"Ugh—!"
Zhào Wújí let out a sharp cry, his wounds splitting open and blood gushing out.
"What?"
Zhōu Chén looked down at him, his voice chilling.
"Weren't you strutting around earlier, saying you'd make me watch as you doted on her?"
"Believe it or not, I'll drain her essence right in front of you, and then send you on your way?"
Hearing this, Zhào Wújí was so enraged he spat out another mouthful of blood, gasping, "Zhōu Chén! You can't kill me! I am a disciple of Tiandi Gate, and I know Tiandi Gate's Holy Son!"
"If you kill me, Tiandi Gate will never let you go! You'll have nowhere to run, whether in the heavens above or the earth below!"
Zhōu Chén merely gave a cold laugh.
Tiandi Gate, like Heavenly Pill Sect, were major martial arts sects in Qingzhou with profound influence.
But, so what!
"Tiandi Gate, is it?"
"Why should I, Zhōu Chén, ever need to curry favor with anyone?"
"When you harmed me back then, did you ever consider letting me go? Today, you will surely die!"
However, before he ended Zhào Wújí, Zhōu Chén had one more thing to do.
That was to reclaim his Pure Yang Bloodline!
Although he had now awakened the unique Pure Yang Dao Body, the third-grade Pure Yang Bloodline that was stolen from him was insignificant in comparison.
But this was rightfully his, and no one was allowed to take it!
Zhōu Chén circulated his cultivation technique, his eyes turning sharp. He formed his fingers into a claw, targeting the wailing Zhào Wújí on the ground, and pulled!
"Ugh—!"
Zhào Wújí let out an even more piercing scream, feeling a burning power within his body as if it were being savagely seized by an invisible hook, tearing away from his meridians and dantian, desperately trying to escape his body!
That was the power of the Pure Yang Bloodline he had forcibly taken from Zhōu Chén back then!
This bloodline originated from Zhōu Chén and shared the same root.
Now, with Zhōu Chén's deliberate instigation and the overbearing suction of the Nine Tribulations Pure Yang Scripture, it had no power to resist!
Strands of pure gold and red blood were forcibly extracted, pouring continuously into Zhōu Chén's palm, then through his skin and into his body.
"No! My bloodline!"
Zhào Wújí was filled with terror, feeling his strength rapidly draining away, even his cultivation realm becoming unstable.
With the forced stripping of his Pure Yang Bloodline, coupled with his previous severe injuries, Zhào Wújí's aura instantly weakened to its absolute limit, and he could barely muster the strength to scream.
Zhōu Chén felt a slight tremor run through his body, as if a long drought had finally been met with sweet rain.
This Pure Yang Bloodline, which rightfully belonged to him, had now returned, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, perfectly integrating into his nascent Pure Yang Dao Body.
"So satisfying!"
"Although my Pure Yang Dao Body has awakened, it was merely the most basic nascent form of the True Yang Body before."
"Now that I've reclaimed this same-source bloodline, the Pure Yang Origin has been nourished and strengthened, solidifying it and bringing it to the minor completion stage of the True Yang Body!"
In an instant, the Pure Yang Origin Power within him surged!
Simultaneously, the surging Pure Yang Spiritual Power in his body became even more refined and dominant.
Zhōu Chén felt that every punch and kick he now delivered contained far more power than when he had unleashed his full Skyfire Fist previously!
This leap in strength was comparable to breaking through three or four minor realms consecutively!
"Haha, Zhào Wújí, this day has come for you too!"
Golden light flowed in Zhōu Chén's eyes, and an unprecedented sense of exhilaration and heroism washed over him.
The first step in avenging his great wrong had been achieved!
Reclaiming what was stolen and crushing his enemy – this feeling of clarity made him want to let out a long roar!
A moment later, Zhōu Chén looked at Lín Wǎn'ér and gave a cold smile.
"Bitch, now it's your turn!"
At this moment, Lín Wǎn'ér had witnessed the successive defeats of her father, the City Lord, and her fiancé. Especially Zhao Wuji's crippled state after his bloodline was forcibly stripped.
