Bold as Heaven

In that moment, Xiao Chen's identity was exposed. The news spread like a tidal wave across the arena, leaving countless spectators dumbfounded. They had never imagined that Xiao Shishui and Xiao Chen were the same person.

Three years ago, the night of bloodshed in Heavenly Emperor City had seen five demigods fall, and the heavens themselves had mourned when the little snow-white beast Keke perished. That night had spread Xiao Chen's name across the Southern Wastes.

Three years later, Xiao Shishui had burst onto the scene, battling Chu Xingkuang, sweeping through the elite young masters of Yin Capital with no equal. Rumors held that he had recently fought a Tiger Clan demigod and cut him in two at the western outskirts of Yin Capital, shaking the capital of the Great Shang Empire.

To discover that the two were the same person—how could that not shock? Many stared in disbelief.

"Xiao Shishui is actually Xiao Chen…"

"It's him, it's him!"

The revelation triggered an uproar. Every voice whispered, every gaze turned toward him.

Of course, not everyone was ignorant of his true identity. Some had suspected it all along. Even the Flying Dagger Inheritor among the Ten Great Experts of Great Shang had already known. He murmured, "So it really is you."

Yan Qingcheng was stunned, her expression caught in a tangle of emotions. She whispered to herself, "How could this be… it was him!"

Zhao Lin'er, the Sun Religion's saintess, narrowed her brows and gritted her teeth. "This fellow… to be recognized like this makes him hard to control."

Beside her, the Celestial Horse blinked its star-bright eyes, a glimmer of familiarity in them. It studied Xiao Chen carefully. On Dragon Island, before it ever met Zhao Lin'er, the Celestial Horse had spent several days with Xiao Chen and had even saved his life from a Tyrant Dragon's claws. It could be counted as Xiao Chen's "benefactor."

Not far away, Chu Xingkuang, who had once suffered a heavy defeat at Xiao Chen's hands, sighed. "So it was him. Only now do I know who truly defeated me. I cannot say I lost unjustly."

Many of Yindu's noble scions and aristocratic ladies suddenly understood. Now that the truth was out, everyone realized what had happened. The demigod of the Tiger Clan who had died was unquestionably connected to Xiao Shishui—because he was the same Xiao Chen!

A man who had dared to kill a demigod three years ago, killing another demigod now was hardly surprising! Many young cultivators thought this way. In their eyes, Xiao Chen was a fearsomely strong warrior, a being who made enemies tremble.

Beside Third Princess Yin Ying, the golden ape Gold bared his teeth and glared at Xiao Chen with fury. This descendant of a Heavenly God had sharp divine senses; he had sensed something amiss when he first saw Xiao Chen, but Xiao Chen had covered it well, and Gold had not thought much of it at the time. Now realizing the truth, Gold was enraged. He still remembered how the little beast Keke had nearly killed him back then, and his hostility now extended to Xiao Chen.

Third Princess Yin Ying soothed Gold, her eyes gleaming with strange light. She had to win over this man. Not only did his personal potential rival the Ten Great Experts, but he also had that snow-white little beast that all the great powers coveted—a world-defying creature whose future achievements were beyond imagination.

The Ten Great Experts of the Roman Empire all fixed their attention on Xiao Chen. They would carefully study any famous young expert of the continent. Previously, they had only gathered intelligence. Now, seeing the real man, their qi sense told them that this man was no simple case; he might not be weaker than the future gods of their own religions. Several women among the ten, with golden hair like brilliant sunlight dancing in the wind and faces of peerless beauty half-hidden in mist, were meticulously deducing the result of the clash between the Flying Dagger Inheritor and Xiao Chen from earlier, hoping to estimate Xiao Chen's true combat strength.

The Ten Great Experts of Great Shang were even more focused, naturally, since they shared the same Eastern origins. The Flying Dagger Inheritor was the most informed—he had already clashed with Xiao Chen once.

The celestial maiden of the Cihang Sword Pavilion and the enchantress of the Heavenly Demon Palace had both made their calculations and now had their own assessments. The others were each lost in thought.

