Sovereign Of The Three Realms Chapter 671-680

Sovereign Of The Three Realms

(SOTR)

Chapter 671: Huang’er Sounds the Warning

Jiang Chen stood at the border of the transcendent region, taking a moment to observe. The entrance into the transcendent regions seemed a little different than the ones that had led into the inner region and the outskirts. But, try as he might, he couldn’t quite put his finger on what that subtle change was. “Forget it, I’ll go in first.” He didn’t dwell on it too much, and sprang through the entrance.

Nothing untoward happened as he took his first steps into the transcendent region. It didn’t seem to be all that different from the inner region, other than the fact that the deathly stale atmosphere seemed even thicker. The inner region was already stifling, but there didn’t seem to be a difference between the transcendent region and hell. Jiang Chen couldn’t detect the slightest trace of life anywhere around him.

“No wonder the palace head said that there was nothing here. Not even those weird plants seem to be growing here.” Jiang Chen lifted his eyes to scan the yellow sands and dirt in the distance. He seemed to have truly entered a land of boundless desolation, completely devoid of life. He suddenly understood Palace Head Dan Chi’s feelings. Not even Jiang Chen with his broad knowledge from his past life wanted to linger too long in a place like this, much less Dan Chi. Jiang Chen estimated that even he himself wouldn’t hold out for ;longer than a month. The others wouldn’t last ten days.

He almost wanted to retreat, but decided to forge onwards. After all, he’d already made his way here, so he should make the most of his time. There was no reason to come and then immediately withdraw. There had never been such a notion in his vocabulary. He’d either not make a decision, or follow it through its very end once made. The transcendent region was so bizarre to begin with, and he wouldn’t believe it if there was truly nothing more to it.

…...

Just as Jiang Chen entered the transcendent region, Ling Bi'er happened to enter the inner region at the same time. She’d dithered on the outskirts for three days looking for Jiang Chen, but had come up empty-handed. She knew that she shouldn’t be depending on a man so much, but ever since entering the Paramount Realm, the idea that she wanted to spend some time alone with Jiang Chen had grown ever stronger. She knew that it was an embarrassing thought, but first love is ever insistent on its desires.

However, she was a smart girl. Given the vast desolate wilderness of the Paramount Realm, it would be impossible to find Jiang Chen. There was no difference between finding him and searching for a needle in a haystack. After re-focusing her attentions, she decided to attend to her search seriously. Cultivators only had one chance in their lives to enter the Paramount Realm. In thirty years, it would be another batch of young geniuses who would enter; she wouldn’t have a chance to come again.

“Junior brother Jiang Chen is so strong now that he can take on the entire Sacred Sword Palace by himself. I was stronger than him before, but now I’ve fallen far below him. I must find a legacy in the Paramount Realm to increase my own strength. Even if I can’t catch up to his footsteps, I must be able to keep track of his back.” Ling Bi'er had a frosty personality, but she had a headstrong streak hidden deep within her bones. To a certain degree, all cultivators shared this characteristic, and Ling Bi'er was no exception.

…...

Outside the Paramount Realm, by the rings.

It’d been a full day since the geniuses had entered the Paramount Realm. Palace Head Dan Chi was sitting cross legged on the floor, but he wasn’t relaxed. Although the Regal Pill Palace had won the championship of the rankings, he wasn’t overjoyed either. He also didn’t raise the topic of the Imperial Jade Seal or the Guardian Dragon Seal.

If it’d been in the past, he would’ve surely been highly interested in these two items. But at this moment, the Great Cathedral wasn’t talking about them, so he wasn’t talking about them. It was as if that conversation had never happened. He only wanted to peacefully await the geniuses exiting the Paramount Realm. As for rebuilding the Myriad Domain, it wouldn’t be something that could be accomplished overnight. He wouldn’t be against it if the Great Cathedral wanted to do it, but he didn’t want to take up the mantle right now. The timing wasn’t right yet.

Dan Chi suddenly heard footsteps next to his ear and saw a figure in a veil and cloak approach. He recognized the mysterious person as one of Jiang Chen’s followers. Jiang Chen had never introduced the follower, so although Dan Chi was curious, he hadn’t asked. The person suddenly walked closer and spoke in a low, slightly hoarse voice that seemed to have been altered. “Palace Head Dan Chi, how many days did Elder Shun spend in the Regal Pill Palace?”

Dan Chi trembled involuntarily when he heard this question, “What?”

“Don’t worry, Elder Shun is my kin. He taught you the defensive method you used against the Sky Sect disciple the other day, right?” The person speaking was naturally Huang’er. But how could Dan Chi know that Huang’er was Elder Shun’s junior? He stammered and stuttered for a moment, “Who are you?”

Huang’er’s tone was indifferent, “Never mind who I am, Palace Head Dan Chi, I mean you no harm. I’ve come to warn you that large numbers of enemies have arrived around the rings. You’re already surrounded.”

“What?!” The palace head leaped up, an incredulous look in his eyes. He stared at Huang’er, half believing and half suspecting in that moment. Their words had been exchanged privately, but his sudden movement alarmed the others. They began to look over with questioning gazes.

“Don’t doubt, there are many who’ve come, at least several hundred to almost a thousand. Their ranks include absolute experts who outnumber you three to five times over. They also have emperor realm cultivators with them.” Huang’er’s tone remained composed. She was sending her words silently, so only Dan Chi could heard them. “Palace Head Dan Chi, there’s no need to conceal things now. I was the one who helped you beat back the Sky Sect disciple that day. You can refrain from believing me, but you must trust Jiang Chen.”

“Jiang Chen?” Dan Chi started.

“Yes, Jiang Chen is my benefactor and Elder Shun my elder.” With Huang’er’s strength and position, there was no need for her to be so polite. But she’d always preferred polite peacefulness over threats. Her tone was still coolly composed even in the face of this juncture, without the normal attitude of “take it or leave it”.

“How long until they arrive?” Dan Chi took a deep breath to settle himself.

“They’re already here but they’re still making preparations. Now is the time to make it out. If you’re any slower, none of you will be able to leave.” Huang'er responded faintly.

“Make it out? What about the ones in the Paramount Realm? What about Jiang Chen?” Palace Head Dan Chi shook his head. “I won’t leave.”

Huang'er stared at Palace Head Dan Chi with her clear eyes. “You will die if you don’t leave right now. Even Elder Shun’s pointers will be futile. After all, you spent only half a month with him at most, I’m guessing.”

Palace Head Dan Chi didn’t know what to say in response to her scarily accurate guesses about Elder Shun.

“Tell everyone to leave now, I can help you in the shadows for a bit and counter a few blows from them. You don’t need to worry about Jiang Chen, I’ll stay here to wait for him.” Huang'er’s tone was measured and calm, belying the urgency in her words. As for the dire situation, she had a plan.

Chapter 672: Dan Chi Retreats

The situation was perilous, and Huang'er didn’t continue her advice when she saw that Dan Chi was hesitating. “It will be easiest to break through in the southeastern corner. I can hold things off for about fifteen minutes. I won’t be able to do anything after that.” Her figure blurred after speaking, and the mysterious cloaked person vanished into the air.

Everyone’s attentions were on Dan Chi at the moment, and they were all slightly surprised to see the mysterious person suddenly disappear. The speed with which she’d disappeared was a bit beyond everyone's imagination.

“Palace Head Dan Chi, is that one of yours?” The Sacred Ape family head of the Great Cathedral asked out of curiosity.

Palace Head Dan Chi laughed wryly and shook his head, “My Regal Pill Palace doesn’t have this kind of fortune.” He was quite anxious at this moment. His instincts were telling him that the cloaked person wasn’t telling him false, but he just couldn’t find it within him to leave the young geniuses behind. However, the person had said that he only had fifteen minutes. Their attitude had been very clear, and if the Regal Pill Palace missed this best timing, the consequences were theirs to deal with.

What to do? Dan Chi was feeling quite conflicted. The younger generation were the future of the sect, and if they couldn’t protect the young, then there wasn’t much of a meaning to them retreating. But there was also the fact that if all of them perished here, then that pretty much meant that the entire sect was pretty much done for as well.

“Ole brother Dan Chi, what did that person say to you just now that made you react so strongly?” Xiang Wentian was more curious about this.

Dan Chi no longer hesitated when he heard Xiang Wentian ask about this. He responded solemnly with a grave look, “Ole brother Xiang, this is a dire situation.”

“What do you mean?” Xiang Wentian frowned.

“We’ve been surrounded.” Dan Chi’s expression was full of portent. “The mysterious friend told me just now that large numbers of experts have already surrounded us.”

The crowd erupted when they heard this.

“What did you say?”

“Palace Head Dan Chi, jokes like these can’t be made lightly.”

“Right, surround us? Who would be so bold? No way!”

Loud censures sounded for a while. Although no one called out ugly insults, it was obvious that no one believed Palace Head Dan Chi. However, some who were more astute didn’t say anything. They looked at Dan Chi solemnly, trying to determine if what he said was true or not. When they saw that Dan Chi seemed serious, those in a uproar gradually calmed down, because they saw that the heavyweights of the various sects all had extremely serious expressions on their faces. Have we really all been surrounded?

Xiang Wentian’s face was exceedingly frosty, “Ole brother Dan Chi, these words are not to be spoken lightly.”

“Ole brother Xiang, you know that I’m not one to speak frivolously. Besides, the mysterious person has told me that he can help me buy fifteen minutes of time.”

“What do you mean?” Xiang Wentian asked lowly.

“He means that we can still break through in these fifteen minutes, and we’re responsible for what happens afterwards if we remain.”

Xiang Wentian’s facial muscles spasmed slightly as a complicated expression crept onto his face. “Fifteen minutes? Are things really that serious?”

“Family Head, why don’t we send someone to find out if this is true or not?” Elder Xiang Gan snorted coldly. He was obviously not putting much stock in Palace Head Dan Chi’s words. Having been played by Jiang Chen in the ancient herb garden last time, he was still holding some grudges against the Regal Pill Palace. He felt that this could be another one of their tricks again.

Dan Chi’s expression changed, “We absolutely cannot. If we send people now, that’d be alerting the enemy. That would put us in an even more disadvantageous position.”

Elder Xiang Gan sniffed. “I’m rather curious, who is that mysterious person? Why would he be so kind as to warn us? I’m not being paranoid, Palace Head Dan Chi, but your Regal Pill Palace is really too much of an alarmist.”

He’d thought that Dan Chi would argue and debate with him, but who knew that the other wouldn’t pay any attention to him? Dan Chi turned to Xiang Wentian, “Ole brother Xiang, I’ve done all I need to do in speaking of this. I choose to trust him, and won’t interfere in whether or not you choose to believe him.” He then turned to speak to the others in his sect, “Everyone, danger has arrived and it is unpredictable. We must break through.”

Elder Lian Cheng was faintly surprised. With his understanding of Palace Head Dan Chi, he wasn’t the sort who would abandon those of his own sect. Was he going to leave the youngsters behind to their doom?

“Palace Head, then Shen Qinghong and the others…” Elder Lian Cheng asked purposefully.

“They won’t be in any trouble for now in the Paramount Realm. This is also a chance to test them.” Although these were Dan Chi’s words, they weren’t his thoughts. He just wasn’t at liberty to speak of the mysterious person’s identity. However, since the mysterious person was Elder Shun’s kin and had helped the Regal Pill Palace before, then their strength would certainly not be ordinary. With the protection of this mysterious person, Dan Chi was naturally full of confidence. Besides, Jiang Chen was no pushover either. He was more worried about the sect. If the Grand Ceremony had been surrounded, then their sects would surely be under siege as well. With these thoughts in mind, he decided to break through first and return to the sect.

Fifteen minutes was a very short amount of time, and there was no further time allotted to him for hesitation. Dan Chi arched his eyebrow at Honored Master Tian Ming, “Ole brother Tian Ming, what do you say?”

Tian Ming was a bit hesitant, “Ole brother, although I know you’re steady and dependable, what if the mysterious person is being an alarmist?” He cast a glance in the direction of the Paramount Realm. “Not to mention that the younger generation is all in there. It doesn’t seem to be right if we just leave like this.”

He didn’t really want to leave, not because of the younger generation, but because he felt that the mysterious person was likely toying with Dan Chi.

Dan Chi continued, “Ole brother Tian Ming, we’re friends. Time is of the essence, if we don’t leave now, we’ll have to hack our way out in blood when the other side finishes their preparations. At that time…”

Tian Ming smiled ruefully, “I can understand your feelings ole brother, but I think I’ll stay here. I say old friend, aren’t you overreacting a bit?”

