Sovereign of the Three Realms

"Hmph. They’re here much earlier than I’d expected!” The Veranda master muttered to himself with a sinister smile.  He clapped his hands and summoned tongue after tongue of crimson red flames around the altar, flooding the area with a baleful aura.

The Veranda master smiled. “Xing’er, some large rats are attempting to trespass. I must go show them some hospitality. Please excuse me for a second. Don't worry, we’re husband and wife after all. I'll give you a proper loving after I take care of the vermin. I’ll relieve you of your virginity and have a good time before you die.”

Wei Xing’er felt extremely disgusted when she heard those perverted words. “Cui Yu, you unscrupulous bastard! The heavens will smite you one day!”

“Hahaha! If the heavens truly had eyes, they never would’ve let the Yan clan take over Great Scarlet Mid Region! You despicable humans should've gone extinct a long time ago!” The Veranda master cackled sinisterly and disappeared into thin air with a flash of his figure. 

Jiang Chen was hiding in a dark corner and didn’t feel the slightest relief when he saw the Veranda master leave. The bizarre actions had given him an ominous feeling. What exactly did the Veranda master mean?

Despicable humans? Does this mean that he isn’t a human cultivator? Those two words sent a chill down Jiang Chen’s spine. He couldn’t help but hesitate after hearing them. Wei Xing’er was right in front of him. Should he or should he not save her? Ultimately, he decided to do what was right.

Even though the Veranda master hadn’t gone far yet, he had to save her right now as this was the only chance. He flashed into the area and launched himself at Wei Xing’er with the Kunpeng Meteoric Escape and cleaved through the chains on her leg with the Pentecolor Divine Sword.

Wei Xing’er was flabbergasted by the unexpected turn of events. “You…”

Jiang Chen made a sweeping gesture. “Don’t speak. Come with me.”

Wei Xing’er sucked in a deep breath when she heard Jiang Chen’s voice. “Y-you… how did you find me? Didn’t I tell you not to come?”

\Jiang Chen answered blandly. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t consume the powder, so I had a backup plan. Leave the talking for later. There’s something very off about the Veranda master. We aren’t safe here.”

Wei Xing’er nodded. Her life was more important than answers. “He’s a lunatic! Let’s escape now! That pervert isn’t right in the head!”

Suddenly, a sinister laugh echoed through the air.

“Indeed. I’m a pervert with something very wrong about me. Hahaha! Wei Xing’er, you’re more charming than I’d expected! Someone actually came to save you? This is truly out of my expectations!” As the laughter died down, the Veranda master suddenly appeared at the outer regions of the altar like a ghost. He stared at Jiang Chen and Wei Xing’er as though they were prey. The faint smile on his face thoroughly conveyed his bloodthirst.  

Color drained from Wei Xing’er’s face when the Veranda master reappeared. She immediately pushed Jiang Chen away. “Go! Leave me!”

She didn’t know what the Veranda master was planning, but she understood him well enough to know that he was up to something very bad.

“Go?” The Veranda master smiled blandly. “Can you really run away from me?”

His face darkened as he glared at Jiang Chen. “Brat, who are you? How did you contact her with her under my eye? This wench is a lot more of a temptress than I thought! There are actually men who’d actually risk their lives for her!”

Wei Xing’er was overcome with dread and anxiety. She knew from the master’s voice that he was completely enraged, that his next steps was to commit murder!

Jiang Chen smiled blandly. “Master of the Veranda, you must be really pleased with yourself for having come up with these plans. However, you probably don’t realize that you’re being seen as a walking slab of meat by your four protectors! The royal family and the three great sects have already set their eyes on you! Do you honestly still believe that you can claim the Great Scarlet throne?”

Jiang Chen thought that his words would enrage the Veranda master, but the latter didn’t seem to be affected at all. In fact, his smile was even tinged with jeering.

“Royal family? Three great sects? So what? My schemes and plots were all for the sake of this day! I’d be even more disappointed if they didn’t come! I’ve meticulously planned everything to lure them here!”

“What?” Wei Xing’er and Jiang Chen were taken aback.

Jiang Chen had already suspected that the Veranda master was up to something after the first spiel to Wei Xing’er. His question had merely been a probe to unearth the master’s true motives. The reply had confirmed his suspicion that everything was part of a bigger plan.