As for the elder figures watching from the shadows, their minds were even more complex. Most wished to recruit Xiao Chen into their families by one means or another—he was a junior of limitless potential. But more importantly, the world-defying snow-white beast would soon return. It belonged to Xiao Chen. Whoever recruited him would hold a future supreme sovereign in their hands. Once the snow-white beast matured, it would sweep all before it.

In the clearing where Xiao Chen stood, murderous intent from four directions locked onto him. The Tiger Clan's experts had sealed off that area.

Yet two lively, adorable little girls still clung stubbornly to Xiao Chen's arms, refusing to let go.

By now, not only Xiao Chen but also those nearby could tell that the two tender little girls were no ordinary children.

Xiao Chen had tried several times to free himself without success. Of course, if he exerted his full strength, he was confident he could shake them off, but there was no need yet.

"Little sisters, why do you keep holding onto me?"

A seven- or eight-year-old girl with such strength must have an extraordinary origin. Xiao Chen was eighty percent sure they were not human. He did not wish to offend them or those behind them.

"Handsome brother, we want to take you home with us…" The two little girls' skin was fair with a rosy blush, crystal-clear and radiant. Their eyes sparkled with cunning light, and their delicate cuteness made it impossible to feel anger.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Linglong." "I'm Tutu."

"Linglong and Tutu… they really are soft, tender names." Xiao Chen smiled. "How about you let me go first? I'll visit your house later."

"No!" Their little faces were full of playful shrewdness.

Xiao Chen silently pondered. These two little girls definitely weren't clinging to him because they liked a 'handsome brother.' They had come prepared. Could some major power be trying to capture him? But why send two cute little girls? If anything happened to them, it would be a lifelong regret.

Though the Tiger clan experts hadn't acted yet, their killing intent grew stronger. The crowd withdrew. Niu Ren bounded over. He too sensed that the two little girls were extraordinary; they seemed to be preventing Xiao Chen from breaking free.

Shaking his large ox horns, Niu Ren grinned broadly and crouched down. "Little sisters…"

"Help! The Bull Demon King is coming!"

With a sound, Linglong and Tutu cried out and swept out two beams of divine light, sending Niu Ren flying.

Just then, Jin Sanyi also walked over, seemingly unafraid of the Tiger clan experts nearby, as if proving he was truly a killer in the sunlight. But aside from Xiao Chen and his group, no one knew that this sleazy man was Jin Sanyi himself. Appearing before the Tiger clan like this, they would never connect him to their family's young nemesis.

"U-un-uncle… I-I-I… w-will take you to see the goldfish, okay?"

"Creepy uncle!" "So sleazy!"

The two little girls pouted their lips and, as if by magic, produced a pile of things from somewhere—candied hawthorns, dried persimmons, sticky cakes, glutinous rice cakes—and slapped them all onto Jin Sanyi's face.

"I-I-I…" The sleazy man wiped a handful of the sticky snacks off his face. "I-I-I won't b-bother with you, g-girls. I-I-I'll go see goldfish myself."

The two delicate little girls laughed so hard they bent over, seemingly delighted. And in that moment, Xiao Chen erupted with a burst of intense light, shaking them off, and shot into the sky.

But then the two little girls streaked after him like lightning—they could fly!

Xiao Chen unfolded the Eight Aspect Worlds, changing directions in the sky with extreme speed, but to everyone's astonishment, the two little girls barely lagged behind, managing to follow him through spatial traversal.

In the end, the Eight Aspect Worlds technique proved superior. The two little girls, their cheeks flushed red and panting, stopped in midair, unable to catch up, and gave up.

A beam of white light shot into the sky. A colossal white tiger blocked Xiao Chen's path, its furious roar shaking the earth and knocking many below unconscious.

Xiao Chen did not flee hastily. He faced the white tiger calmly. "You've come at last."

"Boy, was it you who killed the Tiger clan demigod outside Yin Capital?"

"You mean that Strong Tiger? I killed him!"

At these words, the entire arena erupted. Suspecting it was one thing; having it confirmed was another. A demigod… killed by Xiao Chen! This was nothing like three years ago, when he had burned his life force to slay a demigod.

