Chapter 881: Bone Apparitions
Despite the five's change in honorific, Jiang Chen didn't
let down his guard. "You guys are pretty fast, huh," he snickered.
"Stay away from me if you don't want to get beat up again."
He had no interest in wasting words on them. The five bowed
in simpering embarrassment. The one-eyed man nodded several times. "Yes,
yes, senior, we shall leave immediately. But we do have one word of advice for
you. Don't go west. It's a little dangerous there."
"What kind of danger is there?" Jiang Chen
frowned.
"We didn't quite find out ourselves, but we saw the
Prince of Shangping head in that direction. It looked like he was setting a
formation to ambush someone. There must be something good there." The
one-eyed boss wanted to make a good impression.
"Prince of Shangping?" Jiang Chen was not
surprised at all. The prince's facade of an honorable appearance could trick
normal people, but Jiang Chen hadn't believed a word he said. Jiang Chen looked
back at the Ghost Cave Five, sneering with the corner of his mouth. He didn't
trust this group either. Something good? Prince of Shangping? Jiang Chen had no
interest in them whatsoever, and wouldn't even think about it. He was heading
west, and he wasn't about to be stopped by a few words from the Five.
"You should hurry up and leave. Don't show yourselves
in front of me any longer." Sneering, Jiang Chen glanced at them a final
time before flying away with Huang'er.
"Hold on!" the one-eyed man shouted. "Don't
you wanna know something about the friend who sold you pills, Daoist
Huang?"
Jiang Chen halted in his steps, coldly gazing at the
one-eyed man. "What do you mean?"
The one-eyed man chuckled. "Finally, something you're
interested in."
"Speak up. If you lie, I don't mind cutting you down
where you stand." Jiang Chen's face darkened.
"You can kill us, but your friend will die for
sure," the one-eyed man laughed strangely.
"Get on with it," Jiang Chen frowned.
"Five million saint spirit stones," the one-eyed
man interjected suddenly.
Jiang Chen's look was chilly. "I'll give you ten, but
if you give me fake news, you're dead."
The one-eyed man cackled. "I can make a heavenly oath.
If I'm lying 'bout it and it's not related to that guy at all, then let us all
die in the wilderness."
Jiang Chen was very surprised at how readily the oath was
made, enough to leave him momentarily astonished. He was under the impression
that the one-eyed man was bluffing, but the latter's oath made him think
otherwise. He had to treat the matter more seriously. In the world of martial
dao, a heavenly oath wasn't something to be trifled with for anyone. Anyone who
did only did a disservice to themselves. Moreover, there were no loopholes in
such an oath. The one-eyed man was clearly set on this matter.
"Lead the way." Jiang Chen felt many emotions well
up in his heart. He frowned, unable to pinpoint the key. Though the one-eyed
man's oath was surety enough, Jiang Chen still suspected something afoul with
the situation.
Why had the Ghost Cave Five reappeared so suddenly, and with
such relevant news of Lin Yanyu? It was only a few hours since Jiang Chen's
departure from the youth. What could have happened in such a short span of time
for them to bear convenient witness? That they was able to reach him and Huang’er
at all to inform them of this was yet another coincidence. Even if there was a
scheme afoot, it was difficult to execute with such perfection.
"Where did you see him last?" Jiang Chen asked
suddenly.
"You'll know when you come with us," the one-eyed
man smirked. "We won't say before we get the money. Don't ask us anymore,
senior."
"How is he now?"
"Very dangerous. Trapped by some kinda man-shaped plant
'n can't get free. I'd guess he can't resist it for much longer. If you're
slow, there won't be much of him left."
Nodding slightly, Jiang Chen decided to stop asking any more
questions. He took a few more steps before sniffing at the air, remembering
something crucial. "Do you people not have a conscience at all? He sold
the Eight Treasures Antidote to you, and you're taking money for news of
him?"
"Heh heh, we cultivators who live on the edge only care
about money. Even if he gave us pills, we still wouldn't do it for free."
"You still have the pill?" Jiang Chen asked
suddenly.
The one-eyed man paused, then grinned. "Ate it
already."
"How'd it taste?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
The one-eyed man squinted at Jiang Chen. "What kinda
taste could a pill have? It's whatever, right. Nothing special." He gave
an off-handed reply. The one-eyed man seemed to realize that Jiang Chen was
trying to trick him, and stopped giving away further info. Stopping in his
tracks, Jiang Chen allowed the hint of a smile to fade away from the corner of
his mouth. A cold, murderous intent replaced it.
"What?" The one-eyed man frowned. "No way
you're unsure about anything after our oath, right? But if you aren't going,
nothing I can do."
Jiang Chen nodded. "There's no need for that. We can
stop here."
"Here? What for?" The one-eyed man couldn't
understand.
"Here, I'll send you off to a place where all of you
belong." With a flurry of hand signs, Jiang Chen drew the Ghost Cave Five
into a freshly-activated formation. The surroundings were instantly filled with
magma. Countless volcanoes ringed them in the sweltering heat.
"What… what're you playing at?" The one-eyed man
was genuinely panicked.
Looking directly at the one-eyed man, Jiang Chen enunciated
each word clearly. "You disguised yourselves well, so well that I almost
couldn't tell the difference. If you had hid your putrid air a little better,
if you could point out the slightly pungent scent of the Eight Treasures
Antidote, then your act would've been perfect. What a shame… you're just a bit
off."
Huang'er's pretty eyes spun upwards, her mind moving with
them. When Lin Yanyu told them to use the Eight Treasures Antidote, he said
that there would be a pungent scent that was easily distinguishable within
fifteen minutes or so of consumption. Yet, none of the Ghost Cave Five had
mentioned this detail. She inspected the five with renewed interest.
Simultaneously, she was secretly impressed by Jiang Chen's alacrity. His
seemingly thoughtless questions were filled with hidden depth. He’d found holes
in their story with only a few words.
Putrid air? Her expression became more wary. Jiang Chen, on
the other hand, had already leaped to action. With a turn of the Featherflight
Mirror, one ray of light split into five, scattering themselves towards the
Ghost Cave Five. Beneath the light's radiance, Jiang Chen summoned the magnetic
golden mountain. Its shimmering peaks and ridges bore down from above like a
divine apparition, descending with a weighty rumble. The light from the mirror,
the scorching heat, and the pressure of the mountain caused the Ghost Cave Five
crack open. Their bodies shifted and morphed. Suddenly, the five screamed in
unison, their bodies splitting open in a flash of black light. Their bodies had
turned to piles of bone. The bones seemed to have life of their own, and
endlessly struggled against the weight of the Goldmount. However, their
strengths were hopelessly unmatched.
"Die." Jiang Chen pressed down with his palm.
Boom! With a flash of golden light, the crushing weight of
the mountain pulverized the bones into dust. There was a resounding shriek
within the formation, dissipating only after a long time. If he hadn't been a
martial cultivator with a wealth of experience, the mere sound of the shriek
would have struck fear into his own bones.
Huang'er looked on at the scene with alarm. "They're
not the Ghost Cave Five?"
"I was almost fooled," Jiang Chen shook his head.
"They're not the Ghost Cave Five, but ghostly apparitions. The
transformation of bone is a method that belongs to the demon race…" He was
very grave. It hadn't taken long at all for them to encounter the demon race,
and not even a Wood Demon, at that. Bone apparitions certainly wasn't theirs.
From the evidence, the Wood Demons weren't the only demon
race in the desolate wildlands. There were other branch races as well. It
complicated Jiang Chen's feelings on the matter. There had always been legends
about the demon race in the human domain. Even Emperor Peafowl had kept tabs on
them. He'd been able to detect traces of their imminent return to the world
with his All-Seeing Eyes. Despite the various indicators, Jiang Chen hadn't
thought it would be this soon. It seemed now that the emperor hadn’t been
needlessly pessimistic. Rather, Jiang Chen and every other cultivator of the
human domain had been too optimistic. In fact, most in the human domain were
numb to this threat. Though there was a latent danger, they didn't want to face
it head on because of their natural fear of the demon race.
"No wonder they made a heavenly oath as soon as they
spoke," Huang'er murmured. "They weren't actually the Ghost Cave
Five, after all."
"Yes, that was the genius part about their plans."
Jiang Chen was relieved after the fact as well. When it came to situations like
this, he only had instinct to rely on. He only found flaws in their story after
slowly digging for them. Without the cleverness of his ruse, it was impossible
to tell they were false. However, Jiang Chen recalled yet another thing.
Clearly Huang'er did as well, because their faces colored at the same time.
"They didn't know the details about the Eight Treasures
Antidote, but they did about the things that happened outside the valley."
Jiang Chen was very pale. "That must mean the demon race had allies in the
group outside. Their communications are certainly very advanced. Even their
bone apparitions had such detailed knowledge. It was difficult to notice
anything out of place."
They both became rather tense when they considered the
underlying problems. The demon race, possible traitors, the wildlands… All of
this contributed to a growing sense of unease.
"At least they didn't know anything about the
happenings after we came in. This shows that Lin Yanyu isn't one of their guys,
at least," Huang'er supplied. Jiang Chen agreed. If Lin Yanyu was an ally
of the demon race, there would have been no need for him to reveal the Eight
Treasures Antidote's distinctive trait. The tidbit of info about the pungent
scent had come straight from the youth's mouth.
"Then who is the undercover agent here?" The other
cultivators' faces flashed across Jiang Chen's mind one by one. He didn't have
a clue. None of them looked like nice people, but working for the demon race?
There was no evidence of that whatsoever.
Chapter 882: The Shadow Demon King
Luckily, the bone apparitions hadn’t been that strong.
They’d been on par with the Ghost Cave Five. Select recent events had put Jiang
Chen on edge. It looked like demons had indeed permeated the desolate
wildlands.
"With the demon race resurfacing, repeating the
calamity of ancient times seems unavoidable. They are back with a
vengeance." Any other cultivator would have a natural fear of demons. Jiang
Chen was different. Demons were fearsome because they were alien for the
continent. They came and went like shadows. But he knew of both the race's
advantages and disadvantages from his previous life. Though the demons were one
of the stronger races within the heavenly planes, they were not invincible.
"Of the five hundred entering this time, I wonder how
many will return alive?" A trace of worry flew across Jiang Chen's heart.
He had no emotional attachment to these people, the demon race was the true threat.
Once their claws and fangs reached outside the wildlands, there would be great
calamity for the human domain.
"Ideally, there are people wise enough to make early
preparations against them." Jiang Chen could only hope to himself that it
was the case. He didn't dally after destroying the five bone apparitions, but
kept going forward with Huang'er. Both of them were more cautious on the way.
"Brother Chen, did the demon race intentionally spread
news of the Requiem Wood?" Huang'er couldn't help but ask. Jiang Chen had
considered the possibility as well. However, he'd seen a leaf from the wood
with his own eyes. It was definitely real. Moreover, its freshness meant that
it had been plucked from the tree not long ago. Thus, perhaps the Requiem Wood
was a trap, but it certainly did exist. He couldn't just back down from the
situation, despite the risks.
"The Requiem Wood is definitely around here somewhere.
You're right that it could be the demons' trap, but we still have to go. This
is our only chance. So what if it is? We're no stranger to beasts' lairs.
Remember Tai-ah City and the Eternal Celestial Capital's trap there, when they
claimed they'd captured Regal Pill palace head?" Jiang Chen wasn't scared
of traps. Not finding the Requiem Wood was a bigger concern. As long as it was
found, he wouldn't bat an eyelash at any trials and tribulations required to
obtain it, regardless of their severity.
…...
In the depths of the wildlands, ghostly wisps glittered
within a secluded karst cave underground. Their eerie radiance shone like stars
in the night sky, motes floating like fireflies in half-light. A shadow
scurried into the cavern. "My liege, I've finished the mission." It
knelt towards the darkness at the end of the passage.
A cold voice harrumphed softly in the gloom. "How many
people have come in?"
"The first wave is five hundred. The opening is quite
wide now, so at least ten thousand more are behind them. More should trickle in
as time goes on… I estimate the final figure to be twenty to thirty
thousand."
"...Are there cattle for the slaughter?"
"Fifteen or twenty emperor realm cultivators."
"Not bad, not bad." The demon king cackled chillingly.
"You've done well, and deserve to be rewarded for your effort. When they
are all dead, you shall be given a tenth of their wealth. The remainder will be
placed in the treasury to fund our future war efforts."
"Thank you, my liege!" The person sounded
overjoyed.
"I give only what you deserve. However, your mission is
not yet complete. There are too many emperor realm cultivators even for an
appetite as great as mine. Only through home field advantage can I take all of
them out individually. I require your further assistance in this matter."
"Of course, my liege. I will do everything I can."
"Good. There is one more thing, pay attention to the
Wood Demons. Their interest in this prey is as strong as ours. Even both clans
are demons, there is still competition among different branches. Since we
Shadow Demons have awakened earlier, there is no reason not to take advantage
of this opportunity. The Shadow Demons were not one of the more prominent in
the ancient times. I hope to change that, and gain a stronger influence through
our achievements in the second holy war."
