C7 Beautiful Heroine

Luo Yiran's budding fondness for Jiang Chen was swiftly crushed in a single moment.

She could clearly see that the man with the scarred face and his cronies were bad news, yet her frustration with Jiang Chen grew. She resented him for getting mixed up with such troublemakers.

"I'll only give you thirty thousand, but not right now," Jiang Chen said, his gaze fixed on the scar-faced man, his tone even and unflustered.

Just as Luo Yiran was about to interject, the scar-faced man lunged forward and seized her wrist.

It was clear to the scar-faced man that Jiang Chen couldn't possibly cough up three hundred thousand on the spot, and he had his own agenda. He was greedy for both the money and the woman.

He sized up Jiang Chen, who stood alone, while his own group brandished weapons confidently.

They were eager to give Jiang Chen a beating, even if he offered no resistance, and they were all the more ready if he dared to fight back.

Luo Yiran watched Jiang Chen stand still, her cries filling the air.

Internally, she questioned her judgment. Had Jiang Chen not changed at all? Was he still the same straightforward man as before, indifferent even as the scar-faced man harassed her?

Suddenly, Jiang Chen's voice cut through, "Release her!"

His voice was deep and resonant. He had no desire to entangle with Luo Yiran or anyone else for that matter; his focus was on his cultivation. Nothing else was worth his distraction.

Yet, because of him, Luo Yiran was now at the mercy of these thugs.

At Jiang Chen's command, the scar-faced man's cohorts charged at him.

The scar-faced man sneered at Jiang Chen, "Listen up. If you don't bring me the three hundred thousand yuan by tomorrow, you can forget ever seeing your woman again."

Jiang Chen just shook his head, pitying their ignorance.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Jiang Chen sprang into action. Before the scar-faced man could finish his threat, his so-called brothers were sent flying.

The scar-faced man watched, stunned, his jaw nearly hitting the floor.

"This, this..."

Jiang Chen then firmly grasped the scar-faced man's wrist. "I already told you to let her go."

After uttering those words, Jiang Chen's grip tightened abruptly, followed by the unmistakable sound of bones cracking.

The man with the scarred face let out a pained scream as Jiang Chen sent him flying with a swift kick.

"Kid, you've got some nerve hitting us. You're going to regret this," the scar-faced man snarled with a threat.

But Jiang Chen paid no heed to his threats. He approached Luo Yiran and asked coolly, "Are you okay?"

Luo Yiran shook her head.

"Come on, let's go home. I'll take care of the debt you owe."

Luo Yiran kept her head down. Jiang Chen's decisive actions had given her a glimmer of hope that her fiancé wasn't entirely worthless. He had shown a man's bravery, and she thought that if he could just make a bit more progress, they might manage a decent life together.

Jiang Chen, however, shook his head and spoke slowly, "You go on ahead. I've got some things to take care of here."

He paused briefly before adding, "And don't worry about my debts. I don't need you to pay them off."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yiran bit her lip and dashed out without a word.

Watching her retreat, Jiang Chen let out a soft sigh. Even though he had taken over this life's Jiang Chen's body, he felt no affection for this woman, which explained his constant rejections whenever Luo Yiran opened her heart to him.

After Luo Yiran had gone, Jiang Chen went back to his room and pulled open the drawer.

Inside lay a piece of warm, ancient jade, etched with an unusual symbol.

Jiang Chen recognized it instantly—it was a symbol from the Heavenly Realm. Clutching the ancient jade, he felt a surge of familiar power emanate from it.

Indeed, this was a key lost from the Heavenly Realm.

Back when he was in the Heavenly Realm, Jiang Chen had collected many such keys.

This was the key to unlocking the gates of the Heavenly Realm. With it, he could transform into an unparalleled holy body and fully restore his cultivation.

With this thought, Jiang Chen's eyes blazed with fervor.

He crushed the ancient jade, and the peculiar symbol merged into his body.

Jiang Chen then delved into his memories about the ancient jade, finally realizing that it originated from the Antique City.

Glancing at the darkening sky and then at the dilapidated old house, Jiang Chen pocketed the 10,000 yuan hidden in the corner of the drawer. With the memories of his current life guiding him, he made his way toward Antique City.

The Heaven Realm had scattered numerous keys across the earth, and the symbols etched upon them could hasten Jiang Chen's journey to attain the Unparalleled Saint Body.

Motivated by this, he set off to Antique City in hopes of good fortune.

Relying on his present life's recollections, Jiang Chen swiftly navigated to Antique City. However, as his memory was beginning to fragment, he couldn't quite recall which antique shop had sold him the piece of ancient jade.

Undeterred, he meandered through Antique City. Jiang Chen's eyes were unlike those of the average person; his attunement to Spiritual Qi allowed him to discern the distinct aura emanating from genuine antiques. Any piece with considerable age bore a hint of this Qi.

Such treasures were rare, though, with the majority being modern crafts devoid of any Spiritual Qi.

Out of nowhere, Jiang Chen felt a jolt from behind, followed by a hand slipping into his pocket. The old Jiang Chen would have missed this slight gesture, but he was no longer that man. His body had been enhanced, and he possessed the soul of an Immortal Venerable.

Not even a petty thief, let alone a Martial Arts Grandmaster, could escape Jiang Chen's heightened senses.

He swiftly caught the hand in his pocket. The culprit was taken aback; despite the stealthiness of their approach, they had still been caught.

"He's a pervert! He's assaulting me!"

Jiang Chen whirled around to find he had apprehended a woman dressed provocatively. Yet, 'woman' might not be the most fitting term—she was more of a girl, barely in her twenties, her features still bearing the softness of youth.

The disturbance drew a crowd, and they quickly encircled Jiang Chen and the girl. She pointed at Jiang Chen, her hand still in his grasp, and exclaimed, "Look at this, everyone! He won't let go of me even now!"