. There was another voice behind that laughter that belonged to someone, or something much more ancient.

The four demon gods surrounded Chen Fan and started cycling around him. They were all half-step away from Immortal State and were indestructible within the dark mist. Even Takemiya Hiro would be shredded into pieces if he had to face all four of them at once.

Life drained away from Red Sparrow's face. She grabbed hold of Chen Fan's arm like a drowning woman would to the last piece of floating plank. She really thought she was going to die here.

Chen Fan clasped his hands behind his back and stood haughtily.

"Very good. You saved me many trips. I will kill all of you today to charge my Dharma Treasure!"

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 370: Blade of Divine Will

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The Dark Sky Curtain hovered over an area the size of a football stadium. Within the folds of the back curtain was countless howling, snarling, crying, and screaming ghosts. The four Demon Gods stood at four corners of the bleak world like pillars. They had trapped Chen Fan and Red Sparrow in a deadly situation.

Chen Fan was unfazed while confronted by four Overlords who were only half-step away from Immortal State. He linked his hands behind his back and stood proudly. On the contrary, Red Sparrow was scared and started to waver.

Red Sparrow was a super soldier from the Special Case Department in China. However, Red Sparrow was far from a seasoned warrior since China's peace and prosperity meant she hadn't partaken in any tough battles, much less facing four Demon Gods at once. She wagered that even if she was with Azure dragon or Ye Nantian, her fate was sealed.

"These four Demon God presided over their own territory and were not quite at peace with each other. Why did they decide to put down their centuries of bad blood and gang up on Chen Beixuan?"

Red Sparrow's mind raced.

Most people with high-level clearance would be familiar with the secrets of Japan's six shrines. Each of them hosted a Demon God who used to be Immortal State cultivators a long time ago. However, they had been fighting against each other for so long that they might not even remember why they were still fighting. They were harmless most of the time since they were too busy fighting against each other, and also because they were confined to their own shrines.

Nothing like what happened today had ever happened. For these Demon Gods to come out at once required the Divine Artifact "Dark Sky Curtain", these remaining five shrines must have been conspiring against Chen Fan for a long time. But why? Chen Fan hadn't done anything to them. Did they come to avenge their old rival Lord Susano?

Lord Kurome seemed to have registered Red Sparrow's confusion, he grinned and then said: "Chen Beixuan, do you really think that we have no idea of what you are up to?"

"You want to kill me on your way to Shikoku. Yes, I and my peers are not on good terms but this is a matter of life and death for all of us. We have to band together in order to defend ourselves."

Lord Kurome, Karasutengu and Yamamizuki all let out ugly grins.

Having lived hundreds of years had given them enough wisdom to let go of their differences during time of crisis. They quickly forged an alliance to quell Chen Fan before the latter could make a move on them.

"How did they know of our plan?"

Red Sparrow was taken aback.

Many people believed that Chen Fan had entered the Immortal State ever since the fight against Takemiya Hiro and therefore, the rest of the shrines should be of no interest to him. However, these Demon Gods were still able to correctly guess Chen Fan's next move.

"Could it be..." Red Sparrow's face changed colors as she shot a surprised glare at Chen Fan.

"Violet." Chen Fan uttered a name calmly.

Chen Fan and Red Sparrow had traveled under aliases and not even the Japanese Intelligence department knew of Chen Fan's movement. The only other person who knew of his plan was Violet, and she must have snitched to Lord Kurome. Red Sparrow was a patriotic Chinese woman, and therefore she would never help the Japanese.

As soon as Chen Fan spoke the name, he looked to a dark corner and said: "Am I right, Violet?"

From the darkness, a curvy figure emerged. Her hot body was wrapped in a tight black overall. The style of her clothing was a parody of her purple hair, violet eyelashes. She was holding a Kodachi in one hand.

"Lord Chen Beixuan." Violet bowed slightly and greeted Chen Fan.

Red Sparrow's face turned pale and then she hissed at Chen Fan.

"Chen Beixuan! I told you to stay away from this Japanese B-with-an-itch. She was the leader of the Fuji Ninja Clan for god's sake! Don't you know what ninjas are like? They are despicable unscrupulous sons of bitches. I knew you have fallen for the honey trap the moment I saw your stupid gaze on her face."

Chen Fan didn't reply.

Violet lowered her head and said softly.

"Master, regardless of how powerful you are, you will leave for China once you are done here. But I can't. As soon as you are gone, these men behind me will first pick on me and my clan. Plus, Ninjas were never known for our high moral bearing, we only followed the strongest, and sadly, that is not you."

Chen Fan said lightly: "I understand. But how did you remove the spell I cast on you?"

When Violet surrendered to Chen Fan, he had planted a golden flame inside of her to keep her in check and make sure she didn't turn on him.

"The lord at Ise Grand Shrine helped me remove it. That Lord also tasked me to bring the Dark Sky Curtain here to assist the other four Demon Gods." Violet let out a smile. "That Lord I am talking about, he also said that even if you are able to escape the four of them, he will hunt you down and kill you personally."

"Humph!!"

Chen Fan snorted, then a smile broke over his face."Violet, why do you think I disclosed all my plans to you?"

The question caught the attention of the demon gods.

Violet and Red Sparrow were also taken aback by the question.

"I never liked to explain things to others, so why do you think I would go out of my way to tell you everything? I had planted that ball of fire myself, what makes you think that you can get rid of it without me noticing it?" Chen Beixuan narrowed his eyes and asked a few more rhetorical questions with a smirk.

"You have betrayed me, but it's fine. I don't blame you, instead, I have to thank you for bringing all four of them here. You have not only saved me a number of trips, but also lulled these Demon Gods into a false sense of security that they are willing to abandon their home advantage and come to me."

Violet's face turned black as the smile froze on her face.

She had never thought that Chen Fan had already anticipated her betrayal and everything she did was part of his plan.

Red Sparrow was stunned by the turn of events. Did Chen Fan really plan everything? He wanted to use himself as bait to lure all four of the demon gods out? Was he really confident that he could defeat them?

"Don't listen to him. He is bluffing!" Lord Kurome snorted as he locked his smoldering gaze on Chen Beixuan.

"Chen Beixuan, sing whatever song you want, you will die here. You won't be able to escape four of us even if you have reached Immortal State. We have killed immortal state cultivators before, did I tell you that already?"

So saying, he took a step forward and shouted: "NOW!"

Four waves of Soul Energy surged into the dark sky and them plummeted at Chen Fan like four rough waves. Each one of the soul energy pulses was more powerful than that of Takemiya Hiro. The size and volume of the Soul Energy was greater than Chen Fan's, but their quality was inferior.

As the four waves of Soul Energies rushed through Red Sparrow's body, she winced as blood spilled out from her nose. Although she was an Extraordinary one and was as powerful as a top-level Grandmaster, she could not hold herself before these deadly soul energies.

As the soul energy converged toward Chen Fan, the latter stood still like an unwavering rock jutted out from the sea bed. Meanwhile, Red Sparrow was shaking, and nearly fell to the ground a few times.

Such was the power of Demon Gods that they could undo a peak level Grandmaster using just Soul Energy.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and reached out both hands. He then stretched out his fingers like a blooming lotus flower, forming an incredibly delicate Dharma Seal.

"Soul Refining Art, Form!"

Chen Fan shouted as a Divine Light shot out from his eyes. These Divine Lights quickly formed Divine Will and was gaining more solidity by the second. In a blink, they had turned into silvery strands. The energy in the air drew these strands up and quickly wove them into a three meter long blade.

The body of the blade was translucent and incandescent at the same time. The moment the blade was fully formed, an unswerving sense of righteous fury, filled with conviction and ultimate wisdom swept across the space. It threatened to slice open this blasphemous darkness shrouded over the train.

Physical Manifestation of Divine Will

Chen Fan had used the same move to subdue the remanence of Divine Soul inside the golden statue. He had only reached Foundation Establishment level and his Divine Will was not nearly enough to solidify in the real world. However there and then, Chen Fan had reached the Ethereal Enlightenment level and the Devotion Energy inside the golden statue had also enabled him to project his Divine Will as far as five kilometers away. Then and only then, He finally managed to execute this move.

As soon as the Blade of Divine Will appeared, the four demon gods were shocked while Red Sparrow and Violet were still unsure what had happened.

These Demon Gods were Divine Souls, and they were more susceptible to the power of the Blade of Divine Will. Although Divine Will was barely harmful to these Demon Gods, Chen Fan had forged a deadly weapon out of his Divine Will that could easily destroy any Divine Soul.

"Shit, let's move together now!"

Lord Kurome was unnerved by the development and shouted at his peers. He sent out his soul energy like spreading a web. When his soul energy fell on the train, the steel plates on the outside of the train were lacerated by the sharp strands of the web.

Any martial artist who saw his move would be very impressed.

This web was formed by pure soul energy a feat that was unachievable even by Soul Energy Masters. The fact that these Demon Gods could pull it off so easily spoke loudly of their level of attainment.

Red Sparrow's face paled after seeing the overwhelming attack of soul energy swooping down on her. She charged up her energy and immolated herself. However, the flame didn't grant her with any warmth deep inside of her.

Soul Energy was unpredictable and deadly. She was not confident that this protective flame could shield her from the soul energy.

Chen Fan pointed a finger at the silvery long blade and shouted.

"Arise!"

The silvery blade whooshed into the air and broke the confinement of the web with ease. It then started to hack and slash at the web of soul energy, destroying it with incredible efficiency. The Demon Gods doubled down on their soul energy and tried to contain the damage.

Chen Fan pointed a finger again.

"Kill!"

The Blade of Divine Will let out a flash of silvery light as it pierced through the soul energy web with ease. Then It flew out and reached Lord Karasutengu in a blink

Under Violet's incredulous stare, Lord Karasutengu, a hulking figure with terrifying scary winds was hacked into two from the middle.

Chen Fan had killed one of the Demon Gods with only one move.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 371: Kill The Demon Gods

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"This is... Impossible!"

Violet gaped at Chen Fan in disbelief. Karasutengu was a Demon God, a very powerful and ancient one while at it. So powerful was Chen Fan that he could not only fight back while being besieged from all fronts but also land a killing blow on Karasutengu.

Worse yet, Chen Fan had killed his opponent with such ease that he didn't even have to use the Hypersonic punch, and neither did he use the otherworldly art of Moon and Sun. Chen Fan had used only his soul energy.

Demon Gods were all Divine Souls, as a result, they might not measure up to the Immortal State cultivators in terms of divine powers and Martial arts abilities. However, they possessed unmatched soul energy The fact that Chen Fan was able to kill one with his soul energy meant that Chen Fan's level of attainment in soul energy cultivation was much more advanced than a hundred year old Divine Soul.

Violet's shock was shared by everyone else, including, Six-Armed Demon God, Kurome and Yamamizuki.

They had bet their lives on the use of soul energy, thinking it must be superior to Chen Fan. However, they had never thought that Chen Fan was capable of unleashing the terrifying "Blade of Divine Will."

The sight of the unstoppable deadly blade had given the Demon Gods an urgent sense of threat.

"Arrrr!"

A mad and furious roar came up, the severed body of Lord Karasutengu merged together and became one again. Although the power of these Demon Gods was mediocre at best, the most annoying thing about them was their ability to revive themselves. It required repetitive beatings to eventually wear out their revival abilities.

Before Yamamizuki had the time to celebrate the return of his comrade, he sensed something was off.

Many people had seen it too. Despite the fact that both halves of Karasutengu's body had gone together, a silvery groove remained where the two sections met. Try as he might, Karasutengu couldn't remove the line and complete the healing process

"Shoot! That blade was able to permanently harm his Divine Soul."

Lord Kurome shouted in panic.

These Ghost Spirits were made out of Divine Souls and were susceptible to Dharma Artifacts that dealt extra damage to the Divine Soul. Chen Fan's hypersonic punch might be fast, it dealt only physical damage and therefore posed little to no threat to these Demon Gods. However, the fact that Chen Fan's Blade of Divine Will was able to harm Karasutengu's Divine Soul had unnerved these Demon God.

"Let's attack at the same time. We can't let him leave here."

Yamamizuki shouted as a wave of deadly energy emanated from the four Demon Gods.

They had joined forces with the intention to remove a future threat. However, there and then, they found themselves watching each other's backs for survival. They couldn't afford to let Chen Fan get away from this engagement. Only together they might have a chance of striking Chen Fan down. If they had to face Chen Fan one by one, they might as well be dead.

"Bang!"

Six-Armed Demon God attacked.

All six of his arms brandished whatever strange weapons it wielded, there were blades, swords, Sun Disc, Vajra, a shield just to name a few as he closed in toward Chen Fan.

Although this Demon God was formed by a Divine Soul, its weapons were real and powerful dharma artifacts. Each and every one of them was refined by Six-Armed Demon God over hundreds of years and was a deadly force to be reckoned with.

The Dharma Artifacts released waves of powerful energy that surrounded Chen Fan in the middle.

Yamamizuki grumbled as the two green vines wrapped around his arm morphed into two scaly snakes that were a dozen meters long. These snakes' slithered their tongues and they attacked Chen Fan with a great measure of unpredictability

Both snakes were Fey Beasts that Yamamizuki had fed for over hundreds of years. They had extremely durable scales that could withstand the hacking and slashes of blades. Their fangs were filled with deadly poison that was extracted from Yamamizuki's Malic Qi. This venom could not only melt any mortal flesh, but could also erode the soul and spirit of its victim.

Meanwhile, Lights beamed out from Lord Kurome's eyes and came down on Chen Fan.

Although Karasutengu was injured, he also grabbed his golden staff and hacked at Chen Fan from above.

Suddenly, four Demon Gods acted in unison and their motion stirred up a powerful storm. Countless ghost spirits that wandered the darkness started to become agitated as if they were cheering for their champions.

Despite being surrounded, Chen Fan readily called back the Blade of Divine Will, stomped the ground and shouted: "Blade, arise!"

The thirty centimeters-long silvery blade suddenly increased its length and grew to a meter long. Its scintillating body lit up the darkness around it, scaring the evil spirits and drove them scurrying away.

Chen Fan shouted again and the long silvery Blade Auras flew out, it's glowing edge traced a streak and created a long arc in the darkness, like a shooting star. It's Blade Auras rippled across space as it whooshed toward the Six-Armed Demon God.

Even as Six-Armed Demon God steadied a shield before him, Chen Fan's Divine Will had already landed on him. His shield was forged using a cold iron he had found deep in the ocean floor, but it did nothing to stop Chen Fan's attack. The Blade of Divine Will passed through his shield as if it was non existent, and landed on the shoulder of the Six-Armed Demon God. In a blink, the powerful demon god from the Shrine of Hell was also severed in half.

"Arrrr!"

As Six-Armed Demon God fell to the ground, the other three Demon Gods let out angry snarls. Karasutengu flew up and bore down onto Chen Fan using the golden staff. The thick golden staff was made out of hundred-forged Diamond Steel. It weighed a ton and even without Dharmic powers, the weight of the staff could have crushed an armored vehicle.

However, Chen Fan didn't even flinch. He threw a punch at Karasutengu also lazily.

"Kaboom!"

A clap of thunder erupted as if something had exploded.

Chen Fan's punch had broken the hypersonic barrier at the last moment before impact and had pulverized Karasutengu. However, his opponents didn't allow him time to catch a breath as both Lord Kurome and Yamamizuki's attacks came at Chen Fan right after the impact. Two giant green Fey Snakes flew toward Chen Fan with their bloody mouths opened so wide that it was enough to swallow Chen Fan. Meanwhile, the lights shot out from Lord Kurome's eyes were also fast approaching.

Already, these two beams of red light had sliced through the metal shell of the train as it inched closer toward Chen Fan, leaving two black scorched gashes on the metal like the work of laser beams.

Chen Fan was unfazed by the Fey Snakes and had deflected their attacks with a wave of the hand. However, the Lord Kurome's Divine Light was deadly even for Chen Fan's Azure Thearch Longevity Body. Therefore, Chen Fan didn't want to confront the lights directly.

Instead, Chen Fan reached out both hands and traced a circle in the air. Suddenly, a wave of Essence Qi converged toward the circle, forming a shiny and reflective surface that was made out of countless tiny dots of light. It glowed a brilliant light that rivaled the milky way. The Kurome Divine Light refracted off from the shiny surface and was unable to penetrate through.

"Art of the Arcane Light!"

It was art commonly used by Cultivators to observe the alignment of stars in the night sky, however, Chen Fan had put it to a much greater use here.

Seeing the Kurome Divine Light was rendered useless, Lord Kurome panicked a little. Suddenly, Chen Fan shot out a hand and grasped something in the air. A deep rumbling sound approached the battlefield from a distance.

Then a huge glowing hand emerged from the pitch-black sky above and pressed onto Lord Kurome.

The hand was over three-meters in width and it came down at Lord Kurome with incredible force. It was as if a Primordial Heavenly Venerate had used his Heavenly Seal, that the Spirit of a Deity had lived at mount Tai and hurled it into the east ocean; roiling Essence Qi stirred up huge gusts of wind as it came down on Lord Kurome.

Lord Kurome only had enough time to let out a panicked shriek and then hurried to detach his Divine Soul from his body.

Lord Kurome's flesh was immediately squashed by Chen Fan's Connate Grand Qin Na Hand. The force in his attack went through Lord Kurome and pressed the train cart flat against the rail.

How did Chen Fan cause such destruction with a single attack?

Violet and Red Sparrow were stunned by what they saw.

The combined forces of four Demon Gods were annihilated by Chen Fan in a heartbeat. Lord Kurome had permanently lost his host. He had been able to walk under broad daylight thanks to his host, but now, he had to huddle inside the shrine and start from scratch, that was if he could even get out of this battle alive.

"Chen Beixuan, I will make you pay for this!"

Lord Kurome launched into the sky and revealed his true form.

He was an ugly monster with hooves and talons. His black hide was constantly burning, as were his eyes. It looked very different than the traditional depiction of a Japanese Oni, instead, he looked like a demon from the western world.

