CHAPTER 423: SMILING ON THE SURFACE

High above where Burning Sun City once stood, Jiang Chen and Lu Yi hovered in the sky, facing each other.

"You’re Lu Yi?"

Jiang Chen’s expression didn’t change as he looked over at him.

"Yeah, that’s me... Hehe, and you are, senior?"

Lu Yi gave a careful nod and let out a small laugh as he asked.

Jiang Chen hadn’t killed him right away. He’d even asked his name.

Lu Yi quietly let out a breath. The fact that Jiang Chen had stolen his kills—and all the loot—was already fading into the background.

Right now, staying alive was all that really mattered.

"My name is Jiang Chen," he said simply.

Inside, though, he was a bit surprised. Lu Yi was... interesting—flexible, cautious, even a little crafty. Not the kind of stiff, prideful type who exploded over the slightest insult.

That kind of personality could be harder to pin down—but not by much.

What really mattered was whatever heaven-defying trump card this guy was hiding.

"So it’s Senior Jiang Chen! An honor to meet you." Lu Yi cupped his hands and let out a quiet breath. "You’ve taken out people from both the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace and the Purple Crest Immortal Sect, but left me alive. I should tell you—I’m a human-demon hybrid, not exactly welcomed by the world. So... why spare me?"

"Being a human-demon hybrid doesn’t make you a traitor to humanity by default," Jiang Chen said, shaking his head slightly. "Don’t let the world’s opinion weigh you down."

Lu Yi blinked, caught off guard. A strange mix of emotions stirred inside him.

Thanks to the memories he’d inherited, he knew exactly how much hatred hybrids like him faced.

He’d never hurt anyone. He’d spent his whole life hiding away in this courtyard, doing everything he could to keep his secret buried.

But none of that mattered. To the outside world, just having demon blood was enough to make him guilty. Born with a stain he could never wash off.

From the demons’ side, it was the same—his human blood was seen as a stain.

His whole life had been shaped by that kind of judgment, no matter where he turned.

And now, out of nowhere, someone was actually looking at him like he was just... a person.

Saying Lu Yi wasn’t affected would be a lie.

As he studied Jiang Chen more closely, he started to suspect something—this guy wasn’t fully human either. With those dragon traits, Jiang Chen was probably a human-dragon hybrid... and likely faced the same kind of rejection from the dragon clan.

That thought hit hard. For the first time, Lu Yi felt like he wasn’t alone. Maybe that was why Jiang Chen’s gaze had felt so different from everyone else’s.

"Thanks, senior. But the world’s full of hatred—people like you are hard to come by." Lu Yi cupped his hands toward Jiang Chen again.

His eyes burned with a quiet determination. "That’s why I won’t ignore it anymore. I’ve suffered enough. From now on, I don’t care if they’re human or demon—anyone who dares cross me will die."

Jiang Chen gave a faint smile. "The world’s malice deserves a response. That much, I agree with."

In truth, he was wrapped in a far darker fate than Lu Yi could imagine—haunted by the will of the Heavenly Fate itself. Still, he kept that smile on, letting Lu Yi think they were on the same side.

"Well said!" Lu Yi nodded. "I’ll remember your words."

"So, what now? The Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace and Purple Crest Immortal Sect aren’t just going to let this go. Got a plan?" Jiang Chen’s expression slipped back into its usual calm.

"Of course—I’m planning to drift around and live however I want," Lu Yi said without a second thought, not caring how that might sound.

Jiang Chen glanced at him. "Your aura stands out too much. Can you hide it? Otherwise, drifting won’t get you very far."

"Huh? My aura..." Lu Yi looked inward, only now noticing the change. It was completely different than before.

After merging his human and demon bloodlines into the Saint Demon Heart, his presence had become something entirely unique—and way too easy to track.

"You can’t hide it, can you? That’ll make things tricky," Jiang Chen said, shaking his head. "Still, everyone has their own path. Maybe your trouble will turn into luck."

He glanced around once more.

"That’s enough talk. This place isn’t safe—you should get moving."

With that, he turned, clearly about to leave.

"Wait, senior!" Lu Yi quickly reached out with his right hand.

Jiang Chen paused, hands clasped behind his back. "What is it?"

"My speed’s not great... mind giving me a lift for part of the way?" Lu Yi smiled and rubbed his hands together.

"No," Jiang Chen said, shaking his head.

"Huh?" Lu Yi’s smile dropped. He’d figured it was a small favor—why turn him down?

Jiang Chen spoke again without looking back. "You should go on your own. The ones from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace and the Purple Crest Immortal Sect will be coming after me, not you."

Lu Yi’s eyes lit up as it clicked.

Jiang Chen had killed Zhong Yushan, Wu Jiaxun, and the others. That meant all the heat from the Compassionate Sword Immortal Palace and the Purple Crest Immortal Sect would fall squarely on him.

Sticking close to someone like that? Definitely not the smart move right now.

In that light, Jiang Chen turning him down was actually doing him a favor.

What Lu Yi didn’t know was that Jiang Chen had nudged him to think that way on purpose.

He had no intention of just letting Lu Yi walk free. He planned to keep an eye on him—quietly, from the shadows.

Because even a loose alliance between them could draw the attention of Heavenly Fate. And once that kicked in, the chain reaction might unleash something even Jiang Chen would have to take seriously.

All things considered, Jiang Chen still preferred sticking to the original plotline—wipe everything out, keep things simple.

It was cleaner that way. Less chance of unexpected chaos.

"I get it! Thanks, senior!" Lu Yi nodded, eyes lighting up as it all fell into place.

"Mm." Jiang Chen gave a small nod and turned to leave.

"Wait, senior!" Lu Yi called out again.

Jiang Chen stopped. "What now?" His mouth twitched slightly, hands still behind his back.

Lu Yi stepped forward, grinning as he rubbed his thumb against his fingertips. "Well... I’m kind of broke. Think I could borrow a little spending money?"

This guy’s got guts. Asking for a loan right after we’ve just met? Jiang Chen sighed inwardly, then waved a hand.

"You mean cultivation resources, right? I’ve already used them all. That’s just how my cultivation works—I absorb everything directly."

"Huh? You used them?" Lu Yi’s face fell, but then he thought back to the earlier fight.

After Jiang Chen wiped out his enemies, their bodies had scattered into glowing specks of light—drawn straight into him.

So that was what he meant by ’absorbed.’ Must be a dragon-blood thing.

Not many people on Prosperous Stone Immortal Star really understood that bloodline. Most could only recognize it based on a few traits.

As for how that kind of cultivation actually worked, Lu Yi had no clue.

Still, in a universe this big, he figured anything was possible.

To Lu Yi, it made perfect sense that someone with dragon blood would cultivate by consuming energy directly.

"Yeah. Consumed them," Jiang Chen said, glancing at him. "Anything else? If not, I’m leaving."

"Uh..." Lu Yi hesitated. "Actually, one more thing."

"Another one? Go on." Jiang Chen gave a faint smile.

"Hehe," Lu Yi chuckled. "Could I get a way to contact you, Senior?"

Jiang Chen gave a small nod, face unreadable.

He pulled out a transmission jade token and exchanged imprints with Lu Yi without another word.