"My liege, there is no need to worry. Your servant will
pay close attention. As you say, Wood Demon parasites are hard to defend
against. I see many cultivators who are unknowingly infected with them. They
have a clear advantage when the parasites widespread."
"Advantage?" The king of the Shadow Demons
sneered. "You've only scratched the surface of their capabilities. Wood
Demons are fairly strong, but not much more than us Shadow Demons. Their
parasites do reproduce and spread quickly, but once someone figures out how to
deal with them, their advantage is rendered null."
"One can deal with parasites?"
"Obviously. Wood Demons would have long taken over the
heavenly planes otherwise. However, spreading parasites is only one of their
methods. What's truly terrifying about them is their pervasive use of poison.
Moreover, they're a very intuitive race with high degrees of comprehension.
Wood Demon geniuses often rise beyond all ten of the demon races. In warfare,
it is more likely for top-ranked experts to be Wood Demons than compared to
every other race, so much so that they're comparable to Celestial Demons."
"...Celestial Demons?" The person blanked.
The Shadow Demon King audibly exhaled in disgust. "You
don't need to know more about these things. Do your job. Remember, it doesn't
matter who you were previously… now that you've joined with us, you better not
have second thoughts. Otherwise, I'll make you regret you were born into this
world."
"Quite, quite, my liege." The person rushed to
express their loyalty. "Your servant is completely faithful to you. My
only hope is to do work for you, that I might have for a good future when the
demon race takes over the world. I couldn't possibly have other thoughts. The
only thing on my mind is my lord's wish."
"If that's really what you think, then that's
fine." The demon king snorted. "Go, carry out the next stage in our
plans."
"Yes." The person made to leave.
"Hold on," the demon king suddenly called out. His
consciousness was moved by something.
"What is it?" The person stopped in his footsteps.
"Someone destroyed five of my bone apparitions. More
importantly, their identities were discovered!" The demon king's voice had
a hint of anger.
"Discovered?" The person was surprised. "By
whom?"
Bone apparitions were controlled directly by the Shadow
Demon King, and moved at his command. He scanned his thoughts for the relevant
memories. "A cultivator surnamed Huang and his partner. What background do
they have?"
The person's body shook a little when he heard. "It's
them? Then there should be another, no?"
"Only two."
"Maybe they split up?" The person muttered to
himself.
The demon king was quite upset at having lost five
apparitions. "So, what do you know about them?"
The person grimaced. "That fellow’s pretty odd. I only
know that his last name is Huang, and nothing else. I will say though that he's
very arrogant. I don't believe that he's emperor realm even, but he is
definitely strong. Even the Prince of Shangping is a little wary of him. My
best guess is that he's a great disciple of a big sect or faction, but he's
hiding his identity."
"I don't care what big sect or faction he's from. He
has to pay for destroying my bone apparitions. His strength only makes him more
valuable!" The demon king wore a bizarrely eerie smile.
“My liege can rest easy. That kid doesn't know two things
about the world. He'll be right under your finger as soon as he enters your
territory."
"Hmph! Lure some people here first. If I am to assume a
physical form, I still need a bit more essence from cultivators. It's best if
you can get a strong emperor realm cultivator to come. The stronger the body,
the better. I shall… temporarily… borrow his body."
"Then let's pick that prince. He's pretty strong, and
he practices some kind of body-tempering art as well."
"A fine choice." The demon king cackled once more.
…...
"Your Highness, we haven't done much since we entered
the wildlands. There are so many earth rank and sky rank spirit herbs we've
missed, all because we're chasing after that Huang brat… is it really worth
it?" The one who asked this was a cultivator dressed like a retainer. He
was halfway to emperor realm, and a force to be reckoned with.
He was speaking to the Prince of Shangping, who merely
smiled. "Sky rank herbs, earth rank herbs… they are only illusions. As a
master of the arts of the eye, I’m not fooled by such trifles. You shouldn’t
be, either."
"Illusion?!" The retainer gasped.
"Even if they aren’t, there will certainly be many
traps." The prince sounded like all was within his grasp.
"What's so worthwhile about pursuing the Huang brat,
though?"
The prince faintly smiled. "Ole Shen, you've been with
me for many years. Do you think a cultivator like you would act with such
impudence in front of true emperor realm cultivators?" "This
subordinate wouldn't dare."
"If even you wouldn't dare, but that brat would as a
sage realm cultivator… do you think he's just puffed up? Or do you think he has
good reason to be that way?"
"I, er, I can't really tell." The retainer
laughed, a little lost.
"You can't tell because you haven't studied the arts of
the eye. Though I can't completely tell either, I know that his arrogance is
likely an intentional pretense. His confidence isn't, however. When Ole Feng
Heng snuck up on him, the kid slowed down the speed of the old man's needles
with a flourish of his sleeves. He must have some powerful treasure hidden in
there that can slow attacks down. I estimate that he's a great disciple of some
strong sect, and carries many treasures on his person. If we can take them for
our own, then we'll be able to do as we like here in the wildlands."
"A great disciple of a big sect?" The retainer was
shocked.
"Yes! But now that he's in the wildlands, it doesn't
matter who he is anymore. Ole Shen, remember, never underestimate him if you
meet him in person."
"Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. I will exert
my full strength to help you crush him."
The Prince of Shangping showed a winning smile. "Let's
go. I already sense that he's not far from here. Make sure to kill him in one
blow. Don't give him any opportunities to turn the tables."
Chapter 883: A Mint Ginseng
A vast and roaring river stretched horizontally before Jiang
Chen and Huang’er. There had originally been a bridge crossing the river. But
the bridge had fallen into severe disrepair with the passage of time.
Vegetation grew rampantly around the broken bridge, protruding from the river like
pillars of coral reef.
“We’ve reached the river,” Jiang Chen was delighted. “Our
destination lies just beyond the other bank.”
Huang’er also examined the map. This river had been clearly
marked out. Once they crossed the river and passed by a few more areas, they
would reach the place that He Hongshu had indicated where the Requiem Wood lay.
“According to He Hongshu, there are some aggressive spirits residing in the
river, but they aren’t very strong.”
This place hadn’t been unearthed at all from ancient times
until now. Just the natural spiritual energy suffusing this place would be
enough to birth various powerful spirits. Without the interference of the
outside world, even a plant with some degree of natural aptitude could become a
spirit being, developing into a sentient lifeform. The two of them had refined
the Golden Cicada bloodline and simultaneously called on the power of the
Golden Cicada wings, leaping towards the opposing riverbank.
Although He Hongshu had given them this information, Jiang
Chen didn’t rely entirely on the other’s experience. He continued to be on his
guard as he crossed the river. That was then and this was now. When He Hongshu
had crossed the river, he might have been lucky enough to be disrupted by only
a few small spirits. However, the rapid currents of this wide river were inky
green. They obscured the riverbase like the currents of a vast ocean, giving
people an unfathomable feeling. It wouldn’t be surprising that some powerful
spirit was lurking in the depths. Caution was the parent of safety. Even when
he approached the opposite bank, Jiang Chen did not lower his guard lest he
fail in the face of success. It had to be said that his instincts were quite
strong.
When the two had flown across the center of the river,
something unexpected suddenly appeared from a piece of the shattered bridge.
Without warning, what had originally been nothing but a swathe of innocent
vegetation abruptly spewed jet after jet of green-colored fog. Amidst the fog,
a tentacle covered with countless green warts writhed into the air towards them
like an enormous green python. The green fog actually carried some kind of
mysterious power. It had powerful swathes of restraining energy that instantly
reduced the speed of Jiang Chen and Huang’er’s wings. Like flowers scattered
from the sky, that tumor-like tentacle instantly sealed off the space within a
hundred meters around it.
Jiang Chen smiled in cold rage. These tentacles were
comparable to his Lotus of Fire and Ice. In the second it took to think, the
Lotus of Fire and Ice on him had already been unleashed. The vines of countless
lotuses violently lashed out towards those tumor-like tentacles. Simple and
direct! Ever since Jiang Chen had nurtured the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and
Ice, its form had evolved continuously. Its speed of evolution was still full
speed ahead. As of today, even a random prompt by Jiang Chen would cause
hundreds of vines to completely immobilize the tumor-like tentacles.
Immense flower petals lunged towards those tentacles like
the gaping maw of a beast. At the same time, Jiang Chen and Huang’er unleashed
their techniques, sweeping away the green smoke that creeped towards them. The
two people moved with urgency, swiftly dashing higher into the clouds. In the
face of adversity, the brave prevail. The Bewitching Lotus of Ice and Fire
truly deserved its status as a sky rank spirit creature. These terrifying
tentacles had initially been a cultivator’s worst nightmare. But the petals of
the lotus closed around them like an enormous mouth and slurped them up like a
bowl of noodles. No matter how the tentacles struggled, they could not break
free.
Awwoooo! Suddenly, the bridge split in two with a loud
rumble. A green monster emerged, its entire body covered with green patterns
that looked like eyes. The ends of those tumor-like tentacles just so happened
to be attached to these patterns.
“What kind of monster is this?” Huang’er frowned. As
expected, the desolate wildlands was truly a bizarre place. Such a hideous
monster had actually managed to conceal itself in the vegetation so that even
Jiang Chen had not detected its presence!
With a sweep of his God’s Eye, Jiang Chen spotted its
limitation. “Look at its main body. Doesn’t it look like a mint ginseng?”
The mint ginseng was a kind of spirit herb. Huang’er had
also heard of this. Upon closer inspection, its main body really resembled the
fabled mint ginseng. However, the size of that spirit herb was only supposed to
be that of an infant. This monster was well over eighty feet long and twenty
feet wide. It was definitely a mint ginseng that had been magnified a few
hundred times. Moreover, the mint ginseng might be a kind of spirit herb, but
it couldn’t possibly be sentient!
“That thing must have been nurtured here for ten thousand
years, to the extent that its physical form changed and it developed a
consciousness. It’s become a sentient lifeform!” Jiang Chen exclaimed upon
seeing this. Nonetheless, even if this mint ginseng had developed sentience, it
still posed no big threat to Jiang Chen. Moreover, the guy seemed to have just
gained its consciousness. Its attacks might be powerful, but they lacked
cunning. Spewing poison fog, using toxic tentacles to sweep things away… These
attacks might be sufficiently fatal for any ordinary cultivator. But Jiang Chen
was not one of them.
As they spoke, that mint ginseng’s tentacles were being
continuously engulfed by the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, eliciting
screeching howls. Clearly, this newly-born creature that had just developed
consciousness was just like a small child. It wailed and cried whenever it
suffered. The devouring ability of the Lotus was extremely strong. Soon enough,
the bottom part of the monster would be swallowed. After that, the main body of
this mint ginseng would then be cut apart by the lotus. It would be destroyed.
When Huang’er heard the mint ginseng’s howls of pain and saw
it writhe around in agony, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for it. “Brother
Chen, it should be a newborn lifeform, just like a baby. Perhaps, you should
capture it instead?” She was innately soft-hearted.
When Jiang Chen heard the girl’s words, he immediately
prompted the lotus to stop. An ordinary person might truly be baffled by how he
could communicate with this mint ginseng. But Jiang Chen had been fluent in
numerous languages in his previous life. He understood the speech of ancient
beasts and somewhat knew the languages of various spirit races.
“I see that developing a consciousness was not easy for you.
Perhaps you’d be willing be accept me as your master?” Jiang Chen used the
language of the spirit races to converse with the mint ginseng.
The mint ginseng had just been born. It was just like a
small child being bullied by a stronger person. Since it had no parents to
tattle to, raising its hands in surrender was its instinct.
“I am, I am, just don’t kill me!” The foremost instinct of
any sentient life form was putting its survival above everything else. The
human race was like that, as was the demon race and any other race.
Although it had already surrendered, Jiang Chen did not let
down his guard. A ray of consciousness surged into the mint ginseng’s form.
“Since you’ve surrendered, don’t think about trying something else.”
“N-no, I wouldn’t dare.” Initially, that mint ginseng seemed
to have some thoughts in mind. But after seeing Jiang Chen’s methods and being
pierced by a ray of consciousness, how would it dare resist? It let Jiang
Chen’s consciousness settle within its soul. This ray of consciousness was to
monitor the creature’s actions. Once this guy showed any sense of disloyalty,
Jiang Chen’s consciousness would instantly know.
“Relax, you won’t lose out by following me. It’s not like
you’ll have any future to speak of if you keep hiding under this bridge. You’ll
be destroyed the moment you encounter any powerful opponents.”
“Yes, of course.” The mint ginseng was obviously terrified
of Jiang Chen. It went along with whatever its new master said, not daring to
rebut anything. The mint ginseng could increase or decrease its size at will.