Dan Chi sighed softly and shook his head. He knew there would be no convincing them now. He raised his hands in a cupped fist salute, “Then, I hope our paths intersect again in the future.” He immediately took to the air with Elder Lian Cheng and the others, heading for the southeast. Five minutes had already passed, if they didn’t hurry, they might very well miss out on the best timing to escape. His heart was afire with anxiety, and the elders following behind him were completely baffled. Was this the palace head they were familiar with? He’d always been the coolly composed sort, never in such a panicked frenzy like today, as if facing a tremendous enemy.

“Palace Head, are there really enemies out there?” An elder couldn’t help but ask.

Dan Chi responded lowly, “Absolutely. Everyone, there will be a hard fought battle to break through this time, you must be ready to charge out at the cost of everything else. The sect might be in a worse situation than us right now.” His heart grew even more anxious at the thought of the sect. A young genius like Jiang Chen had great fortune, and Dan Chi didn’t believe that he would perish. But the sect had to do with the Regal Pill Palace’s legacy, so Dan Chi was even more worried about it. He’d wanted to convince the Dark North Sect to break through with him, but who would’ve thought that Tian Ming would refuse to leave?

Dan Chi would’ve explained with patience if in ordinary times, but how did they have that luxury now? Every breath taken was precious when they only had fifteen minutes to spare.

As those who remained behind saw the Regal Pill Palace draw further and further away, they all looked at each other silently. Elder Xiang Gan laughed ruefully, “Has Palace Head Dan Chi gone mad? Or is he possessed?”

Xiang Wentian however, frowned, “Ole brother Dan Chi isn’t someone like this. How strange. Just what did that mysterious person say to him to make him believe it so wholeheartedly?”

Elder Xiang Gan speculated viciously, “Family Head, is the Regal Pill Palace really colluding with outside enemies and putting on this act?”

Honored Master Tian Ming couldn’t accept this. “Family Head Xiang Gan, you’re really being unfair there. I am well aware what kind of person ole brother Dan Chi is. Even if ninety nine percent of the Myriad Domain has gone over to the enemy, he might still hold out.”

Xiang Wentian frowned, “Elder Xiang Gan, some things shouldn’t even be joked about. Dan Chi has an immense amount of self pride. Although the Regal Pill Palace only possess mediocre strength, Dan Chi has grand ambitions for our region. I would never believe that he’d gone over to the enemy.”

Xiang Wentian and Dan Chi was the same kind of person at the end of the day. Both had the ambitions to unite the Myriad Domain. They naturally had a mindset of fellow heroes relating to each other. Suddenly, someone from the Walkabout Sect side ran out and spoke to the sect leader, “Sect Head, why don’t we retreat along with the Regal Pill Palace?”

The person speaking was Elder Wu Hen. Wei Wuying looked at the elder in utter incomprehension. “Elder Wu Hen, you believe that tripe as well?”

Complicated emotions flickered rapidly over Elder Wu Hen’s face as he suddenly raised his hands towards Wei Wuying in a cupped fist salute, “Sect Head, time waits for no one. I’ve decided to follow the Regal Pill Palace, my apologies.” He immediately transformed into a gust of wind and swiftly followed the Regal Pill Palace, ignoring all of the stunned expressions on the Walkabout Sect’s face.

Had he gone mad?

Elder Wu Hen had just left them all, right in front of the sect head?

“Sect Head, what do we do now?” Elder Wu Hui had always depended greatly on Elder Wu Hen. Now that the elder had left just like this, he could feel a sense of danger descending upon them as well.

Wei Wuying bit off his words, “What? Do you want to leave as well? So what if we’re surrounded? We have strength in numbers if we stay here, and we might die earlier if we try to break free just by ourselves!” He had started to believe the notion that they were indeed surrounded.

Chapter 673: Like Turtles in a Jar

Everyone’s expressions changed when Wei Wuying finished his acidic words; their sect head had just gone and admitted that they were surrounded. Everyone in the Walkabout Sect turned pale with fright.

The Dark North Sect’s members all scanned Honored Master Tian Ming’s face, trying to glean some clues. Honored Master Tian Ming’s lips moved silently, but said nothing in the end. Instead, he turned to look at Xiang Wentian. Xiang Wentian was the strongest person in the Myriad Domain. Naturally, his instinct was just as powerful. Looking at Dan Chi’s hasty retreat, Xiang Wentian had in fact more than half believed his claims already. He was just about to speak when several figures suddenly appeared from a path to the west. They were moving at an incredible speed, and each one cut an incredibly sorry figure. They sprinted furiously towards the crowd. The crowd noticed them as they drew closer, only to discover that they were actually the Sacred Sword Palace!

The person at the head of the group was none other than Wang Jianyu. His hair was dishevelled, and his face and head were covered in blood. His chest, his thighs and several other parts of his body also looked like they’d been grievously injured. All in all, he looked an absolute mess. Several cultivators followed close behind him. They too were revealed to be the strongest elders of the Sacred Sword Palace, as well their number one genius, Wang Han. Of the hundred people delegation the Sacred Sword Palace had boasted of, there remained only eight. Furthermore, each of those remaining eight seemed injured in some way too. It was obvious they had just gone through a difficult battle. Their arrival stunned everyone present.

“Wang Jianyu, hadn’t you returned to Sacred Sword Palace already?” Xiang Wentian frowned.

Wang Jianyu could only suffer in silence. If he had returned to Sacred Sword Palace back then, he might not have encountered this disaster at all. The problem was that they hadn’t left. Instead, they’d lain in hiding and waited, wanting to ambush the Regal Pill Palace’s people once they left. However, they themselves had been ambushed by an unknown force not long after they’d settled into a hiding place.

This time, not even Wang Jianyu’s presence was enough to safeguard his sect. The Sacred Sword Palace’s people were slaughtered like someone reaping wheat. In the end, only sage realm experts managed to survive that first onslaught. Under Wang Jianyu’s protection, the sect’s strongest powers joined hands together and barely managed to cut a bloody path out towards safety. That was how they’d escaped back to the ceremony grounds. The rest of the Sacred Sword Palace disciples had already been annihilated.

“Return to Sacred Sword Palace?” Wang Jianyu laughed like a maniac. “Can we still return?” His tone was crazed and filled with a thick sense of malice. His maddened eyes swept across the scene and narrowed, “Where is the Regal Pill Palace? Have they already run away with their tails between their legs?”

“Wang Jianyu, we’re asking you a question. Why do you want to know about the Regal Pill Palace? Look at your sorry self! Don’t tell me you still want to fight the Regal Pill Palace in your state?” The Walkabout Sect’s Wei Wuying said with a fed up tone.

Wang Jianyu grew livid, “You idiots! Do you still not understand what’s going on? We’re trapped! We’re surrounded, and the few of us have barely managed to fight our way back inside! The rest are all dead!”

“What?!”

“That can’t be. You’ve brought a lot of your people with you this time, haven’t you?”

“Doubt all you want! So what if you have a lot of men? Our enemies are stronger than even my Sacred Sword Palace, and we were almost completely annihilated! Your turn will come soon!” Wang Jianyu laughed crazily and pointed at the crowd, “Didn’t you want to play the good guys? Didn’t you want to stand for the Regal Pill Palace? But where are they now? The Regal Pill Palace must’ve made an excuse and left, haven’t they? Do you believe now that Regal Pill Palace have colluded with our enemies?”

One could see just how much Wang Jianyu hated Regal Pill Palace. Even now, he still wanted to drag Regal Pill Palace’s name into the mud.

Honored Master Tian Ming frowned, “If you have something to say then say it, but save us all this nonsense, Wang Jianyu. Ole brother Dan Chi had just advised us to leave now. It’s just that none of us believed his words.”

He suddenly felt a bit of regret as he finished his words. Before this, he’d thought that Dan Chi had misplaced his trust and had been foolish to listen to the mysterious stranger’s alarmist warning. However, it would seem that Dan Chi had ultimately made the right bet.

“Sect Master, Palace Head Dan Chi said that we still have fifteen minutes. We should still have a bit of time to do something.”

Honored Master Tian Ming’s wrinkled face distorted into a grimace, “It’s too late, it’s already too late. Our enemies are already here.”

Xiang Wentian abruptly boomed out to his sect, “Do not panic. Great Cathedral, lay down our defensive formations and prepare to engage the enemy!”

The Great Cathedral were indeed a well trained fourth rank sect. Their movements were urgent but orderly as they obeyed their sect head’s orders.

“Walkabout Sect, heed this order! Activate the Infinite Poison Walkabout Formation and coordinate with the Great Cathedral’s defensive setup!”

Honored Master Tian Ming also ordered, “Everyone, form up and assume the Dark North Sky and Sea Formation!”

However, Wang Jianyu laughed crazily with bloodshot eyes. “It’s useless; it’s all useless. We’re all dead this time. Hahaha, we’re all dead!”

The terrible, sudden disaster had dealt a huge blow to Wang Jianyu’s psyche. He was currently lost in a state of extreme madness.

“Wang Jianyu, you can either help us or screw off to another corner.” Xiang Wentian was fed up. He was partially regretting not listening to Dan Chi and retreating with the Regal Pill Palace. While they might not necessarily have been able to break through the enemy’s encirclement even if they had retreated back then, it was still a better choice than being forced to erect a defensive palisade here to engage the enemy. Their retreat had been cut off the moment they chose to stay and defend. They would either successfully defend themselves, or fight their enemies to the death. Most importantly, most of their elites had followed them to this ceremony. If the enemies had sent a detachment to attack their sects as well, then their sects’ inheritances would most certainly be destroyed. This possibility made Xiang Wentian feel incredibly anxious.

However, it wasn’t something he could spare a thought on in the current circumstances.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh!

A vast sea of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shooting through the air and surrounding the Myriad Domain sects. Four figures, instantly recognizable as their leaders, stood to the forefront. Each of those four figures looked extraordinary and incredibly imposing.

Like four great mountains, the four figures descended to the ground. An invisible pressure pushed down on everyone’s shoulders, even Xiang Wentian. Those whose cultivations weren’t up to par dropped to their knees, vomiting violently. The pressure squeezed every inch of their bodies; it was almost like they were throwing up their hearts. Xiang Wentian’s expression changed as he cautioned the crowd in a low voice. “Be careful. All four of them are emperor realm experts.”

Emperor realm experts! Everyone who heard this turned as white as paper in an instant. They felt as if the apocalypse had befallen them. Four emperor realm experts at once? Are they trying to raze the entirety of the Myriad Domain?

Woosh, Woosh, Woosh! Many more of the hovering figures dropped down in formation, completely surrounding the cultivators of the Myriad Domain. A quick glance was all they needed to reveal a troubling fact. Their enemies were at least several thousand strong, while the Myriad Domain cultivators only numbered a thousand or so. Every fourth rank sect had brought a hundred or so in their delegation, and combined with the fifth rank sect, they barely scratched two thousand in number. However, when faced with four to five thousand enemies, they were obviously starting with a disadvantage. To make matters worse, the enemies were obviously stronger as well.

“Keep calm, everyone. We must walk right up to gates of death in order to find the sliver of hope we need to survive.” Xiang Wentian might be old, but he still had great aspirations and ambitions. It was obvious that he wasn’t planning to beg for mercy in this kind of situation. It didn’t even seem like he would have the chance to, given the atmosphere. After all, their opponents had arrived with such an aggressive air. There was no way they would’ve killed so many Sacred Sword Palace disciples if a compromise could be reached. They had undoubtedly come to eliminate the Myriad Domain.

“Family Head, who are these people?” Someone from behind sent him a silent message.

Xiang Wentian was actually observing and pondering that question himself. Suddenly the answer flashed across his mind, followed by a sense of despair. He had figured out who their enemies were. “Everyone, cast out any wishful thoughts of peace or compromise. Our enemies do not hail from the Ninesuns Sky Sect,” Xiang Wentian’s tone was heavy. “They come from the Great Scarlet Mid Region!”

The Great Scarlet Mid Region? A clap of thunder seemed to strike above every Myriad Domain citizen’s head, as they were mentally rocked back a few paces. This news was just too shocking. They’re actually from the Great Scarlet Mid Region? The Great Scarlet Mid Region had always been a curse; a butcher’s knife that hung over everyone in the Myriad Domain for the past six hundred years. One could say that everyone in Myriad Domain had been living in the shadows of infinite anxiety for the past six hundred years, fearful of none other than the residents of the Great Scarlet Mid Region.

The Great Scarlet Mid Region was the Myriad’s Domain’s eternal nightmare! They naturally hoped that this nightmare would never return to Myriad Domain. However, their biggest fear had now manifested before them.

There was at least be a chance to compromise with the Ninesuns Sky Sect, even if the Myriad Domain didn’t measure up to them. However, the Great Scarlet Mid Region and the Myriad Domain shared a blood feud that was as deep as the sea. Not a single shred of possibility existed for a compromise. Everyone’s heart sank in that moment. However, the revelation had also caused their fear and shock to gradually fade away. Instead, the determination to fight to their deaths slowly welled up inside everyone. To put it bluntly, their opponents had come with nothing but the intention to slaughter them. They could either stand and accept their deaths, or grasp that slim hope to survive by lining their path with the bones of their enemies. There was no other choice. .

