119: An extraordinary opportunity

"But aren't the soldiers of the Dragon Guard selected by the Great Yuan Dynasty from a young age? How could Chen Jiangping possibly have joined the Dragon Guard?"

"Moreover, this Dragon Guard's cultivation is much higher than Chen Jiangping's."

Lin Yi thought to himself while continuing to hunt down the Dragon Guard.

Cultivating within the First Rank is extremely difficult; even for super geniuses, their cultivation levels increase very, very slowly.

Take, for example, the Dongshan Prefecture Lord Chi Longyue. Being able to reach the First Rank Realm at fifty-five, his talent is not worth mentioning compared to peerless prodigies like Lin Yi and Jiang Hanhan.

But in the outside world, he is absolutely a super Genius; even many Disciples in the Tianshan Pavilion cannot compare to him.

However, since he broke through to the First Rank twelve years ago, he has only just barely reached the Middle Stage of the First Rank to this day, and who knows how far he is from the Late Stage.

Yet Chen Jiangping was merely a Second-Rank Martial Artist two years ago and only just managed to break through to the First Rank about a year ago.

But in just one short year, he has actually reached the Peak of the First Rank. Isn't this cultivation speed a bit too fast?

It's so fast that even a world-class Prodigy like Lin Yi, who possesses the mystic purple rank talent "Martial Dao Sacred Body," would feel inferior!

"Forget it! Whether he's Chen Jiangping or a Dragon Guard! Anyone who wants to be my enemy, regardless of who they are, must die!"

As soon as the thought settled, Lin Yi immediately utilized full Limit Breaking, his figure flashing as he wholeheartedly pursued the Dragon Guard ahead.

"It's over! It's over! How can this Lin Yi's speed be even faster? Could it be that he recognized me just from that sword strike earlier?"

Ahead, the sinister face under the Dragon Guard's golden mask was filled with terror.

Indeed! He was none other than Chen Jiangping!

About five months ago, he and Zhou Feng were ordered to hunt down a First Rank fugitive wanted by the Wanxiang Tower. To their surprise, after killing the fugitive, they discovered a heaven-shattering Opportunity on his person!

The moment he saw that Opportunity, he did not hesitate to backstab Zhou Feng in a sneak attack, killing him. Afterward, he brazenly defected from the Wanxiang Tower and fled to the Great Yuan Dynasty, desperate for their protection.

Seeing his fickle nature and average potential, the Great Yuan Dynasty initially did not want to accept him.

However, they never expected that Chen Jiangping would have a unique talent for the Dragon Guard's Combined Attack Techniques. Just by accidentally seeing the Dragon Guard take action once, he vaguely grasped the key points.

This scene immediately alerted the Innate expert in charge of the Dragon Guard. Furthermore, the Dragon Guard had recently lost two soldiers during a mission and was short-handed.

So, after a moment of consideration, that Innate expert recruited Chen Jiangping into the Dragon Guard and bestowed upon him the Complete Manual of the Combined Attack Secrets.

Chen Jiangping did not disappoint; he mastered it in just one month. Then, with the help of secret methods, he was barely able to achieve a telepathic connection with the other Dragon Guards to perform the Combined Attack Techniques in just over two months.

With that, he fully joined the Dragon Guard, survived the pursuit of the Wanxiang Tower, and reached the Peak of the First Rank within a few short months using that heaven-shattering Opportunity.

"No, no, no! I cannot die!"

Thinking of the hardships he had endured and the heaven-shattering Opportunity he had obtained, Chen Jiangping's sinister eyes turned red under the golden mask.

"I have a great grudge yet to be avenged, and I have a heaven-shattering Opportunity in hand. In the future, I will even achieve the Innate Realm, and even become a Innate Golden Core! I will be listed on the Heaven Ranking!"

"Then I will trample that damned Jiang Hanhan, that damned Lin Yi, and everyone who has ever offended me or looked down on me under my feet and kill them all! How can I die here now!"

Chen Jiangping roared in his heart, and even his speed seemed to increase slightly.

However, the gap between him and Lin Yi was ultimately too large.

So, after only three breaths, Chen Jiangping saw a dark shadow flash under a large tree ahead, which then transformed into an indifferent, handsome youth dressed in black and holding a long saber.

"Chen Jiangping, your time of death has arrived!"

Looking at the masked Dragon Guard before him, although Lin Yi felt that the aura on him was completely different from Chen Jiangping's, at this moment, Lin Yi was increasingly certain that the other party was Chen Jiangping!

He had no evidence; it was purely a Martial Artist's intuition.

But he trusted his intuition!

"Young Hero Lin must be joking!"

Watching Lin Yi approach step by step, Chen Jiangping, hidden behind the golden mask, also felt his heart tighten. He then spoke slowly, his voice coming out in rasps.

"This lowly one is named Huang Thirty-Six, an orphan raised by the Great Yuan Dynasty's Dragon Guard since childhood. I am no Chen Jiangping."

"As for coming to assassinate Young Hero Lin this time, it was entirely because I serve my master and had no choice but to do so."

"If Young Hero Lin is willing to let me go this time, then from now on, this lowly one will submit to Young Hero Lin and follow your every lead. What do you think?"

"Follow my every lead?"

Lin Yi laughed upon hearing this and then shouted coldly:

"Chen Jiangping, you really are foolish!"

"Originally, I was only ninety percent certain you were Chen Jiangping, but now that you've said this, I am one hundred percent certain."

"After all, on the Nine Provinces Continent, who doesn't know that the Great Yuan Dynasty's Dragon Guard is the most elite army of Great Yuan? Every soldier is not only powerful but, more importantly, fiercely loyal to Great Yuan, comparable to death warriors."

"And yet you say you're willing to defect to me just to save your life. If you're not Chen Jiangping, then who is?"

"Young Hero Lin, although the Dragon Guard is loyal, even an ant clings to life. I just..."

"Enough! Less nonsense, just die!"

In the dense forest, Chen Jiangping was about to explain further, but at this moment, Lin Yi had no desire to talk more. With a movement of the long saber in his hand, he immediately struck out.

Whoosh!

The cold saber light slashed through the sky, transforming into a brilliant galaxy of stars that seemed to tear the entire sky in half.

Within the galaxy, stars could be seen rotating, exquisitely beautiful yet filled with incredible power and killing intent.

Then, almost in an instant, it had already slashed toward Chen Jiangping's face.

"Damn it!"

Sensing the terrifying power within this strike, Chen Jiangping's face distorted under the mask. With a roar of anger, he no longer bothered to hide and thrust his long sword forcefully toward the saber light.

Swish!

In an instant, countless scorching, pure white sword lights, like the light of a great sun, suddenly cut through the void, carrying unparalleled power to collide with that saber light.

Then... Crack!!!

In less than a heartbeat, they were ruthlessly torn apart by the galaxy of saber light, scattering into countless air currents.

Afterward, the remaining power of the galaxy of saber light was like an angry dragon, blasting Chen Jiangping and his sword away, causing him to spit out a large mouthful of blood mid-air, instantly suffering significant injuries.

This was the true power of being First Rank Invincible!