Ming Jie’s sudden appearance was completely unexpected. However, Long Chen seemed to have already seen through this move of his and activated the Celestial Lightning Body Blink.

Originally, he was unable to confirm where Ming Jie was after his body had exploded. His thought was that he would attack Meng Qi, but unexpectedly, Guo Ran was truly good at provoking other people’s ire and had turned himself into Ming Jie’s target.

To block Ming Jie’s attack was too late. Long Chen could only strike Ming Jie from behind, forcing him to receive this attack if he wanted to kill Guo Ran.

However, Long Chen was a bit worried. Ming Jie’s movement art was too bizarre. Just now, he had clearly been struck by the Silver Wing Horned Eagle’s attack, but the instant his body exploded, it was like he had shed his skin.

Perhaps what had exploded was a substitute, while his true body had appeared underground and attacked Guo Ran.

If Meng Jie could use this movement art a second time, then Guo Ran would definitely be doomed. He would choose to strike Guo Ran while receiving Long Chen’s attack and then slip away.

Fortunately, at that critical moment, Ming Jie chose to block Long Chen’s attack. He was sent flying.

It was unknown if Ming Jie’s slippery technique wasn’t ready to be used again, or whether it came with a price that he felt wasn’t worth Guo Ran’s life.

Having brushed right past death, Guo Ran was covered in sweat. Just now, he had really thought he was about to die.

“Hmph, you were lucky this time. Next time, I definitely won’t be as careless. I will definitely cut off your head, Long Chen!” Ming Jie was flying back from Long Chen’s attack. Before Meng Qi and the Silver Wing Horned Eagle could attack again, he formed hand seals, summoning a black gate behind him. He stepped into it, vanishing from their sight.

All the Dragonblood warriors were shocked by his power. He practically had an undying body. Having such an existence target them was definitely not good.

Long Chen went to the hole in the ground. That was where Ming Jie had come out of. Pushing aside the dirt, he noticed something a few hundred meters into the ground. He took out two wooden strips. Between the two wooden strips was a small black object, about as long as a chopstick. It looked like an awl, and at the end of it was a little person forming a hand seal.

“This sculpture, it looks just like Ming Jie?” Guo Ran and the others came over to examine it. There was no aura coming from the awl. It looked like a normal metal.

“This should be the crux of Ming Jie’s strange technique. This was how he slipped away like a cicada shedding its shell. I feel like I saw a black light shoot out back then, but it was too fast, and I couldn’t grasp it with my eyes or soul,” said Long Chen.

“Yes, there’s still a trace of Ming Jie’s spiritual fluctuations on it. Although it’s almost impossible to sense, I can confirm this little sculpture was the substitute that Ming Jie used to save himself. However, I have no idea how he managed to switch places with his true body and a puppet. This kind of magical art is practically flawless. The Three Corrupt Kings are truly powerful,” said Meng Qi.

They had clearly seen Ming Jie be killed, and other than Long Chen, they had all fallen for it.

As for Long Chen, the only reason he had deduced that Ming Jie hadn’t died was because of the sharp intuition of the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art. He hadn’t even seen any clues. This kind of technique was truly terrifying.

“He’s very sinister. If it was a one against one and you saw him be killed with your own eyes, you’d be dying to his sword the next moment without understanding what was going on,” said Tang Wan-er.

Everyone’s expressions were grave. This time, they had come out in high spirits since their power had been raised to an unprecedented level. As they could slaughter Empyreans en masse and slay a twelfth rank Magical Beast, Guo Ran had been so excited that he was starting to view themselves as unrivaled. However, a blow was given to their confidence now.

“This substitute puppet technique isn’t so easy to use. It definitely comes at a price, or Guo Ran, you would already be a corpse. Furthermore, if it was so easy to use, there wouldn’t be three kings. There would only be one emperor dominating everyone else. I’m confident that the next time he encounters you, he won’t even have a chance to run. This technique of his has been exposed now,” said Long Chen.

“Boss, you’re speaking too highly of us. I’m sorry, we’ve lost you face.” Xia Chen suddenly walked forward, ashamed.

He and Guo Ran had spent a great deal of time and effort to create the formation runes for the Dragonblood Legion to raise their collective power. Originally, he had been hoping to show off the results with pride, but the results were that they had almost been annihilated. Even after spending so many resources, Xia Chen found that they were unable to defeat even one enemy.

