Chapter 270: If You Sense Malice

Jiang Changkong: Late Star Body Stage.

High-grade mid-tier martial arts:

Three-meter Golden Body: Mastery 1/7.2 million

Taiji Yin-Yang Art: Mastery 1/7.2 million

Tyrant Blade: Mastery 1/7.2 million

Holy Sun Technique: Mastery 1/7.2 million

Divine Control Art: Mastery 1/7.2 million

Bright Moon Art: Mastery 1/7.2 million

White Cloud Nine Layers Scripture: Mastery 1/7.2 million

High-grade mid-tier array arts:

Battle Form Star Array Diagram (Incomplete): Mastery 1/7.2 million

Essence, Qi, and Spirit:

Returning to the City of the Abyss, Jiang Changkong reviewed his own data and entered the research institute.

“Changkong, have you broken through again?” Professor Yun asked in surprise.

Jiang Changkong smiled. “It seems the instruments in your research institute have also advanced quite a bit.”

“You’ve already finished learning the Star Script, and now you’ve made another breakthrough. Are you planning to go to the Void Realm?” Wang Ruiqing inquired.

Jiang Changkong replied, “Naturally, but I’ll go first. Let me check out my base first.”

“Let’s go together. With the mechas you brought back, we have enough to protect ourselves,” Professor Yun said. “Moreover, if the base construction isn’t up to par, we can rebuild it.”

Jiang Changkong thought for a moment and said, “Alright then. I won’t travel with you. I’m heading to Uncharted Land No. 53.”

“Good. We’re too slow and won’t hold you back. We’ll pack our things now,” Professor Yun said with a smile.

After the discussion ended, Jiang Changkong left the Abyss.

Transforming into a small Holy Sun, wherever Jiang Changkong passed, plants seemed as if they had been injected with hormones, and the Star Demons roared comfortably in low tones.

This time, it took only an hour to reach Ten Thousand Li City again.

Jiang Changkong contacted An Shanhe to inquire about matters in the Void Realm.

An Shanhe answered the call. “You’ve finally come out. No news for three months—I was almost about to head to Anding Province.”

“Cut the small talk. When are we going to the Void Realm?” Jiang Changkong asked directly.

“Tonight. We’ll leave together. I’ll contact you then,” An Shanhe replied.

After hanging up, Jiang Changkong called Yao Meng, chatted for a while, and then ended the call.

Looking at the messages on his phone, Jiang Changkong thought for a moment and dialed again. “Liangqiu Xuanyi.”

“President Jiang, you’re truly a busy man. I’ve been looking for you for three months, and only now do you reply,” Liangqiu Xuanyi’s voice remained calm; even when speaking words of complaint, no change in tone could be detected.

Jiang Changkong said indifferently, “I was in seclusion in Anding Province.”

“So that’s how it is. Xuanyi congratulates President Jiang on your great progress in strength,” Liangqiu Xuanyi said. “The same place as last time. I’ll brew tea and wait for you.”

“This dead poker face.”

Whether intentionally or not, Jiang Changkong muttered this just before hanging up.

Liangqiu Xuanyi: “…”

Poker face is fine, but why “dead” poker face?

Liangqiu Xuanyi clenched her fist, her face twitched slightly, and then resumed her poker face.

Jiang Changkong entered Ten Thousand Li City and headed straight for the previously agreed-upon location.

It was the same pavilion, with Liangqiu Xuanyi savoring tea.

“If you have news about the Star Crystal Vein, just tell me directly. Why make me come in person?”

This time, Jiang Changkong was quite impolite, pouring himself a cup of tea and drinking it in one gulp.

Liangqiu Xuanyi said calmly, “I prefer discussing matters face-to-face. Since you’ve been absent for so long, that Star Crystal Vein is already gone.”

Jiang Changkong replied flatly, “Gone is gone. Then I’ll take my leave.”

He had two large ones in his Uncharted Land and needed to hurry and mine them.

Liangqiu Xuanyi spoke again. “That one is gone, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t another.”

Jiang Changkong narrowed his eyes and smiled, “Miss Xuanyi truly has remarkable methods, possessing information on more than one Star Crystal Vein.”

“City Lord Jiang, my strength is insufficient, so I can only rely on such information to survive.”

Liangqiu Xuanyi calmly replied, “The second step: I want you to clear out a certain place. All the gains will be yours, including the Star Crystal Vein.”