Kurome opened its mouth to speak, Chen Fan could see the magma was glowing deep in his throat. "I must kill you now for destroying my body. I will set your soul on fire and let you burn for eternity."

"Pathetic."

Chen Fan waved a hand a summoned the Blade of Divine Will. He held it with both hands and hacked, sending a streak of silvery light across the dark sky. It lit up the impenetrable darkness and swirled around Chen Fan.

"Kill!"

Fire spilling out from all places when the silvery blade landed on Lord Kurome. He struggled to block the incoming attack but failed. In the end, the silvery blade sliced Lord Kurome into half.

"Blade, arise!"

Even as Yamamizuki was about to sneak away, the Blade Auras swept across space and caught him from behind. With a pained howl, Yamamizuki was dead. The Blade Auras also caught the two writhing Fey Snakes in the process and despite their deadly venom, both snakes disappeared as soon as they came to contact with the Blade of Blade Auras.

"The third attack!"

Karasutengu had just reformed his body for the second time and was dealt a blow from behind. The blade went through his shoulder, down to his belly, opening him up again. At the edge of the wound was a thin silvery line that prevented the Demon God's body from reforming.

"The fourth attack!"

Chen Fan shouted again and sent the blade flying toward the Six-Armed Demon God who was still struggling to heal the damage of the last blow. The blade went through Six-Armed Demon God's half-formed body and sliced it in half again.

In a blink, Chen Fan had laid low four Demon Gods with four attacks and ended the threat once and for all.

Suddenly, a deadly silence fell over the entire world.

Everyone was stupefied by what they had just seen.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 372: Chen Fan's Trump Card

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Each and every one of the four Demon Gods was a half-step away from Immortal State. They all possessed nearly indestructible bodies. They would be a headache even for real Immortal State Cultivators. Despite the lack of home advantage, the Dark Sky Curtain allowed them to use at least eighty percent of their real strength outside of their shrine, so the combined might of four of them would be a serious threat to even an Immortal State warrior.

However, Chen Fan had defied common sense and killed the four Demon Gods like chopping up some squishy vegetables.

Although the Demon Gods could regenerate their form, Blade of Divine Will had caused permanent damage to their Divine Souls, greatly dampening their power output.

"How come he is so strong?"

Violet's face colored as strong emotions roiled inside of her.

She had seen the battle between Lord Susano and Chen Fan in person. Lord Susano was able to hold himself before Chen Fan's regular attacks and forced Chen Fan to use multiple Hypersonic Punches consecutively in the end.

The drawn-out battle between Chen Fan and Lord Susano had convinced Violet that Chen Fan would not stand a chance when surrounded by four Demon Gods instead of one. However, little did she expect that Chen Fan had another trick up his sleeve: that silvery blade. The blade was able to wound the invincible Demon Gods and hamper their regeneration abilities.

"Why didn't he use this ability during his fight against Lord Susano?" Violet regretted. If she knew Chen Fan was so powerful, she would never double-cross Chen Fan.

It was her conviction that the league of Demon Gods' could defeat Chen Fan that had planted the seed of betrayal.

Unbeknownst to Violet, it was Chen Fan's curiosity about the Demon God's power that had spurred him to use only his physical power during his first fight in Japan. Without doing so, Chen Fan would have ended the life of the Demon God too quickly for him to observe the full extent of their power.

"Chen Beixuan, do you think you can defeat us so easily?"

Lord Kurome's severed body slumped on the ground lifelessly, but his words boomed around everyone's ears. Even the passengers inside the train cart heard his voice.

"Does that mean Brother Chen is winning the battle?"

Ai Jinqi huddled in a corner with a group of girls. She was too scared to watch what was going on outside the train, but the voice spoke to her and everyone seemed to suggest Chen Fan had an upper hand.

Ever since Chen Fan got out of the train cart, they heard jarring and harsh noises of violence above the top of the train cart. From time to time, there was an explosion, so loud that it sounded like the sky had collapsed around their ears. One of the train carts was squashed by a force that smashed into it from above. Luckily, that cart was empty since all the passengers had moved to the first cart. They huddle against each other, trying to find security in numbers.

Ren Hao tried to squeeze in but was deterred by everyone's cold stares.

Everyone had witnessed him throwing Chen Fan under the bus, and therefore no one, not even Ai Jinqi wanted to accept him into the group. He sat alone in the adjacent train cart, reflecting and regretting his foolish act.

If he were given a second chance, Ren Hao swore that he would never speak up against Chen Fan again.

Meanwhile, the four Demon Gods managed to partially reform their body. However, they were unable to close the wounds and had to constantly fight the silver lining around the wounds that threatened to tear their flesh apart. Beleaguered by the wounds, the Demon Gods were unable to unleash their full power.

"What gives you four fools so much audacity to challenge me?" Chen Fan let out a smirk. "I can finish ten of you with one blow."

Chen Fan stabbed a finger on the body of the silvery long blade and made it clink.

The Blade was made out of Divine Will, but it was as solid as any metal. Not only could it easily slice through human flesh, but it could also devour Divine Souls.

The sight of the blade sent a sense of dread into the hearts of the Demon Gods.

Even though the Demon Gods were powerful enough to form a solid web out of their Soul Energy, their web could only hold solidity for a short period of time. On the other hand, the Blade of Divine Will had shown that Chen Fan's cultivation of Divine Will had reached such a high level of attainment that it was beyond anyone's imagination.

Red Sparrow's heart sank to the bottom.

She had seen such power in another old man who she held with the highest regard. No one ever spoke of that old man's name, but he was feared by even large nations. The old man had lived well over a hundred years, but Chen Fan was only twenty. His young age had made his achievement even more jarring.

"Chen Beixuan, we are not done yet."

Karasutengu barked at Chen Fan.

His pupils were darker than the sky above and something moved around inside like rats under a black blanket. He swept out both wings, making himself look all the more similar to the legendary thunder God: Leizhenzi. Karasutengu snarled and then took a large gulp of air.

Currents of Dark Yin Qi were sucked into his gaping mouth as water into the mouth of a feeding whale. Karasutengu's mouth became a sinkhole for Yin Qi as he feasted on it ravenously.

After a while, Karasutengu's body increased in size rapidly.

Three meters, four meters, five... In the end, the Demon God stood ten meters above the ground.

Karasutengu's body erected high into the sky and even the eight-meter long golden staff seemed like a child's toy in his hands. The earth rumbled with each step he took. Unable to bear his weight, train rails snapped under his feet.

Karasutengu made his way to the train cart and the roof of the train reached up to his knee. He looked down from high above and Chen Fan seemed as insignificant as an insect. The large frame seemed to have overshadowed the wound with a silver lining. However, it was still visible on his chest.

"Karasutengu had used his Dharma Form. He is going all in."

Lord Kurome grunted as the red light in his eyes dimmed a little.

It took the Demon Gods hundreds of years to forge their body using Devotion Energy. It was a slow process and the end product needed to be treated with care. Karasutengu had absorbed so much energy that he was risking the solidity of his body. One careless movement of the Yin qi inside of his system would cause an eruption from within his body and permanently fracture his form.

Even if Karasutengu could get away with exploding from inside, he would have to forfeit his current body after the battle and regain another body from scratch. During that time, he would be confined within his shrine.

Therefore, the Dharma Form was the last trick up the Demon Gods' sleeves that they wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary.

"Karasutengu had even committed his Dharma Form to the battle, what are we waiting for? If we don't go all out and deal with Chen Beixuan now, we won't get another chance." Yamamizuki announced. Then he opened his mouth and sucked in the Yin Qi.

Unlike Karasutengu, Yamamizuki's Dharma form was not only larger but also strange.

As he increased inside, his feet and legs turned into tree roots that burrowed themselves into the ground. His body transformed into a dozen meters tall tree with eyes, nose, moving limbs and fingers. That looked like the Ent in the Lord of the Rings.

"I have heard that Yamamizuki used to be a powerful spriggan: a tree spirit. He turned himself into a Divine Soul after he forsook his original body. "

"So they are a dog and a tree. They call themselves Gods?" Chen Fan smiled derisively.

Meanwhile, Lord Kurome and Six-Armed Demon God also revealed their Dharma Form.

Lord Kurome's Dharma Form was a hellish demon, wearing flaming ancient armor that might have belonged to any Shogun of Japan. His round bloody eyes glowed in the darkness, ceaselessly seeking his victim.

The Six-Armed Demon God's Dharma Form was the most interesting. It had three heads and six arms. The three heads each faced a different direction and had different expressions. Red Sparrow quickly pointed out that the six-armed demon god used to be a powerful monk of Vajrayana Buddhism. It was originated from Tibet and the dharma form looked like a spitting image of the Wisdom King: Vidyā-rāja

The four Dharma Forms stood tall like the pillars that support the sky. Lord Kurome walked over the train rail, destroying the train rails and leaving enormous footprints. His shape was so enormous that the top of the train cart only reached his calf. He picked up one cart and held it in his hand as a weapon. Karasutengu had also threw away the golden staff, and chose a dozen meter tall tree that he had just uprooted as his choice of weapon.

Chen Fan and Red Sparrow looked like two tiny and fragile toys before these train-cart-wielding giants.

An immeasurable flood of energy emanated out from these giants that were much more threatening than what they used to be. All four of them were as powerful as Immortal State cultivators now.

"Chen Beixuan, face your doom, but you should also take comfort in the fact that four highly revered Demon Gods have forsaken their bodies in order to deal with you." Lord Kurome droned. His voice was so deep that it sounded like the rumble of distant thunder.

A smile surfaced on Violet's face.

She observed Chen Beixuan carefully and doubted that he would be able to handle four Demon Gods whose power was infinitely close to that of the Immortal State. They might not be able to hold their Dharma Form for too long, but all they needed was a solid blow.

Meanwhile, Red Sparrow's face paled.

These four Demon God, each the size of a building imposed their overbearing presence onto Chen Fan. Chen Fan's Blade of Divine Will was only three meters long and it would be difficult for him to pull off the same damage as he used to.

Red Sparrow finally faltered and was ready to tell Chen Fan to pull back with her.

There was no point in risking their lives while the Demon God's had their burst of power. Once the Dharma Form wore off, they would be severely wounded and have to shrivel up in their shrines to lick their wounds. They would be much easier targets then.

She turned around and was about to call out to Chen Fan, but she watched as Chen Fan fished out a bone flute from a gourd. The bone flute looked ancient, it seemed to have existed when human ancestors still lived in caves.

As soon as Violet saw the bone flute, her smile froze on her face as if she had seen something terrifying.

"So you think you guys are the only ones who still have a card in hand?" Chen Fan said lightly, then he looked to Violet and asked: "Have you forgot to tell them about the Summoning Flute of Demon God?"

So saying, he brought the bone flute to his lips and blew into it.

A droning with an ancient and primordial timbre sounded out. It sounded like the beating of war drums in the forgotten ages that summoned ten thousand Heavenly Soldiers into the eternal battle.

"Kaboom!"

With a loud clap of thunder, a Golden Armor Immortal Guardian appeared out of nowhere.

The Immortal Guardian was five meters tall and donned a golden suit of armor. His mount was a horse of the heavenly breed and his long blade shimmered with golden light. The four Demon Gods looked scraggly and they shriveled up before the righteous presence of the Immortal Guardian.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 373: Did We Win?

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Both Lord Kurome and Yamamizuki were about ten meters in height, but the Immortal Guardian was now about fifteen meters. The long golden blade in his hand was over twenty meters long. He rode on the heavenly horse, basking in his own glory as a brilliant shine emanated from his body.

His mount was about fifteen meters long and was as white as marble. On its back, two wings spread out behind the saddle, making it look like the mount of a real Heavenly General.

This was the Immortal Guardian Chen Fan had created using the Divine Soul of Lord Susano as a surrogate. Chen Fan had named it Immortal Guardian Susano

Immortal Guardian Susano caught everyone's attention. People gaped at him in surprise. Violet rounded her eyes in disbelief. She had seen Immortal Guardian Susano before when he was just the size of a normal human. This time, however, he was over fifteen meters tall, wielding a large halberd while mounting a heavenly horse.

Unknown to Violet, Chen Fan didn't waste any of the energy inside of Susano Shrine that had been accumulating over the hundreds of years. He channeled that energy into the bone flute and refined Immortal Guardian Susano's body and form. He still had some energy left over at the end, so he created the golden halberd and the heavenly horse for the immortal guardian Susano.

"He... he is Susano?"

Lord Kurome said in a shaky voice.

Energy rippled from the Immortal Guardian like the waves of a vast ocean. Every inch of his skin and armor looked more real than the Dharma Form of the Demon Gods. In addition, through his helm, the demon gods noticed that Chen Fan had even preserved Lord Susano's appearance.

Try as they might, Lord Kurome and his peers couldn't figure out how Lord Kurome could have been transformed into such a condition.

Didn't Chen Fan kill Lord Susano?

"It's that bone flute. He calls it Summoning Flute of Demon God. Lord Susano was sucked into the bone flute and was turned into a zombie. He came here to feed you guys to its bone flute. That is why he is here."

The appearance of Lord Susano took the wind out of Violet's sails as she turned into a bundle of nerves.

"I see."

All the Demon Gods nodded as realization dawned on them. They had been wondering why Chen Fan was so obsessed about killing demon gods. Chen Fan was already one of the most powerful men on earth, some people even called him an Immortal State cultivator. Even if he had not reached Immortal State, his previous battles had proven his strength was superior to any Demon God.

Therefore, the Demon Gods were dumbfounded when they learned that Chen Fan wanted to battle with them. They knew they wouldn't stand a chance while facing Chen Fan one on one, so they decided to band together.

"Chen Beixuan, how dare you! This is the utmost disrespect to enslave a Demon God. We won't let you get away with it!" Karasutengu barked at Chen Beixuan.

Lord Kurome, Yamamizuki, and Six-Armed Demon God pulled a hard face. They fixed their glinting eyes onto Chen Fan with deadly intent to kill. It was as if they were glaring at the person who had murdered their father.

These Demon Gods had gotten used to their privilege and seeing one of them suddenly being turned into a slave didn't sit well with them. The humiliation was even worse than death.

The moment Chen Fan revealed Immortal Guardian Susano, he had sent out a message to the other Demon Gods that there would be one party leaving the battlefield alive.

"Humph!!"

Chen Fan snorted and brushed off the Demon God's threat.

He waved a hand and spurred Immortal Guardian Susano to charge out.

The pegasus flapped its powerful wings and took off from the ground with Immortal Guardian on its back. Susano lifted the halberd with both hands and hacked in the air. His movement carried so much force that it threatened to tear open the very fabric of reality.

Karasutengu barked ceaselessly and he charged at Immortal Guardian Susano while brandishing the giant tree trunk.

However, Immortal Guardian Susano was far superior to Karasutengu in terms of strength, speed, and weight. Karasutengu was caught by the golden halberd in a vertical slash with a slight angle and was cut in half.

Immortal Guardian Susano's weapon was formed created by Chen Fan using Devotion Energy. It was able to banish evil and shatter even the existence of gods, perfect weapon against Divine Soul.

Karasutengu fell to the ground and struggled to get up. The pegasus neighed and lifted its forelegs and then stomped on Karasutengu, pinning it on the ground. Immortal Guardian Susano brought the golden halberd to one side and landed a blow on Karasutengu's neck, severing the head right off. After a few more hacks, he had cut off Karasutengu's limbs, but Immortal Guardian Susano didn't stop. After a short while, he had carved Karasutengu up into a dozen pieces, preventing it from reforming again.

Even in his Dharma Form, the Demon God was the plaything of Immortal Guardian Susano.

"Attack, now!"

Lord Kurome commanded. His voice was filled with fear and sorrow. He threw himself at the Immortal guardian.

A light beamed out from his eyes and shot at Golden Armor Immortal Guardian as he lifted another train cart and hurled it at the same target.

Both Yamamizuki, Six-Armed Demon God cheered for Lord Kurome's powerful move. They stomped the ground, making the earth tremble as they charged at the Golden Armor Immortal Guardian.

Being attacked from three directions, Immortal Guardian Susano looked left and right and was not sure which opponent to tackle first.

Powerful as he was, he was fighting all by himself while the Demon Gods were fighting as a team. This meant that Immortal Guardian had to deal with a team of opponents whose combined might be three times more powerful than each one of them. Yamamizuki seized an opportunity and held the Golden Armor Immortal Guardian in a choke hold from behind, dragging him off the pegasus. Six-Armed Demon God was already on his way to smashing the Dharma Artifact down onto the restrained Immortal Guardian.

The blow landed on the Immortal Guardian's armor and thanks to Chen Fan's careful refinement, the armor held up and absorbed the brunt of the force. However, it had been clear to everyone that the three demon gods had the upper hand.

"Do something."

Red Sparrow said face flushed red.

She had no place on the giant's battlefield, so she looked to Chen Fan for help.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then brought out the bone flute. He channeled energy into it and started an art. The war drums started beating again somewhere in the void dimension and its timbre set everyone into an upbeat mood. A trickle of golden inscription flowed out from the bone flute and into the body of the Golden Armor Immortal Guardian.

"Arrrr!"

Golden Armor Immortal Guardian responded to the energy with a snarl as his body increased in size again. In a blink, he was twenty meters tall.

By now, the Demon Gods were only half the size of the Immortal Guardian. Yamamizuki and his peers looked at the Immortal Guardian with a great measure of despair and shock. Golden Armor Immortal Guardian shot out a pair of giant hands at Yamamizuki and held him in a vice-like clamp. Then the Immortal Guardian tore Yamamizuki into half with his bare hands. He quickly dropped Yamamizuki and punched at Lord Kurome right in the face. Lord Kurome's head exploded.

Six-Armed Demon God faltered and was about to spin his tail.

Immortal Guardian grabbed the long halberd and hurled it at the last demon god. The golden halberd traced an arc in the air as a cascade of golden light tumbled from its body. It landed on the Six-Armed Demon God and severed him into half, shattering the thick shield made out of cold iron.