In this instant, all her pride vanished, leaving only boundless terror!
The guests who remained at the City Lord's Mansion, seeing the three top experts of Tianfeng City – Lín Yuǎnshān, Zhào Yōng, and Zhào Wújí – suffer successive defeats, and even have their bloodlines stripped, their deaths gruesome, were already terrified out of their wits.
In their eyes, Zhōu Chén was no longer the easily manipulated youth, but a god of slaughter returned from hell!
"Don't... don't look! Hurry and leave! This Zhōu Chén is simply a jinx! A god of slaughter!"
"He's gone mad! They've all gone mad! The City Lord's Mansion is finished! The Lin family is finished too! Run, quickly, don't anger him!"
"Let's go! Hurry! If we stay any longer, we might become collateral damage!"
Someone shouted first, and the remaining guests, along with the few City Lord's Mansion guards who had stubbornly remained, scattered like startled birds, fleeing chaotically towards the mansion gates.
In the blink of an eye, the entire City Lord's Mansion became completely empty and silent.
Besides Zhōu Chén, Lín Qīngxuān, the severely injured Zhào Wújí, and the slumped Lín Wǎn'ér, there were no outsiders left.
At this moment, Lín Wǎn'ér had witnessed the successive defeats of her father, the City Lord, and her fiancé. Especially Zhao Wuji's inhuman state after his bloodline was forcibly stripped.
All her pride had vanished, leaving only endless fear.
Lín Wǎn'ér's psychological defenses completely collapsed. Tears streamed down her face, and she no longer cared about dignity or pride. Crawling on all fours, she begged pitifully, "No... don't... Zhōu Chén... Zhōu Chén, I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!"
"Please... spare me... forgive me this once, okay?"
"You used to... you used to like me the most, didn't you? I'll marry you! I'll marry you right now! I'll definitely serve you well and be your woman. Please don't kill me... please don't kill me, okay?"
Zhōu Chén looked at her pathetic, fawning, and humble appearance, with no trace of pity in his heart, only cold disgust.
And the satisfaction of achieving his revenge.
"Like me?"
Zhōu Chén scoffed, sneering, "You viper-hearted, selfish, wicked bitch, do you think you're worthy of marrying me?"
"Get lost!"
"Not only am I going to kill you today, but before that, just like when I was plundered by the Jade Maiden Palace demoness, I will ravage you, with interest!"
As he spoke, Zhōu Chén lunged at Lín Wǎn'ér. Chapter 37: The Truth of the Furnace Cauldron
Seeing this, a look of extreme fear flashed in Lín Wǎn'ér's eyes. She screamed and even struggled to crawl backward.
But her meager resistance was like child's play before the current Zhōu Chén.
Zhōu Chén circulated his Pure Yang Spiritual Power, swept it out, and with one foot, stomped on her wedding dress, rendering Lín Wǎn'ér unable to move.
He leaned down, his large hand unceremoniously reaching directly into her wedding dress, roughly moving and kneading her delicate body.
The touch was smooth and soft, with a surprising feel.
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhōu Chén's eyes, which then turned into deeper mockery.
"Hmph, I didn't expect you to be so well-endowed, you bitch."
His expression suddenly froze. He suddenly felt a slight protrusion of delicate skin when his fingers touched the inner side of Lín Wǎn'ér's arm.
On the fair inner arm, a bright red mark was clearly visible.
The virginity mark?!
Zhōu Chén's actions abruptly stopped.
The virginity mark was still there, proving that Lín Wǎn'ér was still a virgin.
Now he was truly surprised.
"With your promiscuous ways and tendency to offer yourself to anyone, you're still a virgin?"
Lín Wǎn'ér was naturally beautiful and well-bodied, and she knew how to leverage her assets. With Zhào Wújí's lecherous nature, how could she have remained pure after being engaged for so long?
Lín Wǎn'ér was suddenly filled with shame and felt like she wanted to drill into a crack in the ground, but she no longer had the strength to struggle.
However, after a brief moment of surprise, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Zhōu Chén's eyes.
