At that moment, the bodies of the monstrous creatures scattered across the ground, their skulls cracked open and cores removed by Jiang Chen, suddenly melted into a pool of blood that absorbed into the ground.
"I’m still unable to figure out exactly what these creatures are," Jiang Chen said to himself, shaking his head. He quickly expanded his divine sense in an effort to find Ye Fan.
Unfortunately, Ye Fan had used a secret art to escape, moving at an incredible speed. By now, there was no sign of him left.
’Given Ye Fan’s cautious nature, he definitely wouldn’t just run straight in one direction,’ Jiang Chen reasoned silently. ’Pursuing him in the same direction he initially fled would be a waste of time.’
’I need to get more Aura Finder Smoke,’ he concluded after a moment of thought, and accessed the System Mall.
At that time, his balance of Villain Value points was 9,600. Getting another stick of Aura Finder Smoke would be easy.
[Ding! 300 Villain Value points deducted. You have successfully obtained one Aura Finder Smoke!]
Immediately, an incense stick appeared in Jiang Chen’s hand. It was pitch black and as long as an arm, with a hollow middle section meant for holding personal items of the target or bodily samples like hair.
’Dealing with the aura part is pretty straightforward,’ Jiang Chen thought to himself, a smirk appearing on his face. With a simple gesture, he condensed the air around him into a tiny, highly pressurized ball.
Just a short while ago, Ye Fan had activated a power-enhancing secret art that used his blood essence, releasing a powerful surge of qi and blood energy.
These emanations from Ye Fan’s body, which included his blood essence, were perfect for tracking him as they fell into the category of bodily materials.
After dropping the tiny air mass into the Aura Finder Smoke, Jiang Chen snapped his fingers, lighting it up immediately.
Soon, a thread of smoke rose and swiftly moved to Jiang Chen’s left, confirming his suspicion: Ye Fan had changed his direction.
Glancing in that direction, Jiang Chen sneered, "Hmph! Thinking you can escape from me is foolish!" With a quick tap of his foot, he transformed into a black shadow, shooting forward.
He now employed his utmost speed freely, reaching speeds comparable to those of the Half-step Heavenly Origin realm.
Before long, Jiang Chen’s divine sense detected Ye Fan’s figure. The latter was using a cultivation method to hide his presence, moving forward with caution.
However, Ye Fan didn’t realize that Jiang Chen had already discovered his location.
’Amazing! The Aura Finder Smoke really is a system miracle. Ye Fan’s stealth methods are no match,’ Jiang Chen marveled with a slight smirk. He then slowed down, keeping a distance as he followed Ye Fan.
After covering several dozen miles, Ye Fan finally paused and began to closely inspect his surroundings.
After sensing nothing amiss, Ye Fan let out a sigh of relief. "Phew! I’ve finally shaken off Jiang Chen!" he whispered under his breath, sitting cross-legged under the shelter of a large boulder.
"I didn’t expect him to be so powerful; he seems even stronger than the typical late-stage Mysterious Platform cultivator!" he mused out loud. "And his cautiousness might even outdo mine in some ways, which is completely different from his parents. Facing him is no easy task. I need to get stronger before I can think about getting back at him!"
"No matter what, I’m determined to avenge my deep-seated grudge, or I won’t consider myself worthy of being human!" Ye Fan murmured bitterly, his fists clenched tightly.
Unbeknownst to Ye Fan, Jiang Chen was watching him from a distance at that moment. His quiet mumblings had accidentally revealed some crucial information!
’???’ Jiang Chen was puzzled at first, but then his eyes narrowed in realization, ’Is my conflict with Ye Fan linked to my predecessor’s father, Jiang Xingyang?’
’Is it possible that my so-called parents went to the Snowy Wind Continent and ran into Ye Fan?’ he wondered, a wave of understanding washing over him.
Even though his predecessor’s parents were both Mysterious Platform realm cultivators, they were only in the Early-stage, or at most, the Middle-stage. Against someone like Ye Fan, their strength was clearly not enough!
