The One Who Claims My Name

Waves churned into towering white crests as the colossal stone statue stood like a mountain range, seemingly suppressing the furious sea beyond the Nine Provinces. The War Sword in its hand pointed toward the capital, exuding a powerful, tangible presence.

A tall, imposing figure with a youthful face pierced by cold light stood atop the statue's head, black hair streaming like a demon god, looking down with an air of dominance, as if the entire world lay beneath his rule.

His laughter shook the sea, arrogant and unrestrained. Opposite him, the Nine-Headed Serpent and Ye Jiuchong had clearly suffered losses, with bloodstains at the corners of their mouths and pale faces.

"The legendary dead Xiao Chen is still alive... If this reaches the Nine Provinces, it will shake the heavens and earth," the Nine-Headed Serpent said. White divine light suddenly radiated from his body, like blazing silver sacred fire.

Unwilling to accept defeat, the Nine-Headed Serpent erupted with a terrifying wave of energy. A blinding white light burst from him, covering hundreds of feet in a single step. He vanished and appeared instantly above the stone statue's head, punching at the living, breathing Xiao Chen.

The figure on the stone statue was even faster. He soared into the air, his left hand thrusting out like a demonic claw, emitting streaks of black light that closed in on the Nine-Headed Serpent's wrist. If caught, bones would surely shatter. At the same time, his right hand, as pure and flawless as white jade, traced an arc of holy radiance and chopped directly at the Nine-Headed Serpent's head.

The Nine-Headed Serpent was startled. He accelerated his right fist, aiming for "Xiao Chen's" heart, while his left hand closed into a blade and sliced toward the hand cutting at his head.

Boom! Boom!

A violent tremor shook the sky, as if asteroids had collided, releasing a surge of world-shaking energy. The two mighty figures passed each other in midair.

The Nine-Headed Serpent was shocked. Was this the legendary man? After years of silence, everyone thought he had perished, but he reappeared abruptly after so many years, so powerful that he nearly made his opponent spit blood.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

They moved like wind and lightning, walking across the void, leaving trails of afterimages as they charged at each other again.

"Xiao Chen's" attacks were fierce and domineering. His left hand shimmered with black light, demonic claw shadows tearing the sky apart. His right hand was crystal clear, like the Heavenly Hand of the Supreme, shattering all obstacles.

These were completely different forces, but he wielded both to their fullest without conflict.

The Nine-Headed Serpent was uncertain. Although he had never met Xiao Chen in the past and had never fought him, he knew his signature battle techniques well. Yet what he saw now exceeded the information he had.

This "Xiao Chen" displayed incredibly profound and complex ancient combat techniques. The black-glowing left hand, though aimed at the Nine-Headed Serpent's right fist, actually surrounded half his body, containing spatial variations.

At the same time, the jade-like right hand seemed to foresee his retreat, blocking all escape routes, with the power of time faintly resonating within.

This was a terrifying battle technique!

The Nine-Headed Serpent could no longer hold back. He unleashed the Undying Nine Serpent Divine Art. The aura of death surged across the four seas. His silver hair danced like blazing flames, and the entire sea region trembled.

He transformed into nine bodies, each in a different dimensional space, launching a fierce assault on "Xiao Chen." A vast expanse of white divine energy enclosed this space.

The combined power of time and space was fearsome—almost enough to break all divine arts.

Although "Xiao Chen" had not fully realized the essence of time and space in his hands, these forces were already stirring within them. In the end, the Nine-Headed Serpent was trapped, sent flying by a palm strike, coughing blood continuously.

"I am invincible," said this "Xiao Chen" in just four words, standing alone like an immeasurable ocean, seemingly undefeatable.

Yet to outsiders, he looked utterly insufferable. Even the true Xiao Chen, watching from the sea in his purple-crystal skeleton form, felt this guy deserved a beating.

Not far away, Ye Jiuchong released a heart-stopping aura. A metallic clatter rang out as bronze battle armor materialized from within his body, covering his skin with a metallic luster. Killing intent pierced the sky, making even the heavens tremble.

Although he had never seen Xiao Chen, he had heard too many legends about him—he was a nightmare for the cultivation world. The legendary fallen figure had reappeared, igniting a blazing battle flame in his heart. Even after suffering a loss, he could not resist charging again.

