Chapter 98: One Last Chance

The Jiang family.

It had been half a year since the Jiang family was annihilated in Jianzhou by the Tai Xuan Dao Sect.

More than a hundred retainers had died, and even the direct heir, Jiang Shisan—the prodigy once hailed as the Jiang family’s future—had perished in Jianzhou.

For the Jiang family, it was nothing short of a humiliation beyond measure.

At first, the Jiang family was ready to send experts at once, to carve a bloody path through Chu Feng and eradicate Tai Xuan.

But soon, they received word.

Behind the Tai Xuan Dao Sect stood the Ji family of the Central Plains, as well as the Heaven Demon Sacred Land.

No wonder the Jiang family’s forces had been wiped out. The ones standing behind Tai Xuan were these two powers: the Ji family, an imperial clan like their own, no weaker than the Jiang family, and the Heaven Demon Sacred Land, which was even stronger than they were.

And the one directing it all was the Heaven Demon Saintess.

The Saintess represented the Heaven Demon Sacred Land itself.

This gave them the illusion that the Jiang family had not been destroyed by some mere Tai Xuan Dao Sect at all, but by the Heaven Demon Sacred Land.

To declare war on the Heaven Demon Sacred Land—

That was enough to make them hesitate.

And that hesitation lasted for half a year.

Relying on the formidable power of her Beauty Saint Body, Shen Qianxue had bewitched those Jiang family disciples until they were hopelessly enamored, reduced to devoted sycophants. In this way, she—who had once been imprisoned and reduced to a breeding tool—gained the upper hand.

Countless resources were offered to her by these men in droves.

Her cultivation had also smoothly reached the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage.

But good times did not last.

Jiang Yan soon noticed what was happening.

Jiang Yan was the Jiang family’s saintess from the previous generation.

She was the biological younger sister of the current family lord, and a Heavenly Tribulation Sovereign in cultivation.

She found Shen Qianxue at once, her gaze icy as she looked her up and down and said coldly, “I underestimated your Beauty Saint Body. It has completely bewitched those unfilial descendants of my Jiang family, to the point that they’re willing to grovel before you like lapdogs.”

Shen Qianxue opened her mouth, about to say something, but Jiang Yan cut her off directly.

With a cold snort, she said, “I didn’t come here to discuss this with you. I came to give you a final ultimatum: sleep with these men and bear children for my Jiang family. Don’t force me to use stronger measures. If I do, your days will no longer be so peaceful.”

Shen Qianxue’s face instantly went deathly pale.

She did not know how long Jiang Yan had been gone before she came back to her senses.

By then, a crowd of Jiang family disciples had already gathered around her.

Jiang Yan’s purpose was very clear. Since these people all liked her, then she was to lie with every single one of them until she became pregnant.

She belonged to her husband in life, and would belong to him in death as well.

She must never do anything to betray him.

And yet—

“Husband, Qianxue is afraid I may not be able to hold on much longer. But rest assured, if they truly force me, then even if I must die, I will never let them succeed.”

At that moment, a thread of deathly resolve had already taken root in Shen Qianxue’s heart.

“Qianxue, what’s wrong with you? Who upset you?”

Seeing her sorrowful expression, the Jiang family disciples hurriedly asked with concern.

Only then did Shen Qianxue react.

She shook her head. “I’m fine. How is the matter I asked you to investigate?”

One of the Jiang family disciples said, “Qianxue, you’ll never guess this. Half a year ago, our Jiang family went to Jianzhou and the Tai Xuan Dao Sect. Do you know what happened?”

These days, Shen Qianxue had personally experienced the might of an imperial clan like the Jiang family. Compared to them, Tai Xuan Dao Sect was nothing more than a mantis trying to block a chariot.

Earlier, Jiang Yan had said, if you refuse, I will make you agree.

The best solution—

Was to threaten Chu Feng and have him write a divorce letter, so she could sever her feelings completely.

