Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

"How dare you, Gu Chen!" Jiang Ruyan was furious upon hearing this.

If Gu Chen really leaked her son's information...

Her son might be expelled from Haoran Academy.

She and her husband would also lose all face.

There will be no way for me to stay at Haoran Academy anymore.

"What wouldn't I dare to do? You dare to come looking for trouble with me, so I can't fight back?" Gu Chen said coldly.

"Of course." Gu Chen turned and smiled. "If Madam can give me enough benefits, such as tens or hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, I might consider keeping this matter to myself."

"Otherwise, I can't guarantee that your son's reputation will be preserved," Gu Chen threatened.

"Hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels of silver, do you really think we run a money exchange?!" Jiang Ruyan retorted coldly.

She is a fifth-rank expert, and her husband, Mei Jingfeng, is a third-rank expert.

The two had limited income and consumed a lot of resources during their daily cultivation.

Previously, in order to get her son out of the government office.

Mei Jingfeng spent some of his savings.

Now, the couple's combined savings are less than 100,000 taels.

Gu Chen casually mentioned hundreds of thousands or even millions of taels of silver, truly believing that the couple's money came from thin air.

"Impossible! You won't get a single penny from us!" Jiang Ruyan looked at Gu Chen, her eyes flashing coldly. "Now you either have to reveal who's behind the story of my son, or I'll expose you today as a fifth-grade expert."

"It seems you were hiding information before. According to the intelligence I've received, you've only been cultivating for a little over half a year, yet you've risen from an ordinary low-level person to your current level. You must have a big secret," Jiang Ruyan sneered. "Tell me, if the secret of your cultivation level were exposed, how many important figures in the Divine Dynasty would be interested in you? Perhaps even a terrestrial immortal-level expert would covet the opportunities you possess. At that time, do you think Shangguan Wuqing, who is behind you, will be able to protect you?"

"Oh, no, if this gets out, he might even try to take advantage of you. What do you think your fate will be then?"

Upon hearing this...

The smile on Gu Chen's face disappeared.

It seems that his plan to extort money from Jiang Ruyan today will not succeed.

Jiang Ruyan is right.

If she were to reveal the secret of her true level of cultivation...

He would immediately attract the attention of many powerful forces and important figures in the Divine Dynasty.

They cut the tissue into slices for study.

Even his master, Shangguan Wuqing, might not be able to protect him.

After all, it only took about a year for him to cultivate from an ordinary person to the fifth rank.

This can no longer be explained by talent.

No matter how talented you are, you can't refine so many resources for cultivation.

He will suffer a terrible fate in the end.

That being the case.

That would only mean Jiang Ruyan, who knows his true level, should die.

"Indeed, my secrets cannot be exposed. Since you know my secrets, then die." Gu Chen said, his aura exploding outwards.

He drew the Fire Profound Blade and pointed it directly at Jiang Ruyan.

Even if he tried his best, he could still kill a mid-stage fifth-grade Transformation Sea Realm expert.

"Hmph, so you're getting impatient and want to attack me? You think you can be my match with your early-stage Sea Transformation Realm strength? How laughable!" Jiang Ruyan coldly retorted, "Gu Chen, since you want to fight to the death, then I'll grant your wish. From today onwards, you will surely become the target of everyone's wrath!"

Gu Chen was too lazy to waste any more words with her.

The three extraordinary phenomena—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird—were activated simultaneously.

In an instant, the phantom images of the three sacred beasts, Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger, appeared behind Gu Chen.

The terrifying amplification power fell upon Gu Chen, instantly making his aura and attributes comparable to the late stage of the Transformation Sea Realm.

Shadow Assassination Technique is unleashed.

Gu Chen immediately created nine shadow clones to attack Jiang Ruyan.

Jiang Ruyan's expression turned serious upon seeing this. She had been careless; Gu Chen had mastered the Four Beasts Celestial Phenomenon Technique, the top-tier skill of the Night Watch Division.

Once one comprehends the three extraordinary phenomena of this technique, one can challenge opponents two minor realms above them.

More than two hundred years ago, the current head of the Night Watch was invincible in the same realm and almost crushed the geniuses of his time by relying on this technique.

Trouble.

She immediately unleashed her full power, using a fifth-grade movement technique called the Ethereal Step to dodge.

She had not developed divine soul power, so she had no way of distinguishing which of Gu Chen's nine shadow clones was the real one.

The only option is to avoid them all.

Her ethereal steps are among the top-tier movement techniques in the fifth rank, but she hasn't had time to perfect them yet.

It's only at a minor level now.

