Chapter 1402: Debt Collection (Ninth Watch)

The Young City Lord smiled faintly and said, "Ziewei, you've misunderstood." "How could we ever harbor such a person? I already have him imprisoned, waiting for the right time to deal with him. Please wait here; I'll go to the dungeon and bring him out now."

Jiang Fan said indifferently, "There's no need!" He had been holding a scent-detection jade chip since stepping into Heavenly Relic City. The remnants of bodies in Kaiyang City carried many traces of the Grand Marshal's aura, making it easy to pinpoint his hiding place through comparison. His gaze swept around, locking onto a luxurious palace of white bones. He couldn't help but chuckle in anger. Lightning flashed in his palm, and a thousand-foot thunder sword suddenly materialized, violently splitting open the bone palace. Amidst a thunderous roar, the bone palace collapsed, sending dust and debris scattering everywhere.

Through the blurring dust, a fifteen-foot-tall demi-giant, covered in dense purple veins, sat on a bed. His sharp gaze pierced through the dust, glaring fiercely at Jiang Fan. Jiang Fan scoffed, "Is this what you meant by 'imprisoned'?" Fairy Ziwei's expression grew even colder. "My master overestimated your demi-giants' moral limits. As for this alliance, I think we should forget about it."

The Young City Lord's gaze turned chilling as he stared at Jiang Fan. This fellow had repeatedly ruined his plans! "Before you die, tell me your name!" He no longer concealed his intentions, his tone laced with a chilling menace. Jiang Fan didn't look at him, instead maintaining a cold stare at the Grand Marshal, who was gradually becoming clearer as the dust settled. "I am the one who specializes in killing your beastly ancestors! You can call me by my Heavenly Realm name, Wang Chongxiao, or by my Middle-earth name... Jiang Fan!"

"What?" The Young City Lord's face registered surprise as he exclaimed, "You're the one who twice caused chaos in the Heavenly Realm?" The Eight Generals of East City, who had miraculously survived, had their pupils constrict, an uncontrollable fear showing in their eyes. Over time, the story of Jiang Fan's two incursions into the Southern Heavenly Realm had spread throughout the Nine Provinces of Middle-earth. The first time, he penetrated deep into the royal court, slaying a Spatial Giant King and escaping from a Five-Star Giant King. Did they think that was the end of it? Not long after, he invaded the Heavenly Realm again. This time, he wiped out an entire military camp, captured a Shura Princess, rescued Grand Venerable Xingyuan, and even annihilated an Immaculate Grand Venerable who had betrayed Middle-earth! It was no exaggeration to say that he was undeniably the Middle-earth being most hated by the ancient giants. There was no one else like him!

Jiang Fan ignored them, his cold gaze fixed on the Grand Marshal. He extended his palm, revealing a pile of Origin Stars. Even after giving two to the Icefire Demonic Lord, he still had a full six! This meant that including the disabled ones, at least five Giant Kings had died by his hand! The demi-giants looked on in horror. "So many Origin Stars?" "How many Giant Kings has he killed?" The Eight Generals of East City felt a chill down their spines; their survival moments ago truly felt like a stroke of incredible luck. Even the Young City Lord couldn't help but narrow his eyes. Even he couldn't guarantee that he could slay a Giant King, yet Jiang Fan had succeeded. What made him gasp was that among the six stars, two were green Origin Stars. This signified that Jiang Fan had successfully slain a Two-Star Giant King! At this, the Young City Lord's heart tightened. The one who had come to demand blood debt from the Grand Marshal was no ordinary person. It was the legendary Jiang Fan!

Jiang Fan paid them no mind. Instead, he watched the Grand Marshal with a sneer: "I've slaughtered so many of your ancestors, yet you can still sit there? Aren't you a filial descendant? Come, seek your revenge on me!" The Grand Marshal's body erupted with a terrifying aura, blasting away the collapsed palace debris. His eyes burned with rage: "You're seeking death!" How dare he provoke him so openly, right in front of Heavenly Relic City! How could he, who prided himself on being a descendant of ancient giants, tolerate such an insult?

