Chapter 675 - 673: Ao Xue Takes Action

The moment he regained his footing, the Zuo Family’s Elder Wen Xiaotian rushed to check on Zuo Siming.

He hadn’t thought much of it, but one look sent a jolt of terror through him.

Zuo Siming was drenched in blood. His chest had been nearly torn open by Jiang Chen’s sword strike. His internal organs were completely pulverized; the attack had almost sliced him in two.

Wen Xiaotian sucked in a sharp, cold breath.

He also realized that Zuo Siming was on the brink of death.

Blood was gushing from every orifice, and his eyes stared blankly into the distance.

He managed to force out a few broken words.

"I..."

"...won’t... lose..."

And then, in the next instant, Zuo Siming took his last breath.

"Young Master..."

Wen Xiaotian cried out in alarm, his voice booming.

The entire arena fell silent.

No one could have possibly imagined such a dramatic turn of events.

Everyone had assumed that since Jiang Chen’s Cultivation was lower than Zuo Siming’s, he was certain to be killed.

But in the end, Jiang Chen had slain Zuo Siming with a single strike.

"That’s terrifying."

"This kid’s even more of a monster than Zuo Siming! His Cultivation is lower, yet he managed to instantly kill him. He’s a demonic genius."

"But now he’s in deep trouble. He actually dared to kill Zuo Siming. There’s no way the Zuo Family will let him get away with this."

"Sigh... what a shame. The heavens grow jealous of true genius."

Even though Jiang Chen had killed Zuo Siming, the crowd now began to pity him.

The consequences for killing Zuo Siming would be severe. Incredibly severe.

The Zuo Family was immensely powerful; Jiang Chen would surely face their frenzied and relentless pursuit.

Everyone shook their heads and sighed.

Elder Qiu and Elder Han were both utterly stunned.

They had never expected such an outcome.

’This kid... he actually went for the kill.’

Elder Qiu’s brow furrowed slightly.

He hadn’t intervened to help Jiang Chen precisely because Zuo Siming was a member of the Zuo Family.

But now, Jiang Chen had actually killed him.

This was completely unexpected, and a flicker of disapproval toward Jiang Chen sparked within him.

Only Elder Han sighed once more.

’Such a pity.’

’This time, no one can save him.’

Seeing Han Yinghua about to speak,

Elder Han said, "Yinghua, not even the Han Family can save him now."

"Don’t bring any more trouble upon the Han Family."

"Jiang Chen may be a genius, but he shouldn’t have killed Zuo Siming."

But Han Yinghua retorted angrily, "Zuo Siming deserved to die!"

"What did Jiang Chen do wrong?"

She wanted to argue on Jiang Chen’s behalf, but she knew he was in catastrophic trouble this time.

Han Yinghua immediately shouted to Jiang Chen on the platform, "Jiang Chen, go! Run as far away as you can!"

"Hurry!"

Yet, Jiang Chen remained completely unfazed.

He slowly withdrew his Radiant Sun Sword. His Cloud Mist Sword had been of a higher grade, but he had self-detonated it.

Now, even by channeling his Sword Intent through the Radiant Sun Sword, he had managed to instantly kill Zuo Siming, whose Cultivation was higher than his own.

He paid no mind to Han Yinghua’s cries.

’The Zuo Family? Was he afraid?’

The Zuo Family was incredibly powerful in Xingyuan City, even throughout the entire Tang Kingdom, but Jiang Chen couldn’t care less about them.

Radiant Sun Sword in hand, Jiang Chen stood tall on the platform, his head held high.

In stark contrast to his apathy, the members of the Zuo Family had erupted.

They crowded around Wen Xiaotian, only to see that Zuo Siming was dead.

Mouths agape, they felt as if they were trapped in a nightmare.

The Zuo Family’s genius had fallen, just like that.

It was too sudden, too fast.

As he gazed at Zuo Siming’s body, which was gradually growing cold, Wen Xiaotian shuddered.

He said urgently, "Quick! Take the Young Master back to the family! See if there’s any way to save him!"