“Which place? I won’t do such heinous deeds,” Jiang Changkong said.

“Near your territory, a group of Star Demons, with the strongest among them at the Star Body Peak level,” Liangqiu Xuanyi stated.

“Star Demons? Miss Xuanyi overestimates me, thinking I can clear out a Star Body Peak Star Demon,” Jiang Changkong frowned.

He had just broken through to the Star Body level. Could Liangqiu Xuanyi’s information really be this fast?

“Of course you can’t, but you have three families as allies, and you’re also quite familiar with Huo Qinglan.”

Liangqiu Xuanyi looked at him, “The Blood Qi Palace yielded quite a harvest.”

Jiang Changkong’s gaze sharpened briefly before he smiled again, “Miss Xuanyi has gathered quite a lot of information. When will you tell me the location of the Immortal Palace’s lair? I’ll go clear it out directly.”

So she intended to use him to draw out the three families and Huo Qinglan. He had been worried she knew his true cultivation level.

“No hurry. If you have that capability, you’ll certainly be involved,” Liangqiu Xuanyi said.

“Then, may I trouble Miss Xuanyi to tell me how many Star Crystal Veins are in my Uncharted Land?” Jiang Changkong asked.

“Two large ones. The number of small and medium-sized ones is unclear.” Liangqiu Xuanyi gracefully stood up, “City Lord Jiang, there’s no need to test me. We are partners. Xuanyi harbors no ill intentions.”

Liangqiu Xuanyi walked to the pavilion’s edge, suddenly frowned, her body stiffening for an instant before returning to normal.

“If you had sensed any malice, you would already be dead.”

Jiang Changkong spoke indifferently, setting down his teacup, “Miss Xuanyi, your strength is not bad.”

With that, he turned and left.

A ripple of emotion finally appeared on Liangqiu Xuanyi’s usually placid face as she stared in shock at Jiang Changkong’s departing figure.

In that brief moment, she had felt her body stiffen, unable to move.

Moreover, a strange and peculiar force had penetrated her Star Gate, imprisoning her soul.

Fortunately, that force held no malice and retreated almost instantly.

“Jiang Changkong, is this your Soul Martial Arts?”

Liangqiu Xuanyi murmured to herself, when suddenly a voice reached her ears, “This is called the Divine Control Art, Miss Xuanyi. Remember it well.”

“I will remember,” Liangqiu Xuanyi said solemnly, flicking her sleeve before striding away.

After leaving, Jiang Changkong went to drink with Nantian Pang. When someone offers a meal, it would be a waste not to eat.

Having a few extra meals from him could be considered advance payment for borrowing his reputation to show off.

As for Liangqiu Xuanyi, her strength was not low—Star Spirit Peak, no weaker than a prodigy.

If he hadn’t acted on a whim and probed with the Divine Control Art, he would have thought she was only at the early Star Spirit stage.

He kept eating until evening when An Shanhe called, and Jiang Changkong finally left.

Outside Ten Thousand Li City, the Holy Sun rotated and flew, illuminating a hundred-meter radius. The surrounding weeds absorbed the Holy Sun’s power, growing at a visible rate.

An Shanhe looked solemnly at the approaching Holy Sun and frowned, “Which master is this?”

“City of the Abyss, Jiang Changkong. Greetings to all.”

The Holy Sun dissipated, revealing Jiang Changkong. The surrounding vegetation ceased its rapid growth.

“It really is you. It’s only been three months, and you’ve already stepped into the Star Body realm,” An Shanhe said in astonishment.

Jiang Changkong glanced around. “Just the two of us?”

“There are others. They’re here.”

An Shanhe hovered in the air, looking toward the direction of Ten Thousand Li City.

Three glowing orbs and two human figures flew through the sky, approaching them.

“An Shanhe, everyone is here. Let’s go,” said a blue orb.

An Shanhe nodded without introducing them to each other, then led the way as they soared into the sky.

Jiang Changkong transformed into the Holy Sun once more, following An Shanhe at a steady pace.

“So it’s a Stellar Body expert,” the three orbs vibrated, and the blue one spoke up. “Overseas Island, Hai Tianhe.”

Among the three orbs, one was blue, while the other two were a yellow sand orb and a cyan orb.

“Hai Mingsha, and this is Feng Tingyu,” said the yellow sand orb.

Jiang Changkong finally understood—these people valued strength above all else. “City of the Abyss, Jiang Changkong.”