The entire crowd was stunned into a dead silence.
It was as if their souls had been yanked from their bodies. They stood frozen on the spot, motionless—some with mouths agape, others with eyes bulging nearly out of their sockets, still others trembling with sheer terror…
“He was beaten to death by Jiang Taichu with a single shoe…” The tone in which Wei Feilong said this held not a trace of humor; it was filled with overwhelming shock and awe, as if speaking of gods and ghosts.
The emotions churning within everyone present were intensely complex.
Five months ago, when Jiang Tian killed Hong Tianzhao, a grandmaster who had reached the pinnacle of transformation, atop Garluo Mountain and claimed the 20th spot on the Divine Ranking, they simply hadn’t believed it.
Four months ago, when Jiang Tian swept across Jiangnan, eliminating Wei Shuofeng and Mo Haoxiong, they dismissed it as a fluke.
Many speculated that Jiang Tian’s cultivation was, at best, at the minor achievement stage of Transformation, perhaps even only at the half-step level. Some young, hot-blooded martial artists even dreamed of making a name for themselves by slaying Jiang Tian, using him as a stepping stone to fame.
The Mo, Hong, and Zhang families—clans and sects bearing grudges against Jiang Tian—burned with a desire to eliminate him.
But now, witnessing the formidable Lin Zhenyu being slain by Jiang Tian in just two moves had utterly crushed any such notions.
It could be said that now, anyone below the level of a Transformation Grandmaster stood no chance of lasting even two moves against Jiang Tian.
Even renowned martial arts grandmasters or immortal masters proficient in mystical arts, upon meeting Jiang Tian, would not dare show the slightest disrespect. They would have to treat him with reverence, performing the rites befitting a disciple.
“A dog of a man, daring to set his sights on my disciple. Truly, he had no sense of his own mortality!”
Jiang Tian, hands clasped behind his back, strolled across the water’s surface as casually as if taking a leisurely walk in a courtyard, unhurriedly making his way to the shore.
“Damn it, I should have sliced him into a thousand pieces!” His face still wore a fierce, unforgiving expression, his anger far from subsided. He was fiercely protective of his own, not at all like those aloof, ethereal grandmasters who remained detached from worldly concerns.
But having witnessed his divine prowess, how could anyone present still harbor a shred of disrespect?
“Grandmaster Jiang, you’ve worked hard. Please, have some tea.”
Zhao Yuankun reverently offered a cup of fragrant, mellow tea.
“Grandmaster Jiang, thank you for ridding the Chinese martial arts world of a great scourge! Please, take the seat of honor!”
Wei Feilong bowed respectfully, clasping his fists, a beaming smile on his face as he personally brought a chair for Jiang Tian.
“Haha, what hard work? Just swatting a fly, that’s all!” Jiang Tian sat down with an imposing air, picked up the tea, took a contented sip, and said with a laugh.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
To have the former Martial Alliance Chairman, Wei Feilong, fetch a chair, and the grandmaster of Gan Province, Zhao Yuankun, serve tea—what glory, what imposing majesty was this?
But what came next was even more astonishing.
“Grandmaster Jiang, you’ve lost a shoe! Wear mine!”
Huo Qingtian actually took off his own shoes right then and there. Barefoot, he knelt with a smile, ready to help Jiang Tian put them on, like a disciple or servant attending to his master or elder.
Jiang Tian jerked his feet back as if avoiding a snake.
Everyone thought he was about to politely decline. Instead, he asked with exaggerated alarm, “Old Huo, you don’t have athlete’s foot, do you?”
“None at all! This old man definitely does not, Grandmaster Jiang, rest assured!” A bead of sweat dripped down Huo Qingtian’s temple, but he showed no offense. Patting his chest in assurance, he helped Jiang Tian change into the shoes.
Witnessing this scene, everyone felt utterly confounded.
How glorious, how domineering was this Jiang Taichu, that he could make three grandmasters serve tea, fetch chairs, and offer boots as if in the presence of their own master?
After today, who then could possibly suppress this young grandmaster who slaughtered his way across the land, unmatched and unstoppable?
Instantly, a single name arose simultaneously in everyone’s minds:
“Ye Zhantian!”
