Chapter 891
The chaotic astral wind seemed to have disrupted the natural
order of the grassland. This actually made the rest of Jiang Chen’s journey
proceed even more smoothly. After a period of journeying, his God’s Eye caught
sight of the end of the grassland. He was delighted. “The disruption caused by
the chaotic astral wind actually cleared many of the dangers we would have
otherwise encountered along the way. Who’d have thought that we could travel so
unimpeded? I can see the end. We should be out of the grassland in less than an
hour.”
He glanced at the sky. It was already close to dusk. It
would be ideal if they could reach the other side of the grassland before night
fell. Although day or night didn't make a difference to most cultivators,
spirit creatures would become unusually active in the dark. To Jiang Chen, this
wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Luckily, they were able to increase their pace
after the passage of the chaotic astral wind.
They finally passed this vast grassland just moments before
sunset. As Jiang Chen stood at the edge of the grassland, he could see a small
river meander across. Opposite him was a patch of dense forest. From what he
could see on the map, this should be the place that He Hongshu had indicated.
He glanced up at the sky—it was almost dark. As he was unwilling to take any
more risks, he decided to set up camp on the riverbank and leave the search for
the Requiem Wood to tomorrow. The closer he got to the Requiem Wood, the calmer
he felt. After summoning Long Xiaoxuan and instructing him to keep watch, he
entered a deep state of meditation.
With the dragon guarding them, Jiang Chen felt more at ease.
The wood demon parasites might be strong, but they were completely ineffective
against Long Xiaoxuan. Dragons excreted a specific kind of saliva that naturally
repelled those parasites. In addition to Long Xiaoxuan, Jiang Chen also ordered
the mint ginseng to go underground, in case any underground spirit creatures
were to suddenly attack them. With such meticulous arrangements made, a few
small issues popped up during the night, but nothing particularly dangerous
happened. When morning arrived, the two opened their eyes and welcomed the
light of a new day. In particular, Huang’er was extremely lively. Today, her
eyes seemed to carry a different kind of quality. This was a new day, and
perhaps the beginning of her new life.
“Let’s go.” Jiang Chen made a few adjustments before
stepping into the dense forest. After moving just a few hundred meters inwards,
most of the sky had already become obscured. The rays of the morning sun were
strong, but they couldn't penetrate the dense foliage of this mysterious
forest. The deeper they went, the darker it became. However, this had little
effect on Jiang Chen because his God’s Eye and Evil Golden Eye could see
through everything. Even in the dark, he could see everything as clear as day.
From time to time, a few noisy wails would resound in the distance, adding a
trace of eeriness to the otherwise quiet forest. Occasionally, an ear-splitting
roar could be heard as a wild beast displayed its power.
His heart was as tranquil as still water. These kinds of
things couldn't obstruct him from progressing forward. “Huang’er, don’t worry.
My intuition is telling me that the Requiem Wood should be in this forest. As
long as it appears, I can definitely obtain it, no matter what it takes.”
Huang’er remained silent. She only gently nodded as she held
on tightly to Jiang Chen’s hand, as if afraid that by letting go, she would
lose everything. Suddenly, something pricked at Jiang Chen’s consciousness. He
instantly leaned to a side as an enormous banana leaf pressed down on him from
above. He huffed coldly and brandished his Featherflight Mirror. That green
curtain had been careening towards him rapidly, but the Featherflight Mirror promptly
halved its speed. The two of them took advantage of the plant’s delayed
approach to leap to a safer area. Only, they couldn’t jump that far away
because they had already been surrounded by at least ten such plants.
One by one, like raging bulls, they violently extended green
leaves that billowed in the wind, creating layers upon layers of a green canopy
that enclosed Jiang Chen and Huang’er within its center. Jiang Chen was
furious, and he immediately summoned his Goldbiter Rats. “Ole Gold, let’s see
what you guys can do!”
There was almost nothing in the heavenly planes that
Goldbiter Rats couldn't gnaw through. At Jiang Chen’s command, numerous rats
surged madly towards those ten green plant-like existences, like prisoners
seeing the light of freedom for the first time. Crunch crunch... Ear-piercing
gnawing sounds reverberated from all around them. The Goldbiter Rats’ bite was
definitely renowned throughout the realms. In just a short while, they had
gnawed through the ten plant-like creatures without leaving a single piece
behind. Instead of recalling the Rats, Jiang Chen summoned Long Xiaoxuan
instead. “Brother Long, we need some of your saliva to cleanse these rats so
that the Wood Demon Parasites don’t attack them.”
Jiang Chen might not fear the Wood Demon Parasites, but he
didn’t dare to let his guard down after entering this place either. Not only
did the Wood Demons have parasites at their disposal, but they also possessed a
gamut of other bizarre tactics as well. However, their parasites were
undoubtedly one of the most intractable problems to deal with.
“Ole Gold, lead your descendants well. Don’t wander anywhere
and listen to my commands.” Since they had already entered the desolate
wildlands, Jiang Chen didn't need to be that cautious. He could do as he
wished. With the ferocious Long Xiaoxuan and Goldbiter Rats clearing a path for
them, the number of presumptuous creatures along the way significantly
decreased. It was to the extent that some powerful spirit creatures were
completely intimidated by Long Xiaoxuan and didn't dare to misbehave at all.
This was precisely the effect that Jiang Chen wished to achieve.
When He Hongshu had initially entered this forest, he had
lost his way. Hence, the area where he had discovered the Requiem Wood was not
clearly marked on his map. Nonetheless, He Hongshu had mentioned that there was
something terrifying in this mysterious jungle, called the Scarlet Dawn Wasp.