Gu Chen's nine shadow clones attacked from nine directions.

She simply couldn't avoid them all.

After dodging the attacks of the five shadow clones, she had no choice but to use her own offensive martial arts to withstand the attacks of the remaining four shadow clones.

She waved her palms repeatedly, unleashing the fifth-grade martial art, the Ethereal Palm. Within her spiritual sea, the powerful true essence was transformed into palm force.

Four palm prints of true essence struck Gu Chen's remaining four shadow clones. Since Gu Chen's true body had already been dodged, the remaining shadow clones were just illusions, with less than a third of the attack power of the original body.

It was directly blasted apart by her ethereal palm strike.

Of course.

Just as she shattered Gu Chen's four shadow clones.

Gu Chen's true form continued to attack, creating nine more shadow clones to strike at her.

Furthermore, the main body also used the martial art of the Breaking Illusion Blade.

The terrifying crimson intent of the Breaking Illusion Blade was attached to Gu Chen's Fire Profound Blade, further enhanced by the power of the Shadow Killing Technique and the amplification of the three extraordinary phenomena.

Gu Chen slashed down at her with his sword.

The roars of dragons and tigers, along with the cry of the Vermilion Bird, resounded throughout the entire forest.

Jiang Ruyan had no time to use her footwork to dodge and could only take the hit.

Gu Chen used his true form to unleash the Breaking Illusion Blade, and his clone did not use it simultaneously. This allowed her to directly see that the clone was his true form, and she focused all her energy on dealing with Gu Chen's true form.

She channeled her true essence into her body, forming a thin protective shield to block the attacks from Gu Chen's other phantoms.

Then, he unleashed both palms simultaneously, employing the ethereal martial art of the Misty Palm, condensing two terrifying palm prints of true essence, which slammed towards the blade that Gu Chen's true form was slashing towards.

Boom!

The terrifying collision echoed throughout the grove.

Jiang Ruyan's two palm prints of true essence instantly exploded, turning into energy shockwaves that spread in all directions, snapping and knocking down large trees that could be embraced by two arms.

However, this only blocked one-third of the power of Gu Chen's slash. Gu Chen continued to slash down, aiming for her head, and at the same time, the other nine clone phantoms also attacked.

Jiang Ruyan showed a look of horror. In the final critical moment, she suddenly channeled her true energy into both palms, clasped her hands together, and tried to catch the white blade with Gu Chen's bare hands.

The moment Gu Chen's Fire Profound Blade came down, she slammed her palms together, clamping it tightly. But the force of the Fire Profound Blade was too terrifying; even with her grip, she couldn't stop it from continuing to slash downwards.

At the same time.

Gu Chen's nine shadow clones also attacked her.

Although these shadow clones attack less than a third of the main body.

But Jiang Ruyan's energy is now entirely focused on directly resisting Gu Chen's strike.

Completely disregarding everything else, the thin layer of true essence defense on her body was directly cleaved by Gu Chen's nine shadow clones. The nine attacks landed on her, instantly tearing her black robe to shreds.

Her white flesh was exposed, and then nine deep, bone-revealing knife wounds appeared on her body, instantly drawing blood that stained her red.

She caught Gu Chen's knife between her hands, but the terrifying force forced her to kneel on one knee, and she was plowed backward several meters like an iron plow.

Ultimately unable to resist, just as the knife was about to fall on her head, she suddenly and forcefully shifted part of the blade to the left, and the knife finally landed on her left shoulder.

The physical body of a fifth-grade expert has been tempered through the processes of skin, flesh, tendons, bones, true essence, and acupoint breaking, making it incomparably hard, even harder than ordinary refined steel.

However, Gu Chen directly cleaved his shoulder blade in two with a single strike.

Jiang Ruyan knelt on one knee in front of Gu Chen, her hands gripping the Fire Profound Blade that Gu Chen had brought down on her left shoulder. A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth as she looked up and stared intently at Gu Chen.

She looked utterly disheveled. Her black clothes had been torn to shreds by Gu Chen's shadow clone, revealing her hot body. She was left with only her original thin clothing, and her body was covered in deep, bone-revealing wounds, her skin stained red with blood—a shocking sight.

She tried to forcefully pry the knife that Gu Chen had pressed down on her shoulder, but Gu Chen was extremely strong and slashed at her shoulder with both hands while holding the Fire Profound Blade.

She couldn't stretch herself at all; every bit of effort she exerted caused Gu Chen's knife to penetrate even deeper into her body.

And with every bit of effort she exerted, her wounds bled even more.

"Well, am I your match?" Gu Chen looked down at her.