Ye Zhantian had also gone into seclusion for ten years after pacifying the martial world. Now, having emerged from his retreat, he had likely reached the peak of Transformation, perhaps even the half-step to the Divine Realm. If he were to face Jiang Taichu, what earth-shattering waves would that stir?
——-
After finishing his cup of tea, Wei Feilong, Huo Qingtian, and Zhao Yuankun earnestly requested Jiang Tian to join them in the Hall of Gathering for a meeting.
Jiang Tian readily agreed, rising to his full height.
“Who exactly is that Grandmaster Jiang? He looks so familiar somehow…” Chu Mengyao, standing a kilometer away and possessing ordinary eyesight, couldn’t make out details clearly from that distance and couldn’t help but ask curiously.
“Oh right, didn’t Zhao Yuankun call Jiang Tian ‘Grandmaster Jiang’ earlier? Could it be Jiang Tian?” Tang Bao’er exclaimed excitedly.
“How is that possible! That Grandmaster Jiang earlier wasn’t even human; he was like a celestial being!” Chu Mengyao shook her head in disbelief.
Her skepticism was perfectly normal. It was like your neighbor who spent all day in internet cafes eating instant noodles, or a delivery guy you met on the street, claiming to be Superman or Spider-Man—would you believe them?
“Yeah, he really did seem like a god! I adore him so much!” Tang Bao’er had completely transformed into a fangirl of Grandmaster Jiang, yet her heart held a tinge of loss. The distance was too vast, something one could admire but never reach.
Chu Mengyao felt the same.
She, too, felt a sense of loss. Compared to Grandmaster Jiang, Xia Miao and all those young masters from Jinling seemed like utter trash.
Suddenly, Tang Bao’er hopped up and down, pointing at Jiang Tian amidst the crowd. “He’s looking over here! Oh my heavens, he seems to be smiling at us!”
Beside her, Ye Feng stiffened in terror, breaking out in a cold sweat, nearly collapsing on the spot.
In truth, Jiang Tian had slightly altered his appearance when he made his move.
But Ye Feng, being an assassin, could accurately determine a person’s identity through their expressions, voice, habits, and gait.
He was certain: Grandmaster Jiang was Jiang Tian.
This was a supreme expert who could overturn rivers and seas, slaughtering grandmasters with ease. If he took a dislike to Ye Feng and decided to swat him dead on the spot, what could he possibly do?
“Could it really be him?” Lin Monong beside her stood on tiptoe, adjusted her nearsighted glasses, and murmured, “He looks so much like him… and he made a phone gesture at me…”
Jiang Tian merely smiled at Lin Monong before being surrounded by the crowd and ushered through the moon gate, heading towards the Hall of Gathering.
“Brother Ye Feng is gone!” Tang Bao’er suddenly noticed Ye Feng had slipped away and cried out anxiously.
——-
In the Hall of Gathering, numerous martial artists assembled.
Unlike the previous time when Jiang Tian had sat below, feeling as if under interrogation by the gathered martial artists, now Jiang Tian occupied the highest seat, with even Wei Feilong and Huo Qingtian seated respectfully below him.
The assembled martial artists regarded him with a mixture of reverence and dread, as if he were a deity.
After a round of flattery and praise that Jiang Tian found rather uninteresting, Hong Junshan suddenly stood up, bowed with clasped fists, and said with an ingratiating smile:
“Grandmaster Jiang, by slaying Lin Zhenyu, you have performed a great service for the martial world. We are truly grateful! But now that Lin Zhenyu is dead, how will my useless grandson’s fire poison be cured?”
“Yes, Grandmaster Jiang, Mingli is also injured!” Zhang Wendao added with a pained expression.
This problem troubled many of the martial artists present.
According to Lin Zhenyu’s own words, only he could cure the fire poison. Now that he was dead, weren’t they in a terrible fix?
“Haha, what’s so difficult about that? I possess a pill that can cure ten thousand poisons!” Jiang Tian, legs crossed comfortably, sipped his tea and waved a hand. “Linglong, bestow the pills.”
Truth be told, given Jiang Tian’s nature, what did the life or death of these people—who had once clamored to kill him—matter to him?
But he needed to find the Empress Flower for Qing’er and required the assistance of many martial artists. Thus, he had to adopt a stance of amicability, of mutual benefit.
Hearing this, everyone was overjoyed. They immediately took the pills and, following Jiang Tian’s instructions, sat cross-legged in meditation, circulating their respective internal energies.