After it was captured, it turned back into the form of an ordinary mint
ginseng. Although it was still a little bigger than normal, it wasn’t as
exaggeratedly enormous as just now. This small interlude might have been more
bark than bite, but it still cost Jiang Chen a bit of time.
After they crossed the river, they encountered no further
dangers along their way. Jiang Chen also asked the mint ginseng about the demon
race, but the creature had just gained its consciousness not long ago. It was
completely ignorant, not even comprehending the concept of the demon race. He
didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh. This whole situation felt like the
blind leading the blind.
After around fifteen minutes, two shadows flitted past the
vast river, landing on the bridge fragment where Jiang Chen had captured the
mint ginseng. Unexpectedly, it was Prince of Shangping and his trusted aide.
“There was a battle here not long ago,” Prince of Shangping
had keen senses. “It should be him. The remnants of battle haven’t been erased.
From the looks of it, he’s confident in his power.”
His aide replied, “That brat is too arrogant. I feel that he
swaggers everywhere is because he doesn’t feel that anyone here poses a threat
to him.”
Prince of Shangping muttered, “We can’t be sure about that.
I still suspect that his bluster is all an act. Perhaps his goal is for us to
underestimate him.”
“How can a young cultivator be that shrewd?” His aide asked,
half mired in doubt.
“And who cares whether he’s faking it? Hurry and catch up to
him before it’s too late. Listen to my commands. When the time comes, I’ll keep
him busy with small talk while you launch an ambush.” This master and servant
pair did not hesitant as they continued their pursuit of Jiang Chen.
After Jiang Chen crossed the river, he began to slow down.
According to the hints provided on He Hongshu’s map, beyond the river, this was
a comparatively more dangerous territory. This territory stretched across a
valley. According to He Hongshu’s records, this valley was heavily suffused
with yin energy. From time to time, fiendish yin demons and monsters would
appear. Back then, He Hongshu’s party had lost plenty of people because of this
place. However, fortunately, someone amongst his companions had possessed a
treasure with the yang attribute that specialized in restraining those yin
monsters. This had allowed their group to escape with their lives.
“Huang’er, we’ll have to be careful here.” They would be one
step closer to their destination after passing through this valley. Moreover,
although this valley was not too big, at first glance, it was as dark as the
interior of a sack, giving off an extremely unpleasant impression.
Jiang Chen himself wasn’t too scared of these things, but
Huang’er was different. Although Huang’er’s cultivation was very powerful,
these yin monsters might affect her Generation Binding Curse.
Yin monsters and foul creatures could most easily trigger
the Generation Binding Curse. This was what Jiang Chen was most afraid. He
instantly retrieved some wood spirit spring. “Huang’er, this is the essence of
the wood spirit spring. When you feel like something is wrong, swallow some of
it. It’s effective against those yin monsters.”
Wood spirit spring contained purifying qualities, more so
for the essence that he had extracted.
Chapter 884: Myriad Corpse Valley
Huang’er received the wood spirit spring essence with an
elegant nod. Her clear eyes had become a bit more serious. She was aware of the
inflammatory effects that yin-attributed beings had on her Generation Binding
Curse, so she took them very seriously. She had been tormented by the curse
since she was little and had long since come to terms with it. However, today
was different. If something happened to her, Jiang Chen would be affected as
well. Huang’er didn’t want to drag him down with her.
Jiang Chen activated his God’s Eye and looked into the
distance. The valley was obscured with fog. It appeared equally gloomy no
matter the season, as if sunlight was forever incapable of piercing through it,
giving the valley an incredibly sinister feeling. Regardless, time waited for
no one. Jiang Chen and Huang’er exchanged a glance. “Let’s go.”
The moment the two of them entered the valley, they heard a
voice call out from behind them, “Daoist Huang, please wait.”
Even without turning around, Jiang Chen could identify the
owner of the voice as the creator of their alliance, the Prince of Shangping.
He didn’t slow down as he continued to dash deeper into the valley. He didn’t
want to deal with any side issues, so he called out instead, “Prince of Shangping,
let us walk our separate paths on this wide road.” His attitude clearly
indicated that he didn’t wish to interact with the Prince of Shangping.
The Prince of Shangping appeared startled before he forced
out a laugh. “Daoist Huang seems to hold some enmity towards me, but from the
bottom of my heart I hold nothing but praise for you. Today, I wish to share an
opportunity with you.”
Jiang Chen didn’t turn his head at all. Mocking laughter
rang in his trail. “Just enjoy it yourself. I have no interest in whatever
opportunities you may have for me.”
The Prince of Shangping had never imagined that this man
wouldn’t even give him a chance. A small seed of irritation took root in his
heart. However, he was very careful not to expose his exasperation, or else his
scheme would completely fall apart.
Jiang Chen held zero interest in the other’s nonsense.
Although he did not know why the Prince of Shangping had sought him out, his
instincts told him that this Prince of Shangping definitely did not hold nearly
as much goodwill towards him as he tried to make it seem.
…...
“My liege, the Prince of Shangping has entered the Myriad
Corpse Valley along with a cultivator named Huang. According to this servant’s
earlier deductions, this Prince of Shangping might wish to take advantage of
Huang.” The person from earlier contacted the Shadow Demon King through a
secret method.
“Tsk tsk, I’m interested in both of these two fellows. Who’d
have thought that they would stroll in together?” The king clicked his tongue
in wonder.
“Should we move now?” The person asked.
“No rush. Let them fight it out for a while first.
Afterwards, we’ll seize the opportunity to break them down one by one. How far
are the others from here?”
“This servant has planted a number of mechanisms along the
way. If anyone sees them, they’ll be lured here step by step. This servant has
also followed Your Majesty’s instructions and planted these mechanisms in order
to separate all of them. In doing so, it’ll prevent a surge of people from
entering this place and interfering with Your Majesty’s plans.”
“Mm, not a bad job. Continue to execute the plan. Be aware
of the Wood Demon’s movements at all times. They will definitely not let me
enjoy this feast alone.”
“Understood.”
…...
“Huang’er, seal your senses and consciousness. I’ll guide
you,” Jiang Chen whispered. The dark forest surrounded them like a dense fog.
Shadowy figures flickered hauntingly within the fog. The further they traveled
into the valley, the more they could sense the yin qi that pervaded the place.
If an ordinary person entered this place, they might even be directly swallowed
by the yin qi. Even an ordinary cultivator wouldn’t have much luck traversing
this valley. This fiendish yin qi was definitely not something they could
defend against.
Not only did Jiang Chen have to be mindful of the situation
around him, but he also had to pay attention to the Prince of Shangping. This
caused him to greatly slow down his pace. He didn’t dare travel any faster lest
he miss any warning signs of sudden situations. If they continued at this
speed, they would need at least two hours to make it through the valley, and
that was assuming that everything went smoothly. Clearly, such smooth sailing
was nothing but wishful thinking.
As Jiang Chen moved, he suddenly realized that the scenery
alongside him was continuously shifting. Countless tombstones were springing up
one after one from the loosening soil. If they were just ordinary tombstones,
he had nothing much to fear. However, these tombstones were very abnormal.
Strange characters had been inscribed on the surface of every tombstone, as if
they had been summoned straight from the depths of hell. In the moment it took
Jiang Chen to bring up his guard, those tombstones actually started to move, as
if they had grown legs. Piece by piece, they arranged themselves in an orderly
fashion, and in the blink of an eye they had formed a formation, blocking the
duo’s path.
Jiang Chen’s eyes darkened as he gazed at these tombstones.
He abruptly activated his God’s Eye, his gaze penetrating deep into the ground
past these tombstones. Beneath the ground, each tombstone was actually
supported by several bone apparitions that were rapidly moving these tombstones
around.
“Pfft, such pretense!” Just as Jiang Chen was about to
dispose of them, he heard the howl of wind whistle past his ear. The Prince of
Shangping and his subordinate had caught up to them. Jiang Chen restrained
himself from impulsively making a move. Instead, he stood to the side, gazing
at the Prince of Shangping with a supercilious smile. “Prince of Shangping,
these tombstones are a little strange. I’ll leave them to your Highness’
remarkable prowess.”
The Prince of Shangping sternly replied, “This place is
somewhat bizarre. Why not attack together?”
Jiang Chen shook his head. “It’s hard for me to fight right
now. I’ll have to trouble you instead.”
The Prince of Shangping shot a passing glance at Huang’er,
who lay in Jiang Chen’s arms. He furrowed his brows and asked, “What happened
to this daoist?”
Jiang Chen calmly replied, “She’s not very used to all this
yin qi. If the Prince of Shangping views me as a friend, then help me out by
getting rid of these. How about it?”
The Prince of Shangping thought for a second before he
nodded. “I’ve known that this place was suspicious all along. It’s natural for
us human cultivators to travel in groups and work together after entering the
desolate wildlands. Since Daoist Huang is inconvenienced, I will try my best.
If I am unable to handle everything alone, I ask that Daoist Huang refrain from
simply watching from the sidelines.”
“If Your Highness is having trouble, how can I simply watch
from the sidelines? How would I have the confidence to proceed further if even
Your Highness has fallen?” Jiang Chen watched a patch of tombstones with a
shadowy gaze as he spoke calmly.
The Prince of Shangping nodded. His profound gaze was
fixated on those stone plates. Suddenly, he pointed to the sky with a talisman
in hand. “Shatter!”
Once he activated the talisman, it immediately split apart.
Countless streaks of violet-colored energy snaked over the tombstones. The
light carried an enormous explosive power, rumbling loudly as it traveled.
Boom! This Exorcism Rune seemed extraordinarily destructive
against demonic yin creatures. The violet, snake-like lightning crashed against
the tombstones with a roar, and the tombstones were instantly ground into a
fine powder as they shattered one after another.
The Prince of Shangping smiled leisurely. “That wasn’t much.
Please proceed, Daoist Huang!”
Jiang Chen’s appearance remained normal, but he was sneering
inwardly. As expected, this Prince of Shangping bore him no goodwill. His
attack had seemed vicious, but he had only destroyed the tombstones. The bone
apparitions beneath the ground had been left untouched. There was no way he
could believe that someone as discerning as the Prince of Shangping would
overlook the bone apparitions below the tombstones. Jiang Chen had run into
these bone apparitions before. They possessed the ability to transform. When
needed, they could even take the shape of a human.
The tombstones had been destroyed but at least a hundred
bone apparitions were still buried below ground. The constructs were not
intelligent enough to realize that the two humans standing above them had long
since discovered their existence. When Jiang Chen saw that the Prince of
Shangping prompted him to go first, he knew it was definitely not out of
kindness. He chuckled, “Your Highness should complete his act of goodwill. Why
not lead the way?”
The Prince of Shangping kept a straight face as he nodded,
“This place is rather suspicious. It’s truly inappropriate to ask Daoist Huang
to create a path for us while he cares for his friend. However, I am worried
about placing you behind me. How about this? Ole Shen, you lead the way. I will
bring up the rear. We’ll work together to cross this valley.”
Jiang Chen smiled calmly but didn’t move from his spot. He
suddenly asked, “Your Highness, this valley is so dangerous. Why are you so
adamant about crossing it?”
The Prince of Shangping sighed. “I received news that an
opportunity lies at the end of this valley.” “What opportunity?” Jiang Chen
could not help but ask.
“Hehe, since Daoist Huang does not seem interested in
working with me, you’ll have to forgive me for keeping this to myself,” The
Prince of Shangping’s smile was veiled with mystery.
Jiang Chen silently cursed this sly old fox, but his
expression remained etched in stone, as he did not inquire further. He waved a
hand, “Since Your Highness has such a great opportunity, why don’t we return to
our old rules? The road is wide—we can each walk our own paths.”
The Prince of Shangping blinked in surprise. “There’s only
one road here. Are you thinking of leaving the valley?”
Jiang Chen laughed. “I’ll wait for Your Highness to leave
first. I don’t want our relationship to be hurt by you thinking that I wish to
fight you for this opportunity.”
In the end, Jiang Chen was still unable to trust this Prince
of Shangping.
The other smiled wryly, “Fellow daoist, you don’t seem to
trust me very much.”
“Better to be a little prudent when I’m not in my home
territory.” Actually, Jiang Chen’s heart was seething with anxiety. The reason
he had requested for the Prince of Shangping to walk ahead was so that he did
not have to expose his back to the man. If the prince walked ahead, Jiang Chen
would still have sufficient time to react even if this old timer deployed any
malicious schemes. Moreover, although the tombstones in front of them had been
destroyed, Jiang Chen was unwilling to dispose of those bone apparitions by
himself.
The Prince of Shangping sighed lightly. At this point, he
could only pretend to be ignorant of the numerous bone apparitions hiding
underground. He gestured to his follower, “Since Daoist Huang cannot trust us,
let us walk on ahead.”