In three simple moves, he had defeated the alliance of three demon gods.

Violet's face paled as the reality set in. Silently, she backed into a dark corner and disappeared. No one other than Chen Fan had noticed her movement. But Chen Fan didn't do anything other than gave her a long glance.

The battle had not ended yet, and the Golden Armor Immortal Guardian still had to finish these demon gods once and for all.

Although these demon gods can constantly regenerate their bodies, they were in no condition to continue the battle after being shredded into pieces so many times.

Realizing that they had lost the battle, the Demon Gods knelt before Chen Fan and begged for their lives. All of them were willing to offer Chen Fan their wealth in exchange for their lives.

Red Sparrow felt the scene almost surreal: the mighty demon gods of Japan kneeling before Chen Fan, begging for their lives. She gave Chen Fan a more careful look and caught a profile view of Chen Fan's statues body and sublime features on his face. The sight melted her guard as a warm and fuzzy feeling rose inside of her.

"Money means nothing to me."

Chen Fan laughed as he brought out the bone flute.

The Summoning Flute of Demon God seemed to be agitated in the presence of the demon gods: It's feeding time.

The sight had terrified the Demon Gods; color and life drained away from their faces. They knew what Chen Fan was going to do next.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

After four explosions, these Demon Gods finally forfeited their Dharma Forms, leaving only their Divine Souls in the form of four dark mists. They thought that by doing so, they could finally escape Chen Fan, but Chen Fan had expected it and was prepared for their reaction from the beginning.

The Summoning Flute of Demon God flew out of Chen Fan's hand and drew in the Divine Souls of the four Demon Gods.

Karasutengu, Six-Armed Demon God, Yamamizuki, and then Lord Kurome; the bone flute devoured their Divine Souls like a hungry wolf, all the while, it was impervious to the heart-wrenching pleading of its victims. After it had consumed all four Divine Soul, the bone flute wobbled back to Chen Fan like a starving man who just had a large feast. Chen Fan was amused by the silliness of the bone flute as he put it back into the Dimension Altering Dharma Treasure.

Red Sparrow was stunned; she checked her eyes in disbelief.

The four deadly Demon Gods were no more. Chen Fan had destroyed five out of six shrines in Japan, and the only one left was Ise Grand Shrine. He alone had done what generations of Grandmasters wanted to do but failed.

"Who is he? Is he a mortal or a god?"

Red Sparrow even started to doubt the reality she was in.

"We won!"

Suddenly, a wave of cheers came up from the train. Violet had taken the Dark Sky Curtain with her while she was sneaking away. Fingers of sunlight found the train and its passengers again. The bright light was a message to the people trapped inside the train: the battle has ended. People came out of the train to cheer for their newfound freedom and sanity.

Ai Jinqi scurried to Chen Fan and batted her eyes at Chen Fan like a little fangirl.

To her, Chen Fan was no longer just a mysterious man, he was also her hero and savior.

"I have been praying for you while you are fighting out there." Ai Jinqi looked up at Chen Fan and said with a blush. Other passengers also came over to Chen Fan and regarded him with warm and respected smiles.

Ren Hao stood far away from the crowd and watched them with bitterness.

He knew that he would never be able to win Ai Jinqi over. He was so insignificant and pathetic compared to Chen Fan. Ren Hao was in no mood for wooing girls, all he wanted to do was to find a place to hide from Chen Fan.

Chen Fan smiled back at the crowd and even as he was about to greet them, he noticed something was fast approaching from above, so he looked up in the sky.

"What is it?"

Everyone was curious.

Chen Fan's face was getting more serious by the second. Red Sparrow also looked up to examine the sky. After a while, she panicked and couldn't believe what she saw.

"Wummm."

It was the whir of helicopter blades. Someone noticed a group of helicopters descended upon them from afar. They approached the group with incredible speed. It wasn't long before people spotted the miniguns hanging over the ledge.

Meanwhile, on the ground, tanks stormed toward the crowd. These were heavy tanks that could easily run over trees and boulders. They crushed anything that was in its way, making loud crunching noises along with the deep droning of the engines. These tanks were equipped with huge cannons that could harvest lives on the battlefield.

In Chen Fan's Divine Sense, he registered thousands of soldiers swarming towards them from all directions. They were the Japan Self-Defense Forces and were armed with deadly special weapons. There was no mistake in the goal of their mission: Kill.

Red Sparrow looked at Chen Fan desperately.

Chen Fan's face became solemn, but a light shined through his eyes and betrayed his excitement.

He could finally put his power to a test against a fully-fledged modern army.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 374: The Real Slaughter

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Although Grandmasters were forces to be reckoned with, their impact on the world had been greatly reduced since the introduction of firearms. Any ordinary man could kill a Martial Artist with a gun and merely a dozen well-armed and well-trained soldiers were able to corner a Grandmaster. Even those who were at the top three spots of the Dark Roll could not face the American Military head-on.

The advancement of modern technology had made modern military weapons extremely deadly. However strong a Martial Artist was, he could be laid low by a high caliber bullet, so would Grandmasters under Cannon fire. Those were just the regular arms, not to mention the superweapons, such as nuclear bombs. Therefore, no Grandmaster, let it be those in China or Kendo Grandmasters in japan had the audacity to challenge the authority of a nation.

The more powerful a Martial Artist was, the more fear they had toward superpowers on this planet.

The dignity and integrity of a nation were backed by military might. The progress of the modern military had far exceeded anyone's imagination. Not even an Immortal State cultivator could have withstood a direct hit from a ballistic missile.

"That's the fourteenth Brigade stationed at Zentsuji." Red Sparrow said with a pale face.

A brigade in Japan was usually four thousand strong. Its arsenal included a hundred tanks and armored vehicles, a few dozen armed helicopters, not to mention various field cannons. Although the Japan Self-Defense Forces lacked numbers, they made it up with high-quality weapons that were on par with that of America in terms of quality.

Many tourists turned into bundles of nerves after hearing that it was the Japanese military coming after them.

Most of the tourists were Chinese or Korean who didn't have fond memories of the Japanese military. Many kids already started crying, and everyone looked at Chen Fan for help.

Chen Fan had killed the Demon Gods and expelled the darkness, so he might as well be immortal. It was natural for ordinary people to turn to the strong in the time of stress.

"It looks like all the Fourteenth Brigade has committed every soldier to this mission. There are thousands of them and are all well equipped. Not even a real Immortal State cultivator could have warded them off. I think we should leave now." Red Sparrow heaved a sigh and managed to gather herself and put in.

"You and I can move faster than the helicopter but we need to move now and get out of here before it's too late. They want to pick a fight with us, we won't let them have what they want."

Despite the deadliness of the modern military, most Grandmasters would not choose to confront them directly. Most Grandmasters would sneak into a city and use the citizens as their cover. After all, the military couldn't just barge into a city and started killing.

That was exactly Red Sparrow's plan as well.

Chen Fan could break the hypersonic barrier and therefore the Fourteenth Brigade would never be able to stop him from escaping.

Red Sparrow's words were heard by all the other tourists around her. The promise of being abandoned made them panic.

"What are they going to do if we run away?" Chen Fan scanned the people around him and found many expectant and helpless gazes.

These tourists were from a different country and had no connections in Japan. Chen Fan was their last hope, so Chen Fan couldn't bring himself to abandon them.

Red Sparrow let out a wry smile.

She was a super soldier and was used to thinking in terms of the bigger picture. Therefore, Red Sparrow didn't hesitate at all when she chose Chen Fan over the group of tourists. Chen Fan was the future of the Chinese Martial Arts and was a greater strategic asset than an entire military division in China.

"Plus, it's already too late even if we wanted to leave. Look for yourself." Chen Fan lifted his chin up, gesturing Red Sparrow to look up.

Red Sparrow scanned the sky and noticed three small dots a few thousand meters above the ground. Red Sparrow was startled at first, and then she shouted: "F-15? The Japanese Military had even mobilized the air force?"

The involvement of the Japanese air force meant the situation had gone out of control. Only the officials at the highest level of government could have ordered the mobilization of these expensive machines.

Red Sparrow still had a slight doubt that Fourteenth Brigade happened to be on a military drill. However, the sight of the F-15s confirmed the Japanese military's intention. It was evident that the leaders of Japan had decided to do away with Chen Fan at all costs. It occurred to Red Sparrow that even the assault of the four demon gods was a ruse to slow down Chen Fan and tire him out before they used the real trump cards on him.

Their real trump card is the military force.

They had given their all and attacked Chen Fan with abandon, to strike him down in one fell swoop. No one, not even Grandmasters or Demon Gods could stand in the way of the military's operation.

With that thought in mind, Red Sparrow's face paled even more.

"My speed can reach the speed of sound in short bursts, while these fighter jets can cruise continuously at hypersonic speed. There is no way I can outrun them. Plus, how could I abandon my fellow countrymen?" Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and cracked a smile.

Red Sparrow's face flushed red with anger, she shouted: "Are you crazy? So you are going to take on all of them at once? These are not peasants in the dark ages, they are elite soldiers with modern firearms. "

"The rifles in their hands can fire armor-piercing rounds and one shot was enough to end the life of a Grandmaster. Those mini-guns on the helicopters are able to sever a peak level Transcendent State Warrior in half. Even an Immortal State warrior couldn't survive a direct hit from a missile or field cannons. Those who were ranked at the top three spots of the Dark Roll were able to escape an army of one thousand strong, but there are over four thousand soldiers out there, not to mention the F-15 and tanks. No one in the world could survive their direct aggression."

Red Sparrow's face turned red as she shouted at Chen Fan vehemently.

As an agent in the Chinese Special Case Departments, she knew the full extent of the modern military. The Special Case Departments used to spar with the Chinese military soldiers carrying live ammunition. It turned out that most agents, except for Azure dragon, couldn't defeat ordinary soldiers despite their impressive personal strength. It was the soldier's firearms that had given them a big advantage. Not even a Grandmaster could survive a high caliber round shot at close range. Now Chen Fan had to face an entire brigade of them.

Ai Jinqi and her other friends looked at Chen Fan pleadingly. Someone murmured under his breath.

"Mr. Chen, you should leave here now. We are tourists, I don't think the military would do anything to us."

"Indeed. Leave now, take that girl with you. We will be fine." Ai Jinqi squeezed out a smile as she said. These tourists were appreciative of Chen Fan's help earlier and their conscience couldn't let Chen Beixuan risk his life for them again.

"I will be fine."

Chen Fan took a step toward the armored vehicles coming at him. He then waved at Red Sparrow and said: "Red Sparrow, make sure these people are saved. I will go to greet the Japan Self-Defense Forces."

An azure-colored light came up in Chen Fan's eyes even as he said so. The promise of a battle had made his blood boil.

North Mystic Celestial Lord had traversed across the universe undefeated, never once had he been afraid of any threat.

He was an invincible celestial being, what did an army made up of mortals mean to him?

Red Sparrow was suddenly at a loss. She watched the outline of Chen Fan's body against the flood of armored tanks, many complicated and strong emotions rose inside of her.

She looked at Chen Fan's disappearing image and thought to herself: "Maybe that was what a hero looks like: To achieve the impossible and to think the unthinkable."

Meanwhile, in an ancient manor somewhere in Tokyo.

The Manor consists of many gardens and pavilions with a similar style as those in Wu Zhou, China. Servants wearing Kimonos bustled about in the manor with surprising economy of motion. Some of them kept on glancing toward the main building in the manor where the master of the house resided.

He was one of the most powerful men in Japan, the leader of the Mitsui family, Mitsui Kazuo.

As the man responsible for bringing Mitsui Group back from the brink of bankruptcy, he was a household name in Japan. He had made the Mitsui Group the mega cooperation that it was.

Mitsui Kazuo stood by the window with his hands linked behind his back. Despite his white hair and wizened face, he stood upright like a jack pine.

The current family lord of Mitsui family, Mitsui Yuto lowered his body to the ground fearfully. He had been in this position for over an hour, yet he still dared not to lift his head up and look at the old man.

"Mitsui Yuto, do you know what have you done wrong?"

The old man asked. Despite the raspy timbre, his voice boomed, filling up the room with his assuredness.

"Yes, my lord. I shouldn't have incited the duel between Lord Takemiya and Chen Beixuan. The outcome of the battle had brought shame to the entire Japanese Martial arts community. It had even stirred the Prime Minister." Mitsui Yuto replied as cold sweat streaked across his forehead.

"Humph! However powerful Takemiya Hiro was, he was no wiser than a fool. His life or death wouldn't concern me or the prime minister." Mitsui Kazuo snorted. He turned around and caught Mitsui Yuto with the hook of his glance. "What you have done wrong was to overestimate the power of your martial arts friends."

"Huh?" Mitsui Yuto was taken aback.

"They could laud their personal strength all day long, but at the end of the day, they were still human, just like you and me. If they are really that powerful, why don't they run the world instead of hiding in the darkness like a rat?" Mitsui Kazuo said derisively.

"This planet will forever be controlled by money and political might. We can even make a mountain disappear much less those martial artists."

Mitsui Yuto saw the sense in the old man's words. However, he was still confused. "But what about Chen Beixuan? He is still a very dangerous man. Even the Tokyo Tower was..."

"I have taken you off the case. The prime minister had mobilized the fourteenth brigade and the airforce to capture him. There is no way Chen Beixuan could get away with it."

Mitsui Kazuo waved a hand dismissively as if he had just crushed something as insignificant as an insect.

Mitsui Yuto was stunned by the revelation.

The government had dispatched fighter jets just to catch Chen Beixuan?

However powerful Chen Beixuan was, even with his title as the most powerful man in East Asia, he was no match against the modern military. With that thought in mind, a ball of fire came up in his heart.

"This was the closest definition of power and strength."

"It only took the old man one word to undo the strongest man in East Asia."

"I still have a long way to go in order to catch up with the old man."

So thinking, he bowed even deeper as his respect toward Mitsui Kazuo multiplied.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 375: Under Everyone's Eyes

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The news about the mobilization of the fourteenth brigade had shocked everyone in East Asia.

Japan had less than twenty brigades in total, and so the force dispatched represented a significant portion of the Japanese manpower. Worse, they had also used advanced fighter jets such as F-15. thanks to the Chinese and Korean agents who had been working in Japan, it didn't take long before leaders of all East Asia countries learned of the development.

"What's going on? Why did Japan mobilize so many troops? Is it a drill?"

"I haven't heard any news about their upcoming drill. They ought to inform us if there is one."

"Could it be some kind of emergency?"

Both the Chinese and the Korean Military leaders deliberated the issue and its implications. Countries in East Asia were so tightly connected that one nation's emergency could affect all the counties around it.

As the leader of the Special Case Departments, Director Xiao had a lot of authority in the government. He was the first one to hear about the news. His face flushed red as soon as he realized what was going on. He slammed a fist on the table and cursed: "Damn those Japanese! They must be using their army to deal with Chen Beixuan! They have broken our pact!"

"What? Japan is using the military to deal with Chen Beixuan?"

A few deputy ministers, along with White Tiger and Black Tortoise were all shocked by what they heard.

The last time they heard about a similar military operation was a decade ago. Zeus the Thunder Lord had killed an American general stationed in the Philippines. The American force was able to drive Zeus the Thunder Lord off the island. Since then, Zeus had never appeared in public since he was still on the wanted list of the American government.

He had remained silent even after Chen Fan had taken his spot on the Dark Roll. If not for the fear toward the American forces, the short-tempered Thunder Lord would already have been knocking on Chen Fan's door and asking for a duel.

"There is no one else who would attract the attention of the Japan Self-Defense Forces." Director Xiao shook his head and ordered his subordinate to fetch him a map. He unfurled the large map on the table and pointed to Shikoku.

"Red Sparrow had sent back a message saying Chen Beixuan and she had left Tokyo and were traveling toward Kyushu. So they must be around the Shikoku region right now. That makes sense because the fourteenth brigade is stationed at the Shikoku island. I haven't heard back from Red Sparrow ever since so the transmission must be blocked. Fourteenth Brigade was dispatched as soon as Chen Beixuan left Tokyo, it is not a coincidence."

Deputy Ministers, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise nodded their agreements with a solemn face

They saw the truth in Director Xiao's words. During the time of peace, the Japanese military would never mobilize an entire brigade if there was no pressing threat.

"But they have dispatched the entire fourteenth brigade to deal with Chen Beixuan, you said? Isn't it overkill?" White Tiger scratched his head and asked in confusion.

The other deputy ministers also raised their eyebrows curiously.

"You have underestimated the Japanese's determination to do away with Chen Beixuan." Director Xiao shook his head and said. "The Tokyo Tower was a symbol of Japan. Destroying it would definitely rile up the Japanese government. Red Sparrow had told me that even Mitsui Yuto had sent a stern warning to Chen Beixuan, but Chen Beixuan simply brushed him off. I think the Japanese officials' patience had finally worn out."

"Gosh, that's an entire brigade of 4000 strong. They have gone all in." White Tiger tutted.

"Even Azure dragon had struggled to fend off the attack of a thousand-strong army. I don't think Chen Beixuan would stand a chance this time. I hope he is smart enough to avoid direct confrontation and bug out."

"It's not all that bad. Someone needs to teach Chen Beixuan a lesson. He had become so full of himself ever since he defeated Takemiya Hiro. He has learned that even his power has limits." A Deputy minister said.

No one believed that Chen Fan could hold himself before the fourteenth brigade. His only option was to run away.

History has proven that even the American forces couldn't stop a semi-Immortal State warrior from running away from them.

The Grandmasters' ability to escape any punishment had given them some bargaining chips while dealing with the government, forcing the nation's leaders to tolerate their existence as an inconvenience. If Chen Fan didn't humiliate the Japanese government to such a degree, the leaders of Japan would never use military forces on him. Most counties would tolerate the existence of Grandmasters as long as they were not provoked.

Director Xiao furrowed his brows.