…...

The four leaders of the Great Scarlet Mid Region all wore confident smiles on their faces. In fact, barely hidden beneath that smirk was the ridicule that a person might have when toying with their prey.

“Brother Xing, your Qitian Sect is most versed in prolonged offensive tactics and siege battles. Why don’t you and your sect take charge in this battle to break through the formation?” A man clad in golden robes smiled merrily at another tall and thin man dressed in black robes.

“Brother Fu, I think it be better if your Golden Glyph Sect takes the lead. Whoever leads the siege will undoubtedly suffer some injuries, and your sect is unmatched when it comes to talismans. At worst, you might use up a bit more resources than expected.” The black dressed man obviously hadn’t fallen for the golden clad man’s words.

These two men were the heads of the Great Scarlet Mid Region’s fourth rank sects: the Qitian Sect and the Golden Glyph Sect. They were both second level emperor realm cultivators. It was obvious that no one here was willing to take the lead in this battle. Although they all knew that they held the advantage, the ones who led the charge would obviously bear the brunt of the cost.

They were here under orders, and were motivated more by the pillaging and plundering to come. No one wanted to suffer too much of a loss from this battle. As the emperor realm cultivators conversed, the blue robed man with blue eyebrows suddenly frowned, “Brother Xing, Brother Fu, haven’t you noticed something? There are only four out of the six great fourth rank sects of Myriad Domain here. Where did that last sect go?”

This blue robed man had a long beard and a dark, cold countenance. He stared at the Myriad Domain cultivators like a venomous snake, as if unwilling to let a single morsel of prey slip through his hands.

Chapter 674: Qin Mo [1], Besieged on All Sides

The blue clad man’s words caught the attention of the others. The last elder was dressed in ragged clothing, with an ancient zither strapped to his back. He looked so frail that it seemed like the merest hint of a breeze might blow him over. But when he opened his eyes, the light that shone from them was the light of a fiery star, filling him with an awe-inspiring dignity.

“We are indeed short one.” The elder’s voice was hoarse and weak, but the Myriad Domain cultivators couldn’t help but tremble at it. They could tell, this elder’s cultivation level was higher than the other three! The other three were second level emperor realm, but the elder was third level emperor realm.

“Why are we missing a sect?” Qitian Sect Head Sing frowned and looked darkly towards the Myriad Domain assembly. “Who amongst you has authority to speak for everyone?”

Everyone naturally looked at Xiang Wentian. His expression, though strained, was collected, “Greetings. I must confess, I haven’t heard of the order of the Divine Abyss Continent collapsing recently, or has it? Bringing your armies into our territory so blatantly, it might seem cause for public censure, no?”

He had to seek the side of righteous justice, no matter how the battle developed. As the most powerful cultivator in the Myriad Domain, Xiang Wentian had enough awareness to see further than this conflict. However, he also knew that even if they managed to stay on the path of righteousness, it would be hard to make it out of today alive.

The blue clad, blue eyebrowed Bamboo Sect Head’s eyes narrowed in a cold glare, as his voice turned to ice, “Cut the bullshit. That year, the Myriad Empire offended my Great Scarlet Mid Region, and more than deserved death for their actions. Even after six hundred years, you ragtag remnants haven’t given up on your past. Every thirty years you put this piddling ceremony together in remembrance of a Myriad Empire that lies crowned in dirt. That alone is a great offense to my Great Scarlet Mid Region! Now, you’ve trotted out some Imperial Jade Seal and Guardian Dragon Seal. The only thing that’s blatantly obvious is your wish to rebuild the empire. You think that’s not deserving of punishment!?”

Just like the Myriad Domain, Great Scarlet also sought the moral high ground. Regardless of their sophistry, they were trespassing, even invading. It was more than most needed to censure them. It was why the Great Scarlet emperor had reminded them multiple times to come up with a righteous reason to justify their actions. Obviously, they had decided to use their feud with the Myriad Empire as their moral foundation.

Xiang Wentian grew irate. “The ones who offended you were the Myriad Empire royalty, and you’ve already completely destroyed them. We’re simply memorializing the glories of the empire. This has no connection with the royalty, so what does it have to do with the events of the past?”

“You’re still trying to argue? If it has nothing to do with the ancient royal family, why did you choose to hold the ceremony in their ancestral hall? Wasn’t the Imperial Jade Seal and Guardian Dragon Seal items left behind by the royal family?” These people had clearly come prepared.

“Why waste words with them, Sect Head Heng?” The black robed Sect Head Xing’s gaze was as provocative as could be. “I think us four sects should each take a corner and charge together. Then that formation wouldn’t prove the slightest trouble.”

The Myriad Domain would be hard pressed to defend themselves from an attack on all four sides. It was a good suggestion. The other three sect heads all looked at the raggedy sect head of the Zither Sect. He was the strongest, so they all wanted to seek his opinion.

He rasped out, “Find out first where that one sect has gone. His Majesty has given orders to wipe them all out, with no stragglers as exceptions. According to our intelligence, there’s another fourth rank sect other than the Tristar Sect that should be here.”

From within the Myriad Domain ranks, Wang Jianyu suddenly cackled, “Another sect? One of the sects has already slipped off, so what can you do to them?”

An unhappy rustle disturbed the Myriad Domain formation after those words rang out. They were obviously extremely dissatisfied with Wang Jianyu’s actions and even extremely contemptuous. The Regal Pill Palace had indeed left, but they’d had the decency to warn everyone to retreat before they’d done so. It was just that no one had believed them. In comparison, Wang Jianyu’s actions were ten thousand times more reprehensible. He’d actually gone to the depths of creating more trouble for this sect during these troubled times.

“Slipped off?” The emperor realm cultivators from the Great Scarlet Mid Region exchanged glances. This was a rather unexpected development. Had the Myriad Domain detected their plans beforehand? But that didn’t seem likely. They’d been particularly careful when setting up their formations to avoid alerting anyone in this region. Even if they had been detected, why hadn’t the others run off as well?

The black clad Qitian sect head spoke, “Fellow daoists, even if one sect has managed to run off, they might not be able to break through our blockade on the outskirts. Besides, even if one or two of them make it out, there are still others to take care of them when they return to their sects.”

The color drained from the faces of the Myriad Domain cultivators. If they heard that man right, their sects were in the same dire situation they were in. These people were incomparably confident in their strategy and didn’t bother speaking out of earshot. It was obvious that they were looking at the Myriad Domain as turtles in a jar, not at all worried about not being able to take them down.

“Daoist Qin, can we start now?”

“Indeed, Daoist Qin, let’s put this matter to bed and start!” The heads of the Qitian and Golden Glyph Sects both spoke up.

“There’s no rush, let’s treat them to one of my performances first.” The elder from the Zither Sect reached behind him to grasp his zither and placed it horizontally on the air. There was nothing beneath the zither, but it floated in the air as if supported by an invisible frame. It was truly wondrous.

The more wondrous it seemed, the more pressure the Myriad Domain cultivators felt. They would be hard pressed to make it out alive if the four emperor realm cultivators made a move in unison, much less considering the thousands strong army that was also present.

Wrinkles creased the face of the old man from the Zither Sect, but the hand that extended out of his robes was as tender and gentle as a lady’s. “Let’s have a song, ‘Beseiged On All Sides’.”

The Zither Sect head’s raspy voice stood in stark contrast to the lightness of his hands as he placed them on the zither. Rays of light started to coalesce around the zither, and the elder’s fingers began to rhythmically strum the instrument. Notes joined and blended to form a melody, and the sound waves began to transform into various shapes in the air. Like an entire army unto themselves, the sound waves began to crash against the Myriad Domain’s defensive formation. The elder’s fingers blurred as he increased his speed, and the various shapes began to move with the momentum of an avalanche, crashing down on the Myriad Domain from all directions.

“What a nice song of ‘Besieged On All Sides’.” Sect Head Leng of the Bamboo Sect applauded as his grin grew cruel.

Rumble, rumble. Once the momentum had been added to the notes, it was quite an intimidating sight. Some of the Myriad Domain folk who were unfortunate enough to be closer to the outer parts of the formation were almost instantly devoured by the shapes formed by the notes. Agonized wails and howls rang out from the clash of weapons as severed limbs flew and churned through the air. The images formed by the notes seemed to slice and cut through the air like innumerable blades with murderous intent.

Wang Jianyu had been standing on the outskirts with the rest of the Sacred Sword Palace, and instantly beat a hasty retreat deeper into the formation when they saw this attack descend. The Great Cathedral, Dark North Sect, and Walkabout Sect had set up their formations, but their preparations were thrown into swift disarray when Wang Jianyu brought his sect randomly charging in. The music notes didn’t hesitate in exploiting a newfound hole in the formation and slashed their way in after them. A dozen or so people instantly perished in their wake. The fifth rank sect members fell like scythed wheat, incapable of putting up the slightest defense. The power of an empire realm cultivator wasn’t something that someone of a fifth rank sect could even hope to defend against

The fifth rank sect groups on the outside also started to push their way deeper, trying to find shelter in the defensive formations set up by the great sects. The Myriad Domain’s formations began to degenerate into chaos under the combined assault of the notes and the mad rush of the fifth rank sects. Another hundred cultivators were gleefully ripped apart by the notes in the ensuring madness.

“Haha, nice, very nice! Daoist Qin is a demon with a zither alright! We don’t even need to take the field after this song!”

“The melody of a zither demon is extraordinary alright!”

The other sect heads were generous with their praise. They were astute enough to see that the Myriad Domain had been hamstrung by the internal chaos, severely limiting their ability to fight back. It even looked like the invaders didn’t even need to get their hands dirty.

“What a bunch of trash. They’re like mud that won’t even stick to a wall.”

“Haha, His Majesty has always been worried about the Myriad Domain. But it looks like he was simply overly anxious.”

“Indeed, just us alone are enough to take out this group of ants. How could they possibly be of any threat to our Great Scarlet Mid Region?”

It was as they said, the Myriad Domain sects were all in a panicked frenzy. Xiang Wentian watched the proceedings with a darkened expression, but there was nothing he could do. The other party was only attacking via sound waves and hadn’t seriously attacked the defensive formations yet. There was nothing they could do even though they wanted to fight the invaders. The enemy was defeating them without even drawing their blades. Emperor realm cultivators were indeed strong.

Xiang Wentian’s eyes turned bloodshot. He knew that he couldn’t possibly look to the Walkabout Sect or Dark North Sect any longer. His only hope was from his Great Cathedral. He sent a silent message to the other three family heads, “Wise younger brothers, I’m afraid that it’s not looking good for us in this fight. The Dark North Sect and Walkabout Sect look like they’ve found their footing, but they won’t be able to withstand an emperor realm attack when push comes to shove. Our Great Cathedral must force a path out, and so we’ll have to utilize the combined power of the totems of our four families.”

“We’ll follow your orders, old brother Xiang!”

“Right! The Myriad Domain has hope as long as our Great Cathedral still remains!” The other three family heads all had great trust in Xiang Wentian.

“Alright, we’ll combine the power of the totems in a moment and break through in a sudden surge of power. No matter what, we must break through!” Xiang Wentian couldn’t spare any thought for the youngsters anymore. The sect elders and heads themselves only had a flicker of a hope to leave themselves, let alone the Myriad Domain youngsters.

It was at this moment that a figure flew in from the east. It was frantic as it screeched to an abrupt halt in front of the emperor realm cultivators, falling into a deep bow. “Four sect heads, things have gone wrong! A group of people have escaped from the southeast and have broken through our perimeter. Our casualties have been high!”

“What?” The four sect heads were all stunned, including the Zither sect head currently playing “Besieged On All Sides”. How is this possible?

Although the outer perimeter wasn’t as strong as the blockade here, it was still formed from the elite elders of their four sects. The southeastern corner was under the jurisdiction of the Bamboo Sect, and all eyes looked towards the blue clad, blue eyebrowed Sect Head Leng.

The sect head frowned, “Elder Shen Huang was in charge of keeping control over the southeastern quadrant. Although he’s not yet in the emperor realm, he’s still ninth level sage realm! He also has a large number of sage realm experts with him, there’s no rational reason that he would let a group of ants break through and escape.”

The others were all taken aback as each tried to make sense of this bewildering piece of information. According to their intel, of the sects in the Myriad Domain, only the Great Cathedral stood above the rest, and only by a bit at that. But one of the sects had managed to detect them, sneak away unnoticed, and then break through the outer perimeter? Just which sect in the Myriad Domain had this level of ability?