The was very meticulous and well-made plan and actually had plans with a plan. Using a cultivation breakthrough as a front, the Veranda master had left breadcrumbs and revealed the treasure in a secret realm at the most appropriate timing. He was casting food to lure fish into the net.

Each part was connected to another and was overall very intricately woven. Jiang Chen didn’t know how the Veranda master planned on dealing with the onslaught from the Great Scarlet Mid Region, but the latter’s confidence was a clear indicator that everything had been accounted for. 

The royal family and the three great sects believed that they’d successfully infiltrated the Resplendent Emerald Veranda and gained access to the Veranda master’s secrets, but the tables had actually long been turned on them instead.

Jiang Chen glanced coldly at the Veranda master. He didn’t want to participate in the dogfight between the people of Great Scarlet. He’d rather stand aside and watch the fight play out if the circumstances allowed it. However, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of danger looming ahead of him.

The Veranda master smiled leisurely at Jiang Chen. “Brat, I’m just a bit impressed. Being able to keep your calm under these circumstances is a talent in itself! The others have all gone for the earth attribute treasure, yet here you are. Do you perhaps love women more than power?”

“Cui, do you really think that victory is at hand?” Jiang Chen smiled coldly.

“Isn’t that the case?” The Veranda master spoke in a mocking tone, like a hunter fooling with his prey.

“Hmph! We shall see then!” Jiang Chen grabbed onto Wei Xing’er’s waist and activated the Kunpeng Meteoric Escape into action. He transformed into a flash of light and shot for the outskirts.

“Hmph! You’re quicker than you look!” The Veranda master smiled indifferently and made a sweeping gesture. A crimson red flag suddenly appeared in his hands. 

As the flag fluttered, a sea of blood emerged from thin air and sealed off the surrounding area. Jiang Chen was quick, but the bloody ocean was quicker. He was just about to break free when the waves came roiling towards him. 

The bloody light was extremely corrosive and could instantly dissolve a cultivator’s flesh. Jiang Chen felt a chill shoot down his spine as it came closer. He brandished his sleeves and swept away the light right before it struck him. He wasn’t afraid of the corrosive light. He was merely worried that Wei Xing’er’s body wouldn’t be able to handle it.

He continued to attempt an escape, but no matter how hard he tried, the ocean was always one step ahead of him and blocking off his route. Tidal waves of gory light materialized and dematerialized on the outer regions. They flashed like a red sky, imparting an ominous sense of doom. The blood-red ripples had sealed off the area around the altar completely. 

Jiang Chen kept trying, but gave up in the end and returned to a far corner of the altar.

“Brat, you’re pretty quick. It’s unfortunate that you weren’t smart enough. Why would you come here even though you knew that only death awaits?” the Veranda master mocked. 

Jiang Chen looked solemnly  at the bloody light around him. He knew that it was a very advanced formation and was likely powered by the altar.

If he fully activated his Demons and Gods Body and incorporated it with the Kunpeng Meteoric Escape, he was ninety percent certain that he could break free. However, if he had to bring Wei Xing’er with him, the probability would drop all the way to ten percent. Having another person didn’t really affect his speed, but he was worried that Wei Xing’er’s body wouldn’t be able to cope with the erosion. 

“Cui, this blood formation is a demonic art. You must’ve sold your soul to the demons.” Jiang Chen’s voice was cold and foreboding.

The Veranda master was mildly taken aback. “Y-you… who exactly are you? You seem to know a lot.”

Jiang Chen nodded. “As expected. To think that a demonic follower would appear outside of Myriad Domain! Cui, from now on, you shall be the common enemy of the entire human domain!”

“Hahaha! Humans?” The Veranda master broke into a wild laughter. “What’s good about being human? The human race should’ve gone extinct long ago! The might of the ancient demons are known throughout the heavenly planes! As long as the sacred flame continues to burn, the demon race will never die!”

“A frog in a well.” Jiang Chen sniffed dismissively.

Indeed, the demon race was one of the most powerful races among the heavenly planes. They were natural fighters with an extremely invasive bloodline that could transform most other races into a demon. However, calling them unrivalled under the heavens was a clear overstatement. There were many races that were just as strong, if not stronger than them.

The demon race was only notorious for their strength because of their aggressiveness. The common races couldn’t help but tremble in fear when they heard about the demons. Occasionally, this fear would transform into a mindless worship. The Veranda master was a good example. He was human, yet he’d fallen prey to the demon’s brainwashing and become their loyal follower.