How did a bastard like him become an immortal?

A face faintly appeared in the sky, a strange blue-purple face, seemingly woven from layers of tribulation lightning, which was now peeking out and looking down.

The moment Zhou Chen saw him, he was terrified. A chilling fear, originating from his very soul, was triggered, and he completely lost his ability to move.

While he was still in a daze, boundless lightning surged down and struck his body violently.

Under the baptism of lightning, Zhou Chen's spine broke inch by inch. His coarse clothes and tattered cloth burst open, tearing into strips of cloth that fluttered down from the sky and landed on the hearts of many disciples.

Many disciples were distraught, their pupils dilated, staring blankly at the torrential rain of blood in the sky and the strips of cloth belonging to Pavilion Master Zhou being scattered down.

Pavilion Master Zhou perished in this heavenly tribulation!

Jiange is finished!

In the silence and oppressive atmosphere, someone could no longer control their emotions and suddenly burst into tears. The surrounding disciples could no longer control their emotions either, and their cries and wails echoed throughout the room.

The pillar of the Sword Pavilion, the Sea-Stabilizing Pearl, and the Land Sword Immortal, Master Zhou, died in this heavenly calamity!

Despair, terror, and sorrow surged into the hearts of the disciples, while the elders were also at a loss, incredulous, and stunned, refusing to believe it.

At the very front, Li Xianjiu knelt on the ground, weeping uncontrollably. All she could see was a blurry scene, filled with the sounds of shouting and wailing from the crowd.

The sky over Jian Ge is about to collapse!

But amidst that drifting rain of blood, countless divine lights suddenly burst forth, drawing everyone's attention once more.

From deep within the clouds came the crisp sound of chains snapping, and a sliver of light pierced the darkness, tearing a gap in the otherwise pitch-black sky.

A few cracking and tearing sounds echoed between heaven and earth, followed by the sound of pieces of porcelain shattering.

At this moment, the clouds of calamity had dispersed, and the sky had cleared once again.

Zhou Chen's mangled body fell from the clouds. His fair and clean body, his snow-white hair turned black again, and his clear, glass-like body contained some cracks.

"A banished immortal..."

Zhuo Yiming stared at Zhou Chen's immaculate body before him, and after a long while, he finally uttered those two words with some uncertainty.

Zhou Chen descended gracefully from the sky, his once white beard and hair regaining their vitality, and the faint celestial light shone on his body, imbuing this world with a touch of immortality.

The many disciples watching suddenly erupted in a thunderous cheer, and many were moved to tears, but this time, their tears were a mixture of joy and sorrow.

Extreme joy or sorrow, heaven or hell in a single thought—it's all just like that.

Zhou Chen's expression was solemn, and he now seemed ethereal and otherworldly. From afar, he looked like a serene immortal sitting in meditation, but he turned back to look at the sky.

What he just witnessed was truly horrifying; even he had never seen anything so terrifying before…

The path to immortality is now closed; this is no mere folly.

Now that he has become a banished immortal, he can be said to have achieved perfect merit.

The realm of the banished immortal is above even the terrestrial immortals, and it can be said that it is only half a foot away from the true immortal realm.

But this half-foot distance means he can never take another step forward in his life; he will always remain below the level of an immortal.

Zhou Chen's expression was somber as he swept his gaze over the deafening shouts of the crowd. The last trace of grief and sorrow in his heart seemed to dissipate.

He preferred to make mistakes rather than do nothing, which is why he risked his life to forcefully break through the death barrier in an attempt to reach the immortal realm.

How can we not say that our wish has been fulfilled?

Those old fogies and the old monsters of the imperial city, under the suppression of this world, who can act recklessly?

Now that he is a banished immortal, he is arguably the strongest fighter below the immortals. When immortals do not appear, he is invincible in the world!

A surge of anger suddenly erupted in Zhou Chen's eyes. Now that he had achieved a breakthrough and attained enlightenment, it was time to settle some scores!

With a flash of his figure and a tremor of immortal light, Zhou Chen broke through the void and stepped a thousand miles away.

Everyone who sensed this aura trembled. Under this overwhelming power, they couldn't muster any strength to resist. Faintly, they could sense the essence of the laws.

The next moment, Zhou Chen had already descended upon the imperial city.

An aura as deep as a deep pool and as majestic as a mountain burst forth, and a dazzling and domineering sword intent, like a divine weapon drawn from its sheath, suddenly surged into the imperial city.

Boom!

With boundless sword intent, Zhou Chen stomped on the sword energy and shattered the imperial city's grand formation with a single kick. He descended straight down from the sky and hovered over the purple-gold roof beams of the imperial city.

At the same time, a series of sharp figures surged in from all directions of the imperial city like a dense tide.

Deep within the palace, a line of imposing figures emerged. Suddenly, the old eunuch, who had been hiding, straightened his back and leaped up from between the bricks and tiles of the city wall, confronting Zhou Chen from afar.

Zhou Chen stood with his feet firmly planted on the sword's edge, arms crossed, his face arrogant and domineering. His figure was like a sword, and the aura he exuded made the entire Tang Dynasty imperial city feel as if it were facing a formidable enemy.

Numerous imperial guards, powerful figures from the martial arts world, and henchmen of the imperial court surrounded Zhou Chen, displaying extreme apprehension.

I thought guarding the imperial city would be an easy job, but I never expected to encounter such a change.

Zhou Chen's entire body was clear and pure, like a piece of crystal. The ethereal aura swirling around him caused many experts to tremble and find it difficult to face him directly.

"Huh? Are you still going to cower and hide?"

Zhou Chen suddenly shouted, gripping his sword with both hands. His hair and beard fluttered and exploded, his aura soared into the sky, and his immortal intent shone brightly. Even though the sword light was like the moon, it floated and soared into the sky!

Then the people of the imperial city witnessed a horrifying scene they had never seen before: the sky that had been shrouded in clouds over the imperial city suddenly shattered, revealing countless spatial turbulence.

The sky cracked violently under the power of this sword strike.

Alone, he arrived at the imperial city, shattering the city's grand formation with a single step, and drew his sword to the sky. Zhou Chen had arrived.

This sword strike was exactly what he wanted, and a chilling sound rang out from the depths of the imperial city.

"Enough! Zhou Chen, do you really think I'm afraid of you?!"

A figure in a dragon robe darted out in a few steps, surging from the depths of the imperial city, his aura churning and roaring, resisting the sword intent—it was none other than Emperor Li Tian!

"Where has my disciple Li Muyun gone?!"

Zhou Chen didn't waste any words and went straight to the point, questioning the Tang Emperor in front of him with raging anger in his eyes, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Li's expression stiffened, and his anger surged. However, just as he was about to erupt, he restrained himself because of Zhou Chen in front of him.

That old codger didn't die in the heavenly tribulation; he even became a banished immortal. What a nuisance!

If we rashly engage in combat with Zhou Chen, the resulting shockwaves could affect the entire capital. This old man will have to be treated with some respect.

Emperor Li Tian quickly changed his mind and his face softened.

“Li Tianjiao has gone to the Sun Moon Empire. When he returns, I will grant him official rank and title.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen's anger subsided somewhat. Being able to come to the capital to demonstrate and force the Tang Emperor to make concessions was already quite a success.

If we go any further, it will be excessive.

With a thought, a message suddenly appeared in Li Xianjiu's consciousness, thousands of miles away.

It was her master who sent her to the Sun Moon Empire to bring her junior brother home!