Villain: After Slacking Off, The Protagonist Collapse

Thunder roared as the sea of lightning surged violently. Jiang Chen didn't wait for it to descend; instead, he charged upward. His fist swung with the force of a falling star, unleashing a terrifying might.

The void trembled, and stars shattered. Without waiting for an emperor to appear, Jiang Chen faced the Emperor Will of the Heavenly Court alone.

Boom!

The sea of lightning churned as if the heavens were enraged, seeking to punish Jiang Chen for his defiance. The Will of nine emperors surged down, unleashing divine abilities and profound Dao techniques as if they cost nothing.

The flashes of cold light and dragon-like sword energy overwhelmed the heavens.

Under this deluge of heavenly power, the surrounding space crumbled, and the starry river dimmed. Countless stars began to collapse, as if the entire cosmos was on the verge of explosion, destruction, and annihilation.

The powerful fluctuations swept across the heavens and earth, leaving the watching experts trembling with shock.

"That Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land is as reckless as ever. To think he's facing nine Emperor Wills alone—does he even know fear?"

In the next moment, Jiang Chen stood like a war god, his fist radiating divine light, and his sword aura coiling like dragons.

As two Emperor Wills approached, their power was instantly obliterated. In a mere instant, both Emperor Wills were completely destroyed!

The overwhelming display of strength caused the onlookers to turn pale.

"This Holy Son is truly a monster! Facing nine Emperor Wills single-handedly, and yet it seems so effortless!"

"His talent is unparalleled, unrivaled across the ages. His power defies logic—how can such a monster even exist?"

"Nine Emperor Wills descended, and even a Great Saint would falter before them, but the Holy Son shows no fear!"

"Fear? I see only calmness in him, maybe even a hint of battle fervor!"

"It's almost as if these nine Emperor Wills aren't even enough to make the Holy Son show his full strength, like the time he executed Ye Tian!"

"Now that you mention it, this does seem similar to what happened to Ye Tian back then."

"Who was stronger, Ye Tian or the Emperor Wills?"

"The Emperor Wills, of course!"

"In that case, did the Holy Son hold back when he fought Ye Tian?"

"Hard to say—the realms were different then."

"That's true."

The crowd was stunned into silence. The nine Emperor Wills, all at the Saint King level, would terrify any other cultivator. Even Great Saints would hesitate. Yet the Holy Son remained unshaken, growing more determined with every strike.

Because no one interfered, the nine Emperor Wills couldn't exert enough pressure to overwhelm Jiang Chen. This left everyone speechless.

—

"Ye Changhe, the heavenly tribulation is the best way to deal with the Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land!"

"All it would take is for a single Great Saint to intervene, and the Holy Son would undoubtedly perish!" A booming voice echoed across the void, carrying immense power and authority.

The crowd knew Ye Changhe was surely paying attention. Hearing the suggestion, many laughed bitterly.

This wasn't advice—it was a death sentence. If Ye Changhe provoked Jiang Chen, the Holy Son might drag the tribulation straight to his family's doorstep. The vast Ye Clan would be reduced to ruins in no time.

"What a vicious suggestion. Who could have said such a thing?"

"I'd love to see the Ye Clan take the bait—that would be entertaining!"

"It must be the ancient imperial clan. Only they would benefit from seeing internal strife among humans."

"Could it be the Golden-Winged Roc Clan?"

"That's possible—they've always been devious!"

As the crowd speculated and began to pin blame, the Golden-Winged Roc Clan's leader couldn't stay silent. "Who the hell is spouting nonsense? How could it be us?"

"I think it's your human race trying to frame us, aiming to stir conflict between us and the Primordial Holy Land, or maybe the Ye Clan!"

If it had been their own doing, they might have admitted it. But even so, they couldn't take the blame. What if Jiang Chen turned his wrath on them? Repeating the tragedy of the Golden Crow Clan wasn't an option.

The Golden-Winged Roc Clan was determined to survive this era, no matter what.

"It could very well be those damned birds. They've always been schemers!" the Pure Yang Holy Master said, his voice cutting through the chaos like a wedge. As usual, he seemed intent on stirring trouble.

"The ancient imperial clan is a likely culprit. They've done things like this before," added the Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, joining the fray. It seemed many were eager to shift the blame onto the Golden-Winged Roc Clan.

Hearing this, the clan's leader panicked. "We had no part in this last time, and this time is no different! Stop slandering us with baseless accusations!"

Despite their protests, they couldn't escape being targeted. "Pure Yang Holy Master! Emperor of Qin!" the leader roared. "It seems you're the ones trying to incite conflict between the human race and the ancient imperial clans. What are your intentions?"

As the debate spiraled, Huang Tian, observing the situation, grew uneasy. He interjected, trying to de-escalate. "We're only speculating. Why are you so defensive?"

The Pure Yang Holy Master's tone turned mocking. "Could it be we've hit a nerve?"

"Ridiculous!" roared the representatives of the ancient imperial clan.

Then, as if struck by inspiration, the leader of the White Tiger Clan spoke. "Why suspect us when the Ye Clan seems far more likely?"

"The world knows of their grudge against the Holy Son of the Primordial Holy Land. They could be using this as a ploy to shift blame onto us, casting themselves as victims while sowing discord!"

The ancient imperial clans grew increasingly anxious. Under such circumstances, they couldn't afford to bear the blame.

—

If the incident were truly of their doing, the ancient imperial clans might have accepted it. But it wasn't, and the memory of the Golden Crow Clan's tragic end haunted them, reminding them of the terror of Jiang Chen's heavenly tribulation.

It was a nightmare they couldn't forget and one they dared not provoke again. Were it not for the recurring visions of the Golden Crow Clan's annihilation, they might have interfered already.

"It wasn't us!" Ye Changhe nearly spat blood. Why was the blame being dumped on them again? It truly wasn't their doing.

While they did harbor intentions to kill Jiang Chen, they knew now wasn't the time. If they truly wanted to eliminate him, they had better methods—methods that weren't currently executable but would be in the future.

Ye Changhe was confident that once their plans were set in motion, even the powerful Primordial Holy Land wouldn't be able to protect Jiang Chen.

"That does make sense," someone muttered. "With the Golden Crow Clan's outcome as a warning, the ancient imperial clans probably wouldn't dare interfere either."

The Pure Yang Holy Master feigned a look of sudden realization. "Could it be that the Ye Clan is sabotaging itself?" he suggested meaningfully.

"If that's true, and Jiang Chen finds out, the heavenly tribulation might just land right on the Ye Clan's doorstep!"

His words sent shockwaves through the Ye Clan.

The elders of the Ye Clan quickly protested. "Don't spout nonsense! We've never had such an idea!"

"It's obviously a ploy by the ancient imperial clans to incite conflict among the human race!"

"Who benefits most from humans fighting amongst themselves?"

"Clearly the ancient imperial clans! They're the only ones who'd want to spark such a conflict!"

The roaring thunder of the heavenly tribulation seemed to emphasize their urgency, compelling them to cast the blame elsewhere. They couldn't afford to shoulder this burden.

"It's not us!"

"It must be the Ye Clan!"

The accusations spiraled into a heated argument.