He knew Chen Fan very well and he knew that Chen Fan would not back down despite the danger he was facing. He had a nagging suspicion that Chen Fan was going to duke it out with the Japanese military.

But was that a wise thing to do? Even an Immortal State warrior would think twice before taking on an entire brigade.

Could Chen Beixuan be victorious again?

The battle in Japan quickly caught the attention of leaders from many countries, including Russia, Korea and the United States of America. Many powerful organizations also sent in their agents to collect as much information about the battle as possible.

Ever since the battle between Zeus and the American forces, there hadn't been such a fight for a decade.

Zeus barely managed to escape from the clutches of the Americans, what would happen to Chen Beixuan? Despite the inferior equipment and level of training of the Japan Self-Defense Forces compared to the American forces, the Japan Forces greatly outnumbered their American counterparts who partook in the battle ten years ago against Zeus. Plus, they also had the aid of powerful hypersonic jets.

Meanwhile, many overlords from the Dark World appeared on the CIA's private forum and posted their two cents. Many secret agents from different nations also chimed into the discussion.

"What do you guys think about this? Will Chen Beixuan survive?"

Someone asked.

"Unlikely. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are not weak by any stretch of the imagination. Plus, there is an entire brigade of them." Someone replied within seconds.

"I think Chen Beixuan is going to fight back for a while, and then make his retreat. If he is not careful or too slow, he will be caught by the fighter jets and lose his life."

Another person put in.

A few people replied and agreed with the first two repliers. Among them were mercenaries from the Middle East and West Africa who had dealt with the modern military first hand.

"A few years ago, I was on a mission in Afghanistan. I have seen an S-Level Overlord being murdered by an Apache Helicopter. Before that, that S-Level Overlord had killed over seventy American troops. When he first saw the helicopter, he was so confident that he could take on the machine. Well, he had paid the ultimate price for that lesson."

"Just so. The Japanese Helicopters are no less powerful than the American ones. If I were Chen Beixuan, I would bug out right now and hide in a big city. The Japan Self-Defense Forces wouldn't barge into a city with tanks and helicopters, would they? Chen Beixuan should bring his enemy to his own battleground where he holds the advantage, not the other way around." Someone replied, offering his suggestion for Chen Beixuan.

Of all the users active on the forum, no one believed that Chen Fan stood a chance against the military.

Ever since the invention of guns, the Martial Artists and Overlords' power had been greatly diminished. Since World War two, most Immortal State Warriors had lived in seclusion and scarcely dared to show up in public for many reasons, and their fear of modern weaponry was one of them.

"What if Chen Beixuan emerges victorious in the end?"

Someone asked.

"Are you kidding me? If that happens, I will jump off a cliff!"

"That's impossible. Even an Immortal Level Overlord has to think twice before taking on such a large force with advanced weaponry."

"The OP is such a noob. What a dumb question! The American military had killed Immortal Level Overlords before, what makes Chen Beixuan so different than the others?"

The question quickly attracted many negative comments.

In the end, the user Observer replied: "If Chen Beixuan could subjugate the Japanese force, he will be a living legend of our time and the most powerful Immortal Level Overlord."

Then the entire forum went silent.

Although most martial arts and Extraordinary Ones didn't believe in Chen Fan's victory, they cheered for him nonetheless.

The dark world had been living in constant threat from the world's major nations' military forces for too long. CIA had made the Dark Roll and they didn't even have to worry about any repercussions for exposing so much personal details about these powerful warriors. No one, not even those at the top of the rank dared to mess with the CIA.

"I hope he would win, but the chances are very slim."

Many people lamented.

At this moment, all eyes are focused on this little island in Japan called Shikoku.

They watched as Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and sauntered toward the fourteenth brigade.

The chain wheels of the armored vehicle had kicked up clouds of dust. They mixed with plumes of black exhaust tainting the sky a deadly grey.

Chen Fan looked as insignificant and fragile as an ant.

Five kilometers, four kilometers, three...

As the army approached, Chen Fan could see those soldier's faces clearly. Meanwhile, a few AH-1 helicopters had descended on Chen Fan from above. These AH-1 helicopters were equipped with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, as well as M197 Electric Gatling-type cannons.

These Gatling-type cannons used armor-piercing shells that could easily melt the armor of a tank, hence its nickname: The Tank Slayer. It was a few magnitudes more powerful than ordinary rifles. Its shells were longer than an average human's hand and packed even more deadliness than an attack from a Peak Level Grandmaster.

If one of these shells caught a Grandmaster as powerful as Lei Qianjue, it could outright sever the body in half regardless of their level of attainment in Physique Refinement.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The AH-1 Cobra fired at Chen Fan from a kilometer away. It was evident that they had gotten the order to shoot on sight.

The Gatling-type cannon spun and started spitting out venomous fire, raining deadly shells onto Chen Fan as the Grim Reaper swinging his enormous scythe to harvest souls.

The deadly volley tore through trees, houses and even boulders, creating a barren path on the ground. Soon a few more helicopters joined in, and suddenly, the sky was lit up by the fire-spitting out from half a dozen helicopters. A deadly web of bullets combed the land as the pilots were in search of their target.

Amidst the flying rocks and tree branches, Chen Fan finally made a move.

Under everyone's shocked eyes, Chen Fan launched himself into the air and flew into the sky like a soaring dragon.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 376: Shattered The Army

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

With his Azure Thearch Longevity Body, Chen Fan could spring up more than ten times higher than a normal human. Everyone watched in disbelief as his body kept on rising.

Ten meters, twenty meters, thirty... In the end, Chen Fan had reached nearly a hundred meters above the ground.

"Oh my gosh!"

The pilot of the AH-1 Cobra gaped at Chen Fan who had jumped a hundred meters tall. That was almost as high as a thirty-story skyscraper. No normal human could have jumped so high. Chen Fan was able to pull it off because he had used his True Essence.

Chen Fan's display of power stunned the soldiers of the fourteenth brigade. Their commander had warned them about the dangerous nature of Chen Fan, but they didn't believe the mission briefing until they saw Chen Fan's superpower in person.

He was a freak, a super-powerful freak.

Hovering at a hundred metres above the ground, Chen Fan was at the same altitude as the AH-1 Cobra helicopters.

Chen Fan surprised everyone again by remaining hovering in the air without falling. It was as if he had landed on an invisible step. He then reached out a hand and closed his fingers.

Suddenly, a two-meter long black javelin appeared in Chen Fan's hand out of nowhere.

Chen Fan squeezed the handle tightly in his hand and bent his body backward, tensing up for a throw. The moment before the javelin left his hand, he looked like a sculpture, his muscles were tense but maintaining harmony with each other.

The time seemed to have stopped, waiting for Chen Fan to release the tension in his body as everyone watched on expectantly.

"Bang!"

Chen Fan finally hurled the javelin out.

The javelin let out a deep boom as it ripped open the air and quickly reached hypersonic speed. A white mist came up around the edge of the javelin and it traced a white line across space. The javelin landed squarely on one of the AH-1 Cobras.

The shell of the helicopter was bulletproof and so was its glass. However, the javelin went through the helicopter as if it was made out of paper.

The javelin pierced into helicopter's shell, through the body of the pilot and then the engine until it was out of the helicopter from the other end.

"Kaboom!"

A loud explosion sounded out in the sky.

It looked as if the Javelin flew out of Chen Fan's hand and landed on the AH-1 Cobra at the same moment. The helicopter turned into a ball of flame, a half dozen or so soldiers on the plane died.

"This is... Impossible!"

People on the ground and in the air were all stupified by the development.

Ai Jinqi covered her mouth to stifle a cry. She couldn't believe her eyes. She had been hiding inside the train cart when Chen Fan dealt with the Demon Gods, but after seeing Chen Fan in action, she was shocked. He had just downed a helicopter that was impossible to land a hit even with a machine gun. What happened here made the girl feel like she was in a dream.

"What kind of freak is he? His attack is more powerful than a bazooka."

Someone exclaimed.

The other helicopters pulled up at the same time as if Chen Fan was snapping at their heels. Thinking they were only dealing with a mortal, these pilots were lulled into a false sense of security and hovered merely a few dozen meters above the ground.

However, Chen Fan's attack had completely caught them off guard. They scrambled to pull up higher in the air, away from harm's way.

Meanwhile, another javelin had appeared in Chen Fan's hand and then he hurled it out again.

"Bang!"

Another ball of fire erupted in the sky.

"Open fire, now! Stop him. Stop him!"

The remaining pilots screamed at each other, but before they could get out of Chen Fan's range, they exploded in the sky like balloons.

"Shooshooooshooo."

A few AH-1 Cobras that hovered a distance away fired missiles from its flank. Although these missiles lacked armor-piercing abilities, they were a perfect area of effect weapon. Every explosion would annihilate all buildings and life within its explosion radius. In a blink, a dozen or so missiles whizzed toward Chen Fan like a shower of deadly blades.

Once detonated, these missiles could cover an area a few thousand square meters wide.

Even Immortal State cultivators would be severely injured by such explosions, much less the Grandmasters.

Saturation attack!

This was a common gambit of the modern military. The Grandmasters' movement was too fast for the military to land a precise blow since he could travel as fast as the speed of the sound. However, that didn't amount to lack of means to attack a Grandmaster. With explosive weapons, as long as the explosion was close to the target, the military could inflict heavy damage.

"Peng! Peng!"

The moment the helicopters fired missiles at Chen Fan, a couple of javelins appeared in both hands of Chen Fan. He hurled both javelins out, creating two more white lines in the air. These two javelins quickly reached hypersonic speed and went through the flying iron monsters.

Two AH-1 Cobras turned and exploded, turning into two blooming flowers of fire.

It had taken Chen Fan less than twenty minutes to destroy four helicopters, while there were only eight helicopters that had arrived at the battlefield.

That means Chen Fan had done away with half of the Fourteenth Brigade's air force.

However, Chen Fan was still unable to avoid the missiles' explosions

Suddenly, a dozen explosions erupted with an almost celebratory quality as if they were fireworks. A powerful shock wave rippled through the air, spitting mangled pieces of metals and steel beads in all directions.

Every missile head is packed with countless steel shards, like buckshot. The explosion sprayed these metal beads, turning them into countless bullets. The shower of tiny bullets was the most effective means of countering soldiers on the ground.

"Yes!"

Soldiers and pilots all cheered for finally landing a solid hit on Chen Fan.

They expected these missiles to turn Chen Fan into a pulp. The remaining helicopters pulled up while the pilots relished their near escape.

That really was a close call.

They had never thought that Chen Fan could have harmed them from a kilometer away. It was as if he could turn himself into a ground-to-air missile. If they knew Chen Fan had such a deadly anti-air capability, they could have sent in the bombers to whittle him down before sending in the choppers.

"Bagayaru! I won't let those reconnaissance units get away with such a mistake. They pitted us against a superman!" The Brigadier General, Tanaka Masakazu shouted hotly.

The battle had already cost him four helicopters. No wonder he was livid about the misleading information he had gotten from the reconnaissance team.

"Did Chen Beixuan die?"

The Japanese soldiers cheered on, Red Sparrow's heart skipped a beat.

She looked to the smoky sky and tried to search Chen Fan among the fire and smoke. Neither Red Sparrow nor Ai Jinqi wanted to see Chen Fan die.

However, they were not hopeful about seeing Chen Fan still alive after being hit by so many missiles.

Even as she was going moan Chen Fan's death, an azure light shot out from the fire. The crowd looked up and saw Chen Fan amidst the smoke. His body emanated an azure-colored glow that made his skin look almost translucent. The azure-colored glow formed an iridescent halo around Chen Fan, making him look like the Moonlight Bodhisattva. Countless steel beads and metal fragments landed on the azure glow and the glow flickered a little but held up.

"He didn't die!"

"Sugoi!"

"I nearly passed out earlier!"

Ai Jinqi and the others let out a cheer as their faces lit up with glee. Chen Fan's survival had given them new hope. Red Sparrow's face also softened and a smile broke over her face.

Meanwhile, the turn of events had shocked all the Japanese. Their smiles froze on their faces as their cheers faded. The helicopter pilots rounded their eyes and shouted at each other in panic. They pulled on their controllers and tried to get out of Chen Fan's range.

"Humph!!"

Chen Fan walked upon an invisible stair and ascended. Another Javelin appeared in his hand and he was ready to down another helicopter.

Suddenly, a booming din came up from the distance.

Chen Fan paused and then scanned the horizon. There was a barely visible grey line extending from the ground coming at him fast. A projectile whizzed past Chen Fan with an ear-piercing shriek. If Chen Fan kept walking, he would walk right into it.

The barely visible line was the trajectory of a cannon shell.

The tanks on the ground finally started firing. After the first shell came a few dozen more arrived. Each and every round shot through the sky, trailing a grey streak behind. These shells can reach as fast as 2000 meters a second, which was five to six times faster than the speed of sound. It was so powerful that it could easily penetrate metals. Not even Chen Fan could reach that speed, so he had to rely on his Divine Sense to predict the trajectory.

Chen Fan was able to maneuver out of the incoming shell's way even when the shell was still a few kilometers away. These tanks fired their huge cannons at Chen Fan as if trying to shoot down a mosquito with a gun. However, they had put enough pressure on Chen Fan so that he couldn't focus on dealing with the three remaining helicopters.

Even as the pilots were about to heave a sigh of relief, they saw Chen Fan plummet down to the ground, creating a large crater in the process, and then with a heavy stomp, he charged out toward the soldiers on the ground. He ran at such a speed that his body had turned into a streak of shimmering Azure light.

Chen Fan was going to take on an army of a few thousand strong all by himself.

He was the paragon of strength and mettle, a reincarnation of the War God!

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 377: One Vs. Four Thousand.

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Fire, fire! Don't let him get near!"

Seeing Chen Fan descending upon the Japan Self-Defense Forces, many army officers panicked and shouted. Many of these men were seasoned soldiers and they had already realized that once Chen Fan breached their defense, he would rip their firing line into shreds.

Chen Fan's charge was very similar to a cavalry charge, it was meant to break their formation and render their weapons ineffective.

The same tactics also applied to modern warfare. As soon as Chen Fan get close enough with the army, the bombers would hesitate to drop bombs on him, fearing injuring any Japanese soldiers. Neither could the tanks nor the field cannons fire at Chen Fan without careful aiming to avoid friendly fire.

A message was sent through the radio to all the Japanese soldiers.

Suddenly, hundreds of soldiers at the front line fired their rifles without even aiming.

The modern rifles had a range of a few kilometers, but the effective range was only a few hundred meters. That being said, a few hundred rifles firing at the same time had created a metal storm and rained death on Chen Fan.

If a Grandmaster such as Lu Tianfen was caught in this violent storm of bullets, he would be killed instantly.

Even someone as powerful as Lei Qianjue or Takemiya Hiro would spin their tails and get out of harm's way. Lord Kurome and his Demon God peers might be able to survive the bullets by regenerating their body, however, even their regeneration abilities had limits. Otherwise, Chen Fan would not be able to destroy their physical form using Hypersonic Punch.

Although bullets were unable to damage the Divine Soul, the Divine Soul itself was also harmless. If Lord Susano decided to solely rely on his soul energy during a battle against the army, he would be exhausted after killing a few hundred soldiers.

However, all it took for Chen Fan's do away with these few thousand soldiers was an aerial attack using Divine Will. That being said Chen Fan hadn't reached the required level of attainment to pull that off. In order to do that, he would have at least reached Immortal Sea State.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Countless bullets struck the azure light emanated from Chen Fan's body.

The Azure light flickered but didn't shatter. The Azure Thearch Longevity Body was the Secret Art of the Five Elements Immortal Sect. It did much more than just offering the user a powerful body. The Azure Thearch Longevity Body that surrounded Chen Fan was much more durable than human flesh and normal rifle bullets would never penetrate through.

Three kilometers, two kilometers, one...

Chen Fan was fast approaching, trailing a smear of bright light behind him. The light was almost iridescent, like that of a rainbow.

The soldiers pulled their triggers and reloaded industriously, but their weapons ineffectiveness finally took the wind out of them. Once Chen Fan reached their formation, their entire squad would be slaughtered.

"Dadada!"

Suddenly, the heavy machine guns on the top of the armored vehicles finally started firing.

These heavy machine guns were much more powerful than their rifle counterparts. It was similar to those Gatling-type cannons on the helicopter in terms of deadliness. The rounds they used had excellent armor-piercing capabilities and could have sheer a man into two halves with ease. Even Grandmasters would be injured gravely should he was shot by these heavy machine guns.

A dozen machine guns fired at once and a dozen or so slithering fiery tongues came out from their barrels.

These M2 Browning .50 Machine Guns attacked Chen Fan from all directions. Although the gunners might not be able to train their guns directly at Chen Fan, they had formed a deadly barrier before Chen Fan, attempting to stop his advance.

"Bang!"

Chen Fan didn't slow down the slightest as he charged right into the web of bullets.

Even the Arcane Energy Bulwark shattered after being struck by a few rounds of bullets. So deadly were these .50 rounds that not even the Arcane Energy Bulwark could sustain too many hits. However, these machine guns bullets were unable to penetrate Chen Fan's second line of defense: the Azure Thearch Longevity Body. The bullets simply bounced off of Chen Fan's skin, making a loud and crisp clinks. A few hundred bullets landed on Chen Fan's body at once, making a cacophony of metal against metal.

Not even machine gun bullets were able to penetrate through Chen Fan's body?

Everyone was shocked after seeing the development. They gaped at Chen Fan as if he was a ghost.

"Oh my god. Is this freak's body makes out of tank's armor?" One Japanese soldier put down his gun and exclaimed.

The other soldiers around him nodded in agreement fearfully.

Those were M2 Browning .50 Machine Guns, their bullets were able to tear through metal sheets, yet, it did nothing to Chen Fan's body.

Some soldiers started to wonder if Chen Fan was the so-called Deity Guardian or the Golden Arhat in legends since no mortal could have been so powerful.