A sacred artifact, pure as moonlight, bright as morning clouds—an eighteen-story pagoda descended from the heavens, aiming to trap "Xiao Chen." Ye Jiuchong pointed like a knife, and with his guidance, the pagoda expanded, radiating thousands of beams of light, about to enclose him.

"Xiao Chen" seemed to know its power. He raised his hands to the sky, forcefully holding the descending giant pagoda, then released a sound like a great bronze bell, grand and resonant.

Eight superimposed worlds appeared, revolving endlessly. The sea surged into the sky, white waves crashing like thousands of snowy mountains.

The power of the Eight Aspect Worlds was terrifying. It immediately sliced three layers off the eighteen-story pagoda. This was only because Ye Jiuchong's battle experience was rich enough to withdraw the pagoda in time; otherwise, it would have suffered even more severe damage.

Ye Jiuchong's face turned white as he spat three mouthfuls of blood. He withdrew with the fifteen-story pagoda, flying backward.

Was this the legendary fallen cultivator? With such combat power, few in the world could match him. Ye Jiuchong and the Nine-Headed Serpent retreated to the distant sky, staring at Xiao Chen, who now stood atop the giant statue.

"At a certain cost, I could kill you both. But I don't want to do that. Your cultivation is strong; you can be my followers," said the tall figure on the statue's head, looking at the two mighty experts in the distance.

"You're dreaming," Ye Jiuchong replied coldly, holding the shrunken pagoda. "Victory and defeat are not determined by a single battle. You haven't even made it into the world's top ten, yet you're so arrogant. There are more than ten people who can kill you."

"Leisurely watching flowers bloom and fade, casually following clouds roll and unroll—I have observed the Nine Provinces for so many years. If I didn't have the corresponding strength, how could I appear? This world will be colorful because of me."

This "Xiao Chen" was so arrogant that both experts wanted to cut him down.

The Nine-Headed Serpent spoke coldly, "My true name is Nine-Headed Dragon, not Nine-Headed Serpent. Even the Golden Lion King is wary of me. One day, you will see my dragon form."

"Then should I eliminate you first?" "Xiao Chen" sneered. With his hands behind his back and feet motionless, he flew swiftly toward the Nine-Headed Serpent.

"No one can truly kill me," the Nine-Headed Serpent said, transforming into nine streaks of silver light that shot in all directions.

Though this "Xiao Chen's" hands moved like lightning, he only caught three streaks. After crushing them savagely in the air, three new silver lights quickly coalesced in the distance.

"Interesting…" He did not pursue, only nodded slightly, as if evaluating a junior's techniques.

The Nine-Headed Serpent and Ye Jiuchong were thoroughly defeated. They said no more and fled into the distance.

"Wait," the "Xiao Chen" with his hands behind his back called after them. "Pass on a message to Zhao Lin'er. She and I are fated. One day, I will enter the capital to claim her as my bride. As the Empress of the Nine Provinces, she is a fitting match for me."

The two figures in the distant sky paused, clearly startled by the news, then quickly vanished.

In the more distant sea, the true Xiao Chen, his skeleton as crystalline as purple diamond, felt as if struck by nine bolts of lightning. Marry Zhao Lin'er? This was madness!

That day, the world was shaken. A legendary figure believed dead for many years had reappeared, astonishing everyone. The cultivation realm erupted in chaos.

In the imperial palace in the capital, upon hearing the news, Zhao Lin'er first smashed a cold jade table, then laughed. "Fine. Since he has the intention, let's see if he has the strength. Prepare the secret weapons. Let's see if his vitality is stronger than our destructive weapons."

In recent days, the eastern sea coast had become a hub of activity. A constant stream of cultivators arrived.

The giant stone statue had stood by the sea for over a year without being damaged. No one expected that the legendary fallen Xiao Chen would reappear here. Everyone knew that if the news were true, it would cause an earth-shattering upheaval.

For many days, blood had been shed along the coast. The "Xiao Chen" standing atop the statue had killed with ruthless abandon any who offended him, earning a reputation for madness that spread across the Nine Provinces.

Xiao Chen observed quietly for over two weeks. He discovered that this person had a complete soul, not a remnant—just like himself, he had long since repaired his soul.

Fusing with him was impossible.

If the two met, one would surely fall!

Could this be the remnant soul left in the stone statue? It had cultivated peerless divine arts and seemed very powerful, Xiao Chen thought with mixed feelings. He suddenly remembered the person who had entered Dragon Island from Lushan years ago—the one who looked exactly like him.