With that, he handed Zuo Siming’s body over to the other family members.

He, on the other hand, snapped his head up. His eyes, filled with an endless, icy chill, locked onto Jiang Chen, who was still standing on the platform.

"I... want you... dead."

"Go and join our Young Master in death."

Finally, Wen Xiaotian’s killing intent surged uncontrollably.

His desire to kill Jiang Chen was stronger than it had ever been.

Jiang Chen had killed Zuo Siming right in front of him, an Elder of the Zuo Family.

Even if the Zuo Family wouldn’t truly blame him, this incident would greatly affect his standing within the family.

It was a complete and utter loss of face.

WHOOSH!

Wen Xiaotian leaped onto the high platform.

He glared at Jiang Chen, his eyes as cold as ice.

He ground his teeth in fury.

「The Zuo Family Estate.」

The Patriarch of the Zuo Family, Zuo Dongxing, was not just the family’s Patriarch. More importantly, he was also the President of the Artifact Refiner Guild.

His status was terrifyingly high, which was the source of the Zuo Family’s supreme standing in the Tang Kingdom.

He sat in his chair, looking at the family member who had come to report to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

The family member said in a panic, "Patriarch, something terrible has happened!"

"The Young Master was in a competition with someone named Jiang Chen at the Artifact Refiner Guild to determine the better Alchemist. They signed a life-and-death contract, and... the Young Master lost."

"Please, Patriarch, you must rescue the Young Master at once! Otherwise, he’ll be in grave danger!"

"What?"

Zuo Dongxing’s expression changed drastically as he shot up from his chair.

He then frowned. "Isn’t Elder Wen Xiaotian with him? Even if he lost, we of the Zuo Family don’t have to abide by the rules. My son shouldn’t be in any danger."

Zuo Dongxing was extremely confident. In Xingyuan City, the Zuo Family *was* the law. No one dared to defy them.

Breaking the rules was the Zuo Family’s standard practice.

Therefore, they could break even a life-and-death contract.

Besides, Zuo Siming had Wen Xiaotian with him, an expert at the Martial Arts Sect Fifth Heaven. He should have been fine.

The messenger replied, "That’s true, but Elder Qiu and Elder Han were both witnesses when the contract was signed. I’m afraid they might force the Young Master to comply, and that would be a huge problem."

Zuo Dongxing considered this. It was true. After all, Elder Qiu and Elder Han weren’t part of the Zuo Family. Elder Han was even from their rivals, the Han Family.

Finally, he said hastily, "Fine. I’ll have Ao Xue go and handle it."

With that, Zuo Dongxing sent someone to find Ao Xue at once.

Ao Xue’s background and status were formidable.

She was Zuo Dongxing’s head disciple.

Ao Xue arrived shortly after.

Ao Xue, true to her name, was exceptionally beautiful, with a captivating figure.

However, she wasn’t famous for her stunning looks and figure, but for her innate talent.

Not only was she a Two-Star Lower-Grade Refiner, but she was also considered the greatest, most peerless genius in the entire Artifact Refining Realm.

Although Zuo Siming was hailed as a genius, he was still a far cry from Ao Xue.

"Master."

Ao Xue was dressed in a form-fitting black suit that perfectly accentuated her captivating figure.

Upon arriving, she bowed deeply to Zuo Dongxing.

Zuo Dongxing was very pleased with Ao Xue.

He nodded. "Xue’er, Dong Ming is in trouble. Go and get him out of it. Bring him back safely."

In truth, Ao Xue was not only Zuo Dongxing’s head disciple but also Zuo Siming’s fiancée.

Hearing Zuo Dongxing’s words, Ao Xue immediately replied, "Yes, Master. I will be sure to bring him back safely."

She was off to save her fiancé.

Ao Xue’s Cultivation was also at the Martial Arts Sect Fifth Heaven, but her status was different. As the head disciple of the Artifact Refiner Guild’s President, Zuo Dongxing, and also an Elder of the Guild, she had the authority to mobilize its members.