That being said, although those machine gun bullets weren't able to harm Chen Fan, their impact did have an effect on Chen Fan as it hemmed him left and right, forcing him to back down. After a few failed attempts to breach the web of bullets, Chen Fan's patience was wearing thin. He stomped the ground and shouted as his body suddenly broke the hypersonic barrier and rammed through the machine-gun fire, right into the middle of the army's ranks.

"Fire at will! Everyone, including armor vehicles, stop him at any cost."

Tanaka Masakazu shouted commands into the speaker. His bloodshot eyes were filled with desperation like that of a gambler who was about to lose all his chips.

If Chen Fan were able to break the defense, he would kill as many soldiers as there were.

A dozen armored vehicles and tanks swarmed toward Chen Fan from all directions of a campus. Each one of these armored vehicles weighed a dozen tons. They charged toward Chen Fan like unstoppable beasts. Any ordinary mortal would be squashed into a pulp by these steel-clad monsters.

"Bang!"

Chen Fan turned the side of his palm into a blade and hacked at a group of soldiers, killing seven in one fell swoop. He then summoned another gust of wind blades that sliced through a dozen soldiers like slicing through butter. He rained spells and Blade Qi onto the soldiers at will and killed a few hundred of Japanese soldiers in a blink.

Tanaka Masakazu's face was contorted by anger, fire shooting out of his eye.

Finally, the first Armored vehicles had arrived.

The monster rammed into Chen Fan at a speed of a hundred kilometers per hour. It didn't use any of its bells and whistles and tried to run down Chen Fan using its momentum alone. This armored vehicle was the Type 96 Armored Personnel Carrier. It had eight wheels and four axles and was able to easily break through a concrete wall at full speed.

Chen Fan pulled a taut face after he registered the incoming armored vehicle. He stomped the ground and punched.

Suddenly, the sky seemed to have darkened a little.

A wave of explosions came up as the tires of the armored vehicle burst.

Chen Fan's fist landed squarely at the front fender of the armored vehicle.

"KOM!"

The unstoppable charge came to a jarring halt as if the vehicle had hit an invisible wall. The impact packed a force weighing a few dozen tons, but Chen Fan's body was as still as a mountain. The force transferred through his body, to his legs and down into the earth. The ground under Chen Fan's foot caved in under the enormous pressure, making the earth tremble.

The thick metal plate was pressed in where Chen Fan's fist had landed and around the point of impact, a spider web of cracks spiraled out. Chen Fan had punched a hole into the front of the vehicle, where armor was the thickest. The impact sent a shock wave into the vehicle and killing the driver and the gunners in an instant. The force even blew open the back gate of the vehicle and ripped the hanging gate off of the robust iron hinge.

"Oh my god!"

Everyone was shocked by what they saw.

Chen Fan's fist had punched through an armored vehicle.

Everyone felt they were in a dream or a wild story. Despite their utter disbelief and questions about reality, they felt a strong sense of respect toward Chen Fan rising inside.

"Who are we fighting against?"

They wondered in trepidation.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had moved on to his next target deep inside the ranks of the army. Every punch or kick he threw meant the death of at least a dozen professional soldiers. The worst was when he used Dharma Spells such as the wind blades. They tore through the soldiers, leaving a bloody path of severed limbs and bodies. In the end, Chen Fan stopped bothering using Dharma Spells and attacks altogether and simply rammed through the soldiers using his body.

Every impact would send a large number of soldiers back to their maker.

The soldiers never stopped firing back, but their bullets couldn't even make a dent on Chen Fan. Only those tanks and Armored vehicles could slow Chen Fan but only temporarily since they were quickly squashed by Chen Fan's punches.

"Clank!"

Chen Fan launched into the air as an azure light surged in his hand, trailing a streak of azure glow in the air. The Blade Qi scintillated so brilliantly that it looked like it could slice open the very fabric of reality.

An armored vehicle was caught by Chen Fan's attack. The vehicle didn't split into two halves after Chen Fan was already a few dozen paces away. The blade and went through the iron-clad vehicle and killed everyone inside.

Thus it was, Chen Fan's power was unimaginable to these mortals and his savagery knew no bounds.

Tanaka Masakazu held the speaker in his trembling hands and watched the tragedy unfold before him. Countless desperate front line officers shouted at him around his ear through the radio but Tanaka Masakazu had heard none of them. He finally said in a shaky voice: "We are defeated..."

"How is he so powerful? Is he even a human?"

Tanaka Masakazu was not the only one who had been rendered speechless. Everyone around him gaped at the brutal scene in the distance and couldn't form a word. Red Sparrow and Ai Jinqi stood at the top of a train cart and saw an azure light lanced up and plummet into the entire formation of Japanese soldiers.

It wasn't until Chen Fan noticed that there was not a single soldier to be found on the battlefield, that he realized that he had reached the end of the Fourteenth Brigade's column.

He had taken on an army of four thousand strong and won!

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 378: The Military's Defeat

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The formation of the Fourteenth Brigade was a few kilometers in length, yet Chen Fan had plowed through the columns, killing everyone in his way. The arrangement of footsoldiers in a formation hadn't changed much from during ancient times: the stronger soldiers and better-equipped soldiers were placed at the front of the column. Therefore, by the time Chen Fan broke through the front line, he annihilated the squishier units in the middle and the rear. Most soldiers that brought up the rear were defenseless Engineers and Signallers.

"Oh my god!"

One of the pilots in the AH-1 Cobra was stunned by the bloody aftermath. He didn't even notice that his grip on the center stick had loosened.

Unlike the footsoldiers, these pilots had a bird-eye's view over the battleground and could see the situation clearly. They watched as thousands of Japanese soldiers swarmed toward Chen Fan like a horde of ants, Chen Fan charged at them with incredible speed, turning into a wash of azure light that streaked across the land. The azure light melted through the footsoldiers as if it was melting butter.

The scene had reminded the pilots of those legendary warrior generals who could face ten thousand soldiers by himself.

"Incredible, he is a paragon of strength and might!"

Kobayashi Sawano exclaimed.

As the Lieutenant colonel of the fourteenth brigade, he was in charge of the helicopter squad. He was lucky enough to be on one of the helicopters that escaped Chen Fan's attack.

"Sir, what should we do?"

The pilot asked urgently.

The three remaining helicopters had risen to over a thousand meters above the ground. Despite being safe, they lacked any means of striking Chen Fan at such a great distance. The helicopter's arsenal mainly came in two forms: Gatling-type cannon and missiles. It was impossible to even get a visual on Chen Fan at such a distance, much less landing a shot. Missiles were also out of the question since it was more likely to kill their own comrades than Chen Fan.

"Call in air support. We are fighting with an enemy of unrepresented prowess. We are losing our grip on the situation." Kobayashi Sawano ordered with a solemn face. "The army alone wouldn't be able to contain this freak."

The pilots and other soldiers nodded in agreement.

They had reckoned that the battle had already turned into a slaughterhouse with air support. The soldiers on the ground had little to no chance of fighting back. Such was the conundrum facing most modern armies; despite bringing the boots on the ground, taking the brunt of the enemy attack, they rank far below air force and navy on the priority list.

So important was the air superiority that without it, it was almost impossible to achieve victory.

That was also the reason that the American Government could push her weight around on the world stage.

Meanwhile, Ai Jinqi and the other tourists cheered for Chen Fan's victory while standing at the top of a train cart. Chen Fan was their hero, the lone-star that had answered their distress call and fell upon earth to save them. Not even a thousand-strong army could have stopped him.

Red Sparrow allowed herself to cheer with the crowd very briefly before she pondered on the danger that was still lurking.

As a super-soldier from the Special Case Departments, she knew the real strength of the modern military was not in its army, but the air force. Most of the time, it was up to the airforce to dish out as much damage as possible while the army brought up the rear.

"Chen Beixuan had defeated the fourteenth brigade, I bet the Japan Self-Defense Forces will send in their air force now." Red Sparrow thought to herself as she still tried to come to terms with Chen Beixuan's astonishing power. Whichever way she put it, Chen Beixuan's achievement was unbelievable.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces were weak in combat effectiveness due to its smaller size. Its overall power was a far cry from that of China, Rusia, France, and England, much less that of the USA. However, Japanese forces were one of the best equipped in east Asian if not the entire world. Red Sparrow found it unthinkable that Chen Fan was able to utterly defeat the fourteenth brigade.

A nagging thought appeared in Red Sparrow's mind.

She found that Chen Fan was single-handedly rewriting the power dynamic between martial artists and the nations of the world.

If the news about this battle got out, it would shake the entire world including the Dark World. Chen Beixuan's name would instill fear and respect for leaders of all nations around the world.

"However, if he could handle the Japanese air force still remained to be seen"

Red Sparrow thought in her mind.

Having reached the end of the fourteenth brigade's formation, Chen Fan turned around and came after the shattered formation once again.

His attacks had devastated the fourteenth brigade. With the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, Chen Fan waded through the flood of bullets and gracefully evaded shells from Tanks or high caliber armor-piercing rounds.

Once, twice, thrice...

After Chen Fan went in and out of the army formation the seventh time, he had already killed over a thousand soldiers. The heavy casualties took a toll on the fourteenth brigade's morale as their defense line finally collapsed.

Countless Japanese soldiers dropped their guns and turned on their heels. They drove away with the Humvees that they brought here, and soon even the armored vehicles also turned around to catch up with the deserters.

Tanaka Masakazu stood in a movable commander's platform and reflected on the humiliating defeat. He knew that regardless of what would happen to Chen Fan, he and this battle would be remembered as the most humiliating defeat by a foreign force in Japanese history. He would also become the first Lieutenant colonel in Japanese history to desert the battlefield.

"Did we win? Did we?"

Seeing the soldiers of the Fourteenth Brigade running away from the battle, Chinese and Korean tourists cheered at the top of their lungs. Ren Hao stood sulkily by himself in a dark corner, staring stupidly at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan had pulled the rug from under him once again.

The first time he met Chen Fan was on the plane. Chen Fan had only taken him as a flirty rich heir of above-average look trying to strike a spark with Ai Jinqi.

While he met Chen Fan again at the foot of the Tokyo Tower, Ren Hao was stunned when he saw the tycoons of Japan bowed to Chen Fan. He had wondered if Chen Fan was the heir of one of the most powerful families in China. Even then, Ren Hao had already felt a sense of regret. However, it was evident that he didn't learn his lesson.

After he met Chen Fan again on the train, when the Demon Gods named their target, Ren Hao had thrown Chen Fan under the bus readily fearing for his own safety. Little did he know that Chen Fan was as powerful as an immortal in legend and was able to banish the evil spirit. After the battle was over Ren Hao regretted even more than he had ever been.

However, after seeing Chen Fan's ability to crush an entire army, Ren Hao felt much less stressed about Chen Fan.

Chen Fan had proven to be a legendary hero whose deeds were worthy of a song to be sung for generations. A hero like Chen Fan would never bother with someone as insignificant as himself. Therefore, Ren Hao realized that there was no need to be worried about Chen Fan's retribution.

"How could anyone be so strong in real life? This should only happen in superhero movies. Are we in a real-world even?"

Ren Hao couldn't help but question him the reality.

What Chen Fan had done had completely shattered his world view which he held over the last three decades. The thirty years of life which he had tried so hard to build up seemed nothing but a joke.

"Modern army is overrated. "

Chen Fan didn't chase after the deserters. He had finished his test and didn't want to waste any more time on these losers.

"But I wager that this one battle wouldn't paint the whole picture either. After all, the Japan Self-Defense Forces were not even a real military. Their defeat in WW2 had resulted in many international treaties that restricted their military capability. Their military might was peanuts compared to that of China, Rusia, the United States of America and France."

Chen Fan shook his head.

The overall strength of a military laid not only in their advanced weapons but also in the soldier's mettle and spirit. If the Japanese soldiers were battle-hardened veterans, they wouldn't route so easily as they did. The soldiers serviced in Japan Self-Defense Forces were similar to a government worker. They viewed their service the same as an 8 to 4 office job, in other words, military service was their livelihood and therefore, no one was going to risk their lives on the battlefield. In addition, Japan was under American's protection so there wasn't much need for fearless and brave soldiers.

"Huu! Huu!"

Chen Fan breathed heavily.

He had charged into the formation seven times and despite the powerful Azure Thearch Longevity Body that he possessed, he was feeling slightly exhausted. He had to keep on moving while he was within the effective range of armored vehicles and tanks to dodge the shelling.

His body was able to take a few hits from heavy machine guns but as yet no match against a direct hit from field cannons.

Plus, Chen Fan had also spent a lot of energy on his Dharma Spells. Azure Thearch Longevity Body was a Connate Body, therefore, it's power was not limitless. Already, Chen Fan felt that he had already consumed half of his powerful True Essence. Underneath his unscathed appearance, the bullets had made small cracks in his defense aura under his skin.

He had been hit by bullets countless times and his body had to absorb so much trauma that it could have rendered an iron robot into a pile of scrap metal. Azure Thearch Longevity Body had done a really outstanding job protecting Chen Fan, making him last for so long. If Chen Fan reached a higher level of attainment, the Azure Thearch Longevity Body could have protected Chen Fan even during the blast of an atomic bomb.

"Fortunately for me, the fourteenth brigade was the only troup I have to deal with on Shikoku island. Japan Self-Defense Forces really needed more men. If it was the Chinese or American government I had to deal with, there are probably another few brigades that I had to deal with."

Chen Fan heaved a sigh of relief, opening up the pores on his body to absorb Essence Qi from his surroundings in order to recharge his depleted system.

Under everyone's surprised eyes, countless green dot glowed on the trees. They then drifted into the air, floating and converging toward Chen Fan. They surrounded Chen Fan's body in a shimmering green shell.

The Azure Thearch Longevity Body had an excellent recuperation ability. Chen Fan would be ready for action again after a very brief respite.

Suddenly, a jarring shriek came up from a distance.

"Watch out!"

Red Sparrow's face turned pale as she shouted out a warning.

She watched a hypersonic cruise missile fly toward Chen Fan, trailing a white misty tail behind it. It covered half a dozen kilometers in less than a heartbeat and was going to plummet into Chen Fan. Japan Self-Defense Forces had finally given the F-15 the order to strike.

Those fighter jets had locked their targeting radar on Chen Fan while they were a few kilometers away and then fired those hypersonic missiles.

These missiles had enough explosive and kinetic energy to reduce a hundred-meter tall skyscraper into a mountain of rubble. Anyone who got caught within the blast radius would be dead before they knew it.

Red Sparrow's heart caught in her throat. She watched in terror as the missile was about to reach Chen Fan. Chen Fan suddenly opened his eyes when the tip of the warhead was only a hair's breadth away. An azure light surged in his eyes as he backed away, breaking the hypersonic barrier in the process. In a blink, he was already a few dozen meters away from where he had been standing.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 379: Flying Sword Arise

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"Boom!"

A blaring explosion erupted from where Chen Fan was standing, sending out a mushroom cloud that covered a large swath of land. A shock wave followed suit and rippled out into the distance

Chen Fan's body let out an incandescent azure glow. He dashed out of the explosion and gave the three F-15 in the sky a long glance.

Those jets attacked while they were a dozen kilometers away, and was outside the range of his Divine Will. When he finally registered the incoming hypersonic missile attack, it was already too late. He was forced to break the hypersonic barrier in order to get out of the blast radius of the missile.

If he hesitated a second, he would have been hit by the missile.

Even with Azure Thearch Longevity Body, Chen Fan had to be very careful with these powerful modern weapons. One small mistake would cost him dearly.

These Hypersonic missiles can reach a speed a couple of times faster than the speed of sound. It can cover a thousand meters within a second. The range of Chen Fan's Divine Sense was five-kilometer, which means he had only five seconds to react. That being said, once he opened his eyes, he was able to detect any objects ten kilometers away using his Li Fire Golden Eyes. So the situation was not as bad once Chen Fan got to open his eyes.

"They are too far away. My spells wouldn't be able to reach them."

Chen Fan furrowed his brows as he studied the three F-15 circling in the sky about eight kilometers away. Further away were the remaining AH-1 Cobras hovering in the air.

It was evident that these three helicopter pilots had seen him striking down four of their peers using a javelin, so they scarcely dared to get near Chen Fan. That being said, one of the main advantages of the modern military was their ability to see and strike beyond-visual-range.

What did he mean "Beyond-visual-range?"

It was the ability to lock onto foes from as far as ten kilometer away using radar and strike using long missiles. Victims of such attacks were usually caught unwittingly and had little to no time to defend themselves.

Chen Fan was having the same problem to some degree.

Let it be Dharma Spells, Wind blades, FireBall, Thunder Art or any other kind of Dharma Spells, they wouldn't be able to land a blow on a target that was so far away. A Transcendent Grandmaster could project his internal force outward for thirty meters at the most. Even someone as powerful as Takemiya Hiro was only able to extend that range to a hundred meter, a far cry from the ten-kilometer range. Not even an Immortal State cultivator's attack could have reached that range.

It was obvious that those fighter jets knew Chen Fan's conundrum. They didn't rush for another attack, instead, they circled in the air, taking their time to lock on to Chen Fan using their radar.

"Shu!"

Another hypersonic missile shot at Chen Fan. It covered ten-kilometer distance within ten seconds and plummeted toward Chen Fan. This time Chen Fan had more time to react, so he was able to quickly maneuver to a safe distance, away from the missiles' blast.

That being said, it irked Chen Beixuan that the battle had turned out to be so one-sided. He was the North Mystic Celestial Lord, and never had he felt so helpless.

"It's a pity that the javelins I recently created can only reach targets three-kilometers away. Even if I can hurl it as far as ten-kilometer, it would have lost all of its momentum and kinetic energy to be of any use."

Chen Fan furrowed his brows as his mind raced.

He thought he had prepared well by creating those javelins just in case he had to deal with the Japan Self-Defense Forces. However, he had never expected that the Japanese Government would have dispatched Hypersonic fighter jets. These flying monsters were the epitome of advancement in modern military technology. Even an Immortal State cultivator would succumb to its devastating strike.