“What nonsense are you spouting? You’ve already done very well. Ming Jie is one of the Corrupt path’s Three Kings, an existence at the top of the Corrupt path’s millions of geniuses. Do you think that title was given for nothing? With your current power, as long as you don’t encounter monsters on that level, you can dominate the rest of the Yin Yang World. That’s enough to be proud of.” Long Chen smiled.

“Boss, they really are monsters. I thought that the Dragonblood Legion was almost unrivaled now, but… this is quite a blow.” Guo Ran took off his armor, collapsing on the ground. He hugged Long Chen’s leg, bawling, “Almighty boss, please give me the power to show off. Otherwise, I won’t have anything to live for.”

As he said this, Guo Ran wiped some mucus and tears onto Long Chen.

“Fuck, get away!” Long Chen immediately flung Guo Ran off, cursing, “Grow up!”

“How can I grow up? Boss, we spent all the accumulated wealth of the Dragonblood Legion, thinking we could shake the world. But we were crushed by a single person. How am I supposed to live with myself…”

Guo Ran really began to cry. Perhaps others didn’t understand, but Xia Chen was feeling the same thing. They had come here completely confident but had almost been destroyed by a single person. Just how were they supposed to explain themselves?

“Get up and stop crying. Your boss might not have other abilities, but making money is easy. I’ve already made quite a bit after entering here in advance. Other than that, there’s no need to be so dejected. Starting from today, you won’t need to fear anyone. The next time Ming Jie encounters you, he won’t even have a chance to run.” Long Chen wriggled his eyebrows a few times with a smile.

“Boss, you… did you get something good again?” Guo Ran immediately shot up with a pleasantly surprised expression.

“Scram, I knew that you were just faking!” cursed Long Chen. Guo Ran leaped from crying to smiling far too quickly. Long Chen realized that Guo Ran had acted so bitter because he was afraid of being scolded for losing.

“For now, tell me, how did you encounter this person?” asked Long Chen.

Through their explanation, Long Chen learned that Guo Ran, Tang Wan-er, Xia Chen, and the others had led the Dragonblood Legion to crush everything in their path.

They hadn’t encountered anyone who had given them much of a fight. Even twelfth rank Magical Beasts could be slain. However, they would wait for Xia Chen to set up a formation stealthily to injure it beforehand.

Perhaps they had been a bit too arrogant. Anyone from the ancient races, ancient family alliance, or the Xuan Beasts would be forced out of their way, while anyone from the Corrupt path was killed on sight.

Perhaps it was because of how vigorously they had been searching for treasures that Ming Jie had noticed them and specifically gone over to attack them. Fortunately, Long Chen had found them in time.

“Boss, we obtained five young Blood Pattern Lion Vultures. Do you want one? It’ll be very flashy as a steed.” Guo Ran presented five little lions only a few feet tall. They each had a small pair of wings on their backs. These young had yet to even open their eyes, so this was the best time to tame them.

“Keep them for yourselves. Guo Ran, Zifeng, Gu Yang, Mingyuan, Li Qi, the five of you can have one. Then all the captain-class fighters will have a steed. It’s good for flashiness and power.” Long Chen smiled. Having a twelfth rank Magical Beast as a steed was definitely flashy. However, Long Chen didn’t care for such a steed. Just Little Snow was enough.

“Haha, I told you that boss wouldn’t want a steed on this level. Hmph, now you believe me, right?” laughed Guo Ran.

“Bastard, you were just testing me!” Long Chen angrily slapped Guo Ran in the back of the head, eliciting laughter.

Guo Ran truly had said that Long Chen wouldn’t want a steed on this level. Even a twelfth rank Magical Beast wasn’t enough for him.

“Xia Chen, you can have this Blood Pattern Lion Vulture. We can share a flying steed.” Guo Ran had Xia Chen place a slave mark on his lion. Guo Ran didn’t need such a steed because his armor could fly on its own. This steed would only be used to show off.

As for Xia Chen, he needed such a helper. It was beneficial to his safety, and it could stall for him to unleash his magical arts.

“Should we leave one for Wilde? He doesn’t know how to fly,” said Gu Yang.

“It’s fine. If Wilde got hungry, he’d probably eat it, so no need,” said Long Chen.

Everyone nodded with a laugh. That was true. If Wilde got hungry, other than humans, he would eat anything.

“Alright, Xia Chen, I need you to set up a barrier. I’ll show you your boss’s harvests during this time.” As soon as Long Chen said this, everyone’s eyes lit up.