Dragon-Marked War God Chapter 3045: What Do You Call Him?

The expedition to the tomb of the Immortal Execution had concluded. Jiang Chen’s mind was now burdened by thoughts of Dragon Shisan, who remained entombed within the Heavenly Dragon Prison. A look of distress and anxiety marred Jiang Chen’s face. Dragon Shisan was his most cherished brother; he vowed to liberate him from that inescapable prison the moment he returned to the Profound Connection Divine Palace.

“What is your next move?” Xue Liang inquired of Jiang Chen.

“I am headed back to the Profound Connection Divine Palace. My brother is held captive in the Heavenly Dragon Prison, and I fear that this time, I must inevitably turn against the entire institution,” Jiang Chen declared firmly.

“Are you truly prepared for such a confrontation?” Qian Renji asked. While Jiang Chen’s current prowess was undeniably immense, penetrating the Profound Connection Divine Palace alone to rescue a prisoner seemed an overwhelming feat. Qian Renji could not suppress her apprehension. After all, the Profound Connection Divine Palace had endured for millions of years, wielding a terrifying strength that eclipsed ordinary sects. Should Jiang Chen recklessly challenge them, his annihilation was a probable outcome. This was why she questioned his readiness; there would be no path back from this.

“You speak of the Profound Connection Divine Palace? I have heard whispers of its power, and I find myself eager to test just how formidable it truly is,” Xue Liang said, a faint smile gracing his features.

“It will be a fight to the death. I suspect this struggle will prove far more grueling and taxing than our venture into the Great Emperor’s tomb,” Jiang Chen remarked in a low, somber tone.

“Listen, you treat me as a stranger. I have never bowed to anyone, not even you. Yet, you are the one who restored my resolve and guided me to a new beginning. My life is devoted to the sword, and that sword now fights for you. I will stand by your side to challenge you and defy the entire world,” Xue Liang stated with profound sincerity.

“That is exactly what a brother should say,” Jiang Chen replied. The tension eased as Xue Liang made his allegiance clear; to continue with formalities would only distance a loyal companion.

Upon the journey back to the Profound Connection Divine Palace, Jiang Chen felt a surge of confidence with Xue Liang by his side. After all, Xue Liang was the sole heir to the Inheritance of the Immortal Execution Great Emperor—a man who would rarely encounter an adversary capable of standing against him.

“Master Ji, I believe it would be best for you not to travel with us,” Jiang Chen suggested. He had no desire to involve her in his peril. His unavoidable war with the Profound Connection Divine Palace would place Qian Renji in an impossible predicament.

“I am not one to cower in the face of death, and there is no need for you to address me as Master Ji any longer. I owe you a debt that cannot be repaid, and this serves as the perfect opportunity to sever my ties with the Palace once and for all. If I survive this, I intend to make my way to the Qi Lian Boundary,” Qian Renji said, gifting him a gentle, elegant smile. Jiang Chen found himself wondering once more why Zi Qingtian had abandoned her there, choosing to retreat to the Qi Lian Boundary alone.

“Very well. Jiang Chen will remain by your side, Master Ji,” he pledged, though he understood she did not crave such guarantees. He had pulled her back from the threshold of death during the expedition, and after a million years of service, she had surely earned the right to discard her label as a mere mentor of the Palace.

“I must prepare some pills. Let us head for Ji Le City to make the necessary arrangements,” Jiang Chen decided.

“Agreed. We must mask our movements so the Profound Connection Divine Palace remains oblivious to our intentions. It would look highly suspicious if we returned to the Palace without any reports following our mission to the Great Emperor’s tomb,” Qian Renji noted.

“Understood!” Jiang Chen nodded. After a brief period of rest and methodical preparation, the group set off toward Ji Le City, intentionally delaying their return to the Profound Connection Divine Palace.

………….

The clear pond was filled with boundless, azure waves, feeding streams that cascaded down for hundreds of feet. The surrounding forest was lush with bamboo and tall grass, where the constant chirping of birds echoed through the trees.

A woman adorned in white sat upon a bamboo raft, her gaze fixed toward the distant horizon. Her soul had suffered irreparable damage; not even a supreme Divine Emperor could hope to salvage her fading life.

Jiang Zhu appeared remarkably calm and serene, her beauty both captivating and ethereal.

“I am deeply sorry that I could not provide a cure, Jiang Zhu,” Yu Qinglong whispered, sighing as he stepped lightly onto the raft.

“I know that you did your utmost, Brother Yu. I hold no blame toward you. This is simply my fate, and I am grateful for the century I have been granted,” Jiang Zhu replied with a soft, warm smile.

“Where is this person you wait for? I cannot comprehend the trials you endure just to seek him out. What drives this obsession?” Yu Qinglong asked softly.

“There may be chaos awaiting me, but I do not know for sure. Regardless, I am bound to wait for him, even if our paths never cross again in this life. I am content to hold onto these memories of him forever. I suppose you will never truly grasp that sentiment,” Jiang Zhu said, shaking her head. She was filled with an ache of anticipation, knowing full well he might never appear.

Yu Qinglong let out a heavy breath, his eyes clouding with desolation. He wondered if any man truly deserved the devotion of such an extraordinary woman of the North. Perhaps only Jiang Chen was worthy.

“Oh, it has been quite some time since you departed. How did the Outer Palace Contest unfold?” Jiang Zhu queried.

“Humph. Speak not of it. I remain nothing more than an incompetent failure. I thought I might finally challenge them upon reaching the Hierarch Realm, but word has it that even those experts were crushed by a certain someone,” Yu Qinglong said, shaking his head with a bitter laugh.

“I am suddenly curious as to who this is. I never imagined anyone could defeat you, one of the Outer Palace’s Three Dragons.”

“He is merely a recent recruit who has been in the Inner Palace for only a few hundred years. It is a genuine humiliation. Thousands of Divine King experts failed to unseat him. Even Chen Long, who had ascended to the Hierarch Realm, was soundly beaten by that man. I saw him once before he entered the Profound Connection Divine Palace, and his strength was unremarkable then. Now, he is an entirely different person. I suspect only a rare genius like him could be worthy of you.”

“Brother Yu, you tease me. I only desire a simple, ordinary life,” Jiang Zhu said with a gentle shake of her head.

“Well, it all comes back to Jiang Chen. He is the one who defined my victory and my ruin. I have accepted that I will never surpass him; he is an undeniable, indomitable genius,” Yu Qinglong remarked, his voice thick with genuine respect for the man.

Jiang Zhu suddenly lifted her head, catching Yu Qinglong’s gaze with a sharp glitter of light in her eyes.

“Brother Yu, what did you say… what is his name?” she asked, her voice trembling in disbelief.

“Jiang Chen! He is the rising star of the Outer Palace.”

At the mention of the name, tears began to stream down Jiang Zhu’s cheeks, her body convulsing with emotion as if her very world had collapsed in that single, profound moment.