Chapter 444 - 235: At This Moment, Jiang Che Is Their God!!

"Brother, I never thought... this time, it would be your turn to chase after me!"

"It’s nothing..."

Qin Xuange laughed too, a laugh of relief. "Victory and defeat are common for a soldier. I... can still afford to lose."

The rift between the two brothers had, miraculously, melted away amidst this brutal assessment.

After the laughter died down, the atmosphere gradually grew quiet.

Qin Wuya glanced around, then suddenly lowered his voice and asked a question he had been keeping buried in his heart:

"Brother, Father... why is he doing this?"

He was, of course, referring to Qin Fuhu forcing the various sects to hand over their assets and suppressing the Cangzhou Martial World.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Qin Xuange’s face vanished instantly, and he fell into silence.

After a long while, he finally shook his head, his voice low.

"This... I’m not clear on the specifics myself. Father’s thoughts are unfathomable."

"But... there’s nothing I can do to change Father’s decision..."

As a son and as a soldier, he could only obey.

Even if he, too, felt this course of action was far too harsh.

Qin Wuya sighed, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

"I really don’t want to see it come to that... If the major sects are truly pushed into a corner, I’m afraid Cangzhou Prefecture... will never see another day of peace."

"Once Father has decided on something, no one can sway him."

Qin Xuange said slowly. Then, he suddenly raised his head, his gaze passing over the crowd to land on the area of the churning, misty Array.

A strange light suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"However..."

"If Jiang Che... if that guy can reach a high enough level..."

"Perhaps... he could make Father... change his view of the Martial World."

The reason Qin Fuhu looked down on the Martial World’s sects was that he saw them as a bunch of good-for-nothings who only knew how to fight amongst themselves, ignorant of their duty to the nation.

But what if, from this group of "good-for-nothings," a True Dragon emerged, one powerful enough to shake the world?

Hearing this, Qin Wuya shuddered and also looked toward the Array area.

There, the mist was thick, obscuring the scene within.

But in their minds, they could almost see that black-clad figure, fighting with his fists amidst an endless beast tide, climbing step by step toward the very top!

"Yeah..."

Qin Wuya murmured to himself, his eyes filled with hope.

"I hope he can last a little longer, go a little higher, and then higher still..."

"Now, he’s not just fighting for himself."

"He... is also the hope... of our entire Cangzhou Martial World..."

......

Time ticked by, second by second.

On the plaza, the Teleportation Array flashed with light more and more frequently.

VMMM—

Another group of people was teleported out.

This time, it was mostly the prodigies with Second Layer of True Master Realm cultivation.

However, when the light faded, the people from Cangzhou Prefecture frantically scanned the crowd, only to suddenly realize—

Jiang Che wasn’t there!

Then, as time went on, even the experts who had reached the Third Layer of True Master Realm began to be teleported out one after another!

One, two, three...

Until the very last Martial Artist at the Third Layer of True Master Realm was teleported out.

Still...

There was no sign of Jiang Che!

At this point, it wasn’t just the people from Cangzhou Prefecture; even the Martial Artists from the surrounding prefectures were starting to notice something was wrong.

"What’s going on? Where is that Jiang Che from Cangzhou Prefecture?"

"Isn’t he only at the Second Layer Peak of True Master Realm? How is he not out yet?"

"Could it be... he’s still holding on in there?!"

For a moment, discussions erupted. A mix of surprise, confusion, and disbelief began to spread through the crowd.

Meanwhile, in the Cangzhou Prefecture’s preparation area, the atmosphere had grown tense to the extreme.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the churning, misty Array, their palms slick with cold sweat.

"Hold on... You have to hold on!" Xu Qingshan muttered to himself.

Even the usually cold and stoic Qin Xuange was now staring at the Array without blinking.

’Jiang Che... Don’t come out! Whatever you do, don’t come out!’

’Show the world just how tough the bones of our Cangzhou Prefecture are!’

......

On the high platform.

Watching the scene below, Elder Su Wuming of the Haotian Sword Sect frowned slightly and snorted coldly.

"Hmph. It’s just fighting above one’s Realm. Nothing so rare about it."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, his tone nonchalant.

"Back in my day, for people like us at that age, surpassing someone one or two Realms higher was a common occurrence! This kid is merely at the Second Layer of True Master Realm. The fact that he can last for a while under the assault of Third Layer cultivators only shows his foundation is decent. It’s hardly at the level of being world-shocking."

Daoist Wu Wei, who was beside him, just smiled at his words and didn’t reply.

His gaze drifted toward the mist, the anticipation in his eyes growing a little stronger.

......

「A little while later.」

The atmosphere in the plaza suddenly became heavy.

Because when the Teleportation Array lit up again, the auras of the figures who emerged were completely different!

Fourth Layer of True Master Realm!

These were the mainstays of the major prefectures, the true top-tier experts!

However, as the geniuses at the Early Stage of the Fourth Layer of True Master Realm were teleported out one by one, their faces full of indignation...

Still... no Jiang Che!

When even the experts at the Mid Stage of the Fourth Layer began to be eliminated...

Still... no Jiang Che!

At this, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar!

More and more people, even the Martial Artists from the Great States who hadn’t paid Jiang Che any mind before, now couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed, their faces showing expressions as if they had seen a ghost.

"He’s still in there?! That guy, Jiang Che, is still in there?!"

"My heavens! Did he fall asleep in there? Or is the Array broken?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! He’s only at the Second Layer of True Master Realm, how could he possibly hold out longer than someone at the Fourth Layer of True Master Realm?!"