"But this is good..."
He pinched Lín Wǎn'ér's chin, forcing her to look at him, and sneered, "A virgin body, with even purer primordial yin. It will be perfect sustenance for the advancement of my True Yang Body, far more effective than that of an ordinary woman!"
"Today, I will use your primordial yin to help my Pure Yang Dao Body advance further!"
Zhōu Chén's eyes were cold, and just as he was about to act, he caught sight of his sworn sister, Lín Qīngxuān, not far away.
He frowned, instantly calming down.
Performing such an act of plundering in front of Sister Qīngxuān was, after all, inappropriate.
"Forget it, there's no rush."
"Lín Wǎn'ér's Taiyin Origin is of great benefit to the advancement of my Dao Body. I need to find a quiet place to refine it slowly for maximum effect. I'll imprison her for now and deal with her at Hundred Herbs Pavilion later."
His thoughts raced, and he quickly made his decision.
"Hmph, I'll spare you for now. Back then, I'll show you how I'll torment you!"
Vast Pure Yang Spiritual Power surged out, transforming into several invisible chains that firmly bound the completely limp Lín Wǎn'ér.
Suddenly, at this very moment.
"Stop!"
A stern shout suddenly boomed, breaking the silence of the courtyard.
At the same time, several incredibly powerful presences appeared in the sky above the City Lord's Mansion without warning, casting a shadow like dark clouds.
Zhōu Chén suddenly looked up, his pupils contracting sharply!
He saw that several figures had appeared in the courtyard now!
Zhōu Chén's brows furrowed instantly. He felt an immense oppressive aura from these individuals.
Every one of them was no easy foe.
The weakest among them was at the third level of the True Gang Realm. The young man in the lead, wearing a long robe, exuded his aura without restraint, constantly spreading and reaching the seventh level of the True Gang Realm.
Such strength was enough to sweep through Tianfeng City.
"Seventh level of True Gang Realm. And so many True Gang Realm experts..."
Zhōu Chén's heart sank.
Even if he took a Qi-boosting pill and fought with all his might, he likely wouldn't come out well today.
Just then, the dying Zhào Wújí seemed to have found a life-saving straw, shouting with all his might, "Senior Brother Yán Fēng! Quick! Save me!"
The young man in the robe, addressed as Yán Fēng, frowned, looking at the messy innards of the City Lord's Mansion, and asked with surprise, "Junior Brother Zhao?"
"Isn't today your joyous occasion? What... what is going on here?"
They had traveled from Tiandi Gate from afar, intending to attend the wedding, only to be met with this hellish scene upon their arrival.
"Damn, it's people from Tiandi Gate!" Zhōu Chén's heart sank.
Judging by the situation, these people had a good relationship with Zhào Wújí, and today's events would likely be difficult to resolve.
As expected, Zhào Wújí, seemingly in a fit of madness, ignored his injuries and screamed hoarsely, "Senior Brother Yán Fēng, my fellow disciples! Quickly kill this brat! He's called Zhōu Chén, my mortal enemy! He ruined my wedding, killed my father and father-in-law, and now he's trying to abduct Lín Wǎn'ér!"
Upon hearing this, Yán Fēng's expression changed drastically. The powerful aura of the seventh level of the True Gang Realm was released without reservation, making it almost impossible to breathe.
"I don't care who you are, nor do I care about your grievances with Junior Brother Zhào."
"But if you dare to touch a single hair of Lín Wǎn'ér, I guarantee you will die a terrible death. No one, in heaven or on earth, can save you!"
Zhōu Chén's eyes narrowed slightly. There was more to his words than met the eye.
He deliberately tested, "Oh? Isn't she just Zhào Wújí's betrothed? Does she have some extraordinary background that makes you so anxious?"
Yán Fēng let out a cold snort, contemptuously saying, "Hmph, you frog in a well. It doesn't hurt to tell you..."
"This woman possesses a special physique, and has long been favored by Tiandi Gate's Holy Son, who has designated her as a furnace cauldron for his cultivation!"