Chapter 675: Diverting the Heat

The Myriad Domain group could obviously hear their conversation too. Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat as surprise shook them on the inside. They had thought that there was no way the Regal Pill Palace could break through the encirclement with just their number. Contrary to their expectations, the Regal Pill Palace had actually succeeded in their attempt. Literally no one had expected this outcome. For a time, everyone in the Myriad Domain was wracked with regret. Honored Master Tian Ming especially wanted to slap his own face.

He was such good friends with Dan Chi, but because he’d hesitated during a critical moment and failed to listen to his friend, he had missed out on an opportunity to break free of this siege. It would be incredibly difficult to escape now that he and his sect were trapped like turtles in a jar by four emperor realm cultivators.

Various shades of dejection and regret flashed through the hearts of every Myriad Domain cultivator. But their shock was exceeded only by the shock the Great Scarlet Mid Region sects felt. Someone had actually managed to slip through their perimeter? This was a mark of extraordinary shame and humiliation! Even if they were to annihilate everyone in this place, this battle would never be considered perfect again.

Their emperor had ordered them to suppress the Myriad Grand Ceremony. It had been clear that he meant annihilating every single person, with no exception. Their achievement would be marred if any one person had managed to escape, let alone an entire group. Now, when they went back to report the completion of their mission, they would be shamed. Every dispatched fourth rank sect had their own missions to fulfill during this operation. Obviously, they were competing with each other too. Now that one Myriad Domain sect had slipped through their grasp, there was no doubt that their merits would be greatly diminished!

As the sect responsible for guarding the southeast, the Bamboo Sect’s share of responsibility was without a doubt the greatest. The blue clad and blue eyebrowed Sect Head Leng’s dark expression turned almost sadistic as as he swept a slow glance across the Myriad Domain.

“Who wishes to live?” The question came out of nowhere. Everyone on the Myriad Domain’s side cast puzzled glances at him, but there were also those people whose face turned ashen as they desperately endured the focused aura of an emperor realm expert. They didn’t know what this cultivator was planning to do next. “I’ll give this one chance to just a single person!”

Sect Head Leng stretched out a finger, “Who amongst you will tell me which sect made their escape? The first one to answer shall spared from death.”

His offer was like a thunderclap in the ears of the Myriad Domain denizens. There were plenty of people who were moved by the offer. A hint of curiosity crept into their eyes. They were obviously wondering whether or not he was telling the truth. Their instinct to live caused some to grow restless.

“I will count to five. It’s up to you whether you want to squander this opportunity.” That Sect Head Leng stretched out his five fingers and began counting, “One, two, three…”

Many people began to breathe rapidly in the crowd. It was obvious that many were tempted by the offer. They all wanted to step forward and seize the opportunity to escape death. After all, this battle was far too one-sided. They had no doubt that they would die if they were to continue the fight. Therefore, this opportunity was the chance of a lifetime, a ray of light in a hopelessly dark tunnel. However, anyone who stood up under such circumstances would become a Myriad Domain traitor. That label would follow them for the rest of their lives.

“I-I’ll tell you!” While everyone else was still struggling to make a decision, a voice suddenly piped up. It was none other than the Sacred Sword Palace’s Wang Han. He walked out of the crowd with a dark expression on his face.

Loud boos resounded from the Myriad Domain group. While there were plenty of people who were sorely tempted by the offer, still no one was more despicable than Wang Han. Hisses and jeers resounded from every direction. The majority of the crowd looked down on Wang Han’s cowardice. They couldn’t believe that he was so willing to turn traitor. Meanwhile, a small number of people were regretting profusely for not being quick enough in coming to a decision.

“What is your name?” Sect Head Leng stared indifferently at Wang Han.

“Lord, this humble one is Wang Han, a disciple of the Sacred Sword Palace. I’ve long since admired the Great Scarlet Mid Region, and now I finally have the opportunity to worship you all in person. Wang Han wishes strongly for the experts of Great Scarlet to take him in. I believe that even working like an ox or horse in the Great Scarlet would be a hundred times more interesting and filled with potential than a hopeless place like the Myriad Domain.” Wang Han clamped down on his nervousness, trying to project his voice into a deep tone.

For a moment all four emperor realm experts were stunned by his words. They obviously didn’t expect Wang Han to voluntarily surrender to them. In their views, the Myriad Domain and the Great Scarlet Mid Region were sworn enemies; how could something like this possibly happen? The other three emperor realm cultivators wore ruminating smiles on their faces.

“Sect Head Leng, not only did this kid voluntarily surrender himself to us, he even seems to possess a bit of talent. He may even turn out to be an unpolished jade if we take him back with us.”

“Hehe, Sect Head Leng, this kid is more flexible than those people. It’s obvious that his powers of comprehension are excellent. He is indeed good material, don’t you think?”

Sect Head Leng’s face changed slightly as he assessed Wang Han and smiled indifferently, “Talk. Which sect’s escaped?”

Wang Han hardened his heart. He had came this far already. He tossed all notions of life and death to the back of his head. It was time for the biggest gamble of his life.

“Lord Sect Head, this junior had betrayed the Myriad Domain with only one wish in his mind, to obtain your protection. If this humble one may obtain your protection, then I have more secrets to tell you. I believe that all the experts here would be very interested to know those secrets. Not only can I tell you about the sky rank spirit herbs…” Wang Han had just finished those words when the stooped Zither sect head Qin Mo abruptly shifted and appeared before Wang Han. He immediately grabbed Wang Han, lifting him into the air. His body flickered once again, and he was once again back in a corner of the sky.

Sect Head Qin Mo’s sudden movement shocked the other three emperor realm experts. Sect Head Leng was especially unhappy with this turn of events. Wang Han had asked him for protection, and thus Sect Head Qin Mo’s unwanted interference angered Bamboo Sect Head Leng. “What do you mean by this, Daoist Qin Mo?”

The old man cackled, “Younger brother Leng, since you’re apparently uninterested in taking him as your disciple, this old man has reluctantly decided to do so for you. Alright, let’s cut the nonsense. Let us so settle upon this happily.” This old man was at third level emperor realm, a full level higher than all three other sect heads. Therefore, although both the sect heads of the Qitian Sect and the Golden Glyph Sect were tempted and exchanged glances with each other, they decided not to claim Wang Han.

Sect Head Leng’s darkened face was filled with reluctance and anger, but when he considered his current strength, he ultimately decided to swallow his irritation, “Brother Qin Mo, we all serve at the pleasure of the emperor. Don’t you think you’re being a little overbearing with this little act of yours?”

The old man smiled indifferently, but his face told a different story, “Does that mean you want to teach me how to do my work, Sect Head Leng?”

The old man’s voice was raspy, but when his face darkened, a mountain-like pressure instantly descended upon on Sect Head Leng, causing the latter’s hackles to rise. This was no ordinary threat! He had no choice, grudgingly backing off in the face of absolute strength, “Very well. I will be sure to report everything to the emperor.”

The old man chuckled in an odd tone, “Do what you want. I serve the emperor, and my conscience is clear.” As he said this, he slowly drifted down to the ground and dropped Wang Han. He started to assess his new prize with a stern gaze. After a moment, he said indifferently, “Kid, I can give you a chance to earn your protection. I may even consider taking you as my disciple. However, you should choose your words carefully, do you think your intel is useful enough to me to be worth my protection?”

Wang Han pointed at the sky and vowed, “If my intel is false, then this junior will willingly take a palm strike from you and die.”

The old man Qin Mo nodded, his face still expressionless, ‘Tell us this first, what is the name of the sect that escaped this place?”

“It is the Regal Pill Palace.”

“Regal Pill Palace?” Old Man Qin Mo abruptly recalled what the Great Scarlet Emperor had specially reminded them of before they’d departed. He asked, “Is it the same Regal Pill Palace who refined the Longevity Pill?”

Wang Han nodded hurriedly, “Yes, they are. Do you know about the Regal Pill Palace, my lord?”

Seeing that this Lord Qin Mo seemed to be strongest out of everyone here, he spoke with the intention of taking credit for an achievement, “My lord, not only does this Regal Pill Palace have the Longevity Pill, they also have plenty of sky rank spirit herbs too. I am positive that the group of people who broke through the perimeter and escaped possesses some sky rank spirit herbs!”

These claims finally caused old man Qin Mo’s expression to change. Even his heart couldn’t help but itch a little. Forget the sky rank spirit herbs, he couldn’t even claim all the earth rank spirit herbs that he wanted. As an emperor realm cultivator, their cultivation had to be laboriously supported by earth rank spirit herbs. Only then would they find the opportunity to break through to the next level. However, earth rank spirit herbs were also precious plants. Although he was the master of a sect, the amount of earth rank spirit herbs he could obtain was limited. Therefore, he was very much tempted when he heard that the Regal Pill Palace possessed over a hundred earth rank spirit herbs. It was only natural that he felt a little irritated when he heard that the group who escaped was none other than that Regal Pill Palace.

He knew that Regal Pill Palace would be running to their doom even if they managed to escape back to their sect. However, if that was the case, then all the good stuff would fall into the hands of the two sects heading towards Regal Pill Palace: the Thunder Note Hall and the Great Roc Sect. When that happened, all the profits they obtained would have nothing to do with him at all!

The old man hesitated greatly for a moment. On one hand, he had been personally given the mission of suppressing the Myriad Grand Ceremony. On the other, he had to face the temptations the earth and sky rank spirit herbs represented. To put it bluntly, if he acted alone and caught up to the Regal Pill Palace’s group, there was no way the emperor would notice if he turned in four sky rank spirit herbs to him and kept one for himself. As long as he offered up the rest of the sky rank spirit herbs, the emperor would even praise the effectiveness of his work. As for the earth rank spirit herbs, everything he obtained had been decreed to belong to him. Therefore, this was an extremely attractive proposal for Sect Head Qin Mo.

The old man stared at Wang Han and asked, “Kid, what is the strongest level of cultivation in the Regal Pill Palace? What kind of special ability do they possess that actually helped them to break through our perimeter?”

Wang Han thought for a moment, “The Regal Pill Palace’s martial power is ordinary, but I heard that they managed to beat back a true disciple of the Ninesuns Sky Sect a while ago. Rumors spoke of a mysterious expert aiding them in secret.”

“Mysterious expert? What level are they?” Old man Qin Mo frowned and asked.

Wang Han hastily said, “I’m not sure about their rank, but I heard that the true disciple of Ninesuns Sky Sect was at peak ninth level sage realm.”

“Peak level sage realm, huh?” A smile appeared on old man Qin Mo’s face. He was at the third level of emperor realm. How could a mere peak level sage realm possibly match up to him?

Seeing that old man Qin Mo was tempted to hunt down the Regal Pill Palace, Wang Han hastily messaged him in secret and said, “Senior, I actually have even more important information to tell you.”

“What is it?” Old man Qin Mo grew solemn when he saw that Wang Han had purposely messaged him instead of voicing it aloud.

“What you’ll obtain from hunting after those people may not necessarily be better staying here. There is a kid called Jiang Chen inside the Paramount Realm. He’d previously obtained many sky rank spirit herbs from Mt. Rippling Mirage and even more earth rank spirit herbs. Moreover, he is of a dragon’s bloodline, and he possesses many strange treasures. Last, but not least, he was the one who refined the Longevity Pill too…” Wang Han did hate Regal Pill Palace with a passion, but the one he hated the most was Jiang Chen. Naturally, he was going to try and divert the heat of the Great Scarlet Mid Region and burn Jiang Chen with it!

Chapter 676: The Sacred Sword Palace Betrayal

Jiang Chen? This name triggered a faint memory in Sect Head Qin Mo’s heart. When one reached his level of cultivation, it was no big deal to remember everything they’d heard, no matter how miniscule the detail. Not to mention, this particular tidbit of a name had fallen from the Great Scarlet Emperor’s lips. However, he remembered clearly that this kid was supposed to be trapped in Mt. Rippling Mirage. Was there an error in their intelligence? His heart began to grow agitated without warning. Somehow, it was difficult for him to repress those feelings.

“You’re called Wang Han, correct? Are you sure that Jiang Chen is in the Paramount Realm?” Even at his age, Qin Mo wasn’t entirely capable of keeping his composure. After all, Jiang Chen was someone that the emperor had personally expressed his desire for. He had even sent his trusted confidante at the head of the strongest sects, Dragonslayer and Flowing Sands, to Mt. Rippling Mirage. Their only mission was to seek and bring back Jiang Chen.

This alone spoke volumes as to how much the emperor valued Jiang Chen. How great of an accomplishment would it be if he, Qin Mo, were to capture this kid? He immediately threw all thought of the Regal Pill Palace and other nonsense to the back of his head. There was only one goal left in his mind, and that was Jiang Chen!