When the prince saw that Jiang Chen continued to be on his
guard and keep him at arm’s length, he instantly wanted to erupt with
hostility. However, he still managed to control himself. Without absolute
guarantee of victory, he would never make his move. This was his principle,
particularly since he was in this strange of a valley. If he wanted something,
he had to attain it in one fell swoop.
Whether it was out of fear of the powerful talismans that
the Prince of Shangping had deployed or for some other reason, the bone
apparitions did not attack the Prince of Shangping as he walked past them. When
Jiang Chen witnessed this, he thought it was somewhat unfathomable, and he
became somewhat hesitant. The bone apparitions had not attacked this Prince of
Shangping when he’d walked past. If he himself did the same, would they remain
docile as well? If that was the case, this was actually a great opportunity.
However, if the bone apparitions suddenly attacked him, what
Jiang Chen was truly afraid of was not those pesky little monsters, but rather
the cultivator who had walked in front of him. He had a way to deal with bone
apparitions. But bone apparitions on top of the Prince of Shangping? That was
difficult to say.
Jiang Chen hesitated for a split second. In the end, he
still decided to wait until the prince and his aide had walked ahead for a
while before proceeding. He didn't want to take the risk of being
simultaneously assaulted by the bone apparitions as well as the Prince of
Shangping. Thirty minutes after the latter had left, Jiang Chen saw that those
bone apparitions still didn't seem to want to attack. He glanced down at
Huang’er. Although she had completely sealed off her five senses, she would
still be affected by the insidious yin qi within the valley.
“Can’t wait any longer.” Jiang Chen grit his teeth and
bounded forwards. He hadn't expected the bone apparitions to remain completely
docile, as if they were asleep. They were like terracotta soldiers that had
been buried underground, completely still without any signs of aggression. How
could Jiang Chen dally when this was the case? He swiftly passed through the
area.
However, even after crossing the tombstone district, Jiang
Chen remained alert. In such a strange valley, these tombstones were probably
just the opening act. Moreover, why had those bone apparitions not attacked him
and the Prince of Shangping? This was incredibly suspicious.
“Someone must be controlling these bone apparitions.
Otherwise, these transforming monsters couldn’t possibly possess such a high
level of intelligence, even if they’d retained some form of knowledge from
their previous life. They should have some offensive capabilities. Why did they
suddenly decide to let us pass?” The more Jiang Chen mulled over this, the more
the hairs on his skin began to prickle. He constantly felt as though there were
a pair of eyes on him, closely watching everything he did.
“Huang’er’s situation doesn’t look too encouraging. I have
to find the Requiem Wood as soon as possible. No matter how powerful the demon
race here might be, I must obtain that Requiem Wood.” Jiang Chen was fully
aware that there was already no path of retreat. Currently, apart from the
threat of the demon race, there was also the unreadable Prince of Shangping who
really troubled Jiang Chen. Hence, even though a sense of urgency burned in his
heart, he couldn't travel any faster.
On his way, Jiang Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks again.
He stared at the ground and then at his surroundings before his expression
twisted into a grimace. Alarm bells rang out in his head as his acute intuition
warned him that a source of extreme danger was surging madly towards him. In
response, Jiang Chen clawed the air in front of him, his fingers clamping
around a talisman.
It was the Imperial Advent Defense Talisman that he had
received from the young master of the Coiling Dragon Clan. Simultaneously, his
other hand closed around the Featherflight Mirror. His gaze swept the area
around him as he listened for any noise. Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the
undergrowth on his right. Its momentum far surpassed Jiang Chen’s expectations.
He didn’t even need to think as he brandished his Featherflight Mirror. With a
swish of the mirror, the arrow instantly lost speed.
Without any delay, he raised a finger towards the heavens.
The powerful force of his Supernova Point slashed outwards in a criss-cross
arc, towards the direction where the sneak attack had been launched.
It was at this moment that Jiang Chen suddenly felt the
scenery before his eyes shift. The next moment, the duo’s bodies were sent into
a formation. When he regained his bearings, one by one a series of majestic
statues began to stretch into existence before his eyes. Each of these golden
divine statues possessed the terrifying eyes of a guardian deity. Immense
pressure bore down on Jiang Chen under their heavy gazes.
The eight statues suddenly floated up into the air and
subsequently charged ferociously at Jiang Chen as if they were living beings.
An attack from eight different directions instantly placed Jiang Chen into an
exceedingly vulnerable position. He instinctively activated the Imperial Advent
Defense Talisman. Golden radiance erupted three feet into the air. As the
brilliant rays engulfed Jiang Chen, they gently turned into streaks of flowing
light, circling his entire body. The next moment, the defensive measure of the
talisman reinforced Jiang Chen’s body as the eight statues simultaneously
struck.
To his immense shock, Jiang Chen realized that each one of
these eight statues possessed the offensive power of initial emperor realm.
Moreover, the attacks made by these eight statues even corresponded to
formation-type attacks. As formation after formation rained down upon him,
Jiang Chen was no longer even sure which side he should defend from.
Although he was protected by the Imperial Advent Defense
Talisman, Jiang Chen didn't dare to relax. Without warning, he activated his
body tempering arts. Ten feet of golden light covered his torso. He hugged
Huang’er tightly, pressing her body against his chest. Even if he was injured,
he didn't want Huang’er to be hurt by these statues. Attacks were coming from
his right, his left, and from behind… Jiang Chen could no longer pay attention
to them. He knew that what he had to defend was his front.
Because Huang’er lay in his embrace.
The Imperial Advent Defense Talisman could protect him but
not Huang’er. The blows from the two statues charging head on at him must be
deflected by his own strength. Thankfully, Jiang Chen possessed so many
strategies that he instantly stopped the assaults with a swish of his
Featherflight Mirror. At the same time, the attacks of the other statues landed
heavily on his body.
Crash!
Streaks of golden light poured out from Jiang Chen’s body.
It was as if he was being gently pummeled by a baby’s fists. Although he could
feel the attacks, they didn’t bring the slightest sensation of pain. He was
inwardly delighted. This Imperial Advent Defense Talisman definitely lives up
to its name!
Once activated, the talisman could last at least eight
hours. Jiang Chen didn’t need to worry about the talisman losing its potency
any time soon. At this point, he could no longer conceal his true power. He
unleashed his Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, entrapping the two statues in
front of him. With a hand seal, the numerous vines of the lotus lashed
violently towards the two statues.
The lotus was incredibly powerful at both binding and
shattering, but these two statues had clearly also been constructed
extraordinarily well. While Jiang Chen couldn’t tell what exactly had been used
to create them, even the combined strength of hundreds of vines couldn't grind
them down. Finally letting his frustration get to him, Jiang Chen repeatedly
sliced into the air with a fingertip.
The fourth move of the Supernova Point: Galaxy Slash!
This Supernova Point had been coined by an authority from
the ancient era. Its formidable might could slice even the Milky Way apart.
Jiang Chen had been training this technique for a very long time. Just because
his Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice couldn't break these things didn’t mean
that the Galaxy Slash would fail to. The powerful blow sliced into the statues.
As expected, cut after cut carved into them. Just as Jiang Chen repeatedly
deployed the Galaxy Slash, another arrow hurtled out from the distance. It
pierced through space, careening towards him with a deadly trajectory.
Anger flared up within him as he pushed his hand downwards,
slamming the mint ginseng into the ground. “Go and drag out that bastard
shooting these arrows.” The fellow launching sneak attacks on me must
definitely be rather weak. Otherwise, he wouldn’t keep relying on these unseen
arrows.
The mint ginseng was still quite terrified of Jiang Chen.
When it saw that this was its chance to prove its usefulness, it was naturally
extremely happy. On the other hand, Jiang Chen only had one goal in mind as he
continued to slice those two statues apart. When the other statues realized
that they had no way to attack him, they consecutively surged towards his
frontal side. How could Jiang Chen allow them to do as they wished? He shifted
his position continuously as he called out, “Prince of Shangping, is this your
so-called cooperation?” If he still couldn’t figure out that this was the
prince’s dirty ploy, then there must be something wrong with his brain.
In the darkness, the Prince of Shangping seemed slightly
dumbfounded as he manipulated his formation disk. He had received this
formation disk thanks to a stroke of good luck in an extremely fortuitous
situation. The disk could compel eight divine golden statues to attack
simultaneously. With the Prince of Shangping’s potential, he could only tap into
a third of this power. The eight statues were only able to materialize strength
of initial emperor realm. After all, his own level of cultivation was only in
emperor realm. These eight statues were akin to an alliance between eight
initial emperor realm cultivators. One could easily imagine their resulting
power.
Moreover, these eight divine statues were different from
ordinary emperor realm cultivators. An ordinary cultivator might possess
slightly higher offensive power, but their defensive capabilities might not be
up to par. The defense of these eight statues was truly insurmountable. A
normal attack couldn’t even hope to scratch them. After all, they didn't fear
pain. This kind of perverse durability would definitely cause an ordinary
opponent to suffer a severe headache.
Hence, when the Prince of Shangping had set up the formation
as a ploy against Jiang Chen, he had felt fairly confident. Who would have
expected that these eight golden divine statues would be unable to ruffle the
feathers of this mysterious young cultivator? This brat actually possessed such
an impenetrable defense that the attacks of his statues had no effect on him!
If he hadn’t had to protect his companion, he might very well have taken out
all the statues already.
In that moment, the Prince of Shangping was both shocked and
furious—shocked because his opponent possessed a defense more formidable than
his eight golden divine statues, and furious because all his efforts seemed to
have gone to waste. If the first attack failed, any further aggression would be
much more difficult. Moreover, his location had been discovered by his
opponent. At this moment, the Prince of Shangping had almost given up. However,
he was a very determined person. Some glowing thing covered this brat’s body
just now. He must have used some kind of strange defensive talisman. Defensive
talismans last for an hour at most. After one hour, the effects will naturally
disappear…
When he thought of this, the Prince of Shangping regained
his fighting spirit. This brat is decked from head to toe with so many
treasures. If he didn’t snatch them for himself, then he would truly have
wasted all this effort. When he realized this, the Prince of Shangping chuckled
before springing out from the darkness. One of his hands grasped the handle of
a silver longsword.
“Since Daoist Huang possesses such strong enmity towards me,
then don’t blame me for being too harsh on you!” This Prince of Shangping was
completely shameless. It was obviously him who had initiated the attack, yet he
continued to speak of himself in such a pompous manner.
Jiang Chen only sneered at him. His gaze was fixed on the
Prince of Shangping as he said, “I knew an old codger like you would be up to
no good. You can’t hide your sly fox tail anymore, can you?”
The Prince of Shangping was completely shameless. When he
heard Jiang Chen’s mocking words, he acted as though he couldn’t hear anything.
“Brat, things have already reached this stage. What’s the point of spouting
such nonsense? Tell me your background so I can see if I can afford this
offense.”
Jiang Cheng was too lazy to even converse. “Fight if you
want to. What’s the point of chit chatting?”
A nasty grin appeared on the Prince of Shangping’s face.
“Quite arrogant huh, brat? But even if you’re the disciple of a famous sect, do
you really think you have any right to mess around after you’ve entered my
formation? Today, I will send you straight to hell. All your valuables… I’ll
take them for safekeeping. I’ll send your companion to accompany you after I’ve
toyed with her. Ahahaha…”
Chapter 886: Fleeing With His Tail Between His Legs
The Prince of Shangping had repressed himself for so long.
When he saw Jiang Chen fall into his hands, he no longer needed to hide
anything. He shed his mask of geniality and instantly displayed his true
character. When Jiang Chen heard this, he abruptly raised an eyebrow. His gaze
was filled with killing intent. “Prince of Shangping, do you think that you can
suppress me just because you’ve put everything you have into this scheme?”
The Prince of Shangping appeared as if he was about to say
something, but a sharp shriek resounded from the area beside them, cutting him
off. When he heard this shriek, his expression instantly changed. Naturally, he
could identify that this voice belonged to his aide. “Ole Shen, what happened?”
Jiang Chen only smiled chillingly. He knew that the mint
ginseng had found its target. As expected, countless tentacles lashed out from
beside them. Stream after stream of green fog billowed rapidly towards the
Prince of Shangping.
The other’s pupils contracted violently as he dodged in a
flurry. He could vaguely sense that a strong binding power lay within that
green fog. Within the space obscured by the fog, more than a few hundred
wart-covered tentacles shot successively towards him at lightning speed. He was
completely dumbfounded. His longsword soared into action, slicing apart a few
dozen tentacles. However, the moment a tentacle was split apart, it regenerated
almost instantly. This regenerative ability was ludicrous, to the extent that
the Prince of Shangping wanted to break down in tears.
Jiang Chen chuckled darkly. Suddenly, he raised his hand. A
small golden mountain appeared at the center of his palm. With a single hand
seal, countless tadpole-like characters began to orbit around him. Without
warning, the miniature mountain expanded into a hill before ruthlessly crushing
the Prince of Shangping.