Zeus the Thunder Lord was forced to run away from Thailand by the same tactics deployed by the American military.

Chen Fan was different than Zeus, in a way that he had many more tricks up his sleeve should he wanted to escape. He had mastered many Arts of Concealment and could easily avoid the detection of the radar. That being said, Chen Fan would not back down from a challenge so easily.

"This was only the reconnaissance team of the air force. Japan Self-Defense Forces had hundreds of fighter jets. If I can't bring the air force to their heels today, they might take it as a sign of weakness and double down on their aggression. Even the American military might intervene by then. So I have to deal with the Japan Self-Defense Forces today and hit it where it hurts."

A light came up in Chen Fan's eyes and he made up his mind to carry on the battle.

He zig-zagged swiftly across the battlefield, avoiding the detection of the fighter jet's radar. Meanwhile, he surveyed the area and quickly found what he was looking for: a small hill in the distance. He used his divine will and send a message to Red Sparrow.

"Leave here with those tourists and head back to China. I am going to lure away these fighter jets."

Chen Fan's voice came up in Red Sparrow's mind.

Chen Beixuan could have taken these tourists hostage, using the Japanese solider's conscience against them. However, he was the North Mystic Celestial Lord, not some pathetic weakling. If he wanted to do away with these fighter jets, he was going to do it by himself.

Red Sparrow paused a second and then gave Chen Fan a long glance.

After quite a bit of convincing, the tourists finally reluctantly agreed to leave the battlefield with Red Sparrow. Even as they started off, Ai Jinqi looked back and cheered for Chen Fan one last time. The Japanese government wouldn't stop these tourists since by doing so, they would anger the Chinese and Korean government unnecessary.

After all the tourists were out of his sight, Chen Fan about turned and ran toward the hill he had seen earlier.

His steps carried so much force that they shook the ground and left a trail of deep footprints. It was difficult to make out his movement as he appeared to be flickering in and out of view. Each flicker would appear a dozen meters or so ahead to the last one. Looking from above, the pilots watched as a wash of azure-colored glow streaked across the land, moving as fast as a few hundred kilometers per hour. Even the fastest car, Bugatti Veyron's speed would pale in comparison.

Nothing could slow Chen Fan down since he could simply hop over any obstructions in his path.

In less than a minute, Chen Fan had covered a distance of a few dozen kilometers.

"He is incredibly fast."

The fighter jet pilots exclaimed. However, there was an anticipation in their voices that made them sound like a cat meowing at a little mouse from a distance.

However fast Chen Fan was, he could not outrun a hypersonic jet. The F-15 could reach a speed of a few kilometers per hour.

"Susu!"

The jets shot out two hypersonic missiles at Chen Fan. The missiles whizzed through the sky, trailing two long white exhausts behind them. They came at Chen Fan from behind him a few kilometers away. Chen Fan heard the incoming missile while he was running. So he launched himself up in the air, a few hundred meters above the ground and evaded the missile's attack. As soon as he landed on the ground, he broke the hypersonic barrier again and darted forward, covering another few hundred meters and dodged the second missile.

"Peng! Peng!"

Two powerful explosions erupted on the ground, creating two balls of fire.

The shock waves and the flame devoured anything and everything within a few dozen meters from where the missiles landed, leaving two large craters on the ground as if two meteoroids had just stuck the land.

The land was barren and no one seemed to be living anywhere near the battlefield. If the area was populated, the Japan Self-Defense Forces would never throw so much firepower at will. The limited condition of which weapons of mass destruction could be deployed had given the Grandmasters an edge in their power struggle with the government. As long as the Grandmasters remain in populated cities, they would be safe from these devastating attacks.

"Huu! Huu!"

After Chen Fan forced his body to break the hypersonic barrier again, he had to slow down a little to catch a breath. The battle against the fourteenth brigade had consumed much of his energy. Then he was forced to deal with these fighter jets without a proper respite, over-spending his energy to move fast across the land and forcing himself to break the hypersonic barrier when necessary. The continuous heavy load on his system started to take a toll on him.

Fortunately, his destination was close.

Chen Fan looked to the hundred-meter all hill before him as a cold light grew brighter in his eyes.

He stomped the ground with one foot and darted forward a few dozen meters, then he launched himself up. In less than ten seconds, Chen Fan had reached the top of the hill.

Chen Fan stood at the peak and looked down at the sprawling flat land beneath him. From here, Chen Fan had a much better view of any movement in the sky.

He could even further extend his vision to a few hundred kilometers away and he found a large group of helicopters were coming toward him. Those must be the main formation of the Fourteenth Brigade's helicopter squad. The one he dealt with before was the vanguard.

Chen Fan wagered that more fighter jets must be on their way as well. The threat of a dozen hypersonic jets, would even drove Chen Fan to give up the battle.

"It's about time to teach them a lesson"

Chen Fan cracked a smile and then brought out the yellow-skinned gourd hitched by his waist.

It was the Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator's Blade Strengthening Gourd that Chen Fan had obtained while he was in Hong Kong. The little gourd floated in the air as if it was as light as a feather.

Chen Fan closed his eyes and reached out both hands, letting the Blade Strengthening Gourd float a few inches directly in front of his face.

"What is he doing?"

A pilot noticed Chen Fan's strange behavior.

Chen Fan had been running away until he reached the top of the hill. Why did he stop there? Isn't he afraid of the missile attacks anymore? The pilots could have trained their missile on Chen Fan even without the help of radar.

"Who cares, fire now and be done with it."

A captain of the team snorted and ordered the other pilots to fire at the same time. Three hypersonic missiles, each with a long white tail, pierced through the clouds and plummeted toward Chen Fan.

It would only take a few seconds for these hypersonic missiles to cover the ten-kilometer distance.

Nine kilometers, eight, seven... the missile was getting close with each passing moment.

The pilots watched the missiles expectantly. Chen Fan remained still, it was as if he had zoned out. If the three missiles were able to hit Chen Fan head-on, there was no chance that Chen Fan could have survived.

"We are going to be promoted, men. We are going to avenge our brothers of the Fourteenth Brigade."

faces were lit up with glee, they cheer for themselves in their mind.

Even as the pilots thought that victory was already within their grasp, Chen Fan suddenly opened his eyes.

"Kaboom!"

An Azure light surged in his eyes as he shot out his divine will, which, at first had reached five kilometers, but quickly spread like a wildfire to ten kilometers and reached those three fighter jets.

"Start!"

Chen Fan shouted and a golden light beamed out from the Blade Strengthening Gourd. A flying sword shimmered inside the beam of light as it flew out of the gourd.

Even the wind stopped the moment the sword emerged out of the gourd.

"Arise!"

Chen Fan started an art and infused his Essence Qi with the flying sword.

The golden flying sword trembled a little as if charging up energy. It pierced through the sky, turning into a blinding golden light. Under everyone's disbelieving eyes, the sword hacked at the incoming missiles and then the fighter jets.

"During the five hundred years of cultivation, only taking my enemies head with a flying sword had offered me conciliation."

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 380: Sword That Soars

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"What was that?"

Pilots of the F-15 asked themselves in their minds. They were too far away to make out anything clearly. All they could see was Chen Fan's body.

Suddenly, a flying sword came out of Chen Fan's gourd.

This incandescent golden flying sword was the only flying sword remained in the Blade Strengthening Gourd. Legend had it that the Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator had nine of such swords and when the used the nine of them at once, he was nearly unstoppable. However, all but one of those nine swords survived Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator. Technically, this sword was only a Nascent Form of a flying sword and had not yet been fully refined.

However, without any other means to reach the enemy ten kilometers away, this flying sword would have to do for now.

"Shu!"

The flying sword shot into the starry sky.

Due to the nascent nature of the flying sword, Chen Fan had to spray a portion of his Vitality Essence out of his mouth onto the body of the sword in order for it to be of any use. After he had done so, his face paled as his own vitality force waned a little.

Vitality Essence Force was one of the cornerstones of cultivation which shouldn't be wasted on just any situation. Consumption of the Vitality Essence Force would greatly hamper the potential for cultivation advancement. Chen Fan had not only committed part of his Vitality Essence Force, but he had also overspent his Divine Will so that he could extend the range of Divine Will to where the fighter jets and helicopters were.

He could guide the flying sword through his Divine Will to unleash destruction onto his enemies, just as those legendary ancient Sword Immortals would.

"Go"

Chen Fan shouted out an ordered. The golden glow lanced up into the sky.

It rammed through three hypersonic missiles in a blink and traced a golden circular circle in the air that surrounded the mountain peak where Chen Fan was. Looking from afar, it was as if a golden rainbow had appeared at the top of the hill.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Those three hypersonic missiles exploded when they were five hundred meters away from Chen Fan and turned into three giant balls of flames. Heat and smoke roiled inside the flame, spilling its energy out in all directions. However, they were not close enough to even sire up the loose fold on Chen Fan's shirt.

"Impossible!"

The pilots of the Japan Self-Defense Forces were stunned by the development.

The hypersonic missiles were hit by something in the air and exploded, how did that happen? Are they in a fantasy movie? Even the American missile defense system couldn't be able to intercept the hypersonic missiles. However, Chen Fan had been standing where motionless all the while. The pilots didn't even see how he shot down those missiles.

After once the missiles were dealt with, the flying sword turned around and charged toward the three F-15 fighter jets. The brilliant golden light emanated from its body pierced through the night sky, making its arced path a golden rainbow

The brilliance of the flying sword was witnessed not only by the pilots in the fighter jets, but also the soldiers in the approaching helicopters.

"Shit, it's coming at us!"

A few pilots shouted in panic.

They pulled up the center-stick, tiring to get to a higher elevation. F-15 was a double-seat heavy fighter jet. The pilot in the front seat was in charge of maneuvering while the one in the rear seat was in charge of firepower.

"Evade, evade! No! It's too fast."

The pilot in the rear seat shouted out a warning, but it was already too late. The flying sword was much faster than most ordinary hypersonic missiles and had covered the ten-kilometer distance in a blink.

Under both the pilot's desperate eyes, the golden light pierced through a fighter jet to its left. Trailing Blade Qi behind it, the golden light sliced through the Titanium armor of the F-15 with ease. It plummeted into the cockpit through the flesh of both pilots and went out from the engine exhaust.

"Kaboom!"

A flower of fire bloomed in the night sky.

No one believed their eyes.

Only in fictional stories, an F-15 could have been destroyed by one single man.

Ever since the conception of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in 2009, it had been lauded as one of the most successful fighter jets ever created. It had never once been strike down in all of its missions, therefore, it was called the "Fighter Jet that may never fall."

However, Chen Fan had just taken that title away from it.

"Oh my god! Who are we fighting exactly?"

Many pilots prayed to whichever god they believed in for their safety. Chen Fan's power had been getting stronger by the second. By now, they felt that they were fighting against some legendary warrior in high tales.

The other two F-15 pulled up higher immediately to get out of harm's way, but the flying sword didn't give them the chance. As soon as it strikes down the first fighter jet, it circled around and plummeted into the second jet.

"KOM!"

Another ball of fire erupted in the sky.

A second later, a third one came up.

Chen Fan and struck down three F-15 in less than ten seconds.

The power in Chen Fan's attack was truly terrifying.

"I am not finished yet. "

Chen Fan shouted and despite his pale face, he started the Flying sword art again. The golden flying sword let out a droning as it whizzed across the sky, somersaulted to turn its head around and then charged toward the helicopter squad.

The helicopter squad consisted of a dozen AH-1 Cobras including three that had survived Chen Fan's initial attack. The Brigadier General of Fourteenth Brigade, Tanaka Masakazu had thought that seven AH-1 Cobras would be more than enough to deal with one man, but after losing half of his air support, he immediately ordered the rest of the helicopters to join the battle.

"Fire at that golden light, NOW!"

Seeing the incoming light, all the helicopter pilots panicked and shouted at the top of their lungs.

The Gatling-type cannons on the helicopter spit out long fiery tongues, trying to stop the flying sword. However, the flying sword came at them with such speed that defied physics and common sense. As soon as the AH-1 Cobras started firing, the sword had already landed a blow on one of the helicopters.

"Bang!"

The AH-1 Cobra was severed in half in the air.

The second, third, fourth... These helicopters were in a tight formation, so the flying sword was able to land hits on multiple targets in a straight column.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The golden light connected a series of fireballs, the bright light of explosions lit up the night sky.

In one fell swoop, the blade had gone through fourteen AH-1 Cobras and killed all the soldiers and pilots in them. Kobayashi Sawano was on one of the fourteen AH-1 Cobras and even before he was devoured by fire, he still couldn't believe what had just happened.

He had never thought that Chen Fan's attack could reach so far away.

"Run, now!"

The rest of the helicopters scrambled to spin their tails and scrambled out of the battlefield without looking back once.

"Come back."

Chen Fan finally called backed the flying sword.

By now, the bright light of the blade had faded, leaving only a hint of a golden glow from its body. Chen Fan could make out the outline of the sword easily now without the blinding light surrounding it. It stumbled a few times in the air as it made its way back to Chen Fan. Should one of the helicopters decided to shoot at the flying sword now, it might be able to strike it down. However, all the rest of the helicopters had had ready scurried away from the battlefield.

Chen Fan had struck down three F-15 and eighteen AH-1 Cobra Helicopters.

Chen fan had struck down more than half of the air support units of the Fourteenth Brigade, it scared away the rest of the forces, making them think twice before coming after Chen Fan.

"Urhh!"

Life and color had ebbed away from Chen Fan's face, robbed it of its brilliant azure glow. He had nearly spent his energy even before using the flying sword. In order to ward off the final wave of attack, he had forced to burn away some of his core energy and spit out a portion of his Vitality Essence Force.

He could recuperate the loss of energy over time, but the lost Essence Qi was gone forever.

Despite the weakened state he was in, he kept his back straight, letting the loose fold of his shirt flap against the wind. A fire burned in his eye with such intensity that spoke loudly of his determination. Even if the Japanese forces came back again, Chen Fan was ready to drive them back again.

As the North Mystic Celestial Lord had put his body under great stress constantly while traversing the beleaguered path of cultivation. Today's small injury simply couldn't compare.

After today's lesson, the Japanese force would think twice before making a move on him.

Many helicopter pilots braved a glance behind them after they were out of harm's way. They saw a figure standing at the top of the hill, linking his hands behind his back. The sight inspired strong reverence inside of them.

"This man is going to be a legend."

Like the ancient hero who had shot down nine suns from the sky, he had struck down twenty-one planes.

Chen Fan had achieved something unthinkable to most ordinary mortals. The Japanese government was going to moan the losses of the soldiers and their expensive machines of war.

Meanwhile, details about the calamity reached the central command office, causing great distress, and chaos.

"Fourteenth Brigade had surrounded the target."

"Target had struck down four AH-1 Cobra. Method unknown."

"Target is charging at the Fourteenth Brigade, Brigadier General ordered open fire."

"Target broke the formation, Brigadier General request help from central command."

"Fourteenth Brigade routed."

The Minister of National Defence grew gloomy after hearing the series of news. A tense mood clung to the air as the rest of the commanding officers stood beside the minister with a long face. None of them dared to speak up.

The Minister of National Defence was the supreme commander during wartime; his authority was only overshadowed by the power of the Prime Minister. All the rest of the commanding officers had to obey his order.

A smile finally broke over Minister of National Defence's face after he heard that the three F-15 had joined the battle and had already gained an upper hand. The mood in the office finally brightened a little.

"Chen Beixuan is a mortal, he is no match against the Air force."

"We have just sent in three F-15, we have over three hundred of them in total. Chen Beixuan's fate is sealed."

"I told you that the army had overestimated his power, didn't I? Whenever they screwed things up, it always fell upon the air force to clean up their mess."

Minister of National Defence cracked a smile as his mood was lightened by the bickering between the officers.

Suddenly, a messenger's voice came up: "Minister, we have received an update. Target struck down all the F-15s as well as fourteen more AH-1 Cobras."

Suddenly, a deadly silence fell over the office as everyone was rendered speechless by the news.

Minister of National Defence's face turned as dark as the bottom of a scorched pot.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 381: Shocking Development in East Asia

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"How is that possible? What did he do to strike down our jets? Did he carry a bazooka? Even if that is the case, he shouldn't be able to strike down three F-15s. We haven't received any intel on weapons coming into Japan from China. Those missiles were not that easy to conceal, if he had brought it over the border, our border security must be able to pick that up."

An air force general asked incredulously with a gloomy face

There were only three hundred f-15s in Japan and three of them were gone beyond salvageable. Those three jets and nearly half of the Fourteenth Brigade's forces were a cost for achieving practically nothing. The handouts to the deceased family alone would have reached billions, much less the following lawsuits.

"Chen Beixuan is a General Major in China, do you think the Chinese government is also behind this?" An army general asked curiously.

No one replied to his question since the answer was too obvious.

Most Man-Portable Air-Defence System could at the most strike down one or two helicopters, they were not intended to be used against fighter jets. In order to strike fighter jets down from the ground, one would need the most advanced anti-air weapons, which required guided missile vehicles, or missile platforms. It was impossible to smuggle those huge apparatus into Japan from China.

Minister of National Defence's face was taut with anger and disbelief. He fixed his gaze on the messenger.

Sweat streaked across the messenger's forehead, he managed to squeeze out a smile and said:

"The front line soldiers said that the jets were struck down by a ray of golden light. It was some kind of guided hypersonic missile. Some soldiers were convinced that that ray of light was the so-called... flying sword in Chinese myth... so I have heard."

"Flying sword?"

The Japanese generals were taken aback.

This name was not unfamiliar to most Japanese people. The Japanese culture was nurtured by its much older Chinese counterpart. They were heavily influenced by the culture of the Chinese Tang dynasty and the Tang Dynasty legends such as the sages and their flying swords were well known to all Japanese.

However, those were high tales, and not even the Chinese believed in those, much less Japanese.

Even Grandmasters could project their Internal Force out over thirty meters at the most. A Perfected one has the unimaginable power of controlling thunder and fire, but even they would not believe in legends such as flying swords.