’Regardless of what the parents of this body did to provoke Ye Fan,’ Jiang Chen contemplated deeply, ’given the latter’s reaction, the grudge must be deep, likely stemming from a personal loss or some significant event.’
’I’m starting to think that Jiang Xingyang and his wife might have already met their end at Ye Fan’s hands,’ he concluded with a heavy heart, putting the pieces together.
Having transmigrated into this world and experienced the genuine care from the Jiang Clan, Jiang Chen had resolved to safeguard the family of his body’s previous owner as a token of appreciation for the new life he had been given.
He had thought that by taking out Lin Feng, the Son of Heavenly Fate and the biggest threat to their safety as being part of the villain camp, he would have done enough.
Although Jiang Chen had succeeded in his mission, he recognized that his ability to protect was limited to those within his immediate reach.
The parents of his predecessor, remote and outside his direct sphere of influence, had avoided the dangers posed by Lin Feng’s plot, only to be entangled in a new narrative crafted by Heavenly Fate.
This narrative cast them as the spark for a life-or-death showdown between Jiang Chen, the predestined villain, and the newest Son of Heavenly Fate.
What solidified Jiang Chen’s belief in Heavenly Fate’s manipulation was an unexpected emotional reaction.
Normally, the loss of Jiang Xingyang and his wife, who were not his biological parents, would only have triggered a feeling of regret for not being able to protect them. Yet, when faced with Ye Fan’s disclosures, Jiang Chen found himself overwhelmed by a deep, instinctual hatred towards Ye Fan.
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This raw emotion seemed to drive him towards seeking revenge, compelling him towards a direct confrontation with Ye Fan.
’Hmph! Do you think I’m easily fooled?’ Jiang Chen scoffed to himself, quickly suppressing the surge of negative emotions trying to cloud his judgment.
’Don’t worry, you won’t get another chance to harm the ones I care about. But since you’ve decided to play this game, I’ll make sure to torment your Chosen One to death,’ he silently pledged, a fleeting coldness flashing in his eyes before it disappeared, his expression returning to normal.
Jiang Chen continued to watch Ye Fan closely, taking the opportunity to consume healing pills to bring himself back to peak condition.
Ye Fan, on the other hand, also took some healing and energy-restoring pills, steadily recovering from his injuries.
The pills from the Azure Jade Sect proved to be highly effective. Ye Fan quickly regained a considerable amount of his strength, making him ready for battle once again.
Without further delay, he stood up, chose a direction casually, and began to walk away.
Watching Ye Fan leave, Jiang Chen subtly tapped his foot on the ground and started to follow him quietly.
Suddenly, a fierce "Roar!" sounded in the distance. It was unmistakably the cry of those blood-colored monsters.
Both Jiang Chen and Ye Fan stopped in their tracks, their eyes narrowing in focus.
’What now!’ Jiang Chen thought irritably, ’I just took more than ten Monster Cores from Ye Fan, and here he is, running into another monster already!’
’He’s got some unbelievable luck! Or maybe it’s Heavenly Fate at play,’ he mused quietly, keeping an eye on Ye Fan’s next move.
Naturally, Ye Fan was thrilled at the prospect of obtaining the treasure rich in qi and blood energy contained within those humanoid creatures. Without hesitation, he dashed towards the source of the monster’s roar.
Soon after, his divine sense detected a lone blood-colored monster, which was shockingly mutilating and consuming a corpse!
Jiang Chen, observing the same scene, narrowed his eyes, a hint of wariness showing on his face. ’The clothes on that body suggest it’s someone from the Heavenly Blade School,’ he concluded silently.
Among the four sects Jiang Chen had come across earlier, the Heavenly Blade School hadn’t been present. This sect, in addition to the Beast Emperor Mountain, the Water Cloud Sect, the Bright Sun Sect, and the Divine Wind School, was spread out across the secret realm.
It now appeared that their disciples had also begun to disperse, and this lone individual had fallen victim to the monster. However, this corpse was more than it seemed...
’Great, not only is there a monster ready for the taking, but it also comes with a bonus treasure chest?’ Jiang Chen thought with a touch of sarcasm, feeling that this stroke of luck was a bit too generous.