On the fifth day of their journey, Wang Jian rode atop his trusty brown stallion, its hooves clopping rhythmically alongside the white mare of Chen Yiyan.
As they rode towards Aria City, Chen Yiyan couldn't help but reminisce about her adventures with her friends.
"Jian, I remember when I used to sneak out of the palace with my friends and dress up as commoners. We would roam around the city, visit shops, and enjoy street food. It was so much fun!"
Wang Jian chuckled at her confession. "You're quite the troublemaker, Yiyan."
Chen Yiyan blushed and laughed, "I know, I know. But it was worth it. Those memories are some of my fondest."
Wang Jian smiled warmly at her. "I can imagine. It sounds like a lot of fun. I wish I had the chance to experience something like that."
Chen Yiyan turned to him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Well, maybe we can do something similar on our way back. We could disguise ourselves and roam around the city like commoners. What do you say?"
Wang Jian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "That sounds rather fun."
Chen Yiyan grinned at his response. "Great! We can plan it out when we get closer to the Empire. And don't worry, I'll make sure to disguise you well enough that no one will recognize you as a prince."
Wang Jian chuckled. "I have faith in your disguise skills, Yiyan."
As they continued their journey, Chen Yiyan told Wang Jian more stories of her past adventures, and he listened intently, enjoying her lively and carefree spirit.
He found himself feeling more relaxed and carefree as well.
Although he was a lascivious fellow, he couldn't help but admit that spending time with Chen Yiyan was a refreshing change of pace.
This was a similar feeling to when he spent time with Su Xian.
Such a serene pace was interrupted by the sound of a sharp whistle.
Wang Jian's instincts kicked in, and he quickly realized they were under attack. He looked around, trying to identify the source of the threat, but it was too late.
A dagger was hurled towards him, and Wang Jian barely had time to react. He quickly jumped from his horse to dodge an incoming dagger!
Chen Yiyan gasped in horror as she saw the attacker emerge from the nearby bushes.
It was a figure cloaked in black, their face obscured by a hood. Wang Jian tensed, ready to face the assailant.
Suddenly, all of Wang Jian's guards sprang into action, surrounding the assailant with weapons drawn.
"Identify yourself! You dare to ambush the convoy of the Seventh Prince of the Everlasting Brolia Empire?!" one of the guards barked out.
With a cold and menacing tone, the cloaked figure responded, "I am here to kill Wang Jian."
Wang Jian narrowed his eyes, sizing up the attacker. Meanwhile, his system beeped and notified him of the attacker's identity.
[The Host has been ambushed by Protagonist Ye Chen!]
"So, his name is Ye Chen," Wang Jian muttered to himself.
[Warning! The Host is recommended to flee due to the immense luck disparity between the Host and Protagonist Ye Chen!]
Wang Jian's eyes widened as he read the notification. He didn't think that this protagonist's luck would be so high that the system would recommend him to flee immediately.
Utilizing his True Eyes, Wang Jian checked the protagonist's luck.
[
Luck
Host: 16,012
Protagonist Ye Chen: 120,111 (Rising rapidly)
]
Wang Jian's shock was palpable. Despite Ye Chen's cultivation being only at the Lord Realm, his luck was eight times that of Wang Jian's. It was an almost insurmountable advantage.
But there was no time to dwell on the odds. Wang Jian was determined to protect himself and Chen Yiyan.
"Stay back, Yiyan," he said firmly, readying himself to face the attacker.
"Guards, attack him. Make this fool pay for his insolence!" Wang Jian barked out an order.
Most of these guards were at the Origin Realm, while the captains of respective teams were at the Lord Realm.
As soon as they received the order, they immediately leaped at Ye Chen with the intent to kill.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen's eyes glinted with determination as he brandished his Heavy Sword. His sword emitted a brilliant glow as if it was alive and ready to strike.
With quick movements and intricate sword techniques, Ye Chen blocked every attack with ease. His eyes followed the guards' movements as he calculated his next move.
With a resounding cry, Ye Chen unleashed his famed sword technique known as the "Heavenly Might Slash."
The air crackled with a surge of potent Sword Qi that sliced through the guards' defense, impaling them with deadly precision and ending their lives in an instant.
Wang Jian's eyes widened slightly as he witnessed the Sword Qi. He could sense the Laws of Sword from it.
He found it a bit inconceivable that Ye Chen could already utilize the Laws of Sword without even reaching the King Realm.
However, Wang Jian calmed down quickly enough as he recalled Ye Chen's status as a protagonist.
"Is there anyone else who wants to die?!" Ye Chen spoke murderously.
By this time, Meng Xiangyi, Xiao Ling, Bixi Shuyan, and Lady Zhuoran, had arrived. They gazed at Ye Chen with shocked expressions.
In fact, except for Meng Xiangyi, the other three women gazed at Ye Chen with hopeful expressions. They actually wanted him to win against Wang Jian.
Ye Chen also cast a glance at them, and a perverted look appeared on his face. He couldn't believe that there were five beauties accompanying Wang Jian.
At this moment, Wang Jian received three notifications from the system.