The Young City Lord, however, said in a low voice, "Grand Marshal, you are now a criminal of Heavenly Relic City. Leave Heavenly Relic City immediately; you are not welcome here." Ostensibly, he was driving the Grand Marshal away. In reality, he was hinting for him to leave quickly. This Jiang Fan was difficult to deal with; although his strength hadn't reached the Venerable realm, his methods were numerous and terrifying. In a one-on-one fight, the Grand Marshal might very well be in mortal danger. The Grand Marshal was also somewhat wary. He had heard of Jiang Fan's notorious reputation; even true Giant Kings had perished at his hands. With the Young City Lord's urging, he took the easy way out, huffing, "This Marshal won't stoop to your level." With that, he was about to leap away. If a Dharma Idol Realm expert wished to leave, could Jiang Fan truly stop him?

Unexpectedly, Jiang Fan scoffed, "So pathetic, and you still want to emulate your ancestors' great hunts? Your ancestors were wolves that ate meat; you're a dog that eats excrement!" "You're asking for it!" The Grand Marshal erupted in complete fury. His eyes blazed with monstrous rage as he let out a chilling roar, "You ruined my plans, and now you dare to insult me!" He could have safely hidden in Heavenly Relic City, and no one would have known about the matters of the Seven Cities of Heavenly Abyss. But Jiang Fan arrived, carrying Kaiyang City, causing him to be cut off and abandoned by Heavenly Relic City. And now, he was foolishly provoking him again and again!

He pushed off with his legs. A Dharma Idol Realm physique was truly formidable, its oppressive force making the very air rumble! Space itself subtly warped, on the verge of revealing black nothingness. Jiang Fan constantly activated his Wind Origin, keenly tracking his opponent's movements. A cold expression appeared on his face. "Perfect timing!" With a thought, the Nine Dragon Demonic Cauldron suddenly appeared before him, lightly enveloped by his soul power. Catching the Grand Marshal's trajectory, he maneuvered the Nine Dragon Demonic Cauldron to smash violently towards him.

The Grand Marshal scoffed, "And I thought you were so formidable? Do you think a mere broken cauldron can stop me?" "Begone!" His massive fist smashed violently towards the approaching Nine Dragon Demonic Cauldron. He imagined that even if the cauldron was made of special, unbreakable material, it should still be sent flying with a single punch. However, with his punch, an indescribable, piercing pain shot through his fist. He felt as if he were a child again, hitting a steel plate with all his might. Crack! His fist was instantly smashed into a bloody pulp, revealing fractured finger bones. The Grand Marshal gasped, a look of horror on his face: "What kind of cauldron is this? Why is it so heavy?" He watched Jiang Fan manipulate it with ease, yet his own full-power strike couldn't budge the Nine Dragon Demonic Cauldron in the slightest. Instead, it had injured his fist.

"The cauldron that will take your life!" As Jiang Fan's words fell, the Nine Dragon Demonic Cauldron slammed forward again. The Grand Marshal's heart sank; he no longer dared to underestimate Jiang Fan. This person was truly as dangerous and unpredictable as the rumors claimed. He tapped his foot, dodging with extreme speed, and instantly appeared before Jiang Fan. His ten-foot-long arm, carrying the destructive power to crush space, violently struck towards Jiang Fan's head! But, with a thought from Jiang Fan, a spatial fluctuation erupted. The area above the Grand Marshal's head darkened. It was the Nine Dragon Demonic Cauldron, enveloped by spatial energy, plummeting towards his head. "The same old trick!" He continued to strike at Jiang Fan with one hand, while with the other, he softly pushed against the cauldron's wall, intending to gently deflect it from its trajectory. However, the moment his palm touched it, the Grand Marshal realized something was wrong.