<h4>Chapter 5317 A Greeting Gift</h4>


    Cheng Ye was ripped apart in midair as Long Chen and Elder Lu pulled at him through space. Unable to withstand the force, his body was torn in two.


    “You... you brute! How vicious! Why did you kill him? What sin did hemit for you to kill him so cruelly, not even leaving him an intact corpse!?” Long Chen pointed at Elder Lu, cursing him in mock outrage, as if heartbroken over Cheng Ye’s demise.


    Elder Lu nearly passed out from sheer fury. He had intended to save Cheng Ye by pulling him back, but he hadn’t anticipated the overwhelming strength of Long Chen’s pull. Elder Lu had believed he could overpower Long Chen and rescue Cheng Ye with ease. Unfortunately, Long Chen’s power was too great. But in any case, it wasn’t aplete failure. At least, he had managed to pull back half of Cheng Ye.


    Hearing Long Chen shift the me onto him after tearing Cheng Ye apart, Elder Lu seethed in fury, his face twisting with rage. If Qing Xi hadn’t been so nervous, she might haveughed at the absurdity of the situation.


    <i>BOOM!</i>


    Three Emperor runes appeared on Elder Lu’s forehead as he unleashed his full power as a three-vein Emperor. From that first exchange, he could sense that Long Chen was no ordinary opponent, so he couldn’t afford to be careless.


    When he drew the sword on his back, mes burst out, its intense heat igniting the sky.


    Seeing this scene, the Wang family’s experts cried out in shock and quickly retreated. They hadn’t expected Elder Lu to immediately use his divine weapon—a me element divine weapon that gave off an incinerating heat.


    They had assumed Elder Lu could easily crush Long Chen, but here he was, using his full power and even summoning his divine weapon right from the start.


    Elder Lu’s Emperor qi locked onto Long Chen, and even though Qing Xi wasn’t the target, she felt suffocated by the overwhelming pressure. She turned pale. It was her first time facing such a terrifying opponent.


    Unfazed, Long Chen turned to Qing Xi and said, “Qing Xi, for our first meeting, it would be rude of me not to offer you a gift.”


    Qing Xi waspletely baffled. This wasn’t the time to talk about such nonsense, right?


    However, Qing Xi quickly responded, “Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, the medicinal pill you gave me is the most precious thing I’ve ever received.”


    Long Chen’s eyes then flicked toward Elder Lu’s ming sword. “What do you think of that sword? How about I give it to you tomemorate our first meeting?”


    “Brat, you’re courting death!” Elder Lu bellowed, enraged by Long Chen’s brazen disregard. His sword shed toward Long Chen in a fiery arc.


    Long Chen gently pushed Qing Xi aside and instructed, “Get ready to catch the sword!”


    Just as Elder Lu’s sword descended, Long Chen turned ever so slightly, letting the de graze past the tip of his nose. The precise movement caused Elder Lu’s pupils to contract in disbelief. His Emperor aura had clearly locked onto Long Chen, yet Long Chen could still dodge the strike.


    Elder Lu concentrated his power within his sword, and not a hint of it was leaking out—evidence of his refined control. This kind of attack would erupt the moment it touched the enemy, dealing a devastating blow.


    With lightning speed, Elder Lu twisted his sword horizontally, aiming to slice through Long Chen’s neck. But just as the de swept through the air, Long Chen vanished, his movement so swift and seamless that it left the surrounding experts gasping in shock.


    After that, a sharp snap echoed through the battlefield—Long Chen had ripped the scabbard from Elder Lu’s back, snapping the cord holding it in ce. Enraged, Elder Lu retaliated, thrusting his ming sword at Long Chen’s chest.


    This time, Long Chen didn’t evade. Instead, with calm precision, he raised the stolen scabbard.


    <i>ng!</i> The sword slid perfectly into its scabbard.


    Qing Xi felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest. Every single one of Long Chen’s movements was incredibly dangerous. The smallest misstep would have meant the sword plunging into his heart.


    As soon as the sword was sheathed, fiery runes red to life along its length, numbing Elder Lu’s hand and forcing him to release his grip.


    With the sword now firmly in his grasp, Long Chen shed a smile. “Many thanks!”


    Just like that, Long Chen tossed the sword toward Qing Xi, who instinctively caught it.


    “Bastard!” Elder Lu howled in rage, charging madly at Qing Xi to reim his weapon. However...


    <i>Pow</i>!


    Arge hand pped Elder Lu in the face, sending him spinning back to where he started. Dazed, he barely stabilized himself when Long Chen’s finger shot forward, piercing his forehead.


    “Soulsearch!” Long Chen shouted, unleashing his Spiritual Strength. In an instant, Elder Lu’s soul shattered, and Long Chen quickly scanned through the fragments.


    Through this soulsearch, Long Chen learned that the Wang family was the overlord of this region, which was located at the border between the Heaven Essence World and the Endless Destion. Due to the chaotic sh of auras between the two worlds, this area was a treasure trove of mutated demonic beasts and rare medicinal ingredients for adventurers.


    The Wang family, as the region’s most powerful force, often sent their disciples to hunt for these resources. In particr, they loved to snatch the young cubs and eggs of mutated demonic beasts. After all, these beasts held immense potential for growth and could even awaken new divine abilities. They were the covetedpanions of countless experts.


    As for mutated medicinal ingredients, there was even less to be said about them. They possessed a fatal attraction to any alchemist.


    This wilderness was unsuitable for human cultivation, so not many cultivators resided here. However, because half of the Wang family’s territoryy in thiswless zone, adventurers had to register with them to explore the region. This allowed those shitheads to monitor—and often kill—adventurers who stumbled upon valuable treasures. Rumors spread over time, resulting in many adventurers avoiding this ce.


    Not knowing any better, Qing Xi had run over here toplete her mission without a proper investigation. If she had gone to the Wang family first and registered, the Wang family wouldn’t have stopped her. In fact, to suck up to the Wind God Sea Pavilion, they would have helped her out.


    From Elder Lu’s memories, Long Chen confirmed that the Wang family’s reputation was as sinister as rumored. Backed by an ancestor who was a nine-vein Human Emperor, they ruled their territory without scruples or honor. Upon learning that they were not good people, Long Chen was fully at ease.


    With a swift pull, Long Chen withdrew his hand, and Elder Lu’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground.


    The remaining experts paled in terror. A three-vein Emperor had been in by Long Chen in a single blow, so what chance did they have?


    Without hesitation, these experts fled for their lives. Long Chen didn’t pursue them. Instead, he called out arrogantly, his voice ringing across the battlefield.


    “Boss Long San will be waiting! Go fetch your ancestor! Let’s see if a nine-vein Emperor is really so formidable. I’ll tear off his head and use it as a chamberpot!”