Wang Han was well versed in observing people, and he spared no words when he saw the sect head paying great attention to him. “My Lord, this is absolutely true. Everyone had thought that Jiang Chen was still in Mt. Rippling Mirage, but who would’ve imagined the oddity this kid could be. He found a crack in the formation and managed to sneak out. That kid’s always had this kind of freaking ridiculous luck.[1]”

Sect Head Mo Qin was pretty much convinced at this point. Fantastic, utterly fantastic. To think that what I was searching for for so long was delivered right into my hands! He clapped Wang Han’s shoulder, “Wang Han, is it? You’re not bad. One who tailors their actions to the situation are nothing less than wise. I am of a mind to take you in as a disciple. You know what to do, don’t you?”

Wang Han was delighted to hear this, “Disciple Wang Han greets honored master!”

He immediately knelt down and kowtowed to the sect head, every action dripping with sincerity. As he rose to his feet, he slapped his chest, “Honored master, your disciple would like to personally lead the way and enter the Paramount Realm to kill Jiang Chen!”

Sect Head Mo Qin laughed heartily, “Good, good! I was waiting for these words.”

If it’d been any other time and the Paramount Realm hadn’t been open, even Qin Mo might not have been able to open the seal. At the very least, he’d have to pay an exceedingly high price in order to do so, a trade-off that was obviously not worth it. However, the Paramount Realm opened for nine days every thirty years, and at this time, there was no price to pay in order to enter.

“Heh heh, congratulations Daoist Qin Mo.”

“To think that you really would have the desire to take in a disciple!” The black clad Sect Head Xing of the Qitian Sect and golden clad Sect Head Fu of the Golden Glyph Sect both came forward to tender their good wishes. Sect Head Leng of the Bamboo Sect remained silently off on the side, his face dark.

Sect Head Qin Mo spoke faintly, “This Wang Han is my personal disciple in the future. You cannot look at him in the same way again.”

“Naturally. congratulations sage nephew Wang. You’re lucky to catch the eye of Daoist Qin Mo. Those who suit their actions to the times are wise, aren’t they!”

“Sage nephew Wang, you need to do much to prove yourself to your new master!”

Wang Han was so delighted that flowers were blooming in his heart when he saw how politely these two emperor realm cultivator were in speaking to him. He felt that he had made a decision that was wise beyond parallel. The scene however, caused those of the Myriad Domain to go slack jawed with astonishment. Some with more fiery tempers began cursing him loudly.

“You shameless thing! Taking a thief for your master!”

“Wang Han, you really are the shame of your Wang family! You’ve thrown away all of the Sacred Sword Palace’s dignity!”

Some even jeered at Wang Jianyu directly, “Wang Jianyu, so this is your direct descendent, hmm?”

Wang Jiangyu’s expression was black; he really didn’t have a response to any of this. It was rather Wang Han who sent a silent message to Sect Head Qin Mo, “Honored master, it is the fortune of three lifetimes that this disciple is able to take you for my master. However, some of the Sacred Sword Palace are good fighters. I would seek to toil on behalf of my master and recruit them into our Zither Sect.”

Wang Han didn’t have many feelings for others, but Wang Jianyu was his grandfather and they shared the same blood. He naturally couldn’t just hang the sect head out to dry, or it really would become a blot on his life. Leaving the sect in search of higher status was a sight often seen in the world of martial dao.

Sect Head Qin Mo smiled, “You are my disciple from now on, so I will naturally give you a chance. It’s up to you how many you are able to convince. But remember, I want loyal people. They can give up any ideas of plotting after joining my Zither Sect, or else…”

“Please be at peace, honored master, those who recognize the greater picture they reside in are wise. If they persist in their delusions, then it is simply a function of their blindness.” Wang Han turned to Wang Jianyu, “Sect Head, I’ve already made my plea on everyone’s behalf, and those from the Sacred Sword Palace who are willing to change their allegiance can come over. Remember, a change in allegiance means full loyalty. Those who have other ties need not come over. You have only one chance, and those who have yet to walk over after I’ve counted to ten will be viewed as enemies of my Zither Sect. They will be killed without exception!”

His words of “my Zither Sect” made everyone on the Myriad Domain side break out in loud curses as numbness crept over their scalp. They were obviously been disgusted by Wang Han’s shamelessness.

“Go on, Wang Jianyu, go worship your grandson’s stinking foot!”

“How utterly disgusting! The Sacred Sword Palace is full of cowards!”

“Pah! Traitors! You guys yapped every day on how the Regal Pill Palace is colluding with outside enemies, but in the end, you’re the most spineless ones!”

Verbal abuse rained down from the Myriad Domain side. Everyone’s emotions were running high to begin with in this tense environment, and their rage was palpable. The kind of despair one felt when death was staring at them in the face made everyone vent their emotions in a very extreme sort of way.

Wang Jianyu’s face was dark as he walked out of the cluster of Myriad Domain cultivators. He had only taken a moment to think. “Those who are willing to follow the Zither Sect, step forth. I will not force those who are not willing.”

He had sized up the situation and knew that death was a foregone conclusion if they stubbornly dug their heels in. Although he greatly detested the idea of being under someone’s roof, he had no reason not to surrender now that his own grandson had already done so.

His actions blew the rest of the Sacred Sword Palace away. They could understand Wang Han’s betrayal, but the sect head had also turned traitor, just like that! Second genius of the Sacred Sword Palace Jing Fong couldn’t help himself any longer, “Wang Jianyu, is this how you and your grandson stays loyal to the Sacred Sword Palace heritage?!”

Wang Jianyu hadn’t thought that the younger generation would be so bold as to judge him, instead of the elders. He stared coldly at Jing Fong, “Only the strong have the right to talk of heritage. Do you actually think yourself worthy?”

Jing Feng was enraged beyond thinking, “Wang Jianyu, we can’t stop you and your grandson from going over to the enemy, but put down the sacred sword on your back! That is the sword of legacy that belongs to the Sacred Sword Palace. You may have surrendered, but the heritage of the Sacred Sword Palace has not fallen!”

His words were met with great applause, but a trickle of people began to flow from the Sacred Sword Palace as more and more people began to take their place by Wang Jianyu’s side. It was apparent that they were planning switching allegiances as well. Jing Feng watched the numbers by his side dwindle until there was only one veteran elder left. He was quite touched, “Elder Ming, you’re the one with the truest principles alright!”

The veteran elder suddenly grinned and smashed his fist into Jing Feng’s chest without warning. Jing Feng didn’t even have time to cry out before the fist crashed into his dantian. Bam!

He was flung backwards like a kite with a cut string. The elder moved like lightning, catching up to the flying body and beheading Jing Feng in one ruthless slash. He turned to walk over to Wang Han with a fawning expression, “Young master Han, that idiot Jing Feng didn’t recognize the greater picture. I’ve already executed him for you.”

Wang Han had had good relations with Jing Feng before, but the latter had just insulted him and his grandfather just now. Wang Han felt that he’d lost quite a great deal of face and so naturally didn’t sympathize with Jing Feng. “You’ve done well,” Wang Han nodded slightly and walked up to the Zither sect head. “Honored master, only this one was blind. We’ve already taken care of him.”

Sect Head Qin Mo smiled, almost disinterested, as he looked at Elder Ming, “What’s your name?”

“In response to the lord sect head, this humble one is Ming Wangyu. I am willing to serve the sect master.”

Sect Head Qin Mo nodded slightly, and his casual tone dropped to freezing levels, “You can kill those of your own sect today, so how do I know you won’t kill any of my Zither Sect tomorrow? What use does my Zither Sect have for such a heartless person?”

Ming Wangyu was scared out of his mind when he heard this. A cold light flashed by as Sect Head Qin Mo strummed a chord that sang a sword-like note. Before Elder Ming knew it, his head had separated from his body, flying into the sky. The elder’s body fell to the ground with a thud. Killing someone was as easy as crushing an ant to Qin Mo. He swept his gaze across Wang Jianyu and the others, “Remember, my Zither Sect does not take in trash, especially not trash with wavering loyalties. You can request protection from the Zither Sect, but you must show your sincerity to let me know that you are not trash.”

Wang Jianyu hurriedly responded, “Your subordinate is willing to lead the charge into the formation for the Zither Sect and take down these stubborn, short-sighted fools!”

Sect Head Qin Mo waved his hand, but didn’t say anything else. He turned to walk over to the other three emperor realm cultivators. “Everyone, the sect that slipped away earlier was the Regal Pill Palace. As far as our intel indicates, it is highly likely that they have precious treasures on their person. While I would like to chase after them myself, I cannot abandon the situation here. So I leave this chance to one of you. Who amongst you would like to go after them?”

The Regal Pill Palace? They were familiar with this name. The emperor had emphasized it before they left, mentioning that there were many sky rank spirit herbs to be found on them. Thus, the other three sects were greatly tempted.

Sect Head Qin Mo smiled faintly, “According to the intelligence, there are certainly sky rank spirit herbs on them and even more earth rank spirit herbs. If none of you wish to go, I can trouble myself to go after them too.”

He was playing a tactic of advancing while retreating. Indeed, Sect Head Leng of the Bamboo Sect immediately spoke up, “I’ll go. They broke through the southeastern corner—the territory that my Bamboo Sect was defending. It was my sect that committed this oversight, and naturally I should personally go to fix it. How can I ask anyone else to clean up after our mess?”

This was a righteous and noble sounding reason, but everyone knew that he was going because of the Regal Pill Palace’s sky rank spirit herbs.

“Sect Head Leng, your sect made the mistake, but who knows if you can truly fix it or not? In my opinion, let my Qitian Sect go,” Sect Head Leng eager volunteered.

“Heh heh, when it comes to tracking, the tracking glyphs that my sect produces are the best. Let my sect go.”

The three began to argue heatedly. A cushy job like this was much better than staying here and fighting against the stubborn Myriad Domain powers.

Chapter 677: Hunting in the Paramount Realm

In the end, they actually drew straws to decide their respective responsibilities. The Bamboo Sect got lucky, drawing the task to hunt down the Regal Pill Palace. A hint of a smile cracked Sect Head Leng’s sinister face. “Then, we have an accord, no? I shall leave the undue troubles here to you all.” He summoned a portion of his men and raced towards the southeastern area.

Sect Head Qin Mo was glad to see Sect Head Leng depart, but he showed nothing on the surface as he walked forwards, “Sect Head Xing, Sect Head Fu, are you two interested in entering the Paramount Realm with me? I heard that there are still some mice scuttling around inside the Paramount Realm. Our orders are to eliminate them all, you know.”

Black garbed Sect Head Xing waved his hands and said, “It’s fine, isn’t it? I’ve heard that Paramount Realm is a place of rebirth, and not only is it filled with dead energy, it also contains a shockingly low amount of life force. If we emperor realm cultivators are to go inside, we may be attacked by the energy inside. I have no intentions of going in.”

The Paramount Realm was off limits not only to emperor realm experts, but even cultivators at higher levels. It contained an enormous amount of dead energy that would corrode living beings, especially emperor realm experts. Moreover, the level of life energy inside the Paramount Realm was far too weak. It was true that an emperor realm cultivator would be met with many inconveniences if they were to go inside. In fact, the chances that they would be devoured by the dead energy inside it were far higher than those of the sage realm experts.

Sage realm cultivators had yet to reach the level of power necessary to trigger a response from the dead energy, and thus the amount of vitality they expended was incomparable to the amount consumed by emperor realm experts. Therefore, the dead energy were more attracted to emperor realm experts than sage realm cultivators. This was why an emperor realm expert was normally reluctant to enter a place of rebirth like the Paramount Realm unless it was critical. However, after hearing from Wang Han that Jiang Chen was inside Paramount Realm, there was no way Qin Mo was letting the opportunity slip by, no matter how risky it might be.

This was his Zither Sect’s only chance at glory. If he succeeded in capturing Jiang Chen, then either robbing Jiang Chen of his inheritances or presenting him to the emperor would result in great merits. In fact, this might turn out to be the perfect opportunity for his sect to rise and become a third rank sect! As the saying went, reward was to be found within risk.

“What say you, Sect Head Fu?”

Sect Head Fu of the Golden Glyph Sect also shook his head after a moment’s consideration, “I’ll pass too. Brother Qin Mo, you can’t be…”

Sect Head Qin Mo nodded indifferently, “So what if I have to take a little risk? Someone has to fulfill the emperor’s orders.”

He spoke so self righteously that both sect heads of the Golden Glyph Sect and the Qitian Sect couldn’t quite fathom what he was really thinking. They refused to believe that this old man was as noble as he claimed to be. There must be some kind of unspeakable secret involved. However, they really didn’t want to step into a place of rebirth either. After all, there were only a few youngsters undergoing their trials inside. Sect Head Qin Mo couldn’t be interested in those youngsters, could he? Was he thinking of winning over a group of young geniuses for his sect?