If he wrote it, then so be it. If not, then death.

At the thought of this, Shen Qianxue felt as though all strength had been drained from her. She swayed unsteadily, tears streaming down her face as she said in anguish, “Could it be that my husband... has run into trouble?”

The Jiang family disciple from before was named Jiang Shui. He immediately shook his head and said, “Qianxue, why are you crying? It’s my fault—I didn’t make myself clear. It’s true that our Jiang family went to Jianzhou’s Tai Xuan Dao Sect, but we didn’t manage to harm Tai Xuan at all. On the contrary, we suffered heavy losses, with countless dead and wounded.”

“Even Fu Yuanshan, one of our Jiang family’s two great retainers, died there. Do you know what cultivation he had? Heavenly Tribulation Sovereign.”

Shen Qianxue stared, dumbfounded. “How is that possible? How could Tai Xuan Dao Sect be so formidable?”

Jiang Shui said, “How could Tai Xuan Dao Sect be so formidable? It’s all because the Heaven Demon Sacred Land stands behind them. This time, it must have been the people of the Heaven Demon Sacred Land who made their move, and that was why they wiped out so many of my Jiang family’s retainers. Originally, our Jiang family was preparing to retaliate—sending experts to Jianzhou to destroy Tai Xuan Dao Sect and teach the Heaven Demon Sacred Land a lesson as well.”

“But who would have thought that the Prodigy Battle was about to begin, so the matter was put on hold.”

“I reckon that once the Prodigy Battle is over, our Jiang family will definitely go and wipe out Tai Xuan Dao Sect.”

“Qianxue, you should still find a way to warn your husband. If things go badly, your husband may well be doomed.”

Shen Qianxue clenched her teeth. “I want to leave the Jiang family. Can you help me?”

The Jiang family disciples exchanged glances and all shook their heads.

“Qianxue, we can agree to anything else you ask, but leaving the Jiang family—we really have no way to help.”

“Even if we let you go, you wouldn’t get far. You might even be punished because of it. We can’t let harm come to you like that.”

“However, we can send a message to Chu Feng.” As he spoke, the disciple’s tone shifted.

Send a message?

Shen Qianxue opened her mouth, but in the end she chose silence, shaking her head. “No need.”

Because she did not want Chu Feng to worry once he learned of her situation.

“All right, then.”

The Jiang family disciple sighed.

...

Chu Feng and the others traveled swiftly aboard An Miaoyi’s flying ship.

In less than ten days, they had entered the territory of Huangzhou.

Once inside Huangzhou, Chu Feng put away the flying ship.

The Eastern Desolation Prodigy Battle gathered all the chosen geniuses of the entire Eastern Desolation, all under the age of one thousand.

There would be a prodigy selection, and anyone who passed it would qualify to enter the Purple Mansion Immortal Palace. The main reason Chu Feng had come was precisely for this.

What were children of fortune and sons of destiny if not peerless prodigies, dragons among men?

This time, nearly every chosen genius in the Eastern Desolation had gathered. Who could say he would not encounter a few children of fortune or favored daughters of destiny?

Only, it seemed his age had already exceeded a thousand years.

Did he still have the right to take part in the Prodigy Battle?

The Purple Mansion Immortal Palace stood above all the major powers, untethered and transcendent.

It was said to be the former dao ground of an emperor who had attained immortality. Ten thousand years ago, an ancient sage happened upon that emperor’s inheritance, but rather than keep it for himself, he chose to make it known to the world.

Yet the way he did so was unusual. Every thousand years, he would hold the Prodigy Battle and select the peerless geniuses of the Eastern Desolation to enter the Purple Mansion Immortal Palace, where they could contemplate the inheritance left by that immortal emperor. Each relied on his own ability, and each on his own fortune.

Thus, little by little, the Purple Mansion Immortal Palace came to be known as the Academy.

The Purple Mansion Academy.

And the so-called Prodigy Battle gradually became the entrance examination for admission into the academy.