The Purple Jade Bracelet

Xiao Chen cleanly slew seven cultivators. Young and old, male and female, everyone on Mount Hua erupted in cheers. The mountain peak was in an uproar.

But amid the chaotic noise, Chen Fang's anxious and terrified voice still reached Xiao Chen's ears with perfect clarity. He could clearly see the panic on Chen Fang's face, a look of worry and fear deeper than words.

'The jade bracelet I gave to Ruoshui with my own hands back then...' Xiao Chen turned his head. Not far from him, a young man in robes as white as snow, handsome and elegant, stood beside the eldest of the old cultivators. He had a tall, straight posture and an almost ethereal bearing.

On his left wrist, a purple jade bracelet gleamed with brilliant light, as if streams of violet water flowed along his arm. Though half-hidden by his sleeve, the purple radiance still rippled outward, dyeing half his white robe in a dreamlike, enchanted color, as if a fragment of a mystical world had descended there.

Anyone could tell it was a peerless treasure, carved from the purest, most perfect jade essence.

Male cultivators wearing bracelets or rings was nothing unusual, for these were not necessarily feminine ornaments. They could be supreme magic artifacts, and jade bracelets were often refined into spatial bracelets, capable of storing objects—a refining method that cultivators in the mortal world deeply envied. Possessing such a treasure was like owning a mobile dimension.

'I remember... that was my family's heirloom...' Though Xiao Chen had cut Ruoshui from his heart, he had not forgotten everything connected to her. He had a deep impression of this jade bracelet. His parents had once told him it must only be given to his future bride and could never be lost. It was their family's legacy.

He could still recall that the Purple Jade Bracelet had been given away, but to whom? No memory at all.

Whoosh.

Xiao Chen left an afterimage behind him and charged forward, stopping before the young cultivator with the extraordinary bearing and surpassing presence. He looked at him calmly and said, 'I want to know where you got that jade bracelet.'

Tianwaitian, Renwairen, and Shanwaishan all flew over, afraid that Xiao Chen might come to harm. After all, the old cultivator was right ahead. If he suddenly struck and killed this promising youth who could restore ancient martial battle techniques, they would regret it forever.

The approach of the two great masters, Tianwaitian and Renwairen, instantly made the atmosphere tense.

The white-robed young man looked at Xiao Chen, then at the old cultivator beside him, and laughed lightly. 'Don't you think that's too much? Do I have to account to you for my own magic artifact?'

'Because... it once was mine.' Xiao Chen stared at him. 'I gave it to a friend later. I want to know how you got it, and how my friend is now.'

'Haha... now it's mine. I have the right not to answer.' The white-robed cultivator smiled frivolously. 'But I might as well tell you: a lover gave it to me.'

Xiao Chen showed no reaction, but Chen Fang on the mountaintop was furious, pointing at the white-robed cultivator. 'You... shameless!'

'What shame is there in that?' The white-robed cultivator coldly looked down at Chen Fang. He held nothing but contempt for those low-level martial artists. 'Saying the wrong thing can get people killed. You'd better apologize to me, or else...'

'Or else what?' Xiao Chen's voice was calm, but he exuded an overwhelming pressure—the unique 'force' of a martial artist, utterly different from a cultivator's ethereal grace. An ultimate martial artist always radiated a majestic, oppressive presence like a mountain or sea.

The cultivators were still nursing a grudge over the seven young experts Xiao Chen had just slain. At this moment, they found an outlet. The white-robed cultivator said, 'I am a reasonable man. You want to know the details? I just won't tell.' He cast a contemptuous glance at Xiao Chen. 'Are you going to resort to brute force? You are indeed strong—none of the younger generation here seems to be your match. But when it comes to overall strength, you are far beneath us. The world of cultivators is not something your mortal realm can compare to.'

His words made many cultivators feel a surge of vindication.

Chen Fang below was both anxious and terrified. Clearly, he cared deeply for Ruoshui. Afraid of hearing a thunderbolt from the blue, of learning an unbearable tragedy, he shouted, 'You're lying! Ruoshui would never give it to anyone. She seldom even wore it on her wrist.'

In the sky, Xiao Chen did not anger. He calmly looked at the old cultivator. 'I am not trying to provoke. The jade bracelet truly is my family's heirloom. I only want to understand the truth, because it concerns the safety and whereabouts of a friend.'

The old cultivator nodded. At his age, he would not be impulsive. He turned to the young man beside him. 'How did you get it?'

'A woman did give it to me...' the white-robed cultivator replied. 'It seems to be a defensive treasure. I wanted to join the battle just now, so I put it on.' As he spoke, he raised his left wrist. At that moment, sunlight shone straight down, and within the purple jade bracelet a faint yellow light flickered—the old cultivator caught it keenly.