They admitted that it was a somewhat attractive opportunity, but they still weren’t willing to take this much of a risk for such a tiny matter. They thought that maybe Sect Head Qin Mo’s goal was some of the inheritances inside the Paramount Realm. After all, any cultivators who could undergo rebirth at a place of rebirth were emperor realm or even higher. However, there were only a few emperor realm experts who existed in the history of the Myriad Domain. Where would they find the good luck to obtain an emperor level inheritance?

Therefore, the two sect heads ultimately decided against entering the area. The reason Sect Head Qin Mo had jumped through so many hoops was to enter the Paramount Realm alone. Words couldn’t describe how overjoyed he was when he discovered that both sect heads were unwilling to accompany him.

“In that case, I shall lead my newly recruited disciple and this group of defected warriors into the Paramount Realm. The main army of my Zither Sect shall stay here and eliminate this paltry resistance,” as he said this, Sect Head Qin Mo beckoned for his vice sect head over. “Number two, I shall temporarily leave this task to you. Remember that weeds can only be destroyed by burning the roots. Let not one person leave this place alive. Sect Head Xing, Sect Head Fu, the two of you should be enough to handle anything that might arise here, correct?”

“Don’t worry, brother Qin Mo. We are emperor realm after all, and the strongest amongst the Myriad Domain are only at the ninth level of sage realm. There shall be no mishaps even if we were to do nothing.”

“Mm. Be careful, and don’t underestimate our enemy.” Sect Head Qin Mo waved his hand and spoke to Wang Jianyu’s group, “Lead the way.”

There were six in Wang Jianyu’s group. Their status was currently incomparable to Wang Han’s, so naturally they had to walk at the front. Meanwhile, Wang Han followed behind with Sect Head Qin Mo, looking the picture of a diligent disciple serving his master’s every needs. One had to say that Wang Han was extremely pragmatic. He’d looked high and mighty when still in Sacred Sword Palace, but after entering the tutelage of the Zither sect head, he somehow managed to put up such an appearance of a practiced servant that one couldn’t help but sigh in astonishment. All of the other Myriad Domain sects broke out in sneers and jeers when they saw that the Sacred Sword Palace was actually going to lead their enemies into the Paramount Realm.

“Wang Jianyu, you will die a horrible death, you old bastard!”

“Your Sacred Sword Palace will go down in history as a byword for infamy!”

“Wang Han, you little bastard, how dare you sell yourself to your enemy! The wrath of heaven will smite you!”

They couldn’t keep their composure any longer. The sects’ greatest geniuses were all inside the Paramount Realm. This Sect Head Qin Mo possessed unparalleled strength, and if he were to go inside, then it was more than likely that all one hundred or so cultivators inside Paramount Realm would perish! They had made up their minds to fight with all their might unto the last, but they hadn’t completely lost hope on the inside. This bit of hope had been carefully placed on the shoulders of the young geniuses currently inside the Paramount Realm. As long as these young geniuses didn’t perish, then the Myriad Domain still had a chance to make a comeback.

But now, Wang Jianyu and the rest of the bastards in the Sacred Sword Palace had obviously decided to pull the carpet from beneath their feet and destroy all of their hopes at the root! If these bastards weren’t full traitors before, they were now! However, they were still hemmed in from all sides. They couldn’t stop their enemies from entering even if they wanted to. Moreover, that Sect Head Qin Mo was so powerful that he’d destroyed more than two hundred people with a careless tune of ‘Besieged on All Sides’. A third level emperor realm like him sank all hearts into deep despair.

On the other hand, Xiang Wentian was actually overjoyed by this turn of events. He had been accumulating his strength for the eventual clash all this time, and now he sent a silent message to his three family heads, “My brothers, the Paramount Realm naturally rejects emperor realm experts, so this old man may not necessarily be able to act how he wishes inside. The fact that he’s going away is also an opportunity for us. Originally, we only had a 30 to 40% chance to break through their encirclement, but now I believe that our chances have risen to at least 70%. Get yourselves ready, make sure the troops are in order and wait for my signal. When I give the signal, summon the power of totems and focus them all on me. I shall open a path for us!”

…...

After Jiang Chen entered the transcendent region, he stayed there for two full days. More than half of the nine days had passed by in the blink of an eye, but he’d still found nothing except for that little something on the outskirts of the transcendent region. It was especially empty inside this area. Yellow sands stretched as far as the eyes could see, a land utterly without life. He couldn’t even find the shadow of an inheritance or place of rebirth.

The deadliest thing about staying inside this region was that the amount of life force it contained was extremely little. Jiang Chen even had to rely on some of his pills to maintain normal vital functions. He obviously couldn’t dispatch the Goldbiter Rats in this situation either. Otherwise, their great numbers would be perfect for this occasion.

“Could it be that this transcendent region really is undeserving of its reputation? Perhaps no one else but me would enter such a place, eh?” When Jiang Chen thought this, a tiny ripple suddenly appeared in his consciousness. The ripple was extremely weak, but Jiang Chen captured it clearly.

Jiang Chen immediately concealed his own consciousness and then his figure using the sandy terrain. A figure ran swiftly into the area where he was before long. This figure didn’t slow his footsteps or dither. He went right past Jiang Chen, obviously not noticing him in the area. Jiang Chen waited until the figure had gone a safe enough distance. Just when he was about to come out of his hiding place, another ripple appeared. Another figure actually rushed over from the distance as well. This figure seemed to be tracking something.

This one had suppressed his aura and energy almost perfectly, but Jiang Chen was still able to capture enough to identify him. It was actually the Regal Pill Palace’s number two genius, Jun Mobai!

Jiang Chen thought, “It’s him? The palace head told me to keep a close eye on him. I wonder what’s wrong with this Jun Mobai?”

He was curious. He waited until Jun Mobai had gone far away before finally coming out of hiding. To think that two people have entered the transcendent region in a row. But who’s the other person apart from Jun Mobai? Logically speaking, it was normal for geniuses to enter the transcendent region in seek of fortune. However, the fact that they had hastened on their journey while knowing this place was lifeless meant that their motives weren’t as simple as just seeking fortune. Jiang Chen suspected that there was something in here that even he didn’t know about. He decided to follow them and take a look. Even if he were to gain nothing as a result, he could check out Jun Mobai and see if he really was a spy.

For a time, the mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole chasing from behind.

Jiang Chen’s tracking abilities were exceptional. He was able to use his consciousness to lock on to Jun Mobai’s trail by capturing the little traces left behind. This pursuit kept going for a full half day.

Suddenly, Jiang Chen realized that they had arrived near a lake. A usual lake would either be sky blue or dark green in color. However, this lake was black green in color. In fact, its color was so dark that it was almost inky black. The lake was extremely large, and its brackish water gave off an extremely strange feeling.

Jiang Chen noticed that Jun Mobai had already halted. Jiang Chen didn’t dare to move too close to him. Instead, he slowly crept closer from beneath the ground.

Jun Mobai was currently standing beside the lake and fiddling with a ring-like object in his palm. He seemed to be sensing something through the ring. His expression suddenly darkened. This was because he’d noticed a figure was staring coldly at him from the opposite side of the lake. The figure turned out to be Lin Hai of the Dark North Sect.

“What are you doing here, Jun Mobai?” Lin Hai stared at Jun Mobai with a flinty expression. His eyes were cold with unbridled scrutiny.

Since Jun Mobai had tracked Lin Hai to this place earlier, he wasn’t surprised to see the latter show up. He smiled calmly and said, “Your ranking is even lower than mine. So why can’t I be here if you can?”

Jun Mobai had managed to fight his way into the top four during the Grand Ceremony, so Lin Hai’s ranking was indeed lower than his.

“Hmph, I will advise you to leave this place immediately,” Lin Hai’s tone was indifferent.

Jun Mobai broke into a laugh, “You’re telling me to leave? Why should I leave and not you?”

Lin Hai’s expression darkened, “Jun Mobai, I will give you a chance to preserve some of your face for the sake of the friendship between your Regal Pill Palace and my Dark North Sect. Do you really think I can’t chase you away if you refuse to leave?”

Jun Mobai smiled calmly, “Lin Hai, let’s not pretend any longer at such a moment. Are you really a Dark North Sect disciple?”

Lin Hai’s expression abruptly changed. Jiang Chen’s heart also skipped a beat from his hiding spot. What did he mean? Was the number one genius of the Dark North Sect, Lin Hai, a spy too?

Chapter 678: Emperor Featherflight, The Mysterious Palace

It was quite evident from Jun Mobai’s tone that he also wasn’t a true Regal Pill Palace disciple. Jiang Chen felt quite sad for the Myriad Domain all of a sudden. It looked to be a solid entity on the surface, but who knew that it’d been penetrated to this level? Just how many external pawns were hidden in the various great sects?!

However, Lin Hai didn’t seem to want to admit to things too readily. He snorted coldly several times after his shock, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Jun Mobai, are you going to scram or not? I’m giving you your last chance.” He seemed to be at the limits of his patience as his hostility became overt.

“Scram?” Jun Mobai’s tone was as cool as ever. “You’re mistaking the situation, aren't you? Even if you want to, you don’t have the chance to run anymore. If my guess is right, Lin Hai, you’re a disciple of the Eternal Celestial Capital, aren’t you?”

The Eternal Celestial Capital? Jiang Chen’s heart sank. He’d made an in-depth study of the Divine Abyss Continent these past few years; the book Huang'er had given him years ago had several notes regarding the Divine Abyss Continent, so he now had a more thorough understanding of this plane of existence. He knew that the Eternal Celestial Capital was also a first rank sect, another heavyweight of the Upper Eight Regions. It was relatively on the same level as the Ninesuns Sky Sect.

Jiang Chen felt his head ache. He’d always thought that it was only the Ninesuns Sky Sect who had infiltrated the Myriad Domain, but now it seemed that everyone in the Myriad Domain had been too naive. The region was a fat piece of meat! But just what was so tantalizing about it? He had no answer for this either.

The ancient herb garden of Mt. Rippling Mirage? Although there were some sky rank spirit herbs there, that wasn’t even close enough to entice a first rank sect to make decades of preparations. The heritage of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect? The outside world didn’t know of the heritage. Although the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect was indeed stronger than many first rank sets, it wasn’t the strongest of the ancient sects. Besides, if the outside world had known of such a heritage, they likely would’ve barged in openly instead of making preparations for decades. He couldn’t figure it out no matter how he contemplated the matter. There had to be a reason that was hidden to him, and it was a reason that had been carefully kept secret for decades. This was why they were all seeping in like this.

A thread of shock appeared in Lin Hai’s eyes as he fixed his gaze onto Jun Mobai. “This is to say, you’re a disciple of the Ninesuns Sky Sect?”

The two had previously been on guard against each other, but the atmosphere became ever more tense. It was apparent that since both their identities had been revealed, they both understood each other’s intentions and knew that this would be a fight to the death.

“Speak, how do you want to resolve this?” Lin Hai actually calmed down after their masks had been ripped off, and his tone became cool and composed.

Jun Mobai smiled faintly, “Simple, you die.”

Lin Hai smiled in his anger and looked meaningfully at Jun Mobai. “Kid, you are indeed a Sky Sect disciple. That overweening attitude is the only proof I need.”

“As long as you know it,” Jun Mobai smiled faintly. “We’re all smart people here; you being here means that all of our goals are the same.”

Lin Hai laughed heartily, “This means you’re also here for Emperor Featherflight’s legacy?”

Emperor Featherflight?

Jiang Chen was unfamiliar with this name. Although he had an understanding of the Divine Abyss Continent, he’d truly never heard this name before.

“Legacy?” Jun Mobai cackled. “Lin Hai, we don’t have to fight if you want his legacy. You can have it all, I just want a few things on his body.”

“Dream on!” Jun Mobai sneered. “ I was just testing you, but it seems that you really know the details.”

Jiang Chen didn’t really understand the undercurrents of their mind games, but he’d guessed that the two were chasing after a Titled Great Emperor named Emperor Featherlight.

“Stop putting on an act, Lin Hai. Our two sects chased Emperor Featherflight a thousand years ago, but he escaped into the Myriad Domain. However, no one knew where he had hidden himself, but to think that he passed on in this Paramount Realm! How astonishing,” Jun Mobai rubbed the ring in his hand as he spoke. “Lin Hai, you must have the tracking symbol of the Eternal Celestial Emperor, which is how you’ve sensed his final place after entering the Paramount Realm. Have I guessed correctly?”

“No shit, aren’t you the same as well?” Lin Hai’s tone was quite dismissive, seeming to think Jun Mobai was speaking utter nonsense.

“Heh heh, Lin Hai, last chance. You can have Emperor Featherflight’s inheritance, and I’ll take all the other items.” Jun Mobai’s tone was devoid of emotion, but there was a type of pressure within it that didn’t permit questions.