The prince had many tricks to his name and was well versed
in formations. He was also bolstered by the eight statues and his own arts were
quite strong. As a cultivator well-versed in formations and in possession of
the eight statues, his innate power was also remarkable. And yet, today’s
events had truly opened his eyes. The techniques and abilities of this
mysterious youth actually outmatched him in terms of both number and prowess.
As the golden mountain engulfed the space overhead, the Prince of Shangping
felt as if the sky was falling down. His wits had deserted him out of sheer
terror from the immense shock he felt. He still possessed several techniques
that had not yet been used, but under the pressure of this titanic mountain, he
was suddenly rendered incapable of activating any of his vast repertoire of
tricks.
Similar to the green fog, the golden mountain actually also
carried a binding power with it. These two different kinds of binding power
caused the Prince of Shangping to feel as though his body no longer obeyed his
commands. How would he dare continue the fight?
He didn’t even have time to retrieve his eight statues. He
activated a talisman and used it to quickly shatter the golden binding power
before rapidly hurtling away from the mountain. The magnetic golden mountain’s
shining rays might travel quickly, but they were still a hair behind the speed
of the escape mechanism granted by his talisman. Even after it had smashed into
the ground a few times, it was still unable to block his path of escape.
As soon as the Prince of Shangping fled, the formation
around them greatly weakened. When Jiang Chen broke the formation with his
Moonshatter Awl, the eight statues also lost their connection to it. One by
one, they ceased their flailing and toppled to the ground like deflated
balloons. Jiang Chen had no qualms about sweeping these eight statues into his
storage ring. The statues were extraordinary. Even numerous blows of his Galaxy
Slash had only scratched them instead of shattering them entirely. In order to
destroy these statues with his current level of power, Jiang Chen would have to
slash at them repeatedly for at least two hours. And even then, he might barely
be able to eliminate one of them. This kind of spectacular durability truly
amazed Jiang Chen. However, he was currently in no mood to admire these
statues. After retrieving the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, he called the
mint ginseng back as well and praised it, “Not a bad show. Some credit goes to
you in this.”
One glance at Ole Shen’s shriveled corpse told Jiang Chen
that the mint ginseng had completely drained the body of its essence. Jiang
Chen didn't feel a twinge of sympathy for him as he helped Huang’er up and left
the area. He had been trapped in battle within this formation for a good two
hours and hence, didn’t want to waste any more time. The Imperial Advent
Defense Talisman could maintain its defensive power for another two hours. He
had to take advantage of this time to cross this sinister valley as soon as
possible.
If Jiang Chen had been alone, he would have been fine with
surviving in this place for ten to fifteen days. But Huang’er’s Generation
Binding Curse couldn't withstand the aggravation of even a little bit of yin
qi. At this point, Jiang Chen hated that he wasn’t able to instantly find the
Requiem Wood and cure her illness.
…...
On the other hand, the Prince of Shangping had run a long
distance but fear still lingered in his heart. His face was deathly pale. From
time to time, he glanced behind him, worried that Jiang Chen was still pursuing
him. “Bastard, that brat acted like a weakling to lure the tigers out!” The
Prince of Shangping’s eyes were filled with fury. All along, he had thought
that he was the one trying to lure and kill those tigers. He had never expected
that his opponent would be even more vicious than him and conceal himself even
more deeply than he had!
“Just where did that brat come from?” The more the Prince of
Shangping considered the entire situation, the more he felt that something
didn’t quite add up. “Even if he was a great disciple of a first-rank sect, he
couldn’t possibly possess such power, right?”
The Prince of Shangping had seen plenty of such disciples.
To tell the truth, he had even killed many of those kinds of disciples. Although
great disciples of a first-rank sect did indeed know numerous techniques, they
were still lacking in power compared to an emperor realm cultivator like him.
Moreover, the equipment that the Prince of Shangping owned was also considered
to be at a top-level existence amongst cultivators.
Naturally, although the Prince of Shangping might call
himself a wandering cultivator, in reality he couldn't strictly be considered
as such. It was just that he enjoyed going on adventures and doing the same
kinds of things that wandering cultivators generally liked. He had always been
confident in his equipment and treasures. He felt that even if he wasn’t
considered to be amongst the top cultivators in the human domain, he would at
least be one of the best. However, the opponent he had encountered today had
caused him to taste bitter defeat. As of now, he had escaped with his life.
Although he was devastated by the result, he continued to silently ponder over
the losses and gains from his battle.
“That brat’s defensive power may even be at great emperor
realm. He didn’t shy away from the blows of the eight statues at all. Not a
single hair on him was ruffled. Could that be the power of the Imperial Advent
Defense Talisman?” The Prince of Shangping had not thought of this earlier due
to his panic. But now, upon careful consideration, he could make a few
conjectures about what had happened.
“As expected, this brat should have the blessings of some
great emperor realm cultivator.” As this occurred to him, the Prince of Shangping
felt the beginning of a headache. “No, I can’t let this brat live any longer.
If he leaves, will there be any place left for me in this world?” The Prince of
Shangping might have a powerful backing, but the person he had offended today
was under the protection of a great emperor. If word of this spread, there
would be hell to pay.
“Wait a minute…” When the Prince of Shangping thought of
Jiang Chen’s abilities, he was struck by a sudden flash of inspiration. “The
brat’s techniques, I seem to have seen them before somewhere? But it’s
definitely my first time seeing them… If I’d encountered him somewhere before,
I’d definitely remember him. But why do I keep thinking that he seems a little
familiar?” The Prince of Shangping’s brain vaguely seemed to have latched onto
a particular train of thought, but he was unable to piece together the puzzle.
He racked his brains further.
“So many vines, suffused with ice and fire attributes… Eh?”
The Prince of Shangping’s expression abruptly changed before he leapt up in
revelation. “It’s him?!”
At that moment, he finally found the final piece of the
puzzle he had been looking for. When he had been traveling around the world, he
had visited numerous places. When he had passed by the Great Scarlet Mid
Region, he had come across an incredibly exaggerated bounty poster. And the
person worth such a bounty had been called Jiang Chen...
“Jiang Chen… Right, Jiang Chen!” The Prince of Shangping’s
eyes suddenly shone with rays of epiphany. “When the Eternal Celestial Capital
invaded the Myriad Domain, the Capital’s Holy Kings dispatched countless armies
in vicious pursuit. The Great Scarlet Mid Region’s reputation was also severely
damaged. And the target of their pursuit, wasn’t it this Jiang Chen? His
techniques and equipment seem to match this guy very well. Could it be him?” As
the Prince of Shangping mulled over this line of thinking, he felt that it made
more and more sense.
“It’s him. It’s definitely him!” The Prince of Shangping’s
mind continued to spin. “This damn brat... you’re being targeted from all sides
and yet you strut into the desolate wildlands in such a carefree manner! Ah,
the bounty posters did mention that he had a companion. It must be that friend
he was carrying in his arms.” As he considered the situation, the bitter taste
of defeat completely disappeared.
“Even the Eternal Celestial Capital suffered at the hands of
this brat. I didn’t know about him, so it’s only natural that I lost a little
to his nonsensical techniques.” Although the Prince of Shangping was willing to
admit his loss, there was no way that he would just let bygones be bygones.
Rather, his number of grievances had only increased.
“If this brat has so many techniques, it’s no surprise that
the Eternal Celestial Capital fell to him. No, even my eight statues fell into
his palms. What’s more, what right does this brat have to own so many
heaven-defying treasures? Why should he be the one to control these things?!”
The Prince of Shangping couldn't accept this. “I must kill that brat! I’ll
quench the hatred in my heart, take his treasures, and turn him over to the Great
Scarlet Mid Region for bounty.”
The Prince of Shangping might have been driven into a corner
but that was only because of the unexpected pressure of the magnetic golden
mountain. He still had some techniques up his sleeves. Although he might not be
able to triumph over his opponent, he still had some combative power.
“I underestimated him previously. I didn’t expect that that
brat would hide his strength so that he could prey on the strong.” The Prince
of Shangping comforted himself. “I’ll slowly set another trap. This time, the
trap must be foolproof enough so that the brat won’t have an escape route.” He
had experienced many battles in his life. He might have suffered a slight
setback, but his fighting spirit still remained intact.
“Those tentacles might be terrifying but they can be dealt
with. Only... if I’m covered by that golden mountain, things won’t be so easy.”
He carefully considered the tactics he would use to oppose Jiang Chen. After a
brief second, a plan had formed in his mind. And at that same moment, his ear
twitched before he suddenly turned around and shot into the nearby undergrowth.
The sound of light footsteps sounded out from across him. A
figure floated out from the forest as it called out, “Prince of Shangping?”
When the Prince of Shangping heard this voice, he could
immediately tell that this was not his death-sworn enemy. His pounding heart
immediately relaxed. He walked out calmly and gazed towards the newcomer,
apathetically asking, “Ole Brother Lu, why are you here?”
This person, who was dressed like a scholar, had also been
one of the members of the alliance formed outside the valley. His name was Lu
Shinan. Back then, he had actually sought Jiang Chen out to form a secret
alliance, but had been firmly shot down.
Lu Shinan looked at the Prince of Shangping in shock, “Your
Highness, why do you look so beaten up? Have you encountered any danger?”
The Prince of Shangping huffed coldly, “This has nothing to
do with you, Brother Lu. Anyway, why have you suddenly appeared here?”
Lu Shinan smiled bitterly, “I was pursuing a trail but it
seems that the trail mysteriously ends here.”
“What trail?” The Prince of Shangping asked without
inflection.
The smile remained on Lu Shinan’s face. “It’s not convenient
for me to reveal what it is. Since the Prince of Shangping is occupied, this
junior will not disturb you. I’ll leave first.”
A light went off in the Prince of Shangping’s head as he
suddenly spoke up, “Wait a moment!”
Chapter 887:
Lu Shinan grew serious and a little wary as he stared at the
Prince of Shangping. “What else do you have to say, Your Highness?”
The Prince of Shangping smiled wryly, “Don’t worry, I’m not
interested in you.”
Lu Shinan spat on the ground, “Are you trying to imply that
I’m interested in you?”
The prince waved his hands to show that he wasn’t here to
quarrel with Lu Shinan. He answered calmly and without stress, “Daoist Lu, you
and I are both emperor realm experts. Therefore, it is understandable that we
are wary of each other.”
Lu Shinan snorted softly but didn’t answer. It was obvious
that he had his guard up against the other. Lu Shinan frowned, “Just say
whatever it is you have to say, Your Highness.”
The Prince of Shangping nodded, but without any anger
towards his rudeness. He pondered for a moment, “I have recently stumbled upon
a great fortune. I wonder if you are interested in it, Daoist Lu?”
“There are opportunities everywhere across the desolate
wildlands, so I’m actually not interested in this fortune of yours, Your
Highness. Who knows if it’s a trap you’ve laid down for me to jump into?”
The Prince of Shangping had a somewhat awkward expression on
his face. He would’ve killed this offender with a single punch if this had been
any other time. However, Lu Shinan’s appearance had given the Prince of
Shangping a few ideas. Therefore, he didn’t retort angrily. He said seriously
instead, “I can swear a heavenly oath that I have no intentions of targeting
you in any way, Daoist Lu.”
Lu Shinan thought for a moment before speaking reluctantly,
“Why don’t you tell me about the opportunity you found and let me decide if
it’s real first.”
The Prince of Shangping didn’t try to beat around the bush.
“Do you still remember that cultivator named Huang in the valley?”
“Are you talking about Daoist Huang? The one with a female
companion?” Lu Shinan asked curiously.
“Yes,” the Prince of Shangping nodded. “What do you think of
his strength, Brother Lu?”
“His strength? He should be at sage realm, but he probably
possesses the combat strength of an emperor realm cultivator. At the very
least, his confidence is likely backed by some measure of ability,” Lu Shinan
voiced his own judgment.
“Some measure of ability, you say?” The Prince of Shangping
laughed wryly, “He is a monster who fakes weakness to fool others. At the very
least, his strength is on par with yours and mine.”
“What do you mean?” Lu Shinan’s eyes moved rapidly.
“I had a bit of a conflict with him earlier and suffered a
minor loss because I underestimated him.” The prince purposefully obscured
things instead of explaining clearly.
A bit of ridicule dripped into Lu Shinan’s smile. “Are you
trying to get me to join you on a revenge excursion? If that’s the case, then I
am sorry to say that I’m not available.”
Lu Shinan had figured out the Prince of Shangping’s
underlying intentions from his expression. The prince smiled wryly, “Am I that
obvious?”
“Cut the nonsense. I’m not idle enough to waste time on your
petty revenge.”
The Prince of Shangping suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Why
do you think wandering cultivators travel everywhere and seek adventure, Daoist
Lu? We search for riches, power, or resources, all of which ultimately
contribute to helping us become stronger. Do you agree with this, Daoist Lu?”
“You don’t say.” Lu Shinan seemed to have lost the heart to
listen to the prince any longer.
