The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

The river water was murky and flowed ceaselessly, making a deafening roar!

Jiang Xuan accelerated and rushed towards the riverbank without regard for anything else!

High in the sky, the pilot of the Ziying warship saw this scene through the observation array and sneered inwardly.

"Fool! There's a big river ahead, where do you think you can escape to now!"

Without hesitation, he ordered all artillery fire to concentrate on bombarding the riverbank area, attempting to force Jiang Xuan into a corner or kill him directly on the shore.

The man in the straw hat on the ground changed his expression drastically when he saw the great river.

Suddenly, I remembered that the intelligence report mentioned that Jiang Xuan had successfully escaped from the bottom of Crescent Lake!

Alarm bells rang in his mind, and he cried out in alarm.

"Oh no! He might be trying to escape underwater! Quick! Stop him!"

Unfortunately, his warning came too late!
Just a moment before the intense artillery fire covered the riverbank.

Jiang Xuan used his last bit of strength to leap up, drawing an arc before resolutely plunging into the turbulent, muddy river, where he was instantly swallowed by the rapids!
"Boom--!"

The artillery fire blasted the riverbank beyond recognition, sending rubble and mud flying everywhere, but it was too late.

Beneath the river, all was gloomy, with undercurrents surging.

As soon as Jiang Xuan entered the water, he immediately activated the "Heavenly Water Sacred Pearl" in his arms.

A cool breeze spread out, forming an invisible barrier around him that pushed back the river water.

This allows him to breathe and move freely as if he were on land, greatly reducing the resistance of the water flow.

However, the firepower of the Zi Ying warship was simply too strong.

Even underwater, the terrifying shockwave and intense heat from the explosion still swept over the area!

Jiang Xuan felt as if his back had been struck hard by a heavy hammer. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out another mouthful of blood, exacerbating his internal injuries.

He endured the excruciating pain, using the cover of the water flow and the strange power of the Heavenly Water Sacred Pearl to swim downwards with all his might, while simultaneously releasing his divine sense to search the bottom of the water with great difficulty.

There is always a way out!

Behind a hidden rock crevice in the riverbed, he found the entrance to a natural cave formed by the erosion of the water!
Without hesitation, he crawled inside; the cave was not very spacious.

But it was large enough to shelter people, and relatively dry, with the river water kept out.

Upon entering the cave, Jiang Xuan immediately took out the "Awakening of Insects Instrument" and activated it to set up an early warning.

He then collapsed to the ground and swallowed several precious healing and restorative pills.

Without even checking his injuries, he immediately sat down cross-legged and began to fully circulate his internal energy.

It guides the medicinal power to repair damaged meridians and internal organs, while striving to restore the almost depleted spiritual energy.

He has to race against time!
On the river, the five Ziying warships lost their target, and the cannon fire gradually subsided.

Suspended low in the air, a huge shadow loomed over the river.

The man in the straw hat led his men to the riverbank, and his face turned extremely grim as he looked at the turbid and surging river.

"He must be underwater! Send people down to search!"

The man in the straw hat gave the order through gritted teeth.

A dozen or so cultivators skilled in swimming accepted the order and, gritting their teeth, jumped into the river to search the bottom.

The river was swift and turbid, with extremely low underwater visibility. In addition, the cave where Jiang Xuan was hiding was very well concealed, so they found nothing in a short time.

"hateful!"

The man in the straw hat slammed his fist into a nearby rock.

"Deploy surveillance along both banks of the river! Send five teams each upstream and downstream, keep a close watch on him! The warships and the Wind Shadow Harriers continue to monitor the entire river basin! I refuse to believe he can stay underwater forever! Once he surfaces, kill him without mercy!"

Inside the cave at the bottom of the river, Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged, his spiritual energy slowly circulating around him, nourishing his damaged meridians and internal organs.

The medicinal power of the pill had already dissipated, combined with his powerful self-healing ability at the Earthly Realm.

Half an hour of recuperation had stabilized his injuries, and his spiritual energy had recovered significantly.

Just then, the "Awakening of Insects Instrument" placed at the entrance of the cave emitted an extremely subtle yet clear vibration warning!

Jiang Xuan suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes.

He clearly sensed that dozens of murderous auras were diving into the water from different directions, searching towards the riverbed area where he was.

"court death!"

Jiang Xuan sneered inwardly.

Underwater, possessing the Heavenly Water Sacred Pearl, he moved almost without any hindrance, breathed freely, and his spiritual energy circulated smoothly.

On the other hand, the enemies who dived into the water not only had to contend with swift undercurrents and immense water pressure, but also had their vision obstructed.