Jiang Chen was inwardly solemn as he observed nearby. These two bastards hid their strength alright! They’re at least at peak earth sage realm, and might even be seventh level sage realm! These two bastards pretended to be initial sage realm, and even put on that act of forfeiting in the ceremony! He hadn’t personally fought with these two, so he had no idea that they were both hiding their true strength.

Lin Hai smiled dismissively, “Kid, those who don’t know you really would be frightened by you. But you’re still a bit wet behind the ears to try and threaten me. Bring it on if you dare!” He grabbed at the air with a hand and summoned a flag as he spoke. He swung the flag down, sending rays of light shooting forth and cutting into the waters of the lake, as if a waterfall descending from the heavens.

Rumble!

The waters were instantly parted, and a long, thin abyss revealed itself. Lin Hai’s expression was expressionless as he looked at Jun Mobai, “I’ve already parted the lake; dare you enter?”

Jun Mobai chuckled, “Heh, I’ll go in if you do.”

“Is that so?” Lin Hai suddenly grinned and swung the flag back, sending the waters hurtling towards Jun Mobai. “If that’s the case, have a taste of these waters of death first!”

Two gouts of water cut through the air towards Jun Mobai with a wave of the flag. Jun Mobai’s face charged slightly. He hadn’t expected that Lin Hai would be so despicable. He summoned forth a paper fan with a wave of his hand and flicked it into dance, creating energy ripples that formed strange layers of defensive circles to protect himself.

This brackish water was seemingly very frightening. Ear-piercing sizzles sounded as soon as it touched the ground, devouring even the yellow sands. It was a good thing that Jun Mobai’s defensive circle was so strong, allowing himself to barely withstand the attack. By the time Jun Mobai had dispersed the water attack, Lin Hai had already leapt into the depths of the lake. He gritted his teeth and formed a defensive barrier around him with a quick wave of his fan. Then, he jumped down as well.

However, the two hadn’t been in for very long before two enormous geysers shot out of the lake, throwing the two back to the shore in a bit of a bedraggled fashion. The two found their footing with difficulty as shock appeared in both of their eyes. They fixed their stares onto the lake with faces full of incredulity.

The black-green water began to agitate violently, as if a large fire had been stoked beneath the lake, as the boiling of the water became ever more pronounced.

Rumble!

The lake trembled, as displaced water turned into crashing waves on the shore. A palace’s towers became visible through the murky water, and broke the surface like a breaching whale. Yes, a palace!

It wasn’t large, roughly a hundred acres, but it was indeed a palace. The sight stunned even Jiang Chen, watching from the shadows. He hadn’t thought that a palace would be hidden beneath the lake, and that it’d emerge like this! I wonder if those two fellows triggered some sort of restriction that activated the security measures of this palace, causing it to rise from the bottom of the lake? Regardless of what it had been, this also slightly surprised Jiang Chen. But the question eventually circled back to just what was with this palace? A Titled Great Emperor wouldn’t be able to refine such a palace, no matter how strong they were. Even an ancient sect such as the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect could only fold space to create secret planes through the use of formations and arts of space. But they also relied heavily on the terrain to make it possible.

However, this palace could seemingly move, and didn’t look so simple as something created from just earth. From Jiang Chen’s experience, this was someone’s residence, and a mobile one at that. These kinds of residences could shrink to the size of a mustard seed through certain space arts, just like the magnetic golden mountain. A Great Titled Emperor couldn’t possibly refine such a residence; they’d have to at least be an empyrean cultivator. Only through the recognition of the heavenly dao would one have the right to utilize the energies of heaven and earth to be able to create anything via these sorts of space arts.

“Just who was Emperor Featherflight?”Jiang Chen was now incredibly curious. He understood that Jun Mobai and Lin Hai weren’t fighting over the cultivator’s heritage, but some other secret he possessed. He had a sudden flash of inspiration that hinted at just why the Ninesuns Sky Sect had spent so much time and effort to seep into the Myriad Domain. It must have to do with the reason Emperor Featherflight had chosen this place as his place of rebirth. Although he didn’t know what it was for now, it was certainly very important as even a first rank sect such as the Sky Sect kept coveting it.

Lin Hai and Jun Mobai exchanged glances, greed in both their gazes. “Lin Hai, you and I fighting here and going all out may just end up benefiting others instead. What if someone rushes here and sees the two of us barely alive? Wouldn’t that be benefiting the fisherman while the snipe and clam are locked in combat?” Jun Mobai seemed a bit wary.

Lin Hai laughed heartily, “What’s the use of spouting bullshit now? Do other people have the chance to come to the transcendent region? Besides, they wouldn’t be able to find this place without the tracking symbol.”

This symbol was a mark that the two heavyweights of their sects had left on Emperor Featherflight. He had been deeply injured and unable to purge the symbol from his body. Which was why he’d escaped to the Paramount Realm and secluded himself from the outside world. Therefore, no matter how painstakingly the two sects had searched the Myriad Domain over the last thousand years, they had come up empty-handed.

Inspiration had finally struck in the form of a memory about the Paramount Realm. It was then they had begun to make preparations. Lin Hai and Jun Mobai were all pieces arranged by the first rank sects, with the sole mission to search for the remains of Emperor Featherflight. The sects had spent a great deal of effort in searching for Emperor Featherflight before, but had come up empty-handed. Thus, they hadn’t held much hope and had only wanted to try their luck in the transcendent region, but who knew that the tracking symbol would actually detect a hint of something! The two disciples had followed the tracking symbol, finally converging at this place.

Chapter 679: Ling Bi’er’s Circumstances

Jiang Chen understood a couple of things from their conversation. This Emperor Featherflight had a secret on him that resulted in him being chased by the Ninesuns Sky Sect and the Eternal Celestial Capital. When he had been gravely injured, he’d escaped to the Myriad Domain and thrown off his pursuers by entering the Paramount Realm. The two sects assumed that he was simply barely scraping by somewhere, or desperately searching for an heir to pass on his legacy and treasures. So they had broken off the chase and had spread out a net to find this successor or Featherflight himself. But they always came up empty handed. Moreover, the secret they coveted was far too high profile for them to openly search for.

“Just what secret did that Emperor Featherflight have to make these two sects continue to search for a thousand years? Perhaps, an empyrean decree?”

Any first rank sect would have numerous Titled Great Emperors, so ordinary items wouldn’t send the first rank sects into such a frenzy. In Jiang Chen’s eyes, only an empyrean decree would offer such temptation.

What was an empyrean decree? It was a sign from the heavens left in the body of an empyrean cultivator after obtaining the acknowledgement of the heavens. Many mortal planes viewed empyrean cultivators as demigods, and the empyrean decree was viewed as a sign of divinity. It was a validation of the heavenly law’s favor, and a personal decree. When an empyrean cultivator perished, their empyrean decree could be refined by others.

This was a priceless chance for many Titled Great Emperors who were unable to obtain recognition from the heavenly dao. A chance to obtain recognition from the heavenly dao and break through to the empyrean realm. If they could manage that, their strength would go through an explosive increase, but more importantly, so would their lifespan. Therefore, Jiang Chen felt that the only resource that would cause two first rank sects to fight to the death for would be a treasure as stunning as an empyrean decree.

Just as Jiang Chen was lost in his thoughts, Lin Hai and Jun Mobai had already engaged each other in battle. The two had concealed a majority of their strength, revealing their ability as seventh level sage realm. They were even stronger than the Ding Tong that Jiang Chen had killed in Mt. Rippling Mirage.

“The Ninesuns Sky Sect is devious alright. Planting a pawn in the Tristar Sect wasn’t enough for them; they even stretched their hands out to the Regal Pill Palace. This Jun Mobai… hid himself well.” If it hadn’t been for Palace Head Dan Chi’s warning, Jiang Chen really wouldn’t have thought that Jun Mobai was a spy. However, he was happy to sit by and watch the two tigers fight amongst themselves. This was the transcendent region after all, and unlike the outside world, they might actually team up if they were confronted in here. Life energy was scarce in here to begin with, and fighting would consume a great deal of their personal stores of life energy. Besides, Jiang Chen wasn’t going to deliberately make the situation disadvantageous for him. Hadn’t Jun Mobai himself mention it? The fisherman would benefit when the snipe and clam fought each other. Jiang Chen decided to quietly sit by and be a fisherman.

Although he was someone who’d reincarnated, his body was that of a denizen of the Myriad Domain. He still had feelings for this place. Now that he knew that both Lin Hai and Jun Mobai were spies from external powers, he really couldn’t think positively of the two anymore. Jun Mobai in particular disgusted him since he’d infiltrated his way into the Regal Pill Palace.

After all these years, Jiang Chen felt quite a deep kinship to the Regal Pill Palace. Humans weren’t grass or trees, how would they possibly feel nothing? Whether it was Dan Chi, Mu Gaoqi, Elder Yun Nie, or the Ling sisters, Jiang Chen still greatly valued all of them. In his view, Lin Hai’s strength was stronger than Jun Mobai’s, but Jun Mobai was more devious. This placed them on roughly even footing.

Lin Hai was stronger not because of his own ability, but because of the flag in his hand. Clearly an extraordinary item, its offensive and defensive abilities were praiseworthy. There were many moments where Jun Mobai was on the verge of establishing an advantage, but was rebuffed by a sweep of that flag.

Things were just as Jiang Chen thought, the exceedingly low amount of life-force in the transcendent region left the two exhausted after fifteen minutes of vicious battle.

The two were akin to two bulls, their eyes bloodshot and panting heavily, but still full of crazed fervor. They didn’t look like they would back down for anything.

“Lin Hai, you’re nothing without that flag! Is this all that the Eternal Celestial Capital can do?” Jun Mobai knew that he wouldn’t be able to win if he couldn’t get past that damned flag.

Lin Hai snorted coldly, “And you think you’re strong? You depend on devious schemes as well! Cut the bullshit, continue!”

……

Just as the two were furiously battling each other, Ling Bi'er actually found a place of inheritance in a remote corner of the inner region. It was very isolated, but she had just happened to stumble across it. This place of rebirth was left behind by a ninth level emperor realm cultivator!

The cultivator hadn’t lived out her days here, but was rather cultivating an art of rebirth, one that found life in death. She’d tried to ascend to a higher level in the Paramount Realm, but had ended up losing everything in the end.

This particular place of rebirth had been filled with the preparations for ascension, so it provided quite a comfortable environment for Ling Bi’er. She had been on the edge of breaking free of the spirit realm to begin with, so breaking through to the sage realm with an easy feat for her. Having received such a surprise, Ling Bi'er decided to bend her mind to breaking through to the sage realm and broke through all her shackles in one go, ascending after a full day and night’s worth of effort! Not only that, but the process seemed to have awakened something in the place of inheritance and she also received the ninth level emperor realm cultivator’s legacy.

This really gave her a surreal feeling. She’d never felt that such fortune would await her in the Paramount Realm! Although Palace Head Dan Chi had received a legacy in the Paramount Realm, the level of his inheritance was obviously inferior to hers. It was almost to the point where she wondered if such a level of inheritance had truly existed in the Paramount Realm for the last thousand years. This pseudo Titled Great Emperor had left behind many items, and the more Ling Bi'er counted, the more amazed she was. She finally understood why Jiang Chen was so strong. She guessed that junior brother Jiang Chen must’ve had some heaven defying fortune, and now Lady Luck had smiled on her as well. When she looked at all these treasures, the normally Ling Bi'er actually became a bit nervous. If the outside world knew of these treasures, a violent storm would rock the entire Myriad Domain as everyone fought over them.

“Mm, I must keep this completely secret. Senior Shao Yin was an extraordinary woman. There are far fewer female cultivators than male cultivators in the Divine Abyss Continent. As a female cultivators, I must take up the mantle for all female cultivators…” Ling Bi'er had slowly calmed down from her initial delight. The senior had indeed left behind many treasures, and any of them would be an unparalleled treasure in the Myriad Domain. She carefully put them all away and made her gestures of respect, “Senior Shao Yin, junior Ling Bi'er has received your inheritance. I will spread its glory to the world one day, and elevate the name of female cultivators for good.”

Ling Bi'er wasn’t the sort to dismantle the bridge after she’d crossed the river. She only left after paying her respects in full. She knew that she couldn’t stay long here. She'd be in great trouble if someone found her, so she destroyed anything that could possibly be a clue before she left.

“Hmm, I’ve spent six out of the nine days allotted to us. I wonder where junior brother Jiang Chen is now?” Ling Bi'er was thinking about Jiang Chen and didn’t want to leave immediately, so she decided to look around and see if she could find him.

Her instincts suddenly screamed at her, but a yell exploded out from her left just as she leaped for a hiding spot. “It’s Ling Bi’er; that’s a disciple of the Regal Pill Palace!”

Ling Bi’er’s heart thumped when she heard this voice. Why is it him? She almost thought that something was wrong with her ears. The person speaking sounded like Wang Jianyu, the palace head of the Sacred Sword Palace! Her instincts were fully roused, and she knew something had gone wrong. Her body flickered as she prepared to flash away.