The Prince of Shangping suddenly said, “In that case, let me
be frank with you. This person is of extraordinary origin, and if you aid me in
defeating him, I will grant you a great fortune.”
“Tut! If there really is such a great fortune, why don’t you
claim it for yourself?” Lu Shinan still refused to believe his words.
“Naturally, there are things that I desire from that person
as well. But he is valuable—far, far more valuable than you can possibly
imagine. Do you still remember that joint bounty offered by the Eternal
Celestial Capital and the Great Scarlet Mid Region, Daoist Lu?” The prince
asked with the ghost of a smile on his lips.
Lu Shinan finally turned serious as he cried out
involuntarily, “Are you speaking of that junior of Regal Pill Palace, Jiang
Chen?”
“That’s right. Right now, the bounty on his head has grown
several times larger than what it was initially at. Do you think that you can
ever earn that much wealth with your own talents, Daoist Lu?”
Lu Shinan thought for a moment before shaking his head
honestly, “I don’t think so.”
“What if you have a chance to earn that bounty? To rise to
the top in one fell swoop? Are you interested in giving it a go now, Daoist
Lu?” The Prince of Shangping asked with a chuckle.
“Are you saying…?” Lu Shinan’s pupils abruptly shrank. “Is
that kid the Jiang Chen that the Eternal Celestial Capital is hunting?”
“That’s right. I am at least ninety percent sure that he’s
Jiang Chen.” The Prince of Shangping nodded.
“Hmph. That bounty is great, but that doesn’t mean that it’s
easy to split between two people. I don’t understand. Your Highness, why are
you willing to share this all with me?” Lu Shinan was a very cautious person.
“It’s very simple. I may not be able to take him down
alone.”
“Where’s your aide?” Lu Shinan suddenly asked.
“He’s not strong enough, so he can’t help me with this.” Of
course, the Prince of Shangping wouldn’t tell Lu Shinan that his subordinate
was already dead.
Lu Shinan pondered for a moment. “The bounty is great, but
there are still two of us. If we do go to the end, I may not necessarily be
able to gain my fair share of the agreement should you change your mind.”
“The bounty is yours,” the Prince of Shangping said
indifferently. “I am a person of some stature, and I don’t particularly need
the riches offered by that bounty. Just the same, the amount of land offered
and the chance to start a sect are not where my interests lie.”
“Then what do you want?” Lu Shinan looked startled.
“You can have the bounty while I reclaim the eight statues
he robbed from me and take some of his equipment for my own. Are you satisfied
with this distribution, Daoist Lu?” The Prince of Shangping said suddenly,
“Don’t try to bargain with me. I’ve already made some concessions. If it
weren’t for revenge, I would never have come to you to make a deal. You know
that there are plenty of people who are willing to work with me.”
He had been negotiating from a weaker position all this
time, but his tone grew a little forceful now that they were at the final stage
of the negotiation.
Lu Shinan thought for a moment before raising his eyebrows.
“This split is fair, I suppose. But how do I know that you won’t break your
promise?”
“We can swear a heavenly oath. If I am to renege on this
split of rewards, may the heavens punish me with death.”
Feeling that the deal was fairly secure now that the
heavenly oath was involved, Lu Shinan nodded immediately, “Alright, then I will
partake in your revenge.”
The Prince of Shangping was very happy to hear this. “Very
good. You and I are at about the same level of strength. If you and I were to
fight him two on one, plus utilize some formations and the terrain to our
advantage, I’m sure that our victory will be quite certain. Oh right, allow me
to inform you of some of his combat characteristics, Daoist Lu. This is so that
you won’t be caught off guard by him while in a tight spot.”
The prince looked incredibly sincere and his actions made Lu
Shinan feel that he meant well. Thus, he nodded, “That is for the best. If you
and I are both aware of what he can do, we can tackle problems properly and
come up with the right plan of action.”
“That is correct. You and I must cooperate in good faith and
not let a single thing slip by us.” The duo found a hidden corner and muttered
to each other for a moment, creating a rough plan.
“First, we must have a formation that can trap him.
Moreover, this formation must be concealed by the terrain so that he can’t
discover it beforehand.” The Prince of Shangping said.
Lu Shinan thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. “I
know of a place that is rather suitable to lay down a formation. However, it’s
a little dangerous. At the very least, it’s dangerous enough that even I have
to pick my way through it carefully.”
A fierce gleam fleeted past the Prince of Shangping’s eyes,
“Dangerous, you say? As long as it doesn’t threaten both you and I, then the
greater the better. That’s the best way to keep his attention fixed solely on
the terrain around him. But before that, it must be a place that he has to pass
through, of course.”
“That’s no problem. We can always try and lure him over,” Lu
Shinan smiled. “I’ve communicated with that kid once before. Just leave it to
me.”
The Prince of Shangping suddenly frowned, “You won’t
suddenly betray me and work together with him later, will you, Daoist Lu?”
Lu Shinan smiled wryly, “I swear by the heavens that I will
be smited by thunder and lightning if I were to work together with him.”
There was nothing more convincing than a heavenly oath.
Therefore, the Prince of Shangping relaxed upon hearing this. “Please don’t
blame me for my cautiousness, Daoist Lu. The human heart is difficult to
fathom, and I have no choice but to be on my guard.”
Lu Shinan smiled. “I can understand that.”
Both these people were old foxes who refused to take any
losses. But now that they were working together, they had no problems feigning
a magnanimous heart. “Where is this place you speak of, Daoist Lu? Take me
there to have a look. I’ll put my formation there if the terrain is suitable.”
The prince obviously didn’t want to waste anymore time.
Lu Shinan nodded, but the hesitation on his face hadn’t yet
faded completely. “I’m still a little worried. That place is somewhat
dangerous.”
The Prince of Shangping frowned. “We have the two of us, so
what is there to be worried about? If anything is to happen, you and I can
always work together to overcome most of the obstacles.”
Lu Shinan finally nodded after thinking for a moment,
“Alright. You mustn’t leave me behind if anything were to happen, Your
Highness.”
“Two people fighting together is always going to be better
than one person fighting alone. So what do I have to gain by discarding you?”
Lu Shinan was already leading the way as they continued
talking to each other. The pair ran into a massive grave about fifteen minutes
later. White banners were everywhere, hanging on mounds. The Prince of
Shangping frowned when he saw the white banners, “Why are these white banners
here?”
Lu Shinan smiled wryly. “That’s why I said that this place
is eerie. These white banners were likely demonic objects from the ancient
times, considering that they’ve remained intact even though a hundred thousand
years have passed.”
The prince investigated for a bit with a serious look on his
face, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Will this place work? If it’s not, we can always find
someplace else.” Lu Shinan suggested, likely because he was quite wary of this
place.
The Prince of Shangping looked around for another moment.
“No, this place is perfect. We’ll set our trap here. These white banners
contain some subtle demonic aura, so there’s likely something strange beneath
these mounds. However, this isn’t a problem to us because I have a particular
discerning eye art that allows me to see what’s hidden inside. Although there
are definitely some demonic signs around this place, you and I are strong
enough to overcome them together. Plus, this is a place that that brat must
absolutely pass through.”
Anyone could see that the prince’s mind was completely
focused on Jiang Chen right now. “Daoist Lu, you must contribute some effort if
you wish to claim the bounty. So why don’t you keep watch while I lay down some
formations according to this terrain?”
“Alright.” Lu Shinan might not like this place too much, but
he still nodded in agreement. “It’ll be best if the formation blends so evenly
into the terrain that he won’t notice anything. Only then will the formations
truly be effective.”
“Relax, these are formations we’re talking about. I’m fairly
confident in this aspect of my skill set.” The prince smiled coldly. He thought
that Lu Shinan’s warning was a little unnecessary.
As he said this, the Prince of Shangping suddenly stopped
his hand movements. The white banners erected in front of the mounds had
abruptly started to shake violently.
Lu Shinan shivered all over and jumped instantly to the
prince’s side, “What’s going on, Your Highness?”
The prince was both worried and furious at Lu Shinan’s
cowardice. “What are you worried about? It’s just a bit of movement from some
evil air. There’s nothing to be worried about.”
He said this as he stared at the white banners, but he had
no idea that the hint of a strange smile had crept into Lu Shinan’s lips. He
also didn’t see that Lu Shinan’s arms were raised slightly in a conspiratorial
manner.
Chapter 888: Demon King Nineshadows
"Your Highness, that brat is here!" Lu Shinan
suddenly called out.
"Where?" The Prince of Shangping was startled.
However, he realized something was wrong the next moment. A black burst of
light erupted behind him as he turned, and a strange black talisman exploded in
the middle of his back. It turned into an inky jet of air and shot itself into
the prince's body. On the other side, Lu Shinan shifted a few dozen meters away
like a slippery eel.
The prince was furious. "Lu Shinan, you
backstabbing..."
Lu Shinan laughed malevolently. "You're wily, Prince of
Shangping, but your wits are no match for mine!"
"Then die!" The prince's face darkened. He was
about to deploy an art but found that his body was weak and devoid of any
energy. He had no strength left to muster. His entire body had been wrapped in
the black air. He couldn't move at all.
"Lu Shinan, what did you do to me?" The Prince of
Shangping was scared witless. His normal calmness was lost, and his entire body
shook in fear. His intuition told him that the end was nigh.
"Heh heh, what do you think?" Lu Shinan stayed at
a distance from the prince, not approaching beyond a certain point. His
expression was inscrutable.
The prince's pupils contracted. "Don’t forget that you
made a heavenly oath!"
Lu Shinan snickered, "I made an oath that I wasn't in
cahoots with the kid. That much is true. I'm really not."
The Prince of Shangping finally realized—there had been a
loophole in Lu Shinan's oath from the very beginning. Because he had been
wholly focused on Jiang Chen, it had slipped past him. And as as a result, Lu
Shinan's plot found unexpected success. The prince had been overconfident. In
his alliance with Lu Shinan, he had thought that he was the more favorable
party, that he was the stronger cultivator. Even if the other man was plotting
something behind his back, he had assumed that he wouldn't be really threatened
by it. As such, the prince didn't believe that Lu Shinan would attack him
before they had taken out Jiang Chen. Even if they were to reach a point of
contention when they divvied up their spoils and ended up coming to blows, it
would only be after Jiang Chen was out of the picture.
The possibility that Lu Shinan was never interested in
working with him in the first place hadn't even crossed his mind. The Prince of
Shangping was full of regret. He had plotted against countless people in his
life. His failure to scheme against Jiang Chen was already unlucky enough; Lu
Shinan's backstabbing was simply karmic justice.
"Do you think you'll be able to defeat that kid by
yourself, Lu Shinan? Is that why you've trapped me like this?" The prince
still wanted to salvage the situation.
Lu Shinan chortled, "Are you still dreaming, Prince of
Shangping? Who said that I was going to face him alone?"
"You have a partner in crime?" The prince's
expression changed drastically. "Who is it? Even if you do, they couldn't
possibly be as strong as me. You think you'll have a better chance with
them?"
"Don't think so highly of yourself. My partner is
already 'in' you." Lu Shinan retorted mockingly.
"What?" The Prince of Shangping was completely
lost.
Lu Shinan's mocking expression grew more pronounced.
"You're at death's door, and you still don't even know how you got there.
Truly, if wise men play the fool, they do it with a vengeance."
The prince's body shuddered as a new thought entered his
mind. His look turned to despair. "Have you defected to the demons, Lu
Shinan? Are you now their faithful servant?"
“It is good to know which way the wind blows," Lu
Shinan laughed. "Demons are a high-class race hailing from the heavenly
planes, and I'm only following their natural ebb and flow. Too bad you don't
have the chance to do the same, prince. My liege has a use for your body.
Though it's not perfect, there's little choice in haste."
"Your liege?" The prince's smile was grim. An
incredibly powerful force within the stream of black air was already eating
away at his consciousness. Completely restrained by it, he couldn't move a
finger, much less launch any form of active resistance. It was as if a cleaver
was headed straight towards his head, but he was powerless to avoid it. He
wanted to destroy himself, but his body wouldn’t respond to his commands.
"Lu Shinan, you traitor of the human race… I won't let
you get away with this, even from beyond the grave!" The Prince of
Shangping was hoarse from exertion.
"Oh, come off it," Lu Shinan was unimpressed.
"You think you'll have a chance to do that? Don't waste your breath. I've
set up soundproof barriers all around us. No one will hear you. You wanted to
take out that brat, right? Don't worry, I’ll avenge you in that regardat least.
Why don't the two of you compete when you're both in hell, eh? Hahahaha."
By the end of his speech, Lu Shinan wore a ghastly smile. The light in the
prince's eyes faded as his consciousness was eaten away, until it finally dimmed
to a corpse-like gray hue.
Everything was quiet. The Prince of Shangping looked as if
he had been dead for many hours. Suddenly, the prince's body moved. His
gray-white eyes dilated, and his eyelids fluttered. He was alive once more.