"Then pay with your life!"

The white tiger in the sky flew into a rage. It roared and charged forward. Overwhelming white light rolled and surged like a furious ocean, shattering half the sky and drowning Xiao Chen!

The white tiger's momentum was terrifying, its power beyond imagination!

But in an instant, two streams of rainbow light shot toward the surging white mist. They shattered and dissolved the violent energy, quenching the storm as if a pair of calming pearls had stilled a raging sea. The sky cleared.

It happened so suddenly—from fury to calm in the blink of an eye.

Everyone was stunned. It had all been done by the two little girls. But they now appeared tipsy, their little faces flushed, crystal beads of sweat on their smooth foreheads, clearly having exerted themselves.

Yet this was enough to shock every onlooker. Two seven- or eight-year-old girls had withstood a demigod's furious blow—unimaginable!

The white tiger was enraged, but when it noticed the two little girls, it swallowed its anger. Not only it, but every worldly-wise observer knew: these two little girls had to have an astounding origin, backed by an unimaginable figure. Otherwise, how could they be so powerful at such a young age?

"Don't hit the handsome brother! We want to catch him and take him home, so we can stare at him all day long…"

Childish laughter drifted across the sky. But no one believed these were simple little girls; they were surely clever little foxes.

Meanwhile, Third Princess of Great Shang raised her hand. Five old men rose into the sky, positioning themselves before the white tiger.

Yin Ying's voice below was as calm as a celestial tone, utterly devoid of emotion. "Today is a friendly contest between the strongest youths of the Great Shang Empire and the Roman Empire. If you have a vendetta, settle it elsewhere. Do not disturb the arena."

Though not a reprimand or a threat, it was clearly a rebuke to the white tiger, urging it to leave. Anyone else would never dare, for the Tiger clan was no ordinary family. Their legacy stretched back through the ages. The White Tiger Saint Emperor was a figure who dared to challenge the Buddha himself. But the Great Shang royal family was different; they had the support of a being whose power matched heaven. How else could they keep the increasingly powerful super-royal clans in check?

With a soft sound, the two little girls flew to Xiao Chen's side and pointed at the distant white tiger. "We have a few big white cats like that at home. They're not fun at all."

Their innocent words dropped jaws to the floor. People felt a surge of absurdity. Big white cats… were they talking about genuine white tigers? The Tiger clan itself had only a few authentic white tigers—most here were half-human, half-tiger…

Too formidable! Keeping genuine white tigers as pets at home—that was not something an ordinary family could do!

"Bullshit!"

A youth, barely twenty, shot up from below. Clearly a young expert of the Tiger clan, though not yet a demigod, he could fly—a testament to his power. He glared at the two little girls.

Figures flickered as several silhouettes rose into the air. Three old men, and two women—one as cold as frost, the other dazzlingly beautiful. They blocked the youth's path, obviously afraid he would cause a catastrophe.

The two delicate little girls did not retort. They just pouted and snorted coldly.

The white tiger transformed into an old man, pointing at Xiao Chen. "Today, we have come for you. If you are a man, let's fight elsewhere, away from prying eyes."

Xiao Chen laughed in spite of himself. He cut the old man off mercilessly. "Are you sick?! With so many of you, you have the nerve to 'fight elsewhere'? Why not say, 'Find a quiet spot where you can gang up on me'?"

"Nonsense! The Tiger clan is renowned across the Central Plains for its honor and integrity. How could we do such a thing?"

"You wouldn't?" Xiao Chen had long been irreconcilable with the Tiger clan. He did not hold back, deliberately striking their sore spot. "Three years ago, in Heavenly Emperor City, you were shameless enough. Two demigods working with four from the Hai clan against me—and you still dare mention 'honor'? You're thicker in the face than city walls!"

"Silence! You are a murderous fiend. Our Tiger clan was removing a scourge. That is why we owed you no fairness three years ago!" The youth in the sky roared, cutting off Xiao Chen, unwilling to let him expose their shame.