[Xiao Ling has regained her status as a Heroine!]
[Bixi Shuyan has regained her status as a Heroine!]
[Lady Zhuoran has gained Heroine status!]
Upon seeing these notifications, a cunning grin spread across Wang Jian's face. His experiment had proven successful.
However, he now found himself unable to flee.
If he were to attempt an escape, Wang Jian would forfeit his hold over the three heroines, and possibly even Meng Xiangyi and Chen Yiyan if he permitted them to interact with Ye Chen over an extended period.
Knowing that it would be unwise to directly confront the protagonist with such an exceptionally high luck value, Wang Jian weighed his options and devised two potential courses of action.
The first path involved a passive, but safer approach - Wang Jian would promptly retreat from the scene and avoid any contact with Ye Chen until his luck value surpassed that of the protagonist.
On the other hand, the second path called for an active and risky approach - Wang Jian could choose to engage Ye Chen in battle and overwhelm him with sheer force, in hopes that the World's Essence would intervene and rescue him. This would lead to Ye Chen's retreat.
There was one thing Wang Jian did recognize. He had no chance of killing Ye Chen today.
With a sudden burst of speed, Wang Jian lunged forward, his Origin Fist striking out with lightning-fast movements. Ye Chen, anticipating the attack, responded with quick reflexes, holding up his Heavy Sword and blocking the punch head-on.
However, Wang Jian's Origin Fist was no ordinary punch. It was imbued with dense King Realm qi that sent Ye Chen hurtling backwards with a tremendous force. The impact shook the ground beneath them.
While Ye Chen was still mid-air, Wang Jian concentrated immense energy over his two index fingers and launched a Beam of Destruction attack at him. The beam was a destructive force that could level mountains, and Ye Chen knew he had to act fast.
With fierce determination, he rotated his body in mid-air while launching a powerful sword technique named "Revolving Slash!"
This technique was known for its overwhelming Sword Qi that could cut through anything in its path.
The two attacks collided, creating a deafening explosion that shook the surrounding area. The force of the impact sent dust and debris flying, obscuring everyone's vision.
As the dust cleared, Ye Chen stood firm with his Heavy Sword still held high. Across from him, Wang Jian sported a sly smirk on his face, clearly unimpressed.
"You're quite powerful for a Lord Realm cultivator," he admitted, his voice dripping with condescension.
Ye Chen was quick to call out Wang Jian's deceitful tactics, "It's shameful that you would use your full strength against someone ranked lower than you."
Wang Jian simply shrugged, "I'll do whatever it takes to win."
"…Let's make this battle more interesting," Wang Jian spoke as flames enveloped his arms.
Ye Chen countered it by unleashing the Sword Qi within his body.
The two continued their battle soon enough.
As Wang Jian charged towards Ye Chen, flames erupted around him, making it hard for Ye Chen to even see him.
He quickly raised his Heavy Sword, using his Wind Element to create a powerful gust of wind that dispersed the flames and allowed him to see his opponent.
Ye Chen's first attack was "Whirlwind Slash," a move where he swung his sword in a circular motion, creating a whirlwind of sharp blades that moved towards Wang Jian.
Wang Jian swiftly dodged the attack and launched his "Enhanced Strength" attack, striking Ye Chen with a powerful punch.
Ye Chen staggered back, but quickly regained his balance and retaliated with "Gale Slash," a powerful attack that used his Wind Element to create a blade of wind that sliced through the air towards Wang Jian.
Wang Jian countered with "Mystic Force," a technique that enveloped his body in flames and made him harder to hit.
Ye Chen used his Wind Element to increase his speed and launched a flurry of attacks, each named after a different wind element: "Tornado Thrust," "Hurricane Strike," "Typhoon Slice," and "Cyclone Cleave."
Despite Ye Chen's quick and powerful attacks, Wang Jian effortlessly dodged each one and struck back with his "Moonrise Fist," a move where he channeled the power of the moon to increase the strength of his punch.
This punch hit Ye Chen squarely on his chest as he was hurled back by a hundred of meters.
However, Ye Chen possessed a strong physique and he quickly picked himself up while gazing at Wang Jian with a determined expression.
He realized he needed to come up with a new plan if he wanted to win this battle. He focused on his Heavy Sword, channeling his Qi into it to create a new technique called "Storm Breaker."
With this move, he swung his sword with all his might, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that pushed back Wang Jian's flames and shattered his Mystic Force technique.
As Wang Jian staggered back from the force of the attack, Ye Chen saw an opening and launched his "Gust Slash," a move that created a blade of wind that sliced towards Wang Jian.
Wang Jian countered with his "Lunar Shield," a technique that created a shield of moonlight that blocked Ye Chen's attack.
Unfazed by this setback, Ye Chen retreated a short distance and activated a blue-glowing ring on his finger, indicating it was a spatial ring.
In the next moment, Ye Chen produced a collection of sachets and metallic plates inscribed with mystical symbols.
Wang Jian's trained eye quickly recognized these items as talismans, powerful tools imbued with magical properties.
Judging from their potency, he surmised that they were of at least King Rank quality.