However, his eyes were now home to a new malevolence.
Lu Shinan's body shook. "Congratulations, my liege. You
have finally attained a new body. This is a big step forward for the demon
race." He knelt to the newly-risen prince.
The 'Prince of Shangping' looked a little disoriented, and
his eyes moved about constantly. He scanned his surroundings, his expression
vibrant. After a long while, he smiled bewitchingly, "Good, good, good. I,
King Nineshadows, can finally see the light of day once more!"
"Now that you've awakened, my liege, I’m sure that a
new renaissance for the demon race is not far off." Lu Shinan laid on
heavy flattery.
The demon king smiled faintly, his gaze resting for a moment
on the man. "You've done well, Lu Shinan. You deserve a rich reward for
your work. When the time comes, I’ll request a high-rank portion of demon blood
from His Majesty the emperor himself. You'll truly become a member of our
superior race then."
"Thank you for your praise, my liege." Lu Shinan
was overjoyed.
"Stand now. This is only the first step. Though I've
taken the Prince of Shangping's body, this unrefined body is not very suitable
for my demonic arts. I do not expect that I’ll have much combative ability, and
I’ll surely be cut down by any strong adversary." The demon king was not
blinded by arrogance. He understood the situation very clearly.
"According to the information supplied by this Prince
of Shangping, my liege, the person who destroyed the five bone apparitions is
Jiang Chen. He is a tough character in the outside world."
"Oh? How tough, exactly?" King Nineshadows asked,
frowning. Lu Shinan relayed a few of the rumors he had heard about Jiang Chen,
as well as some details regarding the prince's loss to the young man.
"A sage realm youngster can stir up so much trouble? He
seems like he'd fit in well with the demon race. We need geniuses like him the
most. Shall I take his body? Or adapt his bloodline? Or perhaps make a corpse
puppet out of him?"
Taking his body entailed occupying a new body with his
consciousness, much like he was doing now with the Prince of Shangping's body.
Adapting his bloodline meant injecting demon blood into his body, then letting
it awaken in the youth naturally. In this particular way, Jiang Chen would end
up becoming a member of the demon race as well. As for making him into a corpse
puppet, it was a method unique to Shadow Demons that allowed them to change a
living person into a lifeless puppet. Corpse puppets were stronger than bone
apparitions.
Bone apparitions merely involved controlling bones through
demonic arts. They appeared fearsome, but were actually rather simple and weak.
On the other hand, corpse puppets could retain the abilities they had in their
previous lives and moreover, gain new abilities that were unique to the demon
race. They would become enhanced versions of their previous selves, in a sense.
Shadow Demons were not one of the stronger bloodlines of the
demon race. However, they excelled at borrowing external strength. They didn't
only use corpse puppets and bone apparitions; they boasted control over
malevolent ghosts and monstrous zombies as well, using all kinds of minions to
complete their goals with ease. Therefore, Shadow Demons were more difficult to
deal with than many of their brethren. It was difficult to guard against their
mysterious and insidious methods. Of course, that much could be said about the
entire demon race. It was just that the Shadow Demons exemplified more of these
characteristics.
"Don't you have a body already, sir?" Lu Shinan
asked.
"This body is only for temporary measure. I won’t be
able to recover my former strength with a body like this."
The Prince of Shangping was decently strong amongst
wandering cultivators. However, he didn't amount to much in front of actual
competitors. This was especially true given that he had reached his body’s
natural limits in many respects. There wasn't much more to dig up and areas
that he could make additional improvements in. To King Nineshadows, this was a
deal-breaking flaw. Obviously, it was better for him to have a surrogate body
of the highest possible quality.
Unfortunately, the demon king's soul wasn't in an ideal
state. He wasn't able to take over cultivators that were exceedingly strong. A
great emperor's body would of course be ideal, but the pressure they exerted
could instantly crush his demonic soul. The demon king had no choice but to
pick on the likes of people like the Prince of Shangping instead. He had the
desire for greater, but not the necessary ability. Anyone stronger than the
prince, and he would suffer significant backlash as a result.
"My liege, that brat should be close by now. What if
you take him down as he approaches?" Lu Shinan's eyes flashed with malice.
The demon king thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"There is no rush. If, like you said, the kid is capable enough to foil
even the Prince of Shangping, then he's certainly quite a character. Though I
can fight him immediately, my body’s instability will be at a significant
disadvantage. Let's play it safe since we're just starting out. There's going
to be a lot more chances to toy with them once they enter Myriad Corpse Valley.
I shall return to my Ten-Thousand-Year Coffin to gather more demonic energy so
that I can further refine this body. You'll be responsible for keeping them in
check. You can activate some restrictions when the time arises, but you must
keep them in place. Three days is all you have. Remember, they cannot be
allowed to leave. The territory outside the valley isn’t mine."
Lu Shinan was a little disappointed by the demon king's
instructions. He had hoped that the demon king would seize Jiang Chen, because
then he would have the opportunity to rob the youth of his possessions.
Although he didn't know what Jiang Chen possessed exactly, it had to be of
superior quality and utility. After all, the Prince of Shangping had been
willing to hand over Jiang Chen’s entire bounty to him in exchange for these
possessions.
Chapter 889:
Jiang Chen moved forward at a steady pace. He wasn’t overly
pleased with beating the Prince of Shangping. With his knowledge of the
prince’s characteristics, he knew that the fellow wasn’t the type to give up so
easily. He would come again, or perhaps was already lying in wait for him with
another trap. If Jiang Chen hadn’t been with Huang’er, or if she were able to
function normally, Jiang Chen wouldn’t mind going a few rounds with the prince
until the latter was dead. However, he couldn't afford to horse around right
now. The Imperial Advent Defense Talisman would last only two more hours, and
one had already passed. Yet strangely, the Prince of Shangping had seemingly
disappeared into thin air.
"Perhaps that old codger Shangping guessed what kind of
talisman I was using. He won't bother me until the time is up!" Jiang Chen
was a little bothered by the prospect. He wanted to get the fight over with
quickly, no matter how many trump cards he had to use. He was tired of this
game of cat and mouse. They were in demon territory, and all signs pointed to
the gradual remobilization of the race. However, the time left was at least
enough for him to leave the valley.
The good thing was that although Huang'er wasn't in a
particularly great state, her condition also wasn’t significantly worsening.
Sealing away her senses had been the right choice. If he hadn’t done so, it
would have been much more likely for her consciousness to have been attacked
under the current circumstances. Though Jiang Chen was somewhat worried that he
had not seen any traces of the Prince of Shangping along his route, he didn’t
let this concern disrupt his thoughts. With Huang'er in tow, he continued
moving forward. Now that they were more than halfway across the valley, he
could simply press on if the prince refused to show himself. Once past the
valley, Jiang Chen had a much better chance of survival.
…...
Lu Shinan, on the other hand, had mixed feelings. Though it
was good that his liege lord once again possessed a physical body, he felt no
sense of contentment. The demon king had given him firm orders to hold Jiang
Chen off for three days. Three days? Lu Shinan's heart was aflame. That kid's
strength is unfathomable. I don’t even have the confidence to hold him off for
six hours! The king has too much faith in me. What should I do?
While he deliberated, Lu Shinan received information from
the bone apparitions that Jiang Chen was heading his way. His arrival wouldn’t
be immediate, but it would be within fifteen minutes. I have no chance of
facing him with brute force alone. Why not use the same trick I used on the
Prince of Shangping? Having come to a decision, he immediately carried out his course
of action.
Jiang Chen arrived right on time. His consciousness was on
the alert as soon as he entered the area. He spotted a man beneath a large
tree, appearing to be resting against its trunk. Jiang Chen used his God's Eye
to take a closer look. It really was a human cultivator, and someone he was
familiar with at that.
"Lu Shinan?" Jiang Chen remembered him quite well.
When everyone had been grouping up, the man had approached him in private, but
Jiang Chen had refused his offer to team up.
Jiang Chen's approach seemed to surprise the man. Lu Shinan
wiped away the blood on his mouth. "Daoist Huang?"
Their reunion in this particular place was very odd. Though
the man seemed to be hurt, Jiang Chen had no plans of dropping his guard.
"Daoist Lu, what are you playing at?" Jiang Chen
smiled faintly, looking Lu Shinan up and down.
Lu Shinan's face was pale. He grinned helplessly, "What
do you think, friend?"
Jiang Chen had no interest in riddles. His smile remained,
but he decided to continue moving forward. He had Huang'er with him, after all.
"Daoist Huang, how is your friend?" Lu Shinan
couldn't help but ask.
"Just a little out of sorts," Jiang Chen said.
"Thank you for your concern, Daoist Lu, but there's no need to
worry."
Lu Shinan wiped at his mouth again. He smile was a bit wry,
but it was suffused with an undoubtable sense of sincerity. "Daoist Huang,
you really don't want to know how I got hurt?"
Jiang Chen was indifferent. "No, I don't."
Lu Shinan sighed softly. "I treat you like a friend,
and this is how you repay me? I wanted to team up earlier, but you refused.
Now, I've almost lost my life to the Prince of Shangping because of you. Alas,
you're as distant as ever."
"The Prince of Shangping?" Jiang Chen raised an
eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I randomly encountered the prince just a little while
earlier. He was a little flustered and told me that he'd had a big fight with
you. He wanted me to help him. I disagreed, of course, but as a result he
wanted to use me as a punching bag. Daoist Huang, that Prince of Shangping has
surely laid a trap further in. You should be careful."
Jiang Chen was quiet as he looked at Lu Shinan with his God's
Eye. He stared at the man for a few seconds before suddenly tossing a pill in
his direction. "This is a healing pill. A gift from me."
Lu Shinan laughed ruefully. "Do you really intend on
walking into danger alone, Daoist?"
"You don't need to worry about that." Jiang Chen
smiled faintly. There was no way he would partner up with Lu Shinan, regardless
of what the man said. He wasn't in the habit of traveling with strangers, nor
would he show his back to anyone.
Lu Shinan was frustrated. The Prince of Shangping had been
hard to deal with, but the prince had weaknesses. Though the guy in front of
him also seemed to have many flaws, Lu Shinan didn't know how to find them.
Nothing worked on him. People who didn't have any noticeable desires were
detached and aloof. Lu Shinan had no breaching point against someone who wanted
nothing from him.
His eyes glittered as he watched the youth disappear from
his sight. He couldn't do anything about it. Fight him head on? He didn't think
that he was stronger than the Prince of Shangping, and the prince had lost to
the kid.
Jiang Chen slowly passed by. When he’d first entered the
area, he pretended not to have noticed the surrounding mounds and white flags.
His heart, however, was not so still. Someone with a consciousness as strong as
Jiang Chen's could easily sense the demonic auras surrounding those fixtures.
He could even perceive a bit of the Prince of Shangping's aura in the midst of
those strong demonic auras.
Jiang Chen would have long since struck first if he didn't
have Huang'er in tow. His intuition told him that Lu Shinan was hiding
something. Was being hurt a pretense as well? Jiang Chen couldn't immediately
tell. But Lu Shinan himself was definitely problematic, he was sure of that
much, at least. Could Lu Shinan be the one who’s defected to the demons? Jiang
Chen had already confirmed that there was such a traitor amongst the human
cultivators. There was no other way that the bone apparitions could have
acquired their intel.
He didn't have a clue who it was prior to this. But now, he
had a vague inkling of the perfect candidate—Lu Shinan! I assume that the
unlucky Prince of Shangping is already dead. Doesn't look like I'll be able to
obtain the formation disk for the eight statues. Too bad...
Jiang Chen wasn't the slightest bit happy at the news. After
all, the clandestine threat of the demon race’s revival far overshadowed the
prince's insignificant plotting. He had the option of spurring on some
Goldbiter Rats to seek out traces of demon activity, but there were many
underground creatures in the valley. The rats had no advantage. With this all
in mind, Jiang Chen decided not to further complicate things. He headed for the
valley's exit posthaste.
Though it wasn't exactly safer beyond Myriad Corpse Valley,
at least Huang'er wouldn't be negatively affected by the malevolent air. Taking
care of her was his first priority. Jiang Chen didn't have the luxury of
engaging in any sort of heated battle.
Having been unable to detain Jiang Chen, Lu Shinan was like
a cat on a hot tin roof. He had to return to the cave and inform his liege of
his failure.
"What, you just let him go like that?!" The demon
king was still in the process of absorbing demonic energy. He was greatly upset
by the news of Jiang Chen's departure.
"My liege, that kid possesses extraordinary strength.
Not even the Prince of Shangping could beat him. I was just worried that… well,
it would throw a wrench into our other plans."
King Nineshadows's eyes gleamed, as if deep in thought.
"Is that kid really as strong as you say?"
"I'm not really sure. But from what I understood of the
prince's words, Shangping suffered at the kid's hand."