In just fifteen minutes.
Huo Qingtian stood up, his voice trembling. “How strange… the fire poison seems to have vanished. No, no, it’s more like it has merged with my own Qi, making me even stronger!”
“This is called the Dragon Transformation Pill. It can refine and assimilate foreign True Qi into one’s own…” Jiang Tian explained, sipping his tea with an air of profound calm.
“So miraculous!”
“Heavens, Grandmaster Jiang possesses such miraculous pills? Truly, we bow to your superiority!”
Exclamations of astonishment filled the hall; many could hardly believe it.
“Haha, these pills were personally refined by my master. We have as many as we want!” Tang Linglong declared proudly.
Hearing this, the gazes directed at Jiang Tian grew even more feverish. A martial artist sighed, “Indeed, I’ve heard Grandmaster Jiang is also exceptionally skilled in alchemy and mystical arts. His abilities are extraordinary!”
“No wonder the Shennong Sect knelt in submission, worshipping him. Rumor has it it’s due to his exceptional alchemical skills. Seeing it today, it’s absolutely true!” Hong Junshan murmured, his expression complex.
Huo Qingtian, having the highest cultivation, refined the pill the fastest. But within half an hour, the others also rose one by one. The burning sensation had vanished, and their True Qi had thickened to varying degrees.
Everyone’s mood was exceedingly complex, especially those like Zhang Wendao and Hong Junshan who had borne grudges against Jiang Tian.
Initially, their accusations against Jiang Tian had been somewhat unreasonable and tinged with guilt. Now, Jiang Tian—with one hand killing and the other healing—had displayed overwhelming power and exquisite medical skill, making it impossible for them to continue hating him.
Suddenly, Hong Junshan let out a long sigh, stood up, and bowed respectfully. “Grandmaster Jiang, my son died by your hand because he deserved it. Henceforth, the enmity between my Hong Family and Grandmaster Jiang is settled!”
Zhang Wendao also rose, his face filled with reverence. “Grandmaster Jiang, your righteousness in disregarding past grievances and saving my daughter has earned our Zhang Family’s eternal gratitude. We will remember it in our hearts, willing to honor Grandmaster Jiang as our leader and heed your commands!”
In truth, even if Jiang Tian hadn’t offered the cure, they were already in awe of his heaven-defying power, fearing his retaliation that could snuff out their lives with a flick of his finger. By saving them, Jiang Tian had actually given them a way out.
One by one, the martial artists stood up, bowing and clasping their fists towards Jiang Tian. Their expressions ranged from humble respect to bold admiration, all expressing gratitude and a desire to turn hostility into friendship.
To this, Jiang Tian was more than happy to agree, nodding with pleasure.
As the saying goes, it’s not the thief you fear, but the thief who holds a grudge.
Although Jiang Tian tried his best to conceal his connections to the mundane world, a thorough investigation could still uncover them.
Jiang Tian naturally feared no martial artist, but many of his family and friends were ordinary mortals without any cultivation. If these enemies targeted them, it would be a significant nuisance.
At that moment, Zhao Hao suddenly walked over and whispered something into Zhao Yuankun’s ear. Zhao Yuankun’s face immediately lit up with wild joy and disbelief.
It turned out his son, Zhao Hao, had been stuck at his current cultivation level without progress. But after Jiang Tian’s earlier strike, his meridians had been cleared, and he had just successfully broken through to the next level.
“So, he truly has a benevolent heart! On the surface, he was punishing Zhao Hao, but in reality, he took the opportunity to clear his meridians! This martial prowess, this medical skill, and especially this magnanimity…” Zhao Yuankun trembled with excitement. His admiration for Jiang Tian was now beyond words.
Watching Jiang Tian being surrounded and worshipped by the martial artists like stars around the moon, Huo Qingtian, Zhao Yuankun, and Wei Feilong exchanged glances and quietly conferred.
Suddenly, Huo Qingtian stood up, sweeping his gaze across the hall. “Grandmaster Jiang, with the might of a celestial dragon swallowing the sun and moon, defeated Bei Lin Zhenyu in three moves. His cultivation far surpasses ours. I propose that from this day forward, Grandmaster Jiang assume the position of Martial Alliance Chairman. What does everyone think?”