In order to use a flying sword, one would first need a powerful Divine Soul. Chen Fan wouldn't be able to control the flying sword to strike down the jets and helicopters until he had overcharged the Soul Refining Art to boost his Divine Will. Once those helicopters fled to beyond the range of his Divine Will, Chen Fan wouldn't be able to harm them.

Even though Chen Fan was able to pull it off, he did it with great difficulty. Only when he had reached the Divine Sea level, could he use the powerful flying sword with ease. Chen Fan would never think of using the flying sword if the Japanese didn't send in hypersonic jets.

"Bakayaro! What kind of nonsense is that? We are not reading a Qidian Novel, aren't we?"

A general cursed, holding back the urge to slap the face of the messenger.

Suddenly, someone shouted: "Minister, we have a video recording of what happened there."

"Nani? Turn it on." Minister of National Defence was pleasantly surprised. He came close to the screen with many other generals. Even that angry army general hurried to get a good viewing spot among his peers.

The video was pixelated. It was shot by a pilot of one of the helicopters that had gotten away. In the distance, a smear of golden lights flashed in fits and starts, then three F-15 jets exploded in the air, turning into three balls of fire. The golden light then lanced across the helicopter formation, destroying fourteen helicopters in one fell swoop.

"What?!"

The meeting room became pin-drop quiet after they saw the scene on the screen.

Although no one could tell what that golden light was made out of, it had displayed more maneuverability and deadliness than even the most powerful guided anti-air missiles. It was able to cruise, turn, lock onto a target and accelerate all by itself. Worse, it could be used repeatedly, unlike any missile.

It was evident that this weapon was not from the arsenal of the present time.

Did China invent a revolutionary weapon? It was just a fleeting thought in the mind of Minister of National Defence. He quickly dismissed it.

"Minister, what should we do next?" A general from the air force hazarded

If the Japan Self-Defense Forces failed to bring Chen Fan to heel with an entire brigade and three fighter jets, there is nothing they could really do. After all, they were not even a fully-fledged military force and were only responsible for safeguarding the Japanese islands. If they were the American military, they would have already sent in a squadron of jets to subjugate Chen Fan.

"I will report to prime-minister right away. Don't make any move without my order."

Minister of National Defence weighed his options for a long while and then concluded with a long helpless sigh.

Despite the gloomy expression on their faces, the other generals cherished the fact that they didn't have to deal with Chen Beixuan for a while. None of the generals wanted to deal with dead soldiers and wast expensive equipment under their jurisdiction. The fourteenth brigade had lost twenty-one planes and thousands of soldiers in a matter of half-day, a price no one wanted to pay.

"Sigh"

Seeing the lack of mettle and backbone in the generals, Minister of National Defence sighed in his mind. However, his disappointment was overshadowed by the threat from the Chinese teenager.

Neither he nor the prime minister had expected such an outcome. They had been convinced that once the military got involved, they would be able to do away with Chen Fan with ease.

"What kind of enemy have we made?"

Minister of National Defence grew quieter as a hint of remorse flashed across his face.

He knew that once Chen Beixuan got a chance, he would seek revenge.

Meanwhile, the news of the battle had reached all the governments in East Asia. Korean leaders even held an emergency meeting to brief their president on the matter. Although the incident didn't stir up the same reaction in China as it did in Korea, the Chinese military leaders had a meeting to discuss the implications of the battle.

No one had never thought that an individual could be so powerful that he could take on an entire brigade with powerful air support. Not even those Immortal State cultivators, whose information were top state secrets could have pulled that off, much less ordinary martial artists.

After the battle, Chen Fan had finally become the focus of all leaders around the world.

Meanwhile, inside the secret base under the Kunlun mountain, Director Xiao had been waiting for more details from dusk to midnight. He drew on the cigarette to soothe his thinning patience. On the table next to him, cigarette butts piled in the ashtray.

The deputy directors all held gloomy expressions, scarcely daring to speak a word, fearing the Director's ire.

"Still no news from Shikoku?" Director Xiao lit up another cigarette and asked with furrowed brows.

"Japan Self-Defense Forces have locked that area down and blocked all cell signals. Our agent can't reach us at this moment. We need to wait a bit longer" The deputy director who was in charge of intelligence gathering put in hesitantly.

Director Xiao knew he wouldn't get anything. He asked the question just for the sake of his sanity, lulling himself to think that he was doing something.

He took another drag of the cigarette and knotted his brows even tighter.

Director Xiao was not only worried about Chen Fan, but also Red Sparrow. He had watched as Red Sparrow grew up and had treated her as his own daughter. She followed Chen Fan into the midst of a deadly battle and since then, he hadn't heard from her. Director Xiao didn't think that the Japan Self-Defense Forces would show mercy and spare her life if she was captured. Worse, if the Japanese discovered that she was a secret agent, she would almost certainly be kept as prisoner even without a trail.

That was the standard treatment for secret agents that everyone followed.

When the cigarette had only half left, someone barged into the meeting room and a young man shouted at them with much elation and glee.

"Minister, breaking news from Japan. You won't believe it!"

"What's going on? Mind your manners, solider." Before Director Xiao could reply, a senior Deputy Director chided.

Director Xiao didn't mind the young soldier's manners, he asked hurriedly: "You bring news from Japan? Did Chen Beixuan and Red Sparrow getaway? Are they safe?"

White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and all the other deputy ministers listened attentively.

They would consider Chen Fan and Red Sparrow lucky if they could escape from a four thousand strong army with air support.

"No... I mean. Yes, they are safe. But Chen Beixuan didn't run away. He turned the tables on the Japanese. He killed thousands of soldiers and routed the entire brigade." The young man cheered, waving a piece of telegram message in his hand.

"What?"

The announcement had shocked everyone in the meeting room.

White Tiger had been sitting with his legs crossed, but the shock nearly pitched him out of his chair. Black Tortoise also wrenched his eyes open with disbelief. The deputy directors were all stunned by the news, finding it difficult to come to terms with reality.

Director Xiao was rendered speechless for a long moment. He then murmured to himself: "He did it? Chen Beixuan won the battle? How is that possible? Chen Beixuan had just reached Immortal State, he shouldn't be so powerful as to destroy an entire brigade."

"Xiao Gao, is your source reliable?"

The senior deputy director who had chided the young man was at it again: "We have considered the plausibility of one man taking on an entire army and we know it is impossible. Not even Azure dragon could stand against the hail of bullets. Heavy machine guns can easily rip through his Four Righteousness Protection Aura, so Azure dragon had to resort to a kiting tactic. But that wasn't enough to cause any real damage to the army's formation. That test was done on an army of a thousand soldiers, but Chen Beixuan had to deal with four times that number."

Everyone nodded and looked at Xiao Gao questioningly.

Xiao Gao the messenger flung back at them indignantly: "What I said is real! It got it from my source working at the chief command's office in Japan. Chen Beixuan had charged at the army formation by himself and routed the brigade. No guns, let it be rifles or heavy machines guns could harm him. It was as if his body was made out of steel."

"And..." Xiao Gao paused, letting the suspense hang in the air for a moment

"And what?" The others urged him.

"And Chen Beixuan had struck down eighteen AH-1 Cobras and three F-15 fighter jets." Xiao Gao finally said. A pin-drop silence fell over the meeting room. Everyone looked at each other with fear and shock in their eyes.

The outcome of the battle had astounded all nations in East Asia.

However, the implication of the battle had just started to be felt by the world

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 382: The Battle That Made a God

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The battle between Chen Fan and the Japan Self-Defense Forces just closed its curtain and the implication of this momentous battle had just started to ripple out, affecting more and more people.

Even though the leaders of Japan and the Japan Self-Defense Forces wanted to conceal their defeat, this battle was too big to go unnoticed. It was particularly easy for the Americans to get their hands on the information since they were, in reality, the puppet masters that had a string attached to every aspect of Japanese politics.

After learning the truth, most leaders had kept their silence.

Chen Fan had displayed unimaginable power during this battle. Rifles and machines guns were ineffectual against him, and neither the tanks nor the missiles could land a direct hit on him. He had shot down the helicopters as if they were practice-targets. Worse, he had intercepted three hypersonic missiles, grounded three F-15s, and fourteen AH-1 Cobras.

The final sword attack had let out such destruction that no one had ever seen before.

Those who had got their hands on the footage of the battle had already buried their noses into it, trying to decipher Chen Beixuan's power. All of them were stunned by the deadliness of the golden light—whatever it was, and they were convinced that Chen Beixuan's attack range was ten kilometers. However, how could any weapon land a precise strike on a fast moving target such as Chen Beixuan?

"We would suggest using multiple land missiles, shooting at him from a distance. Use Fuel Air Explosive or even an atom bomb if necessary, to cover as large of an area as possible."

A Lieutenant General proposed during a meeting of leaders from the Northern Division of the Rusian military.

One missile that carried fuel-air explosives could cover an effective area of a few hundred thousand square meters. The neutron bomb was even more terrifying. It was a miniature nuclear bomb and was able to annihilate anything within a few thousand square kilometers.

Although these weapons of mass destruction could pose a threat to Chen Fan, only a few countries such as China, Russia, and America have those weapons.

"We would have to bring out our Railguns or laser cannons in order to land a precise hit on him. He might be fast, but can't be faster than a laser. Failing that, we would have to resort to weapons of mass destruction."

During a conference call of high-level officials and strategists in the American Military, a General proposed the use of laser weapons.

Many officers nodded in agreement.

Unlike many other nations, America had always had an edge in terms of military technology and were the pioneers in laser weapons and railguns. These weapons were still under development, but using them against a powerful single target would be a good opportunity to test their effectiveness.

Laser weapons shot out laser beams that traveled at the speed of light, therefore, speed would not be an issue. However, if the current laser weapon could cause any damage to Chen Beixuan still remained a question.

Meanwhile, the Chinese military-focused their attention on the nature of that glowing flying sword.

"This is a flying sword, so I have heard. Never seen anything like it."

"It acts as a hypersonic missile with great maneuverability. No fighter jets, not even the F22 could have escaped its strike because it's not guided by radar."

"Based on the footage from Japan, we wager that Chen Beixuan would not be able to unleash a second attack. That perhaps was the only saving grace. The flying sword was definitely his gambit that he reserved for the last moment."

A few young strategists deliberated about the recording at a meeting.

The high ranking generals who sat at the head of the table were quiet and gloomy. Chen Fan's power had far exceeded their expectations and worried them deeply.

Worse, Chen Fan was a Chinese citizen who lived in China.

Despite the amicable ties between Chen Beixuan and the Chinese military, if left unchecked, Chen Beixuan's unbridled power would embolden him to flout the government. That being said, the addition of Super Overlord was good news nonetheless.

Over recent years, the United States of America had been pinning China under its boots on the world stage of power. Their newly elected president had ushered out a series of policies that he called "Pivot to Asia." He planned to mobilize sixty percent of the US's aircraft carriers to the station at east pacific. The offensive move would put China under unprecedented stress. Having a godly warrior such as Chen Beixuan would help to alleviate some of that pressure. That being said, Chen Beixuan was a double-edged sword and should be handled with extreme care.

"Chen Beixuan packs more punch than a fully-fledged veteran brigade."

A general announced with a great measure of conviction.

Many attendees of the meeting shot a glance of jealousy at Li Wuchen. Li Wuchen sat in his chair with a stoic expression on his face, but his heart had already bloomed like a flower.

He had insisted assigning Chen Fan the position of Head Sergeant at Cang Dragon. The Special Case Department had directly confronted his decision on multiple occasions but he was able to remain unwavering. That being said, he had started to feel that he was losing credibility among his peers and was on the verge of giving in.

However, Chen Fan's battle against the Japanese military had instilled confidence in him.

He no longer heard people call his decision a disaster and Chen Beixuan a butcher. Their castigation was replaced with praise for his perspicacity and wisdom. He had discovered a hidden gem of great value to the nation. With Chen Beixuan on China's side, the other nations would think twice before making a move on China.

Even the chiefs at the military headquarters had called for meetings with Li Wuchen to praise his decision and urged him to deepen the ties with Chen Beixuan and the military. They wanted Chen Beixuan to know that the Chinese military would always have his back.

Although no one could be certain, it was very likely that the CIA from the USA and KGB from Russia were all vying for Chen Fan's support. Such was the motto of the secret agents: If you can't defeat him, assimilate him.

While the superpowers of the world were contemplating how to defeat or gain Chen Fan's support, the smaller nations were in full-on panic mode. Conventional weapons such as tanks, airplanes, and cannons were all they had. Some nations' entire army lacked even the same combat effectiveness as the fourteenth brigade of Japan. They would stand no chance against Chen Fan.

That being said, the advantage of being smaller was that they could fit under the umbrella of superpowers. America had always played the world police for many years. Its fleets of aircraft carriers could reach and attack any corner of the world. If Chen Fan had the audacity to wreak havoc in the smaller nations, Uncle Sam would stand up for the victim, as was required of him.

News about the battle reached many countries, but it remained top-secret to the public.

After all, the Japanese would lose face if word got out that their entire brigade couldn't even handle a single person. Therefore, life went on as usual for most ordinary people, without any knowledge that a momentous battle had just concluded in Japan.

The outcome of the battle turned the Dark World into a frenzy.

"Chen Beixuan had won!"

"Chen Beixuan defeated Japan's fourteenth brigade. "

"Chen Beixuan had struck down seventeen helicopters in one fell swoop.."

Explosive and outright unconceivable news got posted onto the forum one after another. Users were so shocked that no one replied to anything for a while.

Military!

It was the military.

They are the paragon of strength and destruction on this planet.

Even the Overlord on the Dark Roll struggled to escape the American military's raid. Yet, Chen Fan was able to kill thousands of soldiers and even struck down hypersonic jets. What a mighty warrior he was!

It meant that other than a few superpowers in the world, no one could bring Chen Fan to heel. He could do whatever he wants in the world, as long as he stayed away from those nations that had nuclear capability.

"Maybe we have underestimated Chen Beixuan from the very beginning."

A thread suddenly appeared in the discussion section.

The header of the topic was punctuated with three large exclamation marks.

The post finally opened the floodgates as comments poured into the forum, nearly crashing the site. Countless topics were posted and all of their subjects contained exclamation marks.

"OMG, this is one of the most momentous battles in my lifetime. We are all witnesses!"

"Who could contain Chen Beixuan if even the military had failed to do so?"

"The dark world is about to rise, I can hear the drum beating."

"Chen Beixuan, you are invincible!!!"

Flurries of topics got posted on the forum as more and more users visited the site. It wasn't long before the CIA's server started to lag.

The IT experts scrambled to upgrade their network to meet the demand.

Other than people heaping cheerful praises onto Chen Fan, some partook in a heated discussion.

"Is Chen Beixuan an Immortal Level Overlord? Many people don't think so, saying that they don't see the typical signs of an Immortal Level Overlord in Chen Beixuan. What about now? I doubt that even an Immortal Level Overlord could have handled an army of four thousand strong."

Someone raised a question.

"Did you guys see Chen Beixuan's last strike? Oh my gosh, it was terrifying! He had struck down seventeen helicopters in one go. Even those hypersonic jets couldn't escape his attack."

Another user put in.

Many more users posted their questions.

Since no one knew the details of the battle, there were more people who raised questions than those that could give answers

"based on the analysis of one of my buddies at the intelligence service, Chen Beixuan's last attack should have required much longer preparation. There ought to be some kind of side effect to him since he had unleashed it so hastily."

"Regardless, Chen Beixuan had proven that he deserves his current spot on the Dark Roll."

"Observer" finally put in.

"RE: Observer. How do you think Zeus the Thunder Lord and the other two ahead of him on the Dark Roll would fare during a battle against him? Is he really an Immortal Level Overlord?"

Someone asked.

Everyone stopped replying and waited expectantly for Observer's reply.

The user "Observer" was well known for his accurate prediction and fine judgment. Many users suspected that he was a leader of an International Underground Group or a chief at an intelligence department of a major nation. His words carried a lot of weight on this forum.

"It's hard to say. Comparing A duel between two fighters like this is comparing apples to oranges. For example, during the duel, Chen Beixuan would never have so much time to prepare for his last killing blow."

"That being said, I believe the outcome of the battle was conclusive enough to prove that Chen Beixuan is the most powerful man in the Dark World."

"As for your second question, I don't think whether or not he is an Immortal Level Overlord is relevant anymore."

"Because he is a legend already."

Observer's conclusion had painted a godly image of Chen Fan inside of all the other user's minds.

Chen Fan's name had become a synonym of Divine Might. The battle had made him a legend if not a god among mortals.

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Chapter 383: A Living Legend

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

What did it take to be a legend?

Prior to WW2, there were Immortal Level Overlords all over the globe in both the eastern and the western world, leaving many colorful tales about their legendary lives. They could easily bring a nation to heel, playing the kings and monarchs with ease. They were behind many turning points of history and played a significant role in all the significant events.

However, ever since American dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, ushering in the nuclear age, even the strongest overlord had to keep his tail between his legs. The power dynamic shifted and gave the nations of the world more advantage against powerful individuals.

However powerful an immortal level overlord was, their might would pale in comparison with that of the superpower of the world. Many overlords decided to live in seclusion and never again delve into the worldly matters. Even when they tried to keep a low profile, they were still lurking behind the scenes during many momentous developments in history. It wasn't until twenty years ago that the Immortal Level Overlords had gone completely silent.

For the members of the Dark World, the Immortal Level Overlords were the definition of a legend.

Many new Overlords and Martial Artists even openly questioned the existence of Immortal Level Overlords. They were convinced that the top three fighters on the Dark Roll represented the most powerful individuals in the dark world and no one could have surpassed their strength.

However, Chen Fan's display of power has defied people's perception of power in the world.

Chen Fan's illustrious achievements suddenly came into people's minds. That he had killed four Grandmasters with a flick of a finger, that he had killed the mighty Takemiya Hiro who was only half-step away from reaching Immortal Kingdom, that he had annihilated the fourteenth brigade of four thousand strong, that he had struck down seventeen aircrafts, that this and that.