Even the circulation of spiritual energy and the execution of martial arts techniques will be greatly reduced; it would be considered good if one could unleash half of their full strength.

With the tides rising and falling, the underwater world becomes his domain!
A cultivator in black cautiously approached the rocky area where the cave was located.

He held a water-splitting dagger in his hand, his eyes scanning the dim surroundings warily.

Just as he passed the entrance to the cave—

A cold, sharp blade flashed silently from within the cave!
"puff!"

The cultivator had no time to react; before he could even raise the Water-Splitting Dagger, his throat had already been precisely pierced by the blade!

His eyes widened in horror and disbelief. Blood gushed out instantly, staining a small patch of the river red. His body convulsed and sank downwards.

The slight noise and the smell of blood immediately attracted the attention of other diving practitioners nearby!

"over there!"

"Target spotted! Surround them!"

Seven or eight cultivators immediately rushed toward the cave from different directions, their weapons leaving white bubble trails in the water.

Jiang Xuan moved swiftly, leaping out of the cave!

Underwater, he was three times faster than on land!

The Flowing Light Battle Blade in his hand transformed into arcs of death. Each swing was accompanied by a dark surge and a muffled thud, ensuring the demise of a cultivator!
A cultivator raised his sword to block, but was cleaved in two by the terrifying force emanating from Jiang Xuan's sword!

Another person attacked from the side, but Jiang Xuan didn't turn his head and fired a crossbow bolt with his backhand.

The arrow slowed down slightly in the water, but it still pierced the opponent's eye socket with precision!
The clash of swords and the spray of blood transformed the riverbed into a scene of carnage!
"A demon! He's a water ghost!"

"Retreat! We're no match for him underwater!"

The remaining cultivators were finally terrified by this one-sided massacre, their fighting spirit completely collapsed, and they desperately paddled towards the river to escape.

Having entered the water, how could Jiang Xuan let them escape so easily?

He pursued them relentlessly, and wherever his blade struck, not a single survivor remained!

The screams were swallowed by the river; only strings of bubbles and spreading bloodstains proved that a brutal massacre was taking place underwater.

Fifty carefully selected cultivators who were proficient in water.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they were all slaughtered by Jiang Xuan, who took advantage of the terrain and the absolute difference in strength!

Dozens of bodies floated and sank to the bottom of the river, turning the water a pale red.

……

On the banks of the great river, the man in the straw hat and Xiao Mu were listening to their subordinates report on the deployment along the river.

"Sir, we have deployed manpower to set up checkpoints within ten miles upstream and downstream. We have Wind Shadow Hawks monitoring the river surface, and our air warships are also in position. As long as that kid dares to show his face, he will definitely not be able to escape!"

A leader reported respectfully.

The man in the straw hat nodded, about to say something, when suddenly, a cultivator guarding the riverbank cried out in alarm, "Look! Something's floating on the river!"

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a body dressed in black slowly floating up in the murky river, drifting with the current.

Then, a second, a third... more and more bodies surfaced, each one a gruesome death, staining the river red.

The riverbank was deathly silent! Everyone's face was filled with shock and fear!

"He...he's not dead! He's underwater...and he killed all the men we sent down!"

Xiao Mu's voice trembled as he counted the floating corpses, his face as pale as paper.

"Fifty men... a full fifty men... wiped out!"

The man in the straw hat stared at the corpses floating on the river, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

He forced down the turmoil in his heart and said in a hoarse voice.

"This matter... is beyond our control. Immediately send a detailed report of the situation back to the Forbidden City and inform the Eldest Miss! The decision on how to proceed is up to her!"

Xiao Mu gritted his teeth and said.

"Chief, I request permission to continue guarding this place with our men! Even if we can't kill him, we must trap him! We must not let him escape so easily!"

The man in the straw hat glanced at him and nodded.

"Alright. But remember, never go into the water lightly without absolute certainty!"

……

Inside the study of the Chi family residence in the Forbidden City.

Several deputies were discussing the news that had just come in about the Lu family.

"Haha, I heard that old bastard Lu Tianzhao, in order to quell our anger, personally ordered his precious son Lu Shaoyun to be imprisoned and locked up in the clan's forbidden area to reflect on his mistakes!"

"Hmph, he's smart enough! He dared to interfere in the affairs of our Chi family; we've already been lenient by not crippling his son!"

"A mere merchant family dares to provoke my Chi family? They're courting death!"

Chi Cangmei sat upright in the main seat, listening to the discussions of his subordinates, his face expressionless, as if Lu Shaoyun's fate was not worth mentioning at all.