"Remove a scourge, my ass! It was all because the little snow-white beast killed that white tiger cub in a fair beast-fighting tournament!" The memory kindled Xiao Chen's fury. "That entire affair three years ago is already known across the land. Yet you dare bring it up? Are you not plugging your ears while stealing a bell? You will only make the world despise you more!"

"How dare you curse us?!" The young man trembled with rage. Born and raised in a cocoon of flattery, he had never encountered anyone like Xiao Chen. Even as enemies, such treatment was unimaginable to him.

"I dare, you sons of bitches! I'm cursing you right now!" Xiao Chen swore again freely. Before the eyes of the world, before countless cultivators, he cursed the Tiger clan, and it felt immensely satisfying.

The dazzling woman held back the trembling youth and stepped forward. "Our Tiger clan's benevolence and honor are known to all. Our reputation will never fall. Your slander and mudslinging will do nothing. You die today."

"Your Tiger clan has long forgotten what shame is. Your face is thick enough to withstand a hundred blows from a Deathless Longevity expert. Don't talk to me about benevolence and honor—it only invites mockery. You are nothing but a pack of beasts!"

Xiao Chen's final words were venomous, striking at the very wound of this family that carried White Tiger blood in their veins. His loss of composure today came from recalling how the little beast had died for him, the scenes of three years ago rising unbidden in his mind.

"You… are bold!" The beautiful woman's face turned cyan with rage. She pointed a trembling finger at Xiao Chen. "We will not kill you quickly. We will capture you, extract your soul, and suppress you slowly until you die!" Even though the old men sent by Yin Ying blocked their path, the Tiger clan seemed ready to charge at any moment.

"I heard the same threats three years ago. Those Tiger clan members are dead now." Since the rupture was irreparable, Xiao Chen had no qualms.

The arena below had long descended into an uproar. Xiao Chen, alone in the sky, denounced the Tiger clan's experts, and many found it satisfying. In recent years, the Tiger clan had grown unbearably arrogant, provoking resentment among many great powers.

"Little bastard, I will crush you soon enough!" Even an old man among the Tiger clan could not hold back, his voice icy. "Our Tiger clan shakes the world. No one has ever dared blaspheme us like this. Today, I will stoop to bully the young and slaughter without mercy."

"Your 'shakes the world' is self-proclaimed! I say no such thing. From now on, I will kill Tiger clan men as I please, cut them down wherever I find them. Let's see how much shaking you can do!"

Anyone could see Xiao Chen was enraged. He pointed at the old man. "Bullying the young did not start today, old man. You have done it all along. Spare me the self-serving nonsense. If not for your shameless habit of bullying the young, how would your Tiger clan's demigods have died by my hand? It is your unvarying, shameless nature! Slaughter without mercy? You amuse me. I will fulfill your wish. One day, I will make the Tiger clan run with rivers of blood!"

"Xiao Chen, you deserve death! You deserve annihilation! You deserve a thousand cuts!" The cold-as-ice young woman of the Tiger clan was also set aflame by fury. Her eyes blazed with hatred as she glared at Xiao Chen. "My two cousins were both killed by you in Yin Capital not long ago. Today, one death cannot repay your debt; you must be executed by slicing!"

"Go to hell!" Xiao Chen showed no restraint even though she was a stunningly beautiful woman. He roared his curses. "Only your Tiger clan can kill me? And I cannot kill those two wastes? What kind of logic is that? Are you brainless, pretty vases?"

The cold woman, accustomed to being treated with reverence and hating being called a 'pretty vase,' trembled as she pointed at Xiao Chen.

Many in the arena below were laughing. Everyone resented the Tiger clan's arrogance. The events of three years ago were well known. The scenes accompanying the little white beast's death had spread across the world.

This time, the Tiger clan had sent four old experts and three young experts. All glared at Xiao Chen, eyes nearly spitting fire.

"Xiao Chen, if I do not kill you, I am no man!" The youth who had been trading curses with Xiao Chen earlier pointed at him.

"Who do you think you are? Stop hiding behind those old farts. Dare to come at me? I'll kill you with one finger!"

Xiao Chen could barely contain his fury toward the Tiger clan—the little beast's death was a permanent thorn in his heart. Of course, he also spoke to provoke the Tiger clan's youth.