Finally, the members of the Dark World finally realized that even an individual could possess unimaginable abilities that could subjugate even an army fully decked out with modern equipment.

Although Chen Fan had only defeated one single brigade from the Japan Self-Defense Forces—even their F-15 was a weaker version of the one US created for the export market, the outcome of the battle had shocked everyone in the underground world.

"He is the new definition of a legend. A bad-ass even as the legend goes"

"In the past ten years, we have slowly forgotten the potent power of an Immortal Level Overlord and forgot that they used to battle entire armies with ease. Chen Beixuan had reminded them that such an individual still existed today. "

"He was not only an Immortal Level Overlord but also a living legend."

Observer's comments about Chen Fan were quoted throughout all sections of the forum and quickly spread into the ears of leaders in the Dark World.

After the Hong Sect leader heard the news, he sat in his chair for three long hours without saying a word. In the end, he gritted his teeth and plodded toward the secret compound tucked deep inside the facility. This compound was closed off to everyone except for the sect leader. Not even underbosses were allowed to enter. It was the hosting place of the Hong Sect's greatest secret and the foundation upon which the organization was laid.

The Lee Family of the Samsung Group called for an emergency meeting as soon as they heard the news. In the meeting, leaders of the Samsung group suggested sacrificing Lee Hyeok-Gyu as an apology to Chen Beixuan. However, that motion was turned down by the family lord of the Lee Family. The leader who proposed that motion left the meeting room, complaining about the short-sightedness of the Lee Family. He was convinced that the Lee Family would pay for their arrogance and lack of commitment to mend ties with Chen Beixuan. His words didn't sit well with the family Lord, but neither could the family lord refute back.

The Dragon Hall, Square Tower, and Crimson Wings all gathered their leaders and after much deliberation, they decided to upgrade Chen Beixuan's threat level to the highest level: SSS. It translated to pretty much three words: Do-Not-Touch.

Other than a few nations that had nuclear capabilities, Chen Beixuan's presence was a grave concern for all the rest of the nations. Aid International's boss scrambled and flew to China from Europe to meet with Chen Beixuan in person.

Meanwhile, the development also had a huge effect on Japanese politics.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious manor just outside of Tokyo.

None of the servants of the Mitsui family clan dared to speak a word. They lowered their heads and looked at each other knowingly. Those who had to bustle in and out of the rooms walked extremely quietly. Ever since the family lord got the news about what had happened at the battle, he nearly smashed everything in his room. Then he had a heart attack so the family had to hire the best cardiovascular doctor to stand by him while he recovered.

Meanwhile, the family members of the Mitsui family clan stood quietly, scarcely daring to say a word.

Mitsui Kazuo was no longer furious. He laid on the bed calmly and concealed his emotions with a stoic face. The current boss of the Mitsui Group was standing right next to the bed. He mustered as much courage as possible and said: "My Lord, I doubt that Chen Beixuan knew we are behind all of this. He would only go after the Prime Minister."

Mitsui Yuto said as he tried to mask his trepidation.

The shock he had experienced when he knew Chen Fan had defeated the Fourteenth Brigade still lingered inside of him. He had never been more scared in his life, not even when he learned that he was chosen to run the family business.

That was the Fourteenth Brigade with the air support of F-15.

How could anyone be so powerful? Not even Lord Susano or Yamamizuki possessed such terrifying power. Erika and Takemiya Hiro were mighty Sword Sages, but even they wouldn't stand a chance against the military.

When Mitsui Kazuo told him that the Japanese government was going to mobilize military against Chen Fan, he even felt bad for Chen Fan, thinking that the Chinese Teenager's fate was sealed, that If Chen Fan had listened to his advice and left Japan, he wouldn't have to face his doom.

However, to his surprise, Chen Fan utterly annihilated the Japanese military.

Chen Fan's victory was like a slap on the Japanese Government's face. He had knocked a few teeth out of the Japanese Government's mouth. The fear of losing face forced the Japanese government to swallow the broken teeth and let it fester into anger and fury inside of its belly.

However, the question now facing the Japanese government was what kind of options do they still have? Fourteenth Brigade was gone, should they send in the first and the second Brigade? Not only mobilizing so many forces was expensive, But also very ineffective against one person. Chen Beixuan could simply hide in a city to avoid direct confrontation with the military.

It was the Japanese government, instead of Chen Beixuan, who should be worried about retribution.

Chen Beixuan was a vengeful person, and he wouldn't let the Japanese government get off the hook for attacking him in broad daylight.

Even Mitsui had thought of this, much less the leaders of Japan. The prime minister's residence located at 2-3-1 Nagatachō Chiyoda-ku had significantly increased its store of defenses. The Prime Minister of Japan was extremely nervous and fearful ever since the battle ended. Rumor had it that the elite Japanese Special Forces had entered the Prime Minister's residence to guard the facility. The Prime Minister had also met with the American military stationed in Japan many times.

However, Mitsui Yuto had remained quiet, trying to distance themselves from the Japanese Government's actions.

"I am concerned about our involvement in the military actions against Chen Beixuan. Prime Minister had thought of letting Chen Beixuan off the hook, but I and a few of my colleagues had insisted military option against him. We believed that it was necessary to exert forces to quell the audacious Overlords."

Mitsui Kazuo let out a wry smile.

"What?"

Mitsui Yuto and the other leaders of the Mitsui family were shocked.

They had never thought that the Mitsui family was one of the main instigators of the military action.

Large corporations such as the Mitsui group dominated politics in Japan. Most high-level officials were related to one, if not more mega-corporations. Without the support of these mega-companies, no one could have remained in the prime minister's office for their entire term.

"All we could do now is to pray that Chen Beixuan didn't know about our involvement, that he would go after the Prime Minister and escalate the situation to the point that the Americans have to get involved. However, that wasn't a perfect solution either. The American's direct involvement would set back any progress our nation had made in seeking military independence."

Mitsui Kazuo let out a sigh.

The family lord of the most powerful family clan in Japan seemed to have aged significantly. His mistake had taken a toll on his authority in the family. Already, Mitsui Kazuo registered the ambition burning inside of Mitsui Yuto.

However, he didn't mind the potential challenge to his authority. His mind was on another person who had played a key role in the latest development: Violet.

If Chen Beixuan were able to find Violet and force her to snitch on the Mitsui family. The Mitsui family would be in a dire situation.

"Was I really wrong about him?"

Mitsui Kazuo looked up, eyes filled with indignation. "I believed that this planet would be forever in the firm grasp of powerful corporations and our representatives in the government. In the last decade, we had even brought the Immortal State cultivators to heel."

"But Chen Beixuan had come in and completely shattered my world view..." Mitsui Kazuo still couldn't believe what Chen Beixuan had done.

Chen Fan's appearance had not only pulled the rug from under him, but also from under all the leaders around the world. For the first time, they felt threatened, and that they were no longer in charge of their own fate.

Many people saw that Chen Fan was the thorn in their sides and wished to get rid of him.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan had already made his way to Kyushu island.

Inside the residence of the Yukishiro family at Kyushu, a woman stood right before Yukishiro Sa. Yukishiro Sa paid no attention to the woman's hot body; she gave the woman an icy glare and hissed at her.

"Violet, how dare you betray our master?"

Yukishiro Sa was flanked by a group of men in black ninja suits. One of Ninjas held the girl with one hand and pointed a blade at the neck of Yukishiro Sa with another. These were the ninjas from the Fuji ninja clan. Violet attacked Yukishiro Sa by surprise and held the girl hostage.

When Yukishiro Sa realized what had happened, shock and disbelief were written all over her face.

She couldn't believe that Violet would betray Chen Fan, especially after Chen Fan had proven his strength by defeating Takemiya Hiro.

"Humph! Chen Beixuan's days are numbered. He had picked the wrong fight and now the mega-corporations and the politicians had reached a consensus to do away with him." Violet let out a smirk as she flung back at the girl.

"Master is the most powerful man in East Asia, no one can harm him." Yukishiro Sa refuted.

"Haha. Of course, no ordinary Martial Artist could handle Chen Beixuan. Even the alliance of the four Demon Gods was defeated by him. But what if I tell you it was the military that he had to deal with this time?" Violet said with a half-smile on her face.

Under Yukishiro Sa's shocked eyes, her lips curled slightly and then she said: "Before I came here, he was surrounded by the Fourteenth Brigade. Do you really think that he would escape the wrath of the military?"

Violet's words had taken the wind out of Yukishiro Sa's sails. Life and color quickly ebbed away from her face as despair surfaced in her wide and innocent eyes.

64c3e69bf75c4d1715a59001

Chapter 384: To Violet's Surprise

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

As the current family lord of the Yukishiro family, Yukishiro Sa was well aware of the combat effectiveness of the Fourteenth Brigade. The fourteenth brigade was stationed on the Shikoku island next to Kyushu, and ever since Yukishiro Sa was just a little girl, her grandfather had introduced her to the leaders of the Fourteenth Brigade during banquets and other social occasions.

She was convinced that the military with their modern weapons would have forced Chen Fan to run away if not outright kill him.

A martial artist would never stand a chance against the military.

That was the unwritten rule of the Dark World.

"Silly girl, I will not harm you. You will fetch a great price for me. Those big bosses love princesses like you. So young and tender." Violet reached out a hand and touched Yukishiro Sa's cheek as a hint of jealousy flickered in her eyes.

Violet was over forty years old and her skin was getting loose and dull. Yukishiro Sa was not only much younger, but she had also stayed in the Green Dragon Grand Array for a few days, and even consumed some Spirit herbs. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain and radiated a charming glow from within.

Yukishiro Sa shivered a little at Violet's touch. However, she was able to pull herself together and said: "Master will not let you off the hook."

"Humph! Chen Beixuan is an arrogant fool. Does he really believe that he could trample over Japan because he had defeated Takemiya Hiro? The military would be a handful for him to deal with, not to mention the Lord at the Ise Grand Shrine. Chen Beixuan is surrounded by enemies now, if he could get out of the battle alive still remains to be seen." Violet let out a snort and then said with a derisive smile.

She was a typical Japanese girl and worshiped absolute strength, nothing else.

The Fuji Ninja Clan had served Lord Susano for hundred of years, but as soon as she saw the tide was turning, she switched sides and joined Chen Fan. She switched back to the Japanese side again after sensing the government official's commitment to doing away with Chen Fan.

The Fuji Ninja Clan had survived this long exactly because they were always on the fence, ready to switch sides. The Ninja Clan was but a meager force in Japan, and couldn't compare to the Japanese government nor the Mega-corporations.

Even as Yukishiro Sa's heart sank to the bottom, a calm voice drifted into the room from outside.

"Are you guys talking about me?"

The familiar voice startled Violet. She wrenched her head over her shoulder and saw the speaker, letting shock and disbelief crawl all over her face

"Chen Beixuan, why are you here?"

"Master!" Yukishiro Sa shouted cheerfully.

The Ninjas in the room suddenly tensed up their bodies as they locked their gazes on the young man who suddenly appeared.

The entire Yukishiro family residence was filled to the brim with Ninjas of the Fuji clan, yet Chen Fan was able to appear without anyone's detection right outside of the meeting room. His sudden appearance had caught the ninjas off guard.

"Clank Clank"

The Ninja's unsheathed their blades and glared hotly at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan didn't much mind the threat. He slowly and leisurely made his way into the room and asked: "Why can't I be here?"

"Oh, you mean what happened to the Fourteenth Brigade? You must think that I am struggling to escape the military's attack." Chen Fan seemed to realize something and then he gave Violet a half-smile. "What if I tell you that I have defeated the Fourteenth Brigade?"

"That's impossible!" Violet shouted. Even Yukishiro Sa gave Chen Fan an incredulous look.

The Ninjas were taken aback by the news. They looked to Chen Fan with disbelief and doubt.

The fourteenth brigade was over four thousand strong, and they could overrun the entire Fuji Ninja Clan with ease. No Martial Artist could have survived their terrifying firepower.

However, if Chen Fan was lying, then how on earth did he suddenly appear right here right now?

Even as Violet struggled to grapple with reality, her phone rang.

"Stop staring at me, your phone rang, answer it." Chen Fan crooked his head to one side and gave Violet a mischievous look.

He watched as Violet fumbled to produce a cell phone in her hand and connected the line. An anxious voice came out from the other end.

"Violet, the situation is out of our control. Chen Beixuan is much stronger than we thought and he defeated the entire Fourteenth Brigade. He also destroyed our F-15s. We lost track of him, but he is likely heading toward Kyushu. You need to leave Yukishiro's residence now."

The speaker at the other end was shouting at the top of his lungs, and the conversation was heard by everyone in the room.

However, none of the listeners believed what they heard and wished that they had never heard the voice.

The phone call had proven that Chen Fan was telling the truth. Violet's face turned into a pale ball in the murky water. The defeat of the Fourteenth Brigade meant that she had lost the bet. It also meant that Chen Fan could do pretty much whatever he wants in Japan as long as the American military was not involved.

"How could anyone be so powerful? How could any individual defeat a modern army?"

The ninjas looked at Chen Fan, their eyes were filled with surprise, respect, reverence, and fear. Japanese people worshipped absolute strength and in their eyes, Chen Fan was the paragon of mighty and powerful.

Yukishiro Sa covered her mouth to stifle a cry of disbelief.

She had never thought that Chen Fan could be so powerful that not even the military could handle him.

"What are you going to do now?" Chen Fan cracked a smile, but his gaze on Violet was indifferent and emotionless.

Of all the sins in the world, he hated betrayal the most. He had presided over the universe for five hundred years as the North Mystic Celestial Lord and had been double-crossed many times. By now, he had already gotten used to killing traitors without feeling overly sentimental about it.

"Master, I am sorry."

Violet lowered her head and was bent her knees. However, as soon as the tip of her knee touched the floor, she lurched forward and darted out like a panther. She rammed straight through a wall and threw a black object at Chen Fan as she shouted: "Kill him. NOW!"

"Bang!"

The black object exploded in the air, spilling out a flood a dark smoke that quickly filled up the entire room. The dark smoke was created using whale's blubber and over a hundred different kinds of ingredients. Therefore, they were extremely rare and Violet used them only during the moment of life and death. This smoke was so thick that not even a Grandmaster could see anything while in it.

The Ninja's instinctual reaction to Violet's order somehow overrode their fear. They threw themselves at Chen Fan while brandishing blades in their hands.

"Shushushu!"

A dozen or so Blades glinted in the air.

These Ninjas were masters of Ninjitsu and Sword techniques. They were more powerful than most Martial Artists. One of the high ranking Ninjas even displayed as much power as Kawakami Gensai. What made these clandestine warriors, even deadlier was their ability to maneuver and attack in complete darkness. Being besieged by multiple Ninjas in total darkness could throw off most Grandmasters.

"Pathetic."

Chen Fan snorted and then flicked one of his fingers.

A white Qi Energy shot out from the tip of his finger like a bolt. It swam in the dark cloud like a bright shining fish. In a blink, it had gone through the bodies of thirty or so Ninjas, stopping them cold in their tracks. Even as these Ninjas fell to the ground, they simply couldn't believe that they were defeated so effortlessly.

"So powerful were the Sword Immortals, they could kill the entire population in the world with one fell swoop."

That was a quote from a wise man who lived nearly six hundred years ago, and if he saw Chen Fan in action, he would be convinced that Chen Fan was the reincarnation of a Sword Immortal. Chen Fan's move was inspired by Lin Tatian's The Art of Qi Blade. Instead of using Internal energy to control the blade, he had used Divine Sense and multiplied the art's damage many times.

"It's not even close to the real Art of Flying Sword."

Chen Fan heaved a sigh and then waved a hand, summoning a gust of wind that dispersed the dark smoke.

His condition had already improved significantly since the battle. No one could tell that he had just finished a tense battle with powerful foes. However, Chen Fan knew that the battle against the military had harmed his cultivation foundation and he would need to recuperate a while before he was fully recovered.

The final blow he delivered to the Japanese military was the most powerful strike he had ever executed ever since he was reborn.

He had consumed all of his True Essence in order to expand the range of his Dharmic Blade. He even sacrificed some of his Vitality Essence Force in order to charge up the golden sword's attack. The end result was beyond effective and had completely devastated the Japanese military.

The consumption of Divine Sense and True Essence was easy to recuperate, but it was not the case for the Raw Arcane Energy infused in his Vitality force. The Raw Arcane Energy would require a long time to recover if it recovered at all. However, Chen Fan wasn't too stressed about it. Even with the injury, he had sustained, he could easily deal with any threat in Japan.

"Master!"

Yukishiro Sa came over to Chen Fan. Her face was lit up with flee and surprise. Suddenly, she recognized something at the corner of her eyes and then she shouted: "Master, the traitor has escaped."

"Don't worry, she would never run away from me. I have planted a seed of Divine Sense inside of her body. All she will do is lead us to her base of operation." Chen Fan cracked a smile as a cold light glinted in his eyes.

His body flickered a little, disappeared and reappeared next to the hole in the wall. He shouted an order at the girl even as he darted across the threshold.

"The Japanese Government is looking for me. Leave here now and stay low for a while. I will come to find you."

Chen Fan disappeared before his voice faded. Shouting and screaming come up from the outer compound of the manor. Those Ninjas guarding the entrance to the manor must have discovered Chen Fan. However, the din quieted down very quickly.

Yukishiro Sa sat in the room all by herself, surrounded by a dozen dead ninjas collapsed on the floor. All al them had a hole on their foreheads; that was the wound that killed them.

"Master, I will wait for you.."

Yukishiro Sa stood still as conviction gleamed in her eyes.

Chen Fan had proven his strength many times, and Yukishiro Sa was not as stupid as Violet to betray him. Instead, she would stand up for Chen Fan even if it meant making herself the enemy of Japan.

Yukishiro Sa's faith in Chen Fan was unswerving and she believed that Chen Fan would always be the victor.

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