'Let me see it.'

The young man flew before him and raised his wrist for the old cultivator to examine.

'Keep it safe.'

The old cultivator showed a flicker of concern, then turned to Xiao Chen. 'You already know—the bracelet was given to him by someone else.' Clearly, the Purple Jade Bracelet had caught the old man's attention, and he wanted to drop the matter immediately.

'Hold on. Let me see it.' Tianwaitian, who looked like a rogue, stepped forward in his usual idle manner, with none of the dignity of a senior.

Renwairen, the chubby little brat, also pressed forward. 'Since this is Xiao Chen's family heirloom, just give it back. A true gentleman helps others achieve their desires.'

No one had expected the Mount Hua Martial Convention to turn out like this. After the duels, a dispute over a small jade bracelet had erupted.

'Hmph.' The old cultivator snorted coldly. 'No matter who this jade bracelet belonged to before, it is in our hands now and has a master. Are you trying to take it by force?'

'Ridiculous!' The little brat Renwairen spoke with a maturity far beyond his years. 'This is clearly someone's family heirloom. How could it belong to you? Just because it's in your hand, does that make it yours? Fine—I'll take it from you right now and hold it in my hand.'

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures flashed through the sky like hundreds or thousands of bolts of lightning. In an instant, the air blazed with blinding light. Renwairen and the old cultivator collided what seemed like a thousand times, then parted.

Renwairen stood composed. 'Don't think that just because you have numbers, it matters. We are keeping this jade bracelet today.'

On the other side, Tianwaitian, who looked like a thug, yawned and lazily paced forward through the void. 'Call all your people over. Don't cower and hide. All you old bastards, come at us together.'

From the distant sky came the sound of breaking air. Figures flickered. Eight more old men appeared. Judging by the ten-thousand-foot-long giant sword the first old man had wielded, one could imagine the strength of these eight.

Nine old men surrounded Renwairen, Tianwaitian, and Shanwaishan.

'So what if you have numbers? Cultivators aren't worth shit.' Tianwaitian's hooligan streak flared again. He muttered carelessly, 'Throw out all your scrap metal. Today, your daddy is going on a killing spree!'

As he spoke, he let out a wild roar. His entire aura transformed. Twin beams of lightning shot from his eyes, and a flying sword charging at him was instantly shattered. He moved like a hurricane across the sky, causing the entire heavens to tremble violently.

He charged furiously at an old cultivator and bellowed, 'When I dominated heaven and earth back in the day, your ancestors were still sucking at their mothers' tits! Today, even without breaking the seal, killing you is as easy as reaching into my pocket.'

He was as good as his word. His speed was inconceivably fast. He shot straight at the old cultivator who had sent the flying sword at him. Along the way, he shattered thirteen of the old man's magic artifacts. He closed in, his right hand reaching out—blood burst forth.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed. Tianwaitian had torn an old cultivator apart!

A nightmarish scene appeared before the multitude of cultivators, startling even the many martial artists on Mount Hua. They witnessed what it meant to be fierce, unstoppable—overwhelming!

The rogue-like Tianwaitian, when enraged, was terrifyingly close to evil itself, giving a feeling of utter dread.

'Phew...'

Having instantly killed an old cultivator, Tianwaitian gasped for breath and muttered, 'Fuck... that damned Nine Provinces Seal.'

The towering, mountain-crushing momentum receded like a tide, and he seemed to have fallen from some peak state back to his original self—again like a young hooligan.

But this display shocked everyone into silence. Mount Hua remained still for a long time before erupting again.

All the cultivators turned pale. Even the old cultivators wore grim expressions.

'What's the matter? Still not convinced? Then I'll really go on a killing spree.' Tianwaitian cast a roguish, sidelong glance at the old cultivators.

'Seal him!' one of the old cultivators shouted coldly. 'He only has that one trick. Set the formation and seal them!'

Dark clouds rolled across the sky. Waves of black mist surged. The previously clear heavens instantly changed color. Eight great banners rose into the air, and the whole world seemed flooded with a terrifying power.

Tianwaitian, Renwairen, and Shanwaishan were all trapped within.

'Blood Iron Battle Banners are terrifying, but you can't seal us with this. If your ancestors had come, maybe they could have!' The little brat Renwairen's voice, exuding an old and seasoned air, came from within.

'Stop blowing air. You're finished.'

Rolling black clouds pressed down, completely swallowing the three masters.