It worked. The young expert was enraged and ready to charge, but the four old experts reined him in.

"Ha ha… always hide behind your old relics, then. Always hide from me, or else I'll butcher you like a chicken!" Xiao Chen's wild arrogance intensified his goading until the youth ground his molars to powder, straining to break free.

One of the old Tiger clan experts shouted, "Xiao Chen, stop your insolence! We are merely respecting the Great Shang Third Princess's wish not to fight here. Otherwise, would any of our Tiger clan's scions be inferior to you?"

"Aha, the greatest joke under heaven!" Xiao Chen called down to Yin Ying, "I implore the Third Princess to grant me a place here. Let me fight the Tiger clan's young experts. If they are afraid, I will take on all of their younger generation at once!"

Xiao Chen pointed at the angry young man opposite, the dazzling woman, and the coldly beautiful woman.

"Very well. Today is intended for a contest of the young elites. I permit you to fight here—but only among the younger generation."

Yin Ying's words clearly favored Xiao Chen, effectively blocking the Tiger clan's elders from interfering on the spot. The Great Shang royal family had the backing of a being whose stature rivaled heaven; they feared no family on the continent. Even if the Tiger clan was displeased, the royal family did not care. What mattered was that if they could secure the snow-white beast, they would gain a future guardian supreme, another being who could rival heaven.

"Good! That's the way to do it!"

"Let the younger generation settle this!"

Below, the whole arena joined the clamor. Even the Ten Great Young Experts of Great Shang and the Roman Empire were stirred, wanting to see Xiao Chen's methods and the Tiger clan's supreme techniques.

The two delicate little girls wrinkled their noses and winked at Xiao Chen. "Handsome brother, are you up for this? Do you need our help?"

Xiao Chen motioned for them to stand aside. Then, sneering at the Tiger clan's young experts, he said, "You heard me. If you're scared, come at me together. I'll kill all three of you by myself. If there are any other Tiger clan disciples hiding in the shadows, let them all come out. I'll kill every last one of you!"

Such a commanding, world-dominating posture stirred the blood of many. Before the fight even began, his momentum had seized the crowd's hearts!

The Tiger clan's elders desperately wanted to stop this, but could not bring themselves to speak in front of so many onlookers.

Xiao Chen laughed coldly at the three young Tiger clan experts. "Killing you is like slaughtering dogs. If you're cowards, then get lost. From now on, take a detour whenever you see me."

He was not worried for himself. At worst, he would unfold the Eight Aspect Worlds and escape.

"I'll kill you!" The young expert could no longer bear it. Under the gaze of the multitude, his fury surged to his crown. He roared and, ignoring his elders' protests, charged at Xiao Chen.

He led with his ultimate technique—the Tiger's Roar Sonic Wave. As he rushed forward, he opened his mouth and bellowed. A colossal white tiger phantom materialized before him, roaring skyward. The terrifying sonic wave was clearly visible, spreading like ripples but immense in scale. It surged like a deathly black tide, as if a meteor had crashed into a boundless ocean. The dark, visible sound waves vibrated in one direction, shattering space piece by piece, reaching Xiao Chen.

The Eight Aspect Worlds unfolded, and Xiao Chen appeared in another region of the sky, but the black death-wave followed, breaking through space to pursue him.

"Xiao Chen, you cannot escape! The Tiger's Death Roar will never stop until it has killed you!" The young man smiled sinisterly.

"Then I will kill you first." Xiao Chen stopped fleeing. He had avoided it not out of fear, but because he did not want to expend too much power so early. He had a premonition that a far more brutal battle awaited him.

Slay God! With the motion of his hands, the four ultimate techniques—sealed for three years because he feared exposing his identity—were now unleashed. With his identity fully revealed, he had no more reservations.

The sky blazed with blinding white light as if a tidal wave had swept across the oceans, rolling clouds of light up to the heavens. Thousands of swords and sabers appeared, piercing through the sea of clouds. Limitless killing intent broke through the firmament!

Between Xiao Chen's left and right hands appeared towering divine blades and swords. With a resounding clang that shook the world, they struck together. In an instant, the deathly sonic wave shattered, annihilated into nothing, and vanished without a trace.