This kind of wasp reproduced extremely quickly. Once someone was stung by one,
their body would start to burn like liquid fire before violently exploding within
an hour. Even the gods couldn't save the victim. Back when He Hongshu’s party
was in this forest, they had unfortunately run into these Scarlet Dawn Wasps.
As a result, many of them had perished. Hence, Jiang Chen was especially
cautious and didn't dare to barge forwards recklessly.
“Young master Chen, we discovered a large supply of sky rank
spirit herbs in front!” The Goldbiter Rat King suddenly ran back excitedly,
reporting this piece of good news to Jiang Chen.
“Take me there.” It wasn’t that surprising to come across
sky rank spirit herbs in this place. Nonetheless, Jiang Chen thought of the
numerous stalks of sky rank spirit herbs that had lined his path when he had
first entered the desolate wildlands. However, those sky rank spirit herbs looked
problematic to him. As he followed the Goldbiter Rat King a few hundred meters
forward, a vast area filled with countless stalks of spirit herbs stretched
before his eyes, as though someone had planted them there. Moreover, they were
indeed all sky rank spirit herbs. Jiang Chen combined his God’s Eye and Evil
Golden Eye to survey the area, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
“These sky rank spirit herbs should be real.” Jiang Chen
confirmed this once again before he decided that these sky rank spirit herbs
should not pose any problems. “Ole Gold, you can take half for your clan.
Brother Long, take your pick and leave me the rest.”
Long Xiaoxuan hummed softly in thought before he picked some
out, but he didn't take much. Jiang Chen swept the entirety of what remained
into his possession. The Goldbiter Rats also attained massive benefits as well.
After this point, however, Jiang Chen had no further plans to let the rats mess
around outside. He summoned all of them back. He had a premonition that
although these sky rank spirit herbs were genuine, there could be some
unimaginable dangers coming for them later after reaping these sweet benefits.
The demon race was extremely underhanded in the way they
conducted things. Jiang Chen certainly didn't believe that the demon race would
simply allow human cultivators into their territory so that they could share
their wealth with them The appearance of these sky rank spirit herbs in this
place could simply be bait. Nonetheless, even if they were bait, there was no
way Jiang Chen could turn back. He proceeded forwards, walking side by side
with Huang’er. Long Xiaoxuan had succeeded in transforming himself into a
skinny youth and was currently leading the way. From behind, his figure looked
extremely cold and aloof.
…...
In a deep ravine a few dozen miles from Jiang Chen, a
bizarre-looking creature slowly crawled out from with a large white cocoon.
That strange creature’s body was covered with numerous oily bubbles that
appeared extremely nauseating. The loose flesh over its multi-colored body
writhed. Even looking at it was enough to give one chills of fear. After it
emerged from the large cocoon, it crawled forwards with a startling speed, as
though each feeler on its body ended in a sucker. After it crawled for some
distance, it reached a neglected altar. This altar was covered with withered
dead leaves and the area around it was incomparably desolate. Nonetheless, it
emanated a kind of immense power that caused even the monstrous creature to
tiptoe around as it approached. The creature came to a stop in front of the
altar.
“Yes, yes. Not bad, not bad.” From the center of the altar
emanated a voice. “You’ve broken through your cocoon for the seventh time. It
looks like you’re not far from your true birth.”
The monster let out a few grunts, as though it was reporting
something to the voice on the altar. The voice on the altar asked in shock,
“What did you say? The little ones that you birthed last time were destroyed by
someone?”
The monster waved its feelers continuously in the air,
looking rather angry.
“Strange, that’s strange. Tens of thousands of years have
passed and yet, there are still humans able to kill Wood Demon Parasites?” The
voice on the altar also seemed to be filled with doubt. However, moments later
it sighed, “Perhaps it was an accident. Moreover, your spawn are not yet strong
enough. It’s possible that someone killed them. Do not be disheartened. With
every evolution of yours, the spawn you produce become more and more powerful
in both offensive and defensive capabilities. Now, simply wait for enough hosts
to wander in and bring your spawn out of the desolate wildlands, hahaha… Us
Wood Demons will finally lead the glorious return of the demon race!” The voice
on the altar was filled with triumph. Then it suddenly seemed to realize its
situation as it sighed lightly, “It’s a pity that the ten great generals of my
Wood Demon bloodline all died in battle. My own body was destroyed and soul
sealed. I can only wait for you to break through nine times and rescue me from
here.”
“Uwuwuwu.” That monstrous creature nodded incessantly,
grimacing towards the altar, as though it had been completely moved.
“There’s no need for you to be emotional. We have waited ten
thousand years. What more is waiting a little longer? Today, I sense that a
large number of human cultivators have entered the desolate wildlands. Go and
warn King Nineshadows to control his appetite. Otherwise, when I leave this
place, I will force him to spit out everything he’s eaten with interest.”
That monstrous creature didn't seem to have fully awakened.
It seemed only to understand one thing—that the being sealed into this altar
was its master, and that the orders of its master prevailed over all else.
Chapter 892
“Go and take care.” The voice on the altar spoke as if
entrusting a task to its child. “No need to worry about me.”
That monster still seemed somewhat unwilling to leave. It
was like a small child completely attached to its parents. It nuzzled the stone
stairs around the altar. Suddenly, the voice on the altar made a sound of
surprise. “Wood Parasite, go quickly. Someone seems to have broken into your
territory.” The voice on the altar seemed a little worried. “Go, go now. Watch
over the Requiem Wood. Don’t let anyone touch it! If I’m to reconstruct my
body, I need the Requiem Wood. Otherwise, even if I manage to break out of
these constraints, I’ll always be flawed.”