Thunder clapped. Blood-red lightning lashed wildly. Within the space sealed by the banners, the void could be seen constantly shattering. Terrifying power surged violently as the eight banners shook, as if everything within was about to be annihilated!

'Xiao Chen, kill all their disciples and grandsons clean!' Tianwaitian's voice came from within the sealed space, but only Xiao Chen could hear it. It was an extremely advanced telepathic transmission, booming in his ear: 'With us here, the old bastards shaking the Blood Iron Battle Banners can't free their hands. Go take back your family heirloom. I strongly suspect that jade bracelet might be related to the Nine Provinces Seal. Those old relics have probably figured it out.'

Xiao Chen did not reply. He pressed forward silently, step by step. Though he had cut Ruoshui from his heart, he knew from Chen Fang's words that he must protect and help her. Now he had to find out where she was, and he had to retrieve the jade bracelet—it was his family's heirloom.

'Stop him!' The white-robed cultivator waved his hand. A dozen cultivators rushed forward. Clearly, he held some status.

'I don't want to kill anyone,' Xiao Chen said coldly, looking at the encircling cultivators.

'You don't want to kill, but we want to kill you!' These men were filled with hatred. Xiao Chen had just cut down seven of them before their eyes. Even if he now suppressed his killing intent, they could not forgive him. They did not believe that so many of them could not kill Xiao Chen, especially given that several among them were at the Nascent Soul stage.

Without another word, Xiao Chen charged forward, fearless, stretching his body in the sky.

A spinning diamond ring shot toward him, flashing with blinding light, seeming to tear a rift in the air as it rippled with terrifying energy, striking at Xiao Chen's chest with the force of a thousand pounds—enough to shatter even an iron stele.

But facing this, Xiao Chen was calm and composed. He reached out with his left hand, his index and middle fingers slightly apart. He pinched the ring precisely and firmly. With a crisp crack, the dazzling magic artifact was crushed between his two fingers.

Terrifying physical strength!

'Everyone together! Kill him!'

Xiao Chen's face was expressionless. A cold light flashed from his eyes. Facing dozens of attacking artifacts, his figure darted like lightning, swift as a gale. The sounds of shattering rang out continuously. His body was comparable to refined steel, his palms like heavenly blades, indestructible, snapping seven or eight magic artifacts in an instant.

Using the extreme speed of the Eight Aspect Worlds, he reached one of them in a flash. His palm blade swept past, and a bloody head flew askew. The corpse plummeted from the sky, blood gushing. Without even turning, Xiao Chen kicked backward, and with a dull thud, he pierced the chest of another man and shattered his corpse in the void, blood spraying.

'Kill him!' All the cultivators' eyes turned red.

A cold smirk curled Xiao Chen's lips. His body spun like a top, shooting up into the air. He closed with several cultivators at high altitude, then swept his right leg out sideways. The horrible sound of bones and flesh breaking came again. Three cultivators were severed at the waist by his sweeping leg, cut clean through.

Flash.

With the extreme speed of the Eight Aspect Worlds, Xiao Chen charged out of the rain of blood and appeared in a densely packed crowd. His palm blade slashed diagonally.

Pfft, pfft, pfft...

The sky turned crimson. Blood gushed. The sound of death made souls tremble. Four more men lost their heads to his palm blade.

Xiao Chen's speed was too fast—far too fast for the cultivators to dodge. The Eight Aspect Worlds' extreme speed surpassed all limits, and combined with the terrifying hand gestures of ancient martial battle techniques, nothing could break through, nothing could stand against it. It was truly like the unstoppable palm of heaven. Magic artifacts under this flesh-and-blood palm were worse than scrap metal.

'Stop him!'

The white-robed cultivator's face showed terror, for he saw Xiao Chen closing in.

Crack.

The sound of a broken flying sword rang out. Xiao Chen mercilessly cleaved through the figures in his way, the split corpses falling from the sky.

Pfft, pfft, pfft.

Xiao Chen struck without mercy. His palm blade shattered three skulls. White brain matter and red blood splattered in all directions. The bodies burst apart in the void, and a mist of blood filled the air.

He was like the Grim Reaper emerging from hell, reaping lives without mercy, without a flicker of emotion. Striking like lightning, the hand of heaven was unstoppable! It was truly the palm of a sovereign forcing its way into the world.

The one who said he did not want to kill was slaughtering. The ones who said they would kill were the ones being killed.

At last, Xiao Chen, with the extreme speed of the Eight Aspect Worlds, chased down the white-robed cultivator who had tried to flee, cutting off his escape.

'Speak. Where did the jade bracelet come from? What happened to its original owner?'

Xiao Chen's voice was like the chill of the deepest underworld—cold enough to make the very soul tremble.