The colossal blades and swords were closing in! Like thunderclaps from the Nine Heavens, the thousands of weapons fell like lightning, drowning the sky!

The moment the blades and swords closed together, they fell like a giant shears of death, reaping lives. The young Tiger clan expert was terrified beyond belief—his sonic wave had been scattered, and the colossal blades were converging on him.

Though he flew at utmost speed, the great weapons had already filled the entire sky, locked onto him, with killing intent inseparable.

Forced to, three avatars burst from his body to die in his place.

Gasps rose from below—three avatars! This young man was extraordinary.

"Aah—!"

His shrieks pierced heaven and earth. All three avatars were cut down, reduced to ashes, leaving nothing behind. The great blades' killing momentum did not diminish. In the final convergence, the residual sword energy severed both legs of the young man's true body!

Blood gushed. The young Tiger expert screamed, tumbling through the sky.

Before the Tiger elders could rush over, Xiao Chen had already closed in through the Eight Aspect Worlds, reaching out his hands mercilessly.

The young man raged in defiance. He spat his natal essence, which formed a sword flying at Xiao Chen. But when it met Xiao Chen's demon-like palms, the sword shattered. Xiao Chen's weapon-fusion body technique had reached a whole new level—no mortal weapon could hurt his hands.

In a flash, Xiao Chen's towering figure streaked across the sky, vanishing from that spot. Only a headless corpse remained. He appeared in another part of the sky, holding a dripping severed head.

"Killing you is like slaughtering a dog."

The cold words echoed across the sky.

He had said it, and he had done it. The arena below was stunned, then erupted into a frenzy.

"You killed my brother! I'll fight you!" The dazzling woman of the Tiger clan in the distance, tears of blood blurring her vision, was beside herself with rage and grief.

"Come back!" The Tiger clan elders shouted, snapping her back to her senses. She stumbled backward, mourning.

But Xiao Chen had no intention of letting her go. He sneered, "Now that you've stepped forward, don't retreat."

He unfolded the Eight Aspect Worlds and shot forward like a phantom.

The Tiger elders were horrified. They rushed to block him, but Xiao Chen was too fast, moving at a speed that seemed to surpass spatial travel. He crossed the long distance and reached her before the nearby elders could.

The sky was filled with light. Slay God appeared, dissolving the desperate blow the dazzling woman had mustered. At the same time, the Lingxi Sword Wave vibrated, shattering one of her arms.

Her scream was bleak and shrill.

Blood sprayed. A mist of gore filled the air.

By then, the Tiger clan elders finally arrived.

"You coming won't save her!"

Xiao Chen activated the Eight Aspect Worlds, sidestepping them and charging at the woman from another angle!

The world's ultimate speed! He was actually trying to kill her right under the elders' noses. Such audacity stunned everyone.

The Tiger elders all rushed over. If a junior were killed under their protection, they would never be able to show their faces again. Losing an arm was already a loss of face.

The four elders closed in, and Xiao Chen flew away—straight toward the cold, icy woman on the other side!

"You…!" The Tiger clan elders were furious.

Xiao Chen was outrageously arrogant. He had struck at the dazzling woman because she had already stepped into the arena. But the cold woman had not yet entered the fight. This was a grave provocation.

"Xiao Chen, how dare you!" The elders were enraged.

"Why wouldn't I dare? That's a very stupid question. You can bully me because you're old? From now on, whenever I see a Tiger clan junior, I will do the same—bully the young and slaughter without mercy!"

As he spoke, Xiao Chen reached the cold woman.

"Fall back!" The elders shouted.

The icy woman only smirked. Endless mist billowed out, sealing off this region of space.

"Wait to die!" she said coldly.

"You? Not worthy." Xiao Chen knew she wanted to trap him so the elders could kill him. With all his strength, he struck and sent her flying, breaking the seal. The woman spat blood. Xiao Chen pursued her relentlessly.

Pandemonium erupted below. Xiao Chen was beyond bold—he wanted to keep killing under the very eyes of demigods, daring to make the heavens themselves tremble!