Chapter 3

As Chu Tianhe finished speaking, his bloodshot eyes were blazing scarlet, their gaze as sharp as blades, slicing straight toward Li Chengze. The aura of death that radiated from him resembled a vengeful spirit clawing its way out of hell, and with just one look, Li Chengze's legs turned to jelly; he nearly collapsed to his knees in terror.

"Who the hell... who are you?" he stammered. "I'm the eldest young master of the Li family in Jiangzhou! If you so much as touch a hair on my head, my family will have you killed in minutes!"

The punch from Tian Jiu just now, as well as Chu Tianhe's chilling gaze, had indeed frightened Li Chengze out of his wits. But as the Li family's eldest son, he had seen his share of the world in this era of awakening ancient martial arts. Their family had a number of martial artists in their employ. Regaining his composure, Li Chengze blustered again, "So you know a bit of martial arts and think you're something special?"

"Let me tell you, our Li family has money—enough to bury you with it!"

"Dammit, we have martial artists by the dozen!"

Tian Jiu's brow furrowed. With a sharp rebuke, he raised his hand and slapped Li Chengze hard across the face, sending him crashing into the wall and knocking him out cold.

"Palace Master, how should we deal with him?" After knocking Li Chengze unconscious, Tian Jiu immediately turned, knelt on one knee before Chu Tianhe, and awaited orders.

"Sever his limbs, seal him in a wine jar, feed his flesh to ten thousand venomous insects, bore through his bones for their marrow!"

"Remember, he is not to die until I say so!"

With those words, Chu Tianhe's gaze turned once more to his daughter, the ancient martial aura in his palm surging wildly as he desperately channeled it into her frail little body.

Even so, he could only temporarily keep her heart beating; the moment this flow of energy ceased, her life would end.

"Tian Jiu, bring me your Celestial Jade Blood Dew!"

At this command, Tian Jiu dared not hesitate. He quickly retrieved a small jade-green vial from his robes and respectfully handed it to Chu Tianhe.

The Celestial Jade Blood Dew was an extraordinary external healing potion, crafted by Chu Tianhe himself. Each of the Twelve Heavenly Fiends had been granted a bottle for emergencies and to preserve their lives; naturally, Tian Jiu carried one as well.

"Begin!"

Chu Tianhe's left hand trembled, and a wooden box engraved with ancient patterns appeared in his palm. As his fingers traced the surface, silver needles sprang forth, gleaming coldly as if animated by a spirit, piercing precisely into his daughter's major acupoints.

At the same time, his right hand continued to channel martial energy into her, while his left dipped into the Celestial Jade Blood Dew, gently applying it to her wounds.

Within seconds, the gash across the little girl's chest began to heal rapidly, and her deathly pale face slowly regained a hint of color.

Three full hours passed. By then, Chu Tianhe's forehead was beaded with sweat. At last, he withdrew his hand from his daughter's brow.

"Palace Master, the little princess..." Tian Jiu asked anxiously, watching the girl lying on the bed.

"She's out of danger, but she needs time to recover. She won't wake soon," Chu Tianhe replied softly.

Looking at his daughter's adorable face, a rare gentleness filled Chu Tianhe's eyes, a tenderness he could not conceal. But soon, icy killing intent returned to his gaze as he looked at Li Chengze slumped unconscious in the corner. For such a crime, Chu Tianhe would make him atone with a thousandfold pain!

Death is a mercy; true torment is to be unable to live, yet unable to die.

"The Li family, is it?" Chu Tianhe's lips curled coldly. "I am curious to see just how powerful this Li family truly is!"

...

Meanwhile, in the War Department Command Center of the Grand Xia Empire—

"Report! Emergency alert—A super-powerful individual has appeared in Jiangzhou!"

"Report! Chu Tianhe's restraint bracelet signal has vanished, last seen in Jiangzhou!"

Chu Tianhe had crushed his restraint bracelet. The command center was thrown into chaos!

Within ten minutes, the department's senior officials had all assembled, faces taut with tension.

"What on earth happened? Why did Chu Tianhe break his bracelet?"

"Are you all deaf? What is the intelligence division doing—can anyone give me an answer?" roared Zhang Zhenhu, Supreme Commander of the War Department, pounding the table in fury.

Only silence answered him.

The command center had fallen into a deathly hush. Everyone present knew Chu Tianhe's strength, but none knew why he had suddenly destroyed his restraint bracelet.

They all understood one thing: if Chu Tianhe broke his bracelet, it meant a killing spree was about to begin.

The sky over the Grand Xia Empire was about to fall.

"Commander, I believe the urgent task is to immediately assemble all the Divine Martial Guards and head to Jiangzhou!" An operations strategist, pale with anxiety, proposed a full mobilization—evidence enough of how serious the Chu Tianhe incident was.

"Assemble them for what? To send them to their deaths?" Zhang Zhenhu shot back without hesitation, his voice harsh. "With Chu Tianhe's power, ordinary Divine Martial Guards are nothing but a warm-up for him!"

His words fell, and once more, the command center lapsed into funereal silence.

"Mobilize all elite National Dragon Guards—every last one!"

"The Flying Eagle Dragon Unit, the Sea Dragon Unit, and the SSS National Divine Dragon Guard—order all personnel to drop their current assignments and assemble in Jiangzhou! Move, move, move!"

Because of a single action by Chu Tianhe, the entire Grand Xia Empire was placed on highest alert. Every top-tier operative on assignment was summoned back, racing toward Jiangzhou.

The nation was in turmoil; the elite forces were mobilized en masse, an unprecedented display of might—all for the sake of one man: Chu Tianhe.