Dragon-Marked War God

“No——”

Yan Qingcheng screamed herself hoarse, her eyes blurred with tears of blood. Seeing this scene from inside the Ancestral Dragon Pagoda, she had long since broken down in tears. Jiang Chen had turned back the raging tide, taken everyone into the Ancestral Dragon Pagoda, and had Dragon Shisan and Xue Liang carry them far away from danger. But at this moment, her heart seemed to have stayed behind with Jiang Chen and fallen along with him.

It was the same for Wu Ningzhu. She had collapsed inside the Ancestral Dragon Pagoda and spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face was deathly pale, and her eyes were full of despair and emptiness.

“Sister Ning!”

Yan Qingcheng pulled Wu Ningzhu up. The despair deep in the two women’s hearts was not quite the same, but they leaned on each other for support. Jiang Chen’s desperate situation at this moment was more painful for them than death.

“Why… why is it like this! Since you let me meet Little Chen again, why must you be so unfair, why…”

Wu Ningzhu’s heart-rending voice made everyone feel her pain. That air of sorrow affected everyone, Bing Yun and Qian Renji alike.

Wu Ningzhu had gone through countless hardships waiting for this moment, yet they had met in haste and parted in haste. Hurried years, a hurried farewell.

No one could feel the despair in the hearts of these two ill-fated women. They would rather have been the ones to fall than have Jiang Chen bear everything alone. Without the Ancestral Dragon Pagoda, he did not even have his last means of saving himself. He had left the hope of living to everyone else, and he alone had set foot on a road of no return.

“Do you think you’re a hero? Jiang Chen, I won’t forgive you, I won’t!”

Yan Qingcheng roared, but it still could not change the despair and sorrow deep in her heart.

The last scene they saw was Jiang Chen being crushed by the four Half-step Divine Emperors, his injuries growing worse step by step. Even with one body becoming nine Supremes, he could not withstand the unstoppable, majestic might of his enemies. Yet Jiang Chen resolutely held everyone back, even using his own life to withstand the attacks of the Second Palace Lord and Dou Qing, without hesitation.

“Jiang Chen said that the pills you took weren’t actually poisonous. It was only a trick. He hopes you’ll take care of yourselves from now on.”

Qian Renji said in a low voice, her heart also full of sorrow. Jiang Chen had charged in to save them. Even a true Divine Emperor expert probably could not easily defeat four Half-step Divine Emperors. Jiang Chen’s chances of survival were extremely slim, perhaps without even the slightest hope at all.

The seriously injured Soul-Leaving Sect elders looked at one another. They had schemed all their lives and plotted for most of their years, never expecting to be fooled in the end by a young upstart. But at this moment, there was no resentment in their hearts, only admiration for Jiang Chen. It showed that Jiang Chen had never truly wanted to take their lives. For them, it was like a dream.

“It seems we underestimated Jiang Chen after all.”

Hun Qiansuo sighed. He did not have the ability to save Jiang Chen, but Jiang Chen’s greatness earned their admiration for life.

Dragon Shisan’s and Xue Liang’s eyes were bloodshot with grief and rage. They watched Jiang Chen being attacked mercilessly but were powerless, because they had to take Wu Ningzhu, Yan Qingcheng and the others away. Only then would Jiang Chen’s holding back the four Half-step Divine Emperors have any meaning. Otherwise, no matter how many of them there were, at this moment they could only throw their lives away. It should have been a bloody life-and-death battle with victory in sight, but the three great experts of the Battle God Clan had interfered and led to their defeat. Of course, no one could be blamed for any of this. It only showed that this Second Palace Lord was truly too strange, too sinister and cunning. The Profound Connection Divine Palace had actually invited other helpers, and everything they had done looked extremely foolish.

Dragon Shisan’s eyes were bloodshot. He had come with Jiang Chen into the Divine World. They had reunited several times, but they had rarely been able to stay together. More often apart than together, each cultivating on his own. But he never expected that he would be the one to send his own brother to his death with his own hands. Dragon Shisan’s heart was full of rage and despair, but he had to do what Jiang Chen had told him in those last words. He could not keep making mistakes.

“It’s not your fault, Brother Thirteen. Don’t blame yourself.”

Bai Yun said in a low voice.

“If I hadn’t been so stubborn, if I hadn’t overestimated myself, maybe today wouldn’t have happened.”

Dragon Shisan’s breathing became heavy and rapid. Bai Yun saw in his eyes the determination to face death head-on, and her heart was filled with worry.

“Xue Liang, take care of them for me. I can’t just watch Jiang Chen disappear right in front of me.”

Dragon Shisan said in a deep voice.

“But——”

Xue Liang’s face tensed. At this moment, Dragon Shisan charged out without the slightest hesitation, heading back toward the Profound Connection Divine Palace, which had already become a mountain of blades and a sea of fire.

But before Dragon Shisan had gone far, Bai Yun struck him from behind and knocked him unconscious with a secret technique.

“You!”

Xue Liang looked at Bai Yun in surprise and suspicion. Bai Yun shook her head and murmured:

“I’m sorry, Brother Thirteen. I can’t just watch you go to your death. Maybe this is also something Jiang Chen didn’t want you to bear together with him.”

Xue Liang fell silent, because he did not know what to say. Dragon Shisan really should not go back. Jiang Chen had traded his life for their safety. If he turned back irresponsibly like this, it would undoubtedly betray Jiang Chen’s intentions. Most importantly, Wu Ningzhu and Yan Qingcheng were not yet out of danger at all. Turning back like this would mean failing to fulfill his promise to Jiang Chen.

“I know you’ll blame me when you wake up. But even knowing that, I won’t hesitate at all, because even if you went back, it would be useless. Four Half-step Divine Emperors. With your current strength, you can’t possibly beat them.”

Every word Bai Yun said was true. But she knew that with Dragon Shisan’s personality, he would never forgive her after he woke up. Yet staying alive was far more important than any of that. With his last stand between life and death, Jiang Chen had won them a thread of hope and withstood the attacks of four Half-step Divine Emperors. How tragic that was. Jiang Chen, gravely wounded and on the verge of death, had done it all for this thread of hope. If it were Jiang Chen, he would never allow Dragon Shisan to do this either.

Dragon Shisan had already lost consciousness. No one knew what he would do when he woke up. But at this moment, Bai Yun could not let him go on doing something foolish. All of this had been bought with Jiang Chen’s life.

“Black Soil, I’ll always remember you.”

Bai Yun turned and left. Together with Xue Liang, she carried Dragon Shisan and the others and quickly left the Profound Connection Divine Palace.