The events inside the *Luori* lasted less than three minutes. When the two Half-Step Great Powers arrived, Song Yufeng was nowhere to be seen. They froze at the sight of the wreckage, the corpse of Bai Chichuan, the lingering sword intent within the ship, and a massive palm print that had punched a hole through the hull.
"Something terrible is about to happen," one muttered.
"Could it be that a Half-Step Great Power from the Changsheng Sect has arrived?" asked the other, a man in Taoist robes with clouded eyes. Only a Half-Step Great Power could have breached the *Luori*.
"Hm? No, there are still three people here. Let’s grab them and ask who possesses such power." He reached toward Chen Fan, though he naturally dared not touch Jiang Feifei.
"It seems killing Song Yufeng wasn't enough? You want to die, too?" Chen Fan said, his voice carrying an effortless authority.
"What? You killed Song Yufeng? You are merely at the Nascent Soul stage," the Half-Step Great Power said, immediately discerning Chen Fan’s true cultivation level.
"Wait," the Taoist-robed man interrupted. "Only those in the top five of the Cangming Rankings could kill Song Yufeng at the Nascent Soul stage. Kid, are you Guangming Zi? Or Qin Shang? Or perhaps that 'First Observer of the Cangming Rankings'?" He shook his head shortly after; Chen Fan didn't look like any of them.
"My name is Chen Fan. Of course, most people refer to me as Divine Lord Chen."
"Wh-what? Divine Lord Chen?" Upon hearing that name, the Half-Step Great Power’s teeth began to chatter. This was a ruthless man who would wipe out entire clans over a single disagreement and slaughter Pseudo-Deity Transformations like dogs.
The other Half-Step Great Power didn't even hesitate before dropping to one knee. "Greetings, Divine Lord Chen. It is an honor for Song Yufeng to have died at your hands." He didn't even dare ask why Song Yufeng was killed; even if this man weren't actually Divine Lord Chen, he would never gamble his life on it.
The news of Song Yufeng’s death would have such massive repercussions that they could already imagine the entire Tiannan Star Province trembling once the word spread.
The two knelt together. "We were unaware that the Divine Lord had arrived from afar. Please, Divine Lord, forgive us."
"Enough. Just do not tell anyone I am here. Remember, my name is Chen Mu now."
"We shall obey the Divine Lord’s decree," the two replied, bowing repeatedly. They turned and vanished into the sky. As for the *Luori*? They no longer cared. With so many talented disciples dead inside, they had to rush to their respective families and warn their clan heads not to act impulsively, lest they be wiped out entirely.
"Jiang Feifei, are you still not coming with me?" Chen Fan said expressionlessly.
"Chen Fan, it is impossible for me to go with you. Since you were able to reincarnate, it only proves you were a failure in your past life. I, Jiang Feifei, attained Xiantian in five years and a Golden Core in six—and a God-grade Golden Core at that. My life shall be no less than anyone else's."
With that, she crushed the protective jade token given to her by the Master of the Taichu Temple.
Suddenly, a pressure resembling that of an ancient, gargantuan beast descended outside the *Luori*. A Dharma form larger than the ship itself appeared; it stood thousands of feet tall, with countless stars rotating in its eyes and the sun, moon, and mountains manifesting upon its body. The aura was terrifying to the extreme. It reached down and lifted Jiang Feifei into its palm. Though only a thousand feet tall, the Dharma form was forged from the Laws, and its manifestation caused the Huangfeng Port to shatter; if its true form were to descend, it would have been enough to envelop this entire star system.
The Master of the Taichu Temple sent a divine thought to Chen Beixuan: "Lord Chen Beixuan, you cannot take my disciple. She has been scouted by the Lingyun Immortal Sect, one of the Nine Great Immortal Sects. At your level and mine, you naturally know the terror of the Immortal Sects. Besides, she will go much further if she stays there."
"And if I insist on taking her? You are no match for me, even if you were to arrive in person," Chen Fan said, his face impassive.
"Chen Beixuan, I know you are a master of great supernatural powers, perhaps even a Saint reincarnated. Now that you are wanted by the Seven Great Religions, do you still wish to make an enemy of me? A battle of Deity Transformations, once begun, will shake countless star regions. Is this the result you want?" the Master of the Taichu Temple asked, staring at Chen Fan.
A battle of Deity Transformations—how could it not be terrifying? With a wave of a hand, they could annihilate stars. By drawing upon the power of a star region, a hundred Half-Step Great Powers combined could be crushed by the pinky finger of a Deity Transformation.
Chen Fan frowned. "Jiang Feifei, are you certain you won't come with me? Aunt Tang is still waiting for you on Earth."
"Chen Fan, I will not go. I have been scouted by an Immortal household; I will not remain in this remote place. My goal is the depths of the galaxy, and even the Central Galaxy Great World," Jiang Feifei replied. "Never mind, you wouldn't understand. The Central Galaxy Great World is home to descendants of the Immortal Sects, countless divine dynasties, thousands of clans, and monster-level geniuses from every lineage. Chen Beixuan, you should just stay on Earth and be your 'Divine Lord.' Within a hundred years, I will surpass you."
She poured out the grievances of these past years, shouting at him. *Chen Fan, oh Chen Fan,* she thought, *you may be a reincarnated Great Power, but my cousin has been scouted by an Immortal household—a place where true Immortals exist. We will no longer be people of the same world.*
Chen Fan knew exactly what she was thinking. *Jiang Feifei, oh Jiang Feifei,* he mused silently to himself, *you could never dream that I am not the reincarnation of a Saint or a Great Power. I am the Tribulation Crossing Immortal Venerable, undefeated in ten thousand battles.*
"I respect your will." Chen Fan knew he could not force her. Now that her cousin, Jiang Churan, had been scouted by an Immortal household, her family would be protected by them. He believed her future would be better; it was only hard on Aunt Tang.
*People change so easily, yet they say it is the heart that is fickle.*
Chen Beixuan turned to leave, but before he did, he erased Guo Chuandong’s memories of their acquaintance.
The Master of the Taichu Temple breathed a sigh of relief and said to Jiang Feifei, "Do you have no regrets? He was Divine Monarch Beiqiong, after all."
By now, Jiang Feifei’s temperament had become cold and aloof. Clad in white robes whiter than snow, she lifted her beautiful, peerless face and said, "Since I have entered my Master’s sect, I shall no longer harbor such things. Even if Chen Beixuan is a reincarnated Great Power, he is ultimately relying on his past life. He is merely coasting on his old laurels. I will use my own hard work to walk my own path, step by step. One day, I will surpass him and make him regret his actions."
Perhaps, sometimes, the true difference between an ant and a powerhouse lies not in strength, but in perspective.
The hundred-foot-tall Dharma form took Jiang Feifei, broke through the black hole, and flew out of the Cangming Realm.