“Uwuwuwu.” When that monster heard its master’s
instructions, it seemed to realize that things were urgent. Although it was
still reluctant, it resolved itself to turn around.
Sealed within the altar, the spirit of King Woodbranch was
filled with anxiety. This piece of Requiem Wood was the key for him to recover
his soul after breaking free. If he lost the Requiem Wood, his soul would never
recover to the peak of its power. The thought of his servant, the wood demon
parasite, abated his emotions a little. There are thousands upon thousands of
parasites protecting the Requiem Wood. Anyone who trespasses will surely die.
Furthermore, the parasites were not the only line of
defense. A number of poison formations, the specialty of Wood Demons, had been
carefully laid about the tree as well. The death of would-be explorers was
assured.
…...
Jiang Chen's eyes stared straight ahead, his attention
caught by a tree seedling. It was as delicate as coral and shimmered a vibrant
green hue. From a distance, it looked like a wonder of nature. Any observer
would be awestruck by the sight.
"Brother Chen, is that the Requiem Wood?" Huang'er
was dazzled by the tree's beauty.
"Yes, that's what we're looking for." This Requiem
Wood is pretty large. "It only grows one ring every ten thousand years, so
this one should be at least a hundred thousand-some-odd years old. It's still
fairly young when compared to other members of its species, though."
He was no stranger to the Requiem Wood. It was common to see
Requiem Woods that were millions of years old back in his previous life, within
the heavenly planes. Of course, a hundred-thousand-year-old wood was enough for
Huang'er's Generation Binding Curse. Carefully examining the tree, Jiang Chen
didn't rush into things. There were several oddities in its vicinity. A casual
glance didn’t seem to reveal anything peculiar, but someone with his experience
knew better. Every kind of plant near the tree was deadly, and they were placed
in such a way as to form an enormous poison formation. The entire setup was
very complicated.
Most importantly, the Requiem Wood was in the middle of a
deep pool. If Jiang Chen wanted the spirit herb, he'd have to wade in. The
muddied waters looked peaceful on the surface, but countless wood demon
parasites swirled beneath. A casual estimate numbered them in the millions. The
parasites were everywhere. There were even some near their feet, though Jiang
Chen had no intentions to tell Huang'er about them. They were scared of the
scent on their bodies anyways, and wouldn’t attack them.
Jiang Chen looked at the wood for a few more moments, then
tossed his hesitation aside. "Huang'er, step back a little and wait for me
outside. I'm going in to get it."
"How're you going to get it, Brother Chen? Are you
going to take a branch from its body?"
"No," Jiang Chen shook his head. "Why leave
nice things behind since we've finally arrived? We'll uproot the entire tree,
of course." He smiled strangely. Jiang Chen knew all about the properties
of the Requiem Wood. It was very useful for demons to use in refining their own
souls. Cutting off a branch inflicted minimal damage. Completely uprooting the
tree was much more devastating.
He wasted no time and glided towards the Requiem Wood with
his Cicada Wings. As he did so, he summoned his new spirit creature. Its
tentacles could do the heavy lifting that was needed to actually uproot the
tree. As a plant creature, the mint ginseng wasn't necessarily scared of wood
demon parasites. Nevertheless, Jiang Chen took precautions to bathe it in
Dragonwhisker Water. This way, it would be completely unhindered by the wood
demon parasites teeming in the pool below. Meanwhile, Jiang Chen hovered in the
air as backup.
The ginseng’s countless appendages grabbed at the Requiem
Wood's roots. The tentacles surged with power, their green muscles popping
forth like countless arms. They pulled upwards with a mighty strength, brimming
with endless vigor. Up! It took several hundred of them only a few pulls to
uproot the spirit herb in its entirety. Water pooled in to fill the empty
space.
Rumble! Now that the Requiem Wood had been touched, the
poison formations about it began to fiercely attack. However, they had very
little effect on a plant creature like the mint ginseng. Jiang Chen's added
help was only icing on the cake. In the wildlands, poison formations were only
really useful against human cultivators. On the outskirts of the wildlands, if
the average cultivator were to even slightly brush against one, they would die
several times over.
"We did it!" Jiang Chen was overjoyed at the sight
of the uprooted tree. He had the lotus take over carrying the Requiem Wood, and
placed the huge tree directly into his storage ring, dirt, roots, and all.
"Let's go!"
Recalling the ginseng without delay, Jiang Chen turned to
leave. Suddenly, jets of air streamed out from beneath the bottom of the pool.
Formed by innumerable parasites, they swept towards every part of Jiang Chen's
body. In the next moment, a terrifying creature bit at his feet. He was greatly
shocked by the attack. He slowed the monster's offense with a sweep of the
mirror, then shook his body to call upon his Pentecolor Divine Swords. Drawn
simultaneously, the five blades sliced towards the monster's body in five
streaks of divine radiance.
Clang! Savage streams of sparks flew as the swords were
stopped short by the monster's carapace. Like metal on metal, neither could
damage the other.
"What?!" Jiang Chen was shocked yet again. The
Pentecolor Divine Swords had been personally given to him by Emperor Peafowl!
And yet they couldn't even scratch this monster, much less break through its
armor. He hadn’t used any special sword techniques, but it was difficult to
believe that weapons of the Pentecolor Divine Swords’ caliber couldn't even
leave a mark on the monster’s body. Just how hard could its carapace be?
Still astonished, Jiang Chen had no desire to keep fighting.
He pointed several times at the jets of parasites with vehemence. Air streams
of Galaxy Slashes divided and disintegrated the bugs within. The monster looked
bewildered that Jiang Chen was able to cease the flood of parasites. Roaring
loudly, it made a mad dash for the human. Without the Featherflight Mirror's
intervention, the monster would have long reached Jiang Chen already.