However, Wang Jianyu was way too fast, and caught up to here in a mere three steps, “Where do you think you’re going, you little bitch?”

Ling Bi'er had just started to increase her speed when Wang Jianyu stopped her. He leered, “Go on, run. Why don’t you run?”

Ling Bi’er’s slender eyebrows knitted together slightly, “Palace Head Wang, how dare you sneak into the Paramount Realm? This is a blatant violation of the rules! Aren’t you afraid of inciting public anger towards the Sacred Sword Palace?”

Wang Jianyu cackled loudly. His emotional and mental state had been twisted after one shock after another, so he’d lost his customary poise of a sect head. But in that place was born a dangerous madness. “Public anger? Myriad Domain? Hahaha!! What’s public anger? They can’t even save themselves at the moment. What public anger could they summon!?”

Ling Bi’er’s expression darkened. “Palace Head Wang, what do you mean by all of these alarmist words?”

Wang Jianyu continued cackling, “What do I mean? Simple, the Myriad Domain is done for! You little bitch, I heard you have a good relationship with Jiang Chen. Does that mean we can lure him out if we use you as bait?”

Wang Han and the others had taken their time to walk over now, supercilious smiles on their faces. Behind Wang Han walked an ancient, shriveled mysterious elder. But Ling Bi’er’s instincts did something far worse than screaming at her when she saw this man. They went dead silent, as if the sky itself had caved in.

“Ling Bi’er, to think that there would be a day in which you fall into my hands!” Wang Han suddenly wanted to laugh to his heart’s content. He’d lusted after her for so long, but the fact that their sects were rivals meant that he couldn’t openly pursue her. However, he’d had many wet dreams about her, and now that he saw her, he felt a perverted sense of satisfaction rise in his heart.

Chapter 680: Jiang Chen Reveals Himself

“Wang Han? Of all people, how are you worthy of entering the Paramount Realm?” Ling Bi’er despised Wang Han’s character greatly and cast him a disdainful glance.

Wang Han had been humiliated by Regal Pill Palace time and time again in the past. Now that Ling Bi’er was looking down on him once more, he immediately felt rage erupt in his heart. You Regal Pill Palace dogs might have humiliated me in the past, but now I, Wang Han have entered the tutelage of an emperor realm expert! How dare a little wench like you still look down on me! He leered right back at her, “Put that ill temper of yours somewhere else, Ling Bi’er. Your words mean nothing here.”

Wang Han saluted Sect Head Qin Mo respectfully as he spoke, “Honored master, this woman is a Regal Pill Palace disciple, and has a relationship with Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen will absolutely appear if we hold her captive. In addition, the Regal Pill Palace and I have an all- consuming grudge. Therefore, I humbly request your permission to personally mete out punishment to this woman, master.”

He understood his place very well, and knew that he should always ask Sect Head Qin Mo for permission. As expected, the old man immediately felt a bit more appreciation for this new disciple after hearing his praise. He nodded, “End this battle swiftly, and don’t waste any more time than is necessary.”

The old man himself knew that this was already the sixth day out of the total nine days that the Paramount Realm would be open. Time waited for no one. His biggest objective was to capture Jiang Chen. Nothing else mattered to him. He had no intention of dealing with any other issues that cropped up. Therefore, the old man’s attitude towards any geniuses he encountered in the Paramount Realm could be summed up with one word: kill!

They had run into eight geniuses in the Paramount Realm, and the old man’s had ordered them all slaughtered. Unfortunately, the Regal Pill Palace’s Nie Chong had become one of those casualties. Of course, the old man had been very devious. He didn’t bother killing the geniuses himself, but had instead ordered Wang Jianyu to do the dirty work. Every person Wang Jianyu killed distanced him further from the Myriad Domain, and sent him further down the path of absolute loyalty towards the Zither Sect.

Wang Jianyu’s bloodlust had obviously been awakened by this order too. Although he knew that Sect Head Qin Mo was testing his loyalty, he didn’t hesitate at all when killing the Myriad Domain geniuses. It was obvious that the depressed and sullen feelings Wang Jianyu had suffered lately had birthed a deep hatred for all the sects in the Myriad Domain. He desperately needed to wreak havoc to resolve those negative emotions swirling within him. Therefore, almost every genius they encountered in Paramount Realm died a horrible death at Wang Jianyu’s hands.

For a time, Ling Bi’er felt utterly disconcerted as she looked at the crazed Wang Jianyu, the sycophantic Wang Han, and the old man of unfathomable strength. She had seen plenty of serious situations before, but the one she was facing now was without a doubt the deadliest of them all. For a moment, she didn’t know what to do. She’d just inherited senior Shao Yin’s inheritance, and she did have some escape talismans with her right now. In fact, one of them could even break through an emperor realm cultivator’s domain restriction. However, she was also in the Paramount Realm. She didn’t know exactly what effect it would have on her talismans. Moreover, she was also worried for Jiang Chen. Judging from Wang Han’s tone, these people were obviously targeting her junior brother.

Ling Bi’er hesitated. She felt that she had at least a 60 to 70% chance of escaping if she were to use senior Shao Yin’s life saving talismans. However, what would happen to junior brother Jiang Chen if she were to escape alone? She snuck a glance at the mysterious old man, and estimated that he was likely an emperor realm cultivator. He was much stronger than any other cultivator in the Myriad Domain. If she were to leave all by herself, what would junior brother Jiang Chen do if he ran into this group?

Ling Bi’er knew that Jiang Chen was powerful and extraordinary, but this time their opponent was an emperor realm cultivator. He was different from any other opponent they had ever encountered in the past. She gritted her teeth and came to a decision.

She suddenly looked at the mysterious old man and said, “Senior, I know not where you hail from, and I know very well I am no match for your strength. You can capture me, but I will ask that you do not harm me. I will cooperate with anything you ask me to do, and I plead only that you do not give me to Wang Han. I would rather die than submit myself to shame!” Ling Bi’er’s tone was velvet over steel.

Wang Han was furious, “How dare you still pretend to be a goddess! You may have been a goddess in the past when everyone was praising you, but now you’re just a mere captive. I can turn you into a sex slave any moment I want!”

Sect Head Qin Mo suddenly frowned and asked, “Wang Han, are you sure that this girl is very close to Jiang Chen? Are you sure than Jiang Chen would definitely show himself if we have her?”

“Honored master, Jiang Chen likes this bitch a lot. He will definitely appear.”

“Mm. In that case we will keep her with us. You don’t need to rush to do whatever you want with her. That can be decided after we capture Jiang Chen.” The old man’s chief objective was to capture Jiang Chen. When he saw Ling Bi’er’s determined expression, he too was worried that this girl would kill herself to protect her chastity. If she really did kill herself, then he would have nothing to threaten Jiang Chen with. If that kid really was hiding in the Paramount Realm, it would be difficult to flush him out if he didn’t have leverage.

With that, the old man stared indifferently at Ling Bi’er and added, “Little girl, I am fairly old, so I would rather not destroy a beautiful little girl like you if I don’t have to. However, if you refuse to cooperate with me properly, then I wouldn’t mind breaking my vow. Even if I could tolerate you, I’m sure these ‘acquaintances’ of yours wouldn’t mind serving you at the same time...”

The old man began chuckling evilly after he finished speaking. Ling Bi’er’s scalp tingled with fear as she listened. She forced herself to calm down and put on a fearful and obedient look. “I only ask that I am not humiliated, senior.”

“Let’s go.” The old man’s expression sank as he waved a hand indifferently and walked forward. The group continued to make their search inside the inner region. They ran into a couple more Myriad Domain geniuses along the way, and Wang Jianyu killed all of them without hesitation. Ling Bi’er burned with fury when witnessing this, but there was nothing she could do about it.

“Wang Han, why haven’t we encountered Jiang Chen yet?” The old man’s tone had grown a little irritated.

“Honored master, Jiang Chen hates being left out. I suspect that he isn’t in the inner region at all, but rather the transcendent region,” Wang Han voiced his deductions.

After pondering for a moment, the old man waved a hand and said, “Then we go to the transcendent region.”

Ling Bi’er felt both anxiety and yearning on the inside. Her heart was in disarray. She knew that junior brother Jiang Chen was most likely in the transcendent region. She was worried that these people would hurt him, but also had the optimistic hope that senior Shao Yin’s powerful talismans could help the two of them escape together.

Ling Bi’er was roughly seventy percent sure that she would be able to succeed if she were to escape by herself. But no matter how she calculated, she deduced that their chances of success were only forty percent at most if she were to meet up with Jiang Chen and attempt to escape together. However, Ling Bi’er was willing to try even if the chances of success were that low.

She knew that junior brother Jiang Chen would be in great trouble if she didn’t meet up with him. The Sacred Sword Palace was one thing, but that old man was an emperor realm cultivator. Nothing was certain.

Even if she set aside that he was her father’s savior, Ling Bi’er still would’ve made the same choice without hesitation. He was the first man to walk into her heart and the first man she was able to accept without any reservation. In Ling Bi’er’s mind, she would rather walk into death herself so that Jiang Chen would be safe.

…...

Meanwhile, the battle by the lake had waned. It’d lasted for six full hours, and both parties were nearing complete exhaustion. Even so, neither Jun Mobai nor Lin Hai were willing to let their opponent escape. They played trump card after trump card, flinging every ability they could dredge up at each other. The frenzied battle continued without a decided victor. In the end, they even blasted each other with their ultimate trump cards.

Bang, bang!

Both cultivators collapsed onto the yellow sands that now were decorated with long ditches drawn. Like a newly ploughed field, the gouges pockmarked the entire battleground. Both vomited blood at the same time and struggled to climb on their feet. It was obvious that that final clash had cost them.

“You madman, if you keep this up we’re both going to die here, Lin Hai!” Jun Mobai swore loudly.

Lin Hai said furiously, “How could I possibly die before you? And did you just call me a madman? Does it look like I’m fighting myself? Aren’t you crazy as well?!”

Jun Mobai sighed, “We’re both in big trouble if someone appears right now.”

“Then you deserve it!” Lin Hai was an extremely swift and fierce person. He struggled to his feet and attempted to wave his flag, wanting to deal Jun Mobai the final blow.

Jun Mobai’s face paled greatly, “Are you seriously planning to die, you madman?”

Lin Hai leered, “You definitely must die, or how could I possibly obtain Emperor Featherflight’s inheritance for myself?”

Jun Mobai was just about to say something when his eyes widened in complete disbelief. He stared behind Lin Hai, as if he had seen the most unbelievable thing in his entire life. Lin Hai sneered and said, “No need to try this trick on me, kid. You trying to distract me so you can ambush me, aren’t you? Don’t you think that trick is a bit old?” It was obvious that Lin Hai didn’t believe that anything was behind him at all. However, he immediately heard footsteps behind him.

They were extremely firm footsteps.

He panicked, and nearly fell over because of how fast he turned around. A young man stood there, seemingly smiling at them both.

“Jiang Chen… Jiang Chen?” Lin Hai was shocked as he looked back at Jun Mobai. For a moment, he was obviously confused by the connections that were possibly in play. He wasn’t sure if Jiang Chen was another Ninesuns Sky Sect spy. After all, this world was full of half truths and whole lies. No one could say for sure whom they belonged to until their identities were exposed.

“Senior brother Lin Hai, senior brother Jun, what are you…?” Jiang Chen pretended to be curious as he stared at the two sorry-looking figures.

Jun Mobai hastily gave Lin Hai a meaningful look before explaining, “You’ve arrived just in time, junior brother Jiang Chen. It’s like this, we discovered this inheritance palace, but this Lin Hai simply wouldn’t stop fighting with me for it. Now we’re both hurt. Thankfully you’re the one who came and not someone else, or the alternative would’ve been simply inconceivable.”

Lin Hai immediately understood that Jiang Chen was no Ninesuns Sky Sect disciple. Lin Hai was fighting Jun Mobai to the death just a moment ago. But now, they were tacitly cooperating and standing on the same side. Otherwise, in their current conditions, they would be dead for sure if Jiang Chen learned the truth. Lin Hai immediately slapped his head with regret and said, “I was foolish, I was so foolish. Brother Jiang Chen, your Regal Pill Palace has the numbers, so this inheritance is all yours. I only ask that you can give me a share too.”

Jiang Chen had to admit that these two weren’t only good at acting, but also quick to assume their respective roles. If he hadn’t known from the start that they were spies, he might actually have had the wool pulled over his eyes. No wonder they had risen to their current positions. Their acting skills were top notch.

“Please come over and give me a hand, junior brother Jiang. We must make haste, or we may not even be able to get a share. Especially if the Great Cathedral shows up,” Jun Mobai spoke with complete insincerity.