"If you dare to lay a hand on her today, you will be an enemy of Tiandi Gate's Holy Son, an enemy of the entire Tiandi Gate. You will be ground into dust, and your nine generations of kin will be exterminated!"
"Holy Son? Furnace Cauldron?" Zhōu Chén's brow furrowed even tighter.
Lín Wǎn'ér, who was being restrained on the ground, was struck by lightning and completely stunned!
She looked at Zhào Wújí in disbelief, "Brother Wújí? What does he mean? What Holy Son? What Furnace Cauldron?"
Reaching this point, with her father dead and the City Lord's Mansion in ruins, Zhào Wújí had lost all pretense of grace and roared, "What do I mean? Lín Wǎn'ér, now that it's come to this, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth! Do you think I, Zhào Wújí, truly liked you and got engaged to you? Dream on!"
"You possess a special physique, a one-in-a-million furnace cauldron physique. It was I who informed Tiandi Gate's Holy Son of this matter."
"He ordered me to watch over you carefully, ensuring your primordial yin remained intact. When his divine art is complete, he will personally come to take your primordial yin to help him break through!"
"My engagement to you was merely to follow the Holy Son's orders, to keep you under close watch and prevent anyone from having you!"
This statement was like a bolt from the blue!
"Wh-what?!"
Lín Wǎn'ér was completely bewildered.
At this stage, Zhào Wújí couldn't be bothered to feign anymore, so he directly dropped his pretense.
"If not for that, do you think I would let such a plump piece of meat slip through my fingers? And refused your advances repeatedly?"
"I was afraid of disrupting the Holy Son's grand plan and couldn't bear the responsibility!"
"If it weren't to offer you to the Holy Son to exchange for sect resources to help me cultivate and break through, would I marry you? Bah! What do you think you are?"
Lín Wǎn'ér's utterly undisguised, malicious words left her mind blank!
"So... so that's how it is..."
No wonder when she had been passionate a few times, hinting or even willingly offering her purity to Zhào Wújí, he always found some high-sounding excuse to refuse.
She foolishly thought Zhào Wújí respected her, that he was a gentleman worthy of her trust.
Who would have thought the truth was so cruel!
From beginning to end, she was merely an item he used to ingratiate himself with Tiandi Gate's Holy Son, a pre-destined furnace cauldron to exchange for cultivation resources!
"Haha... Hahaha..."
She suddenly let out a piercing, tragic laugh, feeling like her entire world had collapsed.
"I, Lín Wǎn'ér, prided myself on my intelligence and scheming my entire life, only to discover that I was the biggest fool, the one most ruthlessly schemed against!"
Zhōu Chén, standing nearby, also suddenly understood.
"No wonder Lín Wǎn'ér is still a virgin. It turns out she was already regarded as private property by Tiandi Gate's Holy Son."
"Zhào Wújí is merely a lapdog raised by Tiandi Gate's Holy Son, so naturally he wouldn't dare to overstep his bounds."
Zhōu Chén's brow suddenly furrowed. "However, if Lín Wǎn'ér is favored by Tiandi Gate's Holy Son, then what about me? Chapter 38: Heavenly Pill Sect Arrives
Upon hearing this news, Zhōu Chén was very displeased.
"Damn, this Tiandi Gate Holy Son wants to snatch Lín Wǎn'ér, this perfect furnace cauldron, from me!"
The special physique they spoke of, Zhōu Chén knew was the Taiyin Ecliptic Body.
Lín Wǎn'ér's Taiyin Physique was the key to upgrading his Pure Yang True Body to the Pure Yang Hegemon Body.
At the same time, it was his greatest hope for dealing with the crisis of the Empress's descent on the second level of the Yin Yang Tower.
If Lín Wǎn'ér were snatched by that Tiandi Gate Holy Son, it would greatly affect the speed of his Pure Yang Dao Body's upgrade!
But the group of Tiandi Gate disciples before him were extremely strong, especially the seventh level True Gang Realm expert, Yán Fēng.
With his current strength, even if he revealed all his trump cards, he had no chance of winning.
As Zhōu Chén pondered, Yán Fēng made his move.