With another wave of the mirror, Jiang Chen retreated out of
the pool's boundaries. "We're leaving, now." He said to Huang'er in a
low voice. She didn't miss a beat at Jiang Chen's panic. She instantly gathered
that the monster was a difficult adversary. Placing Jiang Chen's hand in her
own, she crushed an escape glyph, and the two of them disappeared on the spot
with a flash of light.
The monster roared again and again when it saw the humans
depart. They'd taken the Requiem Wood! Its cries shook the very heavens, and
its fierce eyes radiated a horrific light. Rather than the Requiem Wood, it was
as if the monster's own child had been taken. After a few seconds of
observation, its body halted, then completely disappeared.
The escape glyph's light subsided, and Jiang Chen and
Huang'er landed in a different place. The glyph had taken them more than a
hundred miles out, which was hopefully enough to evade the monster's pursuit.
However, the air beside them began to ripple before they could even catch their
breaths. The monster tunneled out from nothingness, as if moving directly
through time and space. Its eyes welled up with blood, and it thrust towards
Jiang Chen with another angry roar. The monster had an almost frightening
ferocity. There wasn't much that Jiang Chen could do. He had to continuously
shine the Featherflight Mirror on the monster to curb its advance. His
continual points towards the monster yielded no results. Try as he might, the
power of his Galaxy Slash left not a single scar, whether he cut against its
head or body. All his efforts went down the drain.
"What an abomination," Jiang Chen cursed under his
breath. He summoned the lotus, which sent out hundreds of ground-creeping vines
towards the monster.
Pfft pftt pfft! The vines wrapped around the monster
tightly, plant whipping against scale. It coiled around the monster, attempting
to constrict it to death. No matter how much force the lotus used, however, the
monster didn't seem to feel a thing. Noticing this, the lotus switched to
fighting with fire. Incalculable lotuses shot out witchfire in an attempt to
scorch the monster. The monster was unimpressed. The witchfire was hot enough
to melt metal and stone instantly, but it barely tickled the monster.
Since fire didn't work, Jiang Chen swapped to ice. A frost
colder than primordial glaciers enclosed the monster within. With a wild shake
of its body, the monster struggled free of its icy prison. It resumed its
charge towards Jiang Chen, howling in rage. Given the situation, Jiang Chen
wasn't entirely sure what to do. Swords didn't hurt it, and neither did the
elements.
Beckoning to his magnetic golden mountain, Jiang Chen
smashed it into the monster dozens of times. Like an iron hammer against a
tortoiseshell, the creature beneath the carapace remained undamaged despite the
numerous blows crashing into it.
"What kind of vile creature is this?!" The youth
couldn't understand it. It was quite possible that only great emperor realm
cultivators' attacks could pierce the creature's armor. Weaker techniques were
helpless against its thick, meaty hide. Jiang Chen was entirely lost on what to
do next. However, the mountain did exert a certain amount of pressure on the
beast, which struggled beneath its weight. Because of this, Jiang Chen had some
time to observe it more closely.
The monster's entire body was covered with scales, and it
had pores as small as needles. A glittering crystalline substance exuded out of
those pores. Upon closer inspection, the substance was actually a mass of wood
demon parasites bunched together.
A new possibility materialized in Jiang Chen's head.
"Wood demon parasites, huh… is this monster actually their
progenitor?!"
Chapter 893: Aura of the Demon King
This scene startled Jiang Chen quite a bit. He’d
accidentally stumbled across the true progenitor of the wood demon parasites!
It was the culprit for the parasites’ infinite plague. If he could kill this
monster, the parasite’s true progenitor, then the source of the plague would be
cut off. Though parasites elsewhere could still reproduce, it wouldn’t be hard
to exterminate them. The reproductive ability of this parasite progenitor was
incomparable to all others—none of its children could possibly match it. This
strengthened Jiang Chen’s resolve to kill the monster. Unfortunately, he had
already played most of his cards.
The only thing he had left was the restriction of his
empyrean dwelling. A restriction made by an empyrean cultivator should
theoretically kill this parasite progenitor with ease. However, he only had two
uses of it left. Jiang Chen didn’t want to use them up so casually.
A thought suddenly popped into Jiang Chen’s mind. Wood demon
parasites had two natural enemies: Fire of Firstdawn and Dragonwhisker Water.
Didn’t he have a fresh supply of the latter on hand? He conjured Long Xiaoxuan
up with a snap of his fingers. “Brother Long, only your spit can contain this
monster. I’ll leave it up to you.”
Long Xiaoxuan shot a sidelong glance at the ugly
abomination, not bothering to conceal his disgust. With a curl of his body, he
revealed his true form. A sneeze resounded in the sky. Countless jets of
Dragonwhisker Water scattered towards the monster like a thousand needles.
Truly, everything in nature had a natural enemy.
The monster that Jiang Chen had used so many methods in vain
on instantly began to writhe in pain when doused with the water. Plumes of
smoke sizzled upwards from the places on its body where the water had made
contact with. Long Xiaoxuan unrelentlessly followed up with another sneeze. As
more Dragonwhisker Water began to seep in, the monster’s armor began to melt.
Many marks of severe damage appeared on its carapace. The monster itself
shrieked loudly in pain. However, the power of the magnetic golden mountain and
the endless reflections of the Featherflight Mirror slowed the beast twice over.
Its speed restricted, it could only move at a crawl.