What was this? Had the remnant soul already appeared in this world long ago? According to the timeline, that person had even returned to the Mortal World a year before Xiao Chen did.

At this thought, a chill crept up Xiao Chen's spine. If the timeline held, it meant that when he was sealed by the twenty-four War Swords piercing his body to block the Ancestral God, he had been trapped for over a year. But that person had not been sealed; he had entered the Mortal World at the same time.

Xiao Chen felt cold sweat on his spine.

This person had also repaired his remnant soul, hidden in the shadows for so many years, and only now appeared at the stone statue. For what purpose?

Xiao Chen already sensed cracks inside the stone statue. It would likely shatter soon. The "Xiao Chen" before him was most likely after the twenty-four War Swords.

"Xiao Chen, you're alive again? How is that possible?!"

"Is this the legendary man?"

Another group of cultivators arrived at the seaside.

"I am immortal, eternal. No power in this world can erase me," the figure on the statue said with indescribable arrogance.

The ensuing battle was unremarkable. The intruders had their lives mercilessly reaped.

Watching the madman on the statue—the one who acted as if he alone ruled the world—Xiao Chen, in his purple-crystal skeleton form, felt this guy deserved a beating.

At that moment, the demon-god-like figure seemed to sense something. He spun around abruptly, staring out at this sea region, and shouted, "Come out! I sensed someone spying days ago."

Xiao Chen no longer hid. He rose from the sea, his purple-crystal skeleton shimmering with an eerie light against the azure waters, startling the "Xiao Chen" on the statue.

"Who are you?" he demanded, frowning.

"I... am someone you would never imagine," Xiao Chen said, his purple-crystal body standing still in the void.

This was their first true confrontation.

"Playing tricks, putting on a show before me—you deserve death," the flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen said coldly, staring at the figure in the sea.

The purple-crystal skeleton Xiao Chen replied calmly, "You have flesh and blood. Cherish it. Don't regret it when you lose it. You are too arrogant; you might not end well."

"Are you putting on a show, pretending to be a transcendent expert to enlighten me? Today, I think you need to learn how high the sky is and how deep the earth is," the flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen said, his voice tearing the sky and echoing across the sea.

"I am someone who has already walked your path. I give you good advice, but if you don't listen, suffering is at hand," the purple-crystal skeleton Xiao Chen said as he walked forward slowly toward the stone statue.

"Hahaha..." The flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen laughed, then his face turned cold. "Though I don't know your origin, I feel I must kill you. Only one of us can live in this world."

The purple-crystal skeleton Xiao Chen was secretly alarmed. This man's spiritual perception was too sharp. He had fully inherited his former advantages, keenly grasping the hidden truth.

"Well said. Only one of us is meant to live."

"Then go die. Disappear from this world forever." The flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen flew through the air, his palms tracing arcs as he struck at the skeleton. His left hand shimmered with black light, his right hand was crystal clear, containing the power of space and time—incredibly destructive.

But he was stunned to find his hands cutting through the void, space and time briefly disturbed, yet they did not stop the purple-crystal skeleton.

The purple-crystal skeleton was like an illusion, easily passed through by his hands. This shocked the flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen. He retreated hundreds of yards in one move.

"You are indeed stronger than I am now, stronger than I was in my prime," said the purple-crystal skeleton Xiao Chen as he walked unhurriedly toward the stone statue. "But so what? You face something you cannot defy."

In a flash of purple light, the skeleton vanished, and then the giant stone statue began to tremble. The enormous stone sword that had been pointing at the Nine Provinces suddenly turned, aiming directly at the figure in the sky.

"How is this possible?!" cried the flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen. "Was it you who drove the statue here a year ago?"

"Yes," the purple-crystal skeleton Xiao Chen said, merging once more with the statue. The great stone sword cleaved down.

Though no blade-light erupted, an invisible force split the sea, carving a massive trench. Waters surged to either side, exposing the seafloor. Waves towered into the sky.

Such power was earth-shaking. Though the flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen dodged in time, he was still sent flying by the wild surge of energy, tumbling thousands of yards before stabilizing.

"Heh... heh heh..." the flesh-and-blood Xiao Chen laughed, whether in mockery or rage, and shot back like lightning. His hands, filled with strange dual forces, broke the shackles of time and space, pressing toward the giant statue's head.