In her eyes, it was nothing more than an insignificant pawn, a pretext to warn the Lu family.

at this time--

The study door was suddenly pushed open, and a guard rushed in, looking flustered and covered in sweat. He didn't even have time to bow before hurriedly reporting.

"Miss...Miss! Something terrible has happened! Urgent report from Huanglong City! Our...our operation to encircle and annihilate Jiang Xuan in Luoxing River...has failed!"

"what?!"

The laughter in the study stopped abruptly, and all the deputies turned around in astonishment.

Chi Cangmei's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chilling aura instantly spread out. She slowly stood up, her gaze as sharp as a knife as she looked at the guard, and asked, word by word.

"What's the panic! Catch your breath and tell me clearly, word by word! What exactly happened at the front lines?"

The guard took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his breathing.

But her voice still trembled.

"Reporting...Reporting to Miss! An urgent report has arrived from the Falling Star River front in Huanglong City! The target, Jiang Xuan...he...he wasn't trapped in Huanglong City, but had already disguised himself and left the city! We encountered him at our pre-arranged interception point ten miles outside the city. But...but we were driven back by him alone, suffering heavy casualties!"

He paused, a look of fear on his face.

"Subsequently, Lord Du Xingchuan mobilized five Ziying warships for aerial pursuit! Jiang Xuan... Jiang Xuan was forced into a large river. Lord Du sent fifty skilled swimmers to search for him, but... but just now, the bodies of those fifty men all floated to the surface! Not a single one survived! Jiang Xuan... he... he's still underwater!"

As the guard recounted the events, the study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The smiles on the faces of all the deputies had frozen, replaced by utter shock!

He disguised himself and left the city, fought his way out of the encirclement, escaped into the river while being pursued by five Ziying warships, and even killed fifty elite soldiers underwater!

"Crack!"

Chi Cangmei crushed a delicate jade porcelain teacup that she had been playing with in her hand.

The shards cut her finger, and blood seeped out, but she was completely unaware.

A chilling frost covered her exquisite face, and her chest rose and fell slightly, clearly indicating that her anger had reached its peak.

But she was, after all, the best of the current generation of the Chi family, and she forcibly suppressed her surging anger.

The voice became unusually calm, yet carried a sense of impending doom.

"In other words, we mobilized thousands of personnel, five Purple Ying warships, and suffered hundreds of casualties, yet not only did we fail to capture our target, he escaped once again, and... his strength seems to have even improved?"

The guard lowered his head, not daring to answer.

Chi Cangmei remained silent for a moment, then said in a cold voice.

"Send the order to Du Xingchuan at the front: continue the operation! We must find him alive or dead! Under no circumstances can we allow him to leave the Falling Star River area! Also, next time I send a message, I want to see the live footage recorded by Feng Yingyao! No more of these pale and powerless words!"

"Yes! I understand!"

The guards, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, quickly bowed and withdrew.

After the guards left, the study was deathly silent.

The deputies looked at each other, each seeing the fear and unease in the other's eyes.

The series of setbacks in this operation have exceeded their comprehension and challenged Chi Cangmei's authority.

……

Deep within the ancient castle in the dark, lies a dark and forbidden chamber.

Chi Cangfeng, the younger brother of the Dark Night Queen, had a gloomy face at this moment. His neck was wrapped in thick gauze, and bloodstains were faintly seeping out.

He stood at the door of the forbidden room and growled at the blurry figure inside.

"Xia Zhi! Have you gone mad? Why did you try to assassinate me? And my sister too? Our Dark Night Castle has treated you well!"

Inside the forbidden room, all was silent.

After a long while, a woman's voice, so indifferent it was almost devoid of emotion, finally rang out; it was Xia Zhi.

"I'd rather kill your sister."

After saying this, there was no further movement.

Chi Cangfeng was trembling with anger, yet there was nothing he could do.

He slammed his fist against the wall and growled.

"You just wait! I will find out exactly what happened to you!"

After saying that, he turned and left angrily.

In another quiet garden of the castle, a hunched old man was gently wiping a simple, antique-looking sword-shaped pendant with a soft cloth.

The figure of the Night Queen appeared silently behind him.

"Did Zang Feng go to Xia Zhi's place again?"

The Queen's voice was devoid of emotion.

"Yes."

The old man didn't turn around, continuing to focus intently on wiping the pendant.

"That girl's heart is too blinded. Young Master Cangfeng has a quick temper and may cause trouble, especially... he may bring unnecessary trouble to that boy named Jiang Xuan."

The Queen of the Night sighed softly. (End of Chapter)