Scorched by the Dragonwhisker Water, its wounds only became
more severe with the passage of time. So, too, did the intensity of its
shrieks. Jiang Chen was unmoved. The parasite progenitor didn’t look fully
evolved. Things wouldn’t have proceeded so smoothly otherwise, even with the
Dragonwhisker Water. Calling upon the Pentecolor Divine Swords once more, he
readied to strike while his enemy was weak.
In this crucial moment, two terrifying presences rushed
through the air, hurtling towards Jiang Chen and Long Xiaoxuan without
ceremony. Alarmed, Jiang Chen hurriedly recalled the magnetic golden mountain,
placing it in front of his and Long Xiaoxuan’s bodies to block the attack. The
two presences smashed into the mountain with a resounding boom. The treasure
was shaken by the impact, its golden light flickering.
“Solidified… aura? Is this the aura of a great emperor?”
Jiang Chen had fought with emperor realm cultivators before. Though the
presence of such a cultivator was fairly strong, there was no way that it could
be focused into such a potent attack. Not daring to fight further, the wood
demon parasite progenitor seized the opportunity to flee. Tunneling into the
air, it vanished without a trace.
Jiang Chen tried to find it again using his God's Eye, but
it had completely vanished. He spat on the ground in disgust. How unfortunate!
Without those two presences, he could definitely have killed the monster. But
that was all conjecture. The two presences had been quite extraordinary. Though
their source was unknown, he nevertheless felt threatened.
“Are there great emperor realm demons in this forest?” Jiang
Chen didn’t want to be reckless. Now that he had the Requiem Wood, there was no
need to stick around. The heavy injuries that the parasite progenitor had
sustained would take a while to heal. On the other hand, the sudden attack cast
a shadow over his heart. He couldn’t muster up the courage to explore further.
He had what he came for—there was no need to dally. He couldn’t defeat the
entire demon race by himself, after all. Resolving to leave, he shot back
towards the outskirts, Huang'er in tow.
He wasn’t unwilling to explore further in, but he was more
concerned about the possible pursuit from a great emperor realm demon. However,
Jiang Chen was guessing that something was impeding the demon’s movements. It
wouldn’t have attacked with aura alone otherwise. If it had come personally, he
would’ve had no chance of victory without using his empyrean dwelling’s
restriction.
Emperor Peafowl was evidence enough for that. Jiang Chen
felt powerless before the man, even though Emperor Peafowl had only been a
great emperor for three thousand years. Any reawakening great emperor realm
demon was at least a hundred thousand years old, and thus likely to be stronger
rather than weaker than Veluriyam’s emperor. If an entity like that decided to
pursue him, Jiang Chen didn’t fancy his chances to put up a fight. These
considerations only cemented his desire to leave.
After an extended period of travel, Jiang Chen finally
returned to the boundary between the forest and grassland. By now, the sun was
going down again. He didn’t want to travel by night, so he cautiously made camp
in the borderlands, all the while worried about the great emperor realm demon.
The night was uneventful, however. There were no signs that a demon was on his
trail at all. It assured Jiang Chen that the demon did indeed have mobility
problems. His theft of the Requiem Wood was a great loss for the demon race.
There was no other reason that a demon as strong as it would just let him go.
It could only be that the demon had no way of personally hunting him down.
Spending the night worrying, Jiang Chen departed at the dawn
of the second day. He only had one thought in mind now—to leave the wildlands.
The goal of his journey had not been to investigate the demon race’s
activities, but rather, to obtain the Requiem Wood, which was already safely
within his grasp. His own mission was already complete. Having experienced the
chaotic astral winds once before, the plains weren’t as scary as they
previously seemed. Many strong creatures had died to the natural disaster, so
Jiang Chen was met with noticeably less resistance. Besides of the winds’
ravaging, perhaps it was Jiang Chen’s own might that intimidated the stronger
creatures of the plains. He traveled through the grasslands in less than a day.
He didn’t let his guard down once he was out though. Just
because he’d left the Wood Demons’ territory didn’t mean that he was out of the
figurative woods. Myriad Corpse Valley wasn’t a place that Jiang Chen enjoyed
dawdling in, either, but it was squarely on his way back. Thankfully, the
valley wasn’t nearly as vast as the grasslands geographically. If Jiang Chen
proceeded at the same speed, he could pass through in only about two hours.
There was no way around it. Whether he wanted to enter or leave, he had to go
through Myriad Corpse Valley.
“From what I recall, it seemed like the Prince of Shangping
died in this valley. Now that it’s been three days, I wonder how many more have
met the same fate?” Jiang Chen shook his head to himself. He was very upset by
Lu Shinan’s defection to the demon race. It wasn’t hard to imagine the huge
losses the cultivators on this excursion would suffer thanks to the man’s act
of betrayal. The death of the prince, for one, had to be related.
Once deceived, it was likely that most other cultivators
would die to Lu Shinan as well. Lu Shinan had such an innocent appearance, too.
He was very good at acting. If Jiang Chen didn’t naturally dislike people like
him, he could have been deceived as well.
…...
“Hmm?” Patrolling bone apparitions had brought him back an
important piece of news, but Lu Shinan found it hard to believe. Jiang Chen
came back! “Did that kid get the short end of the stick somewhere further in?
Did he fail to pass through the grasslands, and that’s why he came back?” Jiang
Chen’s unexpected return naturally made Lu Shinan very happy. Three days had
passed since the youth’s departure, and the demon king had wanted him to hold
Jiang Chen back from advancing further. Although he didn’t succeed at the task,
Jiang Chen’s return was quite opportune and was essentially a second chance for
him.
“Great news, my liege. The kid is on his way back here. I
don’t think he passed through the grasslands.” Lu Shinan relayed the
information excitedly to his lord.
“On his way back?” King Nineshadows was extremely surprised.