"Hmph, it's useless to waste more words with you! First, I'll apprehend you, you ignorant brat, and then take away the furnace cauldron to be dealt with by the Holy Son!"
Yán Fēng's eyes sharpened, and the powerful spiritual energy of the seventh level of the True Gang Realm erupted.
He formed his right hand into a claw and, from a distance, reached for Lín Wǎn'ér, who was being restrained on the ground by Zhōu Chén!
A sharp gang energy condensed into a giant azure claw, moving with astonishing speed, heading straight for Zhōu Chén.
"Be careful, Xiao Chen!" Lín Qīngxuān, not far away, turned ashen with fright and cried out.
At this critical juncture.
"Stop!"
A clear, cold girlish voice, like jade striking ice, suddenly came from high above!
"Heavenly Pill Sect is here! You cannot touch this person!"
Before the words fell, a stream of blue light descended from the sky like a startled swan.
Zhōu Chén was slightly surprised. Who else was here?
Could it be more people from Tiandi Gate?
As the blue light dispersed, it revealed a slender, incredibly beautiful maiden.
She was dressed in a light green gossamer dress with cloud patterns, her flowing sleeves like an immortal walking out of an ink painting.
Her beauty was pure and ethereal, her skin luminous like jade, her features exquisitely drawn, and she subtly exuded a faint medicinal fragrance.
"Sū Qīngzhú of Heavenly Pill Sect?!"
Seeing the newcomer, Yán Fēng's expression changed drastically. He stopped his attack. "Why is she here?!"
Sū Qīngzhú's gaze was cool, and her voice was calm. She said to Yán Fēng and the others, "This person is involved in a sect matter of my Heavenly Pill Sect that has been lost for a long time. I need to question him thoroughly. Until the matter is clarified, you cannot kill him."
Zhōu Chén's heart immediately sank.
"This is bad! People from Heavenly Pill Sect are here so quickly!"
Hearing Sū Qīngzhú announce her sect, he immediately realized she must be the disciple dispatched by Heavenly Pill Sect to investigate the whereabouts of the Nine Profound Pill Scripture!
As the mysterious alchemist who had recently risen to prominence in Tianfeng City, and the adopted son of the missing alchemist Lín Yì, he was undoubtedly a key target of Heavenly Pill Sect's investigation.
"However, it's fortunate that among the high-ranking members of the Lin family, only Lín Wǎn'ér, who has already collapsed mentally, knows the inside story of the Nine Profound Pill Scripture. All others have been eliminated by me."
Zhōu Chén's thoughts raced, and he calmly analyzed the situation.
"As long as Heavenly Pill Sect doesn't deliberately interrogate Lín Wǎn'ér, they won't be able to directly link the Nine Profound Pill Scripture to me for a while."
Yán Fēng frowned. Sū Qīngzhú's strength surpassed his, and after much consideration, it was best not to offend her.
Since she only said she needed to question him and not that she was protecting Zhōu Chén to the death, he agreed.
Sū Qīngzhú turned to Zhōu Chén and got straight to the point.
"Zhōu Chén, according to our investigation, you are the alchemist who recently rose to prominence in Tianfeng City, capable of refining top-grade pills. However, before this, your reputation was obscure, and your alchemy skills were mediocre."
"Tell me, where did your alchemy skills come from?"
Zhōu Chén was prepared for this. He put on a displeased look and said coldly, "Where did my alchemy skills come from, and what business does that have with your Heavenly Pill Sect? Do all alchemists in the world need to report their lineage to your Heavenly Pill Sect?"
Sū Qīngzhú's gaze turned sharp. The gentle scholarly aura around her instantly turned into a piercing killing intent, locking onto Zhōu Chén.
"Answer my question. If you refuse or lie, I don't mind eliminating a thief who might tarnish the path of alchemy right here."
Zhōu Chén immediately felt immense pressure, like a giant mountain crushing down on him, making it difficult to breathe.
His face turned pale, and he cursed inwardly, but the situation was beyond his control, so he said, "My adoptive father taught me."