The demon king was silent for a moment. "Never mind.
It's not worth the risk just for a sage realm kid. If he wants to return the
same way he came, he still needs to pass by my Myriad Corpse Valley. I'll have
completely infused this body with demonic energy by then. There will be no
escape for him."
Lu Shinan's thirst for Jiang Chen was stronger than others'.
"My liege," he couldn't resist interjecting. "If he leaves the
valley, he'll be in the Wood Demons' territory. Do you think that they'll give
him the chance to return at all?"
The demon king cackled. "That doesn't matter to us. We
have to let them have some morsels, right? He's a mere appetizer compared to
the emperor realm cultivators' rich feast. You said that there's probably going
to be twenty or thirty thousand cultivators this time, no?"
Lu Shinan had nothing to say. He wanted to disagree. He
actually thought Jiang Chen was the ideal prize. He didn't want to just say
something like that, though. He greatly desired Jiang Chen's belongings.
"My liege, isn't it hard to keep twenty or thirty thousand people in place
just by ourselves?"
The demon king harrumphed. "Don't worry, I have my
ways. This kid is lucky he's here early. My formation is not yet complete. When
it is, the valley will be transformed into a living hell. Anyone who goes
inside won't be able to make it out again."
…...
Jiang Chen had been careful along the entire way. He had
expected a great struggle, but his expectations were let down. He was already
out of Myriad Corpse Valley, but there were no assailants in sight. It was
quite fortuitous. Now that they were out of immediate danger, he didn’t bother
thinking much more about it. He followed the map another few dozen miles, then
unsealed Huang'er's senses.
Huang'er gradually woke up. "Brother Chen, where are we
now?"
"Huang'er, even though I sealed your senses away, the
malevolent air still found its way into your consciousness." Jiang Chen's
expression was worried. "I think we'd better find that Requiem Wood, and
fast."
Huang'er smiled apologetically. "Sorry... my condition
is causing so much trouble."
"Why? We're closer than that." Jiang Chen
comforted her softly. The land in front of them was perfectly clear. A vast
grassy plain stretched off into the distance, and green coalesced into blue on
the horizon.
Chapter 890: Chaotic Astral Wind
“There’s a dense primordial forest past this grassland.
According to what He Hongshu wrote, the Requiem Wood should be in that forest.”
Jiang Chen analyzed the map as he spoke to Huang’er, “Let’s go.”
He vaguely sensed that something was strange. With He
Hongshu’s level of cultivation, how had he managed to cross the Thousand Corpse
Valley? Could it be that the demon race within the valley had not fully
awakened at that time? Despite his skepticism, he currently wasn't in the mood
to question how the information had been obtained. As their gazes roamed over
the vast grassland before him, Jiang Chen and Huang’er didn't step onto the
grass. Instead, they activated their Golden Cicada Wings and flew at a low
altitude. To a normal cultivator who had never refined their wings of flight,
this much flying would consume large amounts of energy.
Through the Golden Cicada Wings, the energy that Jiang Chen
and Huang’er were expending didn't even reach a tenth of what they would have
used had they relied on their own energy. As long as they occasionally took
some pills to replenish themselves, they wouldn't suffer any side effects at
all. However, the air currents within the area were extremely strange. Even as
they flew close to the ground, they found it difficult to gain speed. It was as
though there was some form of resistance in the air that barred their attempt
at passing through the area quickly.
Initially, He Hongshu and his group had alternated between
travelling on foot and flying to cross this grassland. They had spent a grand
total of two days trekking though this passage and more than a third of their
comrades had died. The grassland might appear tranquil, but within the endless,
rampant growth of wild grass that had surpassed human height, who knew what was
concealed within and below the terrain? What kind of terrifying existences were
lying in wait for them?
First and foremost the marshlands that dotted this grassland
were filled with countless traps. From time to time, quagmire whirlpools would
mysteriously appear, dragging people down into their depths. As the two of them
hovered above the ground, they could see plenty of what was happening below
them. Occasionally, they could spy a couple of wind-worn bones lying amidst the
grass. There were also the corpses of numerous animals with various astonishing
appearances. This place truly brimmed with desolation and isolation.
It wasn’t that the two didn't want to soar higher into the
sky, but the higher they went, the stronger the air resistance became. It was
as though this patch of grassland had been naturally created to contain a
special kind of magic power. The two were more or less stuck to gliding three
to four meters above the ground. Of course, even this speed was much faster
than travelling on foot.
If they could fly unobstructed for the entire trip, Jiang
Chen felt that it would take them less than a day to pass through this large
grassland. They glided without obstacles for two hours. Their trip so far had
been very quiet—so quiet that he found it rather unfathomable. He was even
quite uneasy about the entire situation. Throughout the trip, he had felt that
there was something oddly suspicious about this unsettling quietness. By now,
the defensive power granted by the Imperial Advent Defense Talisman had already
disappeared entirely. Hence, Jiang Chen had no choice but proceed with the
utmost caution.
“When Brother Ji gave me the Imperial Advent Defense
Talisman, he said that I could use it twice. I’ve already activated it once so
there should be one more use. I can’t use it so freely now. If I use it, I’ll
be left with almost no defensive resources.” When Jiang Chen thought of this,
he felt a flash of intense hatred towards the Prince of Shangping. If it hadn’t
been for that man’s attack, he wouldn’t have wasted the Imperial Advent
Talisman’s first use like this! Nevertheless, this was all in the past. By now,
that fellow had probably already passed on. No matter how much Jiang Chen might
hate him, it wouldn’t amount to anything. The two people continued their flight
with rapt attention, their five senses carefully attuned to their surroundings.
Eh? Suddenly, a rustling noise floated past Jiang Chen’s
ears. At first, he even thought he had misheard. But this noise grew louder and
louder. However, when he glanced around, he didn’t see anything unusual. Ever
since Jiang Chen had refined his Ear of the Zephyr, his sense of hearing had
never failed him under any circumstance. This sound reminded him of a silkworm
gnawing on a leaf, distinct and easily distinguishable. He listened carefully
and sensed that the sound was emitted from all directions. Although it didn't
sound like anything too serious, it still filled Jiang Chen with a kind of
uneasiness.
Screech! Suddenly, an ear-piercing noise split the air. From
high above the clouds, an enormous black shadow careened downwards. It was an
enormous eagle! It flapped its wings in alarm as it circled the sky above the
grassland, its eyes filled with panic.
Indeed, panic! Jiang Chen could see extreme anxiety in this
enormous eagle’s eyes. One, two, then numerous ones...
Amidst the clouds, numerous birds appeared out of nowhere in
the sky above them, screeching sharply in alarm and fear, as if the end of the
world was imminent. The first huge eagle seemed to have made up its mind. With
a violent dive, it abruptly plummeted towards the grassland below.
Suddenly, a lightning fast green shadow flashed within the
grass before a gaping, fanged maw opened wide and swallowed the eagle whole.
Upon closer inspection, Jiang Chen realized that it was actually an enormous
green python. What the… it had concealed itself so masterfully! He had came so
close to it, but he hadn’t detected the hidden presence of the python at all.
“What in the world is this?” Jiang Chen was dumbfounded at
the scene before his eyes. The spirit birds in the air seemed to have thrown
all caution to the wind as they shot towards the grass like dumplings.
Every kind of creature born in the wild had its own natural
territory. Birds like these usually only hunted for food in the grasslands.
They didn't actually make the grasslands their homes. But at this moment, they
had completely ignored this fact. They hadn’t even consider that they might be
barging into the territory of some other creature. They dived towards the
ground in a flurry. When the predators on the ground saw this phenomenon, they
hunted the birds continuously, devouring them one after another. But even so,
tens of thousands of birds continued to shoot towards the grass. It was as if
they didn't want to spend a second longer in the air.
Jiang Chen and Huang’er watched all this happen with wide
eyes and gaping mouths. And at this moment, the noise by Jiang Chen’s ear grew
even louder, crescendoing almost instantly into a tidal-like roar. As he gazed
into the horizon with his God’s Eye, he discovered that a charcoal-colored air
current was flowing all around them, heading towards them at a lightning-like
pace. The momentum behind that air current was actually ten times fiercer than
the surging ocean tides! In the distance, there were some birds who had not
dodged in time. Their feathers scattered wildly into the air, their flesh
exploding into bloody fragments as they were ground into fine powder by the
vicious currents.
“This is bad!” Something seemed to have occured to Jiang
Chen as he grabbed Huang’er and buried into the ground without a second
thought. At the same time, he used his Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice to open
a path before them, escorting Huang’er deeper into the ground. In his current
situation, even if some emperor realm beast were lying below ground, Jiang Chen
still wouldn’t retreat.
Uwuwuwuwu! The terrifying air currents swallowed the
surrounding clouds as they moved in all directions, gathering together. With a
ghastly howl, the currents sucked away at the space around them like an
unrestrained wave. Jiang Chen had already pierced more than three hundred
meters into the ground by that time. Even so, he could still feel the fearsome
tremors that wracked the ground around them, as if the earth itself would split
apart at any moment and the sky would collapse from above.
Huang’er had seen and experienced many things in her life
but she had also gone deathly pale. She whispered in a low voice to Jiang Chen,
“Brother Chen, what is going on?”
Jiang Chen’s expression was grave. “This is chaotic astral
wind. It tears apart even the tallest of mountains in its way into tiny pieces.
If our flesh and blood were to touch it, we’d be instantly ground into fine
dust.”
“Chaotic astral wind?” It was the first time Huang’er had
heard this name. She was temporarily shocked. As someone from Myriad Abyss
Island, everything she had seen and experienced throughout her lifetime was of
the highest tier within the Divine Abyss Continent. But she had never ever seen
this chaotic astral wind. Conversely, it was Jiang Chen, a boy born in the
backwater Eastern Kingdom, who knew what this terrifying thing was. A wisp of
gratification floated within Huang’er’s heart. “It seems that Brother Chen has
indeed awakened many memories that don’t belong to you. Could it be that you’re
really the reincarnation of a celestial from your previous life?”
The wind ravaged the area around for a few hours before it
showed any signs of dissipating. However, Jiang Chen was in no hurry to leave.
Even if the gale was weakening, it still wasn’t something that a human body
could defend against. Nonetheless, he felt something was strange about this.
They were in the desolate wildlands. Where in the world could this chaotic
astral wind have come from?
Normally speaking, chaotic astral wind was created by a
spatial crack. When a plane shattered or if a crack appeared in the space
between two planes, a powerful chaotic astral wind would be generated. But in
the desolate wildlands, how could there be such a powerful shattering of a
realm?
The world above them might be in the process of being
demolished by the astral wind, but that didn't mean that the area below ground
was safe either. When Jiang Chen activated his God’s Eye and surveyed his
surroundings, he sensed the approach of at least four to five enemies from all
around them. “Such powerful spirit creatures live even in such a deep
underground crevice. No wonder so many people lost their lives in this
grassland. This is hell on earth.”
Fortunately, these powerful creatures which eyed them
hungrily didn't seem overwhelmingly strong individually. Hence, Jiang Chen
didn't fear them. Most importantly, these sources of power that eyed them so
covetously were also naturally cautious. He didn't provoke them. He only wanted
to wait for the astral wind to disappear before leaving this underground place.
If it was anywhere else, he might have considered travelling underground. But
this underground area was different from all others. Here, the quagmire around
them was extraordinarily sticky, making it difficult to travel quickly.
Moreover, there were countless spirit creatures in the ravine below ground. If
Jiang Chen wished to travel underground, just dealing with these creatures
alone would be enough to give him a headache.
At this time, one of the underground creatures could no
longer restrain itself. With a menacing bellow, it shot towards Jiang Chen like
a drill. It was incredibly fast, as though the stickiness of the quagmire in
this abyss had no effect on it at all. However, just because Jiang Chen’s
movements were impeded didn't mean that he had no means to deal with the
situation. With a flash of the Featherflight Mirror, a beam of light shot
towards the creature. It instantly slowed down, but it had already been
engulfed by the countless vines of the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice.
Fortunately for it, Jiang Chen had no wish to offend these
underground dwellers. With a careless swish of his lotus, he tossed the spirit
creature aside. Simultaneously, he grabbed Huang’er, straightened his body and
flew up towards the surface. The astral wind had dissipated and their
surroundings regained their usual tranquility. Only, when they emerged from the
ground, the scene that greeted their eyes was vastly different. Those tufts of
tall grass had been completely shredded. Numerous spirit beasts had been
wrangled into tiny bits of bloody flesh that littered the entire area. Truly,
this was the widespread aftermath of a catastrophe.
Jiang Chen sighed lightly. A trace of fear lingered in his heart. If he had been even one step slower just now, he could have been wiped out as well. “As expected, you run into trouble every ten steps you take here in the desolate wildlands. We can’t let our guard down at all.” Jiang Chen calmed himself. He exchanged a glance with Huang’er before they proceeded forward.
