Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate-Chapter 495: Time Running Out

The middle-aged man was Feng Haojin, one of the Deputy Alliance Leaders of the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance. A Half-step Void Tribulation realm powerhouse, he oversaw all rear-area affairs of the Alliance.

He stared at the information on the transmission jade token, his expression darkening as disbelief and anger churned in his chest.

How is this possible?

The Prosperous Stone Immortal Star lay deep in the rear of the Profound Jade Immortal Domain, but its overall strength was anything but weak.

The Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace and the Purple Crest Immortal Sect were both major factions. Their experts could even force out short bursts of Void Tribulation–level combat power. When working together, their strength should have been more than enough to hold their ground.

Yet they had been wiped out—so cleanly that they hadn’t even managed to send a request for help to the Alliance.

Feng Haojin clenched his fingers around the jade token.

Then another piece of information surfaced.

Jiang Chen?

The name gave him pause.

The one who destroyed both the Purple Crest Immortal Sect and the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace was called Jiang Chen... and he came from the Immortal Martial Continent?

His brows drew together as memories surfaced.

The Immortal Martial Continent—wasn’t that the war continent jointly constructed a million years ago by the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star, with support from the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance?

Back then, forces had been stationed there specifically to guard the rear, intercepting demon armies that tried to slip around the frontlines.

And they had succeeded.

This Jiang Chen came from the Immortal Martial Continent and wiped out the two strongest forces on the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star... Could he be one of the demons?

The thought sent a chill through Feng Haojin.

Damn it. If that’s true, the rear of the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance is about to collapse.

He didn’t hesitate.

I have to send people to the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star—now.

His expression shifted sharply, and cold sweat quickly formed across his forehead.

Feng Haojin moved at once, sending urgent messages to Wu Zheng, the current Alliance Leader of the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance, as well as to Zou Fu, another Deputy Alliance Leader.

At the time, both Wu Zheng and Zou Fu were on the frontlines. The demon army had suddenly reinforced its forces, forcing the two of them to personally lead the human armies in battle.

When Feng Haojin’s message reached them, both men were stunned.

The Profound Jade Immortal Alliance was already in a desperate situation.

If Jiang Chen really was working for the demons, using the Immortal Martial Continent as a stepping stone to strike the rear, then the future of the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance would be bleak.

But Wu Zheng and Zou Fu had no way of leaving the frontline. Their forces were already stretched to the limit, and they couldn’t spare a single powerhouse to head back.

In the end, the burden fell on Feng Haojin.

He would have to find a way to deal with Jiang Chen—to gather a force strong enough to move against him on the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star.

When Feng Haojin read Wu Zheng’s reply, his brows tightened.

"Damn it... With most of the Alliance’s strength tied up at the frontline, where am I supposed to find reliable people to send?" He let out a rough breath. "Do I really have to go myself?"

He began pacing the hall.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Sweat kept forming on his forehead, no matter how many times he wiped it away.

"This won’t get me anywhere," he said, forcing himself to stop. Taking a slow breath, he turned to look outside the hall.

Cultivators hurried back and forth, each one busy with their own tasks.

They were all doing everything they could for the war.

The sight left Feng Haojin with a heavy sense of responsibility—and no small amount of admiration.

After letting out the breath he’d been holding, Feng Haojin spread his divine sense and reached out to a grey-robed elder outside, asking him to come in.

The man’s surname was Yu. He was an old friend of Feng Haojin’s, as well as someone he trusted for advice.

Not long after, Old Yu stepped into the main hall, his manner calm and respectful.

Feng Haojin looked at him, his expression grave. "Old Yu, something bad has happened. I need your help thinking this through."

Old Yu took one look at his face and knew this wasn’t a small matter. "Deputy Alliance Leader, go ahead. Even if I have to wring every thought out of this old brain, I’ll help you find a way."

Feng Haojin nodded and began explaining what had happened on the Prosperous Stone Immortal Star.

Before he could get very far—before he even finished mentioning the fate of the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace and the Purple Crest Immortal Sect—Old Yu froze.

"Wiped out?" His eyes widened. "Those two were destroyed?"

"They’re major forces in the Profound Jade Immortal Domain," he continued, still stunned. "Strong enough that they grew complacent and didn’t want to head to the frontline."

"And now they’re gone?"

He swallowed hard. "Who did this? Don’t tell me it was the demons..."

Feng Haojin let out a long sigh. "No."

He paused, then spoke again. "The one responsible is called Jiang Chen..."

...

Meanwhile, on Divine Lands Immortal Star—one of the first life planets to join the Profound Jade Immortal Alliance—there existed a special prison built solely to hold powerful cultivators.

It was known as the Heavenly Purgatory Prison.

This prison didn’t only hold criminals from the Divine Lands Immortal Star. Nearby life planets also sent their most dangerous cultivators here—figures who, for one reason or another, couldn’t be executed right away.

The Heavenly Purgatory Prison was built deep underground and divided into ninety-nine levels.

It housed some of the most vicious individuals across the region. The deeper the level, the stronger the prisoners held there.

The ninety-ninth level was reserved for Nirvana Cleansing realm powerhouses.

There were only ten cells on this level.

Each one was enormous.

Some stood empty. Others held terrifying figures.

Every cell was sealed off on its own, separated by extremely powerful formations.

Inside one of the cells, a thin man sat quietly in meditation.

His name was Zhu Zhongming.

At first glance, he looked like an ordinary mortal. In truth, he was a Nirvana Cleansing realm powerhouse.

"Time’s almost up..."

The words slipped from his lips as his shoulders sagged slightly. "Master... without you, I can’t seem to do anything right. Even staying alive has become hard."

A faint, bitter smile appeared. "I’m about to fail your teachings. When we meet again, I hope you won’t scold me."

His gaze drifted, filled with distant memories.

Anger, reluctance, and deep exhaustion flickered through his eyes.

His master had been the most important person in his life. After that came his junior brothers and sisters.

But his master had been gone for many years now, and he hadn’t seen his fellow disciples in a very long time.

Lost in thought, Zhu Zhongming slowly closed his eyes and leaned back against the cold wall of the cell.

...

At the same time, on Lonely Sea Immortal Star—a nearby life planet to the Divine Lands Immortal Star—the ocean covered nearly ninety percent of the surface. There were no large continents, only scattered islands.

On one such island lay a secluded valley, forever wrapped in thick fog.

A narrow stream wound through the valley, gathering in a shallow, wide pool where the land flattened out.

A wooden structure had been built directly over the water.

Beneath it, an ordinary-looking man stood in the shallow pool, an unremarkable long saber held in his hands.

Swoosh.

A faint saber light flickered.

It carried no obvious killing intent and looked harmless at first glance.

But to any cultivator who truly understood the Saber Dao, the sight would have been nothing short of shocking.

What made it even more striking was that this young man hadn’t just grasped the Saber Dao—he had gone far beyond the basics.

He was another Nirvana Cleansing realm powerhouse.

His name was Shen Xin.

"Still not enough..."

His grip tightened around the long saber. "This level of strength isn’t enough to break into the Heavenly Purgatory Prison and save my senior brother."

Time was running out.

"The day of his execution is getting closer."

His gaze lowered. "Master... if you were still here, this wouldn’t even be difficult for you, would it?"

Shen Xin swung his saber again.

The thoughts churning in his mind spilled into his strike, and the Saber Dao he had refined to its core surged out, fierce and uncontrollable.

Far away, on other planets, a few figures paused.

Their gazes all turned toward the Divine Lands Immortal Star.

They were disciples of the same master!