“I thought you said he was strong. How strong can he be if he didn’t even make
it through the grasslands?”
“My liege, perhaps he has a special reason?” Lu Shinan had
an intense interest in Jiang Chen, far surpassing his interest in any other
cultivator.
The demon king didn’t care. “You don’t need to pay attention
to the kid. You should keep a closer eye on the things I told you to do
instead. How many cultivators have come into this valley in the last three
days?”
“Heh heh, we’ve had a good harvest in these last three days.
At least three thousand cultivators had their souls sucked out by my lord’s
Soulreaver Banner. They’re now your loyal corpse puppets. Two thousand more
have been poisoned by Demonshade Flowers. They’ll become corpse puppets sooner
or later.”
“That only accounts for five thousand, yes? I thought you
said there were twenty or thirty thousand?”
“It’s only been three days. As time goes on, more
cultivators will surely make their way in here,” Lu Shinan chuckled. “Moreover,
there are already three emperor realm cultivators trapped by my liege’s demonic
formation. Though they’re still putting up a fight, they’ll succumb in due
time.”
The demon king laughed as well. “I am not capable enough to
have set this demonic formation. It is merely a geographical benefit. The land
here contains a primordial demonic formation, refined by a great emperor of the
Shadow Demons. It’s been a hundred thousand years since then. I’ve only repaired
the formation to a third of its former effectiveness. If His Majesty were to
awaken and command the formation personally, capturing even a couple of Titled
Great Emperors would be a piece of cake.” The demon king cackled proudly. He
was especially pleased about what he’d just said.
“My liege, you have received a true legacy from the
primordial era. Given enough time, I think it's quite possible for my lord to
become the next Shadow Demon Emperor.” Lu Shinan was particularly well-versed
at flattery.
“Hah, you know me well. How about this, I’ll let you take
three thousand bone apparitions with you to block off that kid. If you can get
him to come before the Soulreaver Banner, all the better.”
“Yes, your servant will do so immediately.” Lu Shinan was overjoyed.
Chapter 894: Fighting Lu Shinan
Lu Shinan was fully focused on robbing Jiang Chen of his
possessions. Treasures strong enough to overwhelm the Prince of Shangping had
to be extraordinary! He was someone with ambition, having taken shelter under
the demon race’s wing because he had a reached a bottleneck in his cultivation.
He knew he couldn’t ever become the strongest of the strong. Thus, he had taken
a road less traveled—selling his soul was no object, as long as the demon race
could be the strong backer he needed. It was also the reason for Lu Shinan’s
unscrupulous nature.
Upon entering Myriad Corpse Valley, Jiang Chen’s first
observation was that the malevolent air was even denser than it had been three
days prior.
“Such a big change in such a short amount of time. The
corrupt influence of the demon race is becoming more and more evident. The Wood
Demons, the Shadow Demons… I wonder how many other branches are stirring?” He
was greatly saddened by the discovery. As the factions within the human domain
were still at one another’s throats, the demon race was already roiling with
restlessness. They were ready to make a resurgence any day now. The human
domain was in no condition to engage in a battle of life and death with the
demon race.
Jiang Chen couldn’t spare the effort to think much more. He
only wanted to leave this horrible place and find a safer area so that he could
remove Huang'er’s Generation Binding Curse. His road wouldn’t be an easy one.
After fifteen minutes, Jiang Chen noticed numerous throngs of cultivators. He
could see many walking by on his road of return. There was only one path, so it
was natural to spot them.
“How come there are so many of them?” Jiang Chen frowned.
“They’re not among the original five hundred that entered with me, hmm? Are
there more who came in from the entrance in the outside valley?”
The more he thought about it, the odder he found the
situation to be. These cultivators were clearly at varying degrees of strength.
Some were even mere origin realm cultivators. The original five hundred cultivators
had definitely been stronger than this level. A problem with the entrance was
the only explanation. More cultivators must have entered this awful place.
Jiang Chen grieved for them. They thought that there were
untold riches here. How could they possibly know that deathtraps were all
around them? There were treasures too, of course, but there was no opportunity
for normal people to obtain them.
“These people are clearly possessed by a demonic aura. Their
expressions are noticeably sluggish and the characteristics of the living are
gone. Have these people been demonized already?” Jiang Chen paid close
attention to these cultivators. They lacked the vital signs that could be seen
in every human. In truth, they were more similar to the walking dead under
demonic control. He knew that the demon race had a multitude of methods for
taking control of others and using them as their puppets, so it was reasonable
to infer that these cultivators had already become demonic vassals. As such, he
wanted to avoid further trouble all the more.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him moved strangely. Jiang Chen
hastily activated his Cicada Wings, shooting towards the sky. The earth where
his feet had been a moment prior was plowed open, as if a furious ox had
penetrated it. Countless bone apparitions surged upwards from the ground,
mounting an aggressive charge at him. It wasn’t the first time he had seen bone
apparitions. They weren’t particularly strong demonic troops. Not wanting to
get involved in the fray, he continually flashed his Featherflight Mirror to
reduce the bone apparitions’ speed. Meanwhile, he sought to break through the
encirclement with Huang’er in tow.
However, the malevolent air in Myriad Corpse Valley was too
dense. Despite keeping his altitude low and flights short, Jiang Chen still
felt tired. He had to adjust after each brief airborne stint. Thankfully,
though the Pentecolor Divine Swords had trouble killing the wood demon parasite
progenitor, it cut through these bone apparitions easily enough. Large swathes
of bone were torn to shreds with every sweep. The light from the swords burst
forth like a lion charging into a pack of lambs, ravaging its prey freely.
His God’s Eye lit up suddenly, as Jiang Chen locked on to Lu
Shinan, who was commanding the bone apparitions in a corner. Like a white crane
riding on lightning, Jiang Chen glided towards the cultivator. A point of his
fingers through the air carried the power of a Galaxy Slash. It bore towards
the hidden Lu Shinan like a river of stars.
Aiya! Lu Shinan couldn’t have possibly expected Jiang Chen’s
sudden attack. He scrambled to respond to it. Thankfully for him, he was an
emperor realm cultivator after all. His personal strength wasn’t just for show.
He evaded Jiang Chen’s lethal attack with a shift of his body.
At the same time, he moved to hide himself even more deeply
within the shadows with a cackle. As an emperor realm cultivator, he had no
fear of Jiang Chen. He was more concerned about Jiang Chen’s prior defeat of
the Prince of Shangping. As a cautious man, Lu Shinan had no intention of
facing Jiang Chen head on without first fully understanding his opponent.
“Lu Shinan, you’ve allied with the demons and sold your
soul. I’d like to see where you’re running off to today!” Jiang Chen was hot on
his heels. He flashed his Featherflight Mirror at Lu Shinan’s back. Being
affected by the mirror’s power was like touching electricity. Lu Shinan’s body
slackened a moment. Jiang Chen had arrived at his location in no time. Raising
the magnetic golden mountain high into the air, he smashed it towards Lu
Shinan’s skull with a lofty motion.
Pfft! Seeing this, Lu Shinan knew that he couldn’t leave without
a fight today. Performing numerous hand signs in succession, he called a large
cauldron into being near him. Its silver light caught the golden mountain, even
repelling it.
Jiang Chen flashed his mirror once again at Lu Shinan, not
stopping for a second. However, the cultivator seemed to have noticed Jiang
Chen’s Featherflight Mirror. He bolted to the side the moment Jiang Chen’s palm
moved. The magnetic golden mountain and Lu Shinan’s silver cauldron fought each
other directly, ramming into each other repeatedly.
Paying no mind to his mountain, Jiang Chen commanded his
Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice into action once again. Countless lotus vines
flew across the ground, curling themselves around Lu Shinan’s feet. Lu Shinan
smirked and stomped. Many defensive wooden stakes rose to counter the vines.
Curling around the defenses, the vines couldn’t reach further towards Lu Shinan
himself.
“How could this be?” Jiang Chen thought it was strange that
Lu Shinan had countermeasures for all his methods. Upon further consideration,
it made sense. A good guess was that the Prince of Shangping must have asked Lu
Shinan to be his ally, planning to fight against Jiang Chen together. The
prince must have never entertained the possibility that Lu Shinan would join
the demon race.
“Kid, why don’t you use the rest of your methods?” Lu Shinan
cackled, circling around Jiang Chen from a long distance. He had no wish to
enter into a direct confrontation with the youth. Clearly, he wanted to see
just how many methods Jiang Chen was actually capable of dishing out. Of
course, Jiang Chen had more tricks up his sleeve. However, his brain was
operating at max capacity in order to come up with a better solution. In the
heat of the moment, he activated a formation disk. The Ancient Slaughter
Formation of Seven instantly materialized.
Lu Shinan’s face colored immediately. He found himself
having already entered Jiang Chen’s formation. “You… you’re a formation master
as well?” He was a little surprised.
Jiang Chen smiled coldly. “Lu Shinan, there’s no reason for
me to not kill you today. You’ve joined the demons and are willingly serving as
both their informant and lackey.”
“Kill me? With what, your half-baked formation?”
The Ancient Slaughter Formation had three levels. Jiang Chen
activated the medium difficulty. There was at least some hope of causing Lu
Shinan a bit of trouble. However, the defector clearly had a treasure to defeat
formations. A blast of radiance heralded an attempt to forcibly break out.
Jiang Chen countered with a swish of his Featherflight
Mirror. Greatly astonished, Lu Shinan hurried to dodge. He knew his enemy had a
method that could slow both people and attacks down. It was a lethal threat to
him. His breakout wasn’t delayed by the maneuver. He knew as well as anyone
that the longer you stayed in a formation, the greater the risk you’d face.
Suddenly, trails of green smoke rose out of the formation, gusting towards him.
Lu Shinan tried to sweep the smoke aside with his sleeve. He quickly discovered
that the smoke was a little odd. It had a strange restraining power.
“What on earth is this?” Lu Shinan gasped in bewilderment.
He remembered what the Prince of Shangping had relayed about the battle with
Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen had used the mint ginseng in his battle against
the prince, so Lu Shinan was at least somewhat familiar with the attack.
Pushing at his reserves of strength, he finally struggled free of the green
smoke’s binds. Lu Shinan waved a hand, and a folding fan appeared within.
“Take this, kid!” The fan’s flourishes had a tectonic
strength. It sailed towards Jiang Chen with the irresistible force of two
mountains.
Bam! Jiang Chen keeled over from the attack, falling to the
ground.
“Hmm?” Lu Shinan was amazed. The kid had a strong offense;
did he not have the defense to match? It couldn’t be. The Prince of Shangping
had said that he couldn’t break through the kid’s defenses even with the eight
statues. Had Jiang Chen used the Imperial Advent Defense Talisman to gain such
absurd resilience and without it, he was actually quite weak? Countless thoughts
passed through Lu Shinan’s mind. As he mulled things over, he discovered that
the ‘Jiang Chen’ who had fallen wasn’t actually the real one. Instead, it was
an illusion created by the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice. The discovery was
far from encouraging. “Oh, this isn’t good.”
Lu Shinan moved to turn around, but was met by several
golden rosary beads, rolling underfoot. “What are these?” The beads were fairly
non-threatening, but due to the strangeness of the scene, he stepped back
instinctually. As soon as he did, Lu Shinan realized that he had underestimated
the situation at hand after all. The beads twirled over the ground, then
transformed instantly into several soldiers in gold armor. They assailed him
without hesitation.
“Out of my way!” Lu Shinan was quite upset now. He had been
continually toyed with by a mere youth, and still hadn’t broken out of the
formation. It was a thoroughly unenjoyable situation. The waves of his folding
fan repelled the golden soldiers. However, the soldiers seemed perpetually
resilient—they came back each time after being sent flying, their ferocity
increasing with every rebound.
Chapter 895: The Mighty Long Xiaoxuan
These golden armored soldiers were obviously only in sky
sage realm, so Lu Shinan wasn’t afraid of them. However, they were extremely
durable to the point where he could only knock them back and not destroy them,
no matter what he did. This outcome was a bit depressing. It was at this moment
that he felt a sudden tremor beneath his feet. Innumerable tentacles that
looked like fleshy tumors suddenly shot towards him from all directions.
It was the mint ginseng’s attack. Although it looked a
little similar to the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice’s attack, its effects
were completely different. The creature’s strength was greater than even the
lotus’, but it only had restrictive powers and lacked the attributes of fire
and ice. Right now, Lu Shinan had been forced into a very desperate situation.
The mint ginseng’s addition to the mix only made his burden heavier. It was at
this moment that Lu Shinan abruptly detected a tremor from the air above his
head.
When he looked up, a great domain abruptly pressed down on
his head. This domain was accompanied by an energy that struck fear in people’s
hearts, and it stifled Lu Shinan so much that he felt like he couldn’t breathe.
In the next moment, an enormous paw appeared and attempted to grab him from the
sky. The giant paw had five claws, and every one of them was sharp enough to
rival any divine weapon in the world. There were black jets of air around the
giant paw as well, and they blinked rapidly like black lightning. It was a
combination of the dragon domain, the Claw of Crushed Mountains and Rivers, and
the Black Cage. This attack was the fatal attack Long Xiaoxuan unleashed at Lu
Shinan after materializing into his true body.
Lu Shinan looked up only to find the ever-present might of a
dragon locking down every bit of space around him. The Claw of Crushed
Mountains and Rivers instantly caught his body. Lu Shinan was instantly lifted
into the air, unable to break free no matter how hard he struggled.
“A dragon, a true dragon!” Lu Shinan screamed at the top of
his lungs as he commenced his final struggle. “Mercy, Daoist Huang, mercy! I am
willing to betray the demon race!” At this point, he couldn’t do anything even
if he possessed a million trump cards. The only thing he could do was beg for
his life.
There was no reason for Jiang Chen to listen to his pleas of
mercy, so he looked at Long Xiaoxuan. “Brother Long, he may be a degenerate,
but he’s still an emperor realm expert. Do as you wish.”
Long Xiaoxuan cackled sinisterly and instantly tore Lu
Shinan in half. He threw the man into his mouth and devoured him in three
chomps. Lu Shinan’s bloodcurdling scream barely broke through the air before he
was completely devoured by the dragon. A true dragon didn’t care if Lu Shinan’s
body contained the aura of the demon race. The bloodline of an ancient true
dragon could purify anything with its blood, and not even the demon race dared
claim that their bloodline was stronger than the ancient true dragon race.
After all, the dragon race was an ancient royal bloodline. Now that Lu Shinan
had been destroyed, his cauldron naturally fell into Jiang Chen’s possession.
“To think that this cauldron can actually block my magnetic
golden mountain! It’s definitely a good item. But I wonder what it is exactly?”
Jiang Chen didn’t currently have the time to identify it, so he immediately
stored it within his storage ring. “Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get the
Prince of Shangping’s formation disk. Otherwise, those eight statues would have
truly been a rather powerful offensive treasure.”
Jiang Chen had searched through Lu Shinan’s storage ring,
but the formation disk wasn’t in there. After destroying the defector, Jiang
Chen departed the area without even bothering to clean up the scene. He paid no
attention to the human cultivators who had been corrupted by demonic energy.
Everyone governed their own fortune and fate. These people had made the choice
to throw away their lives here on their own accord. Jiang Chen had no reason to
play the role of a savior and save them all.
…...
Inside the Ten-Thousand-Year Coffin, Demon King Nineshadows
was at the final stretch. Since he possessed the Prince of Shangping’s body,
the body needed to be tempered with demonic energy. After three days of work,
the body was almost fully tempered. Suddenly, Demon King Nineshadows felt a
change and his expression notably shifted, “Lu Shinan is dead?”
The demon king was very shocked by this outcome. “Lu Shinan
is a skilled cultivator, and I gave him three thousand bone apparitions to aid
him in his mission. So how did he get himself killed? How did he fail to run
away while he was in my domain? Is Jiang Chen really that powerful?”
Demon King Nineshadows found this outcome a little
unbelievable even as wrath grew within him. Lu Shinan was one of the pawns he
controlled. While he didn’t really care for the man, the human had still been a
very useful and loyal dog as of late. Lu Shinan had also done many other things
for him. For example, he was the one who had spread the rumors of this place to
the outside world, lured cultivators into the desolate wildlands, and damaged
the formation that the Prince of Shangping had left at the valley entrance...
But now that his dog was dead, many of his plans had
suddenly been ruined. Thankfully, the formation in Myriad Corpse Valley had
already begun operating. Even without Lu Shinan, the mission wouldn’t stray off
course too much. Moreover, the recently completed corpse puppets would serve as
useful assistants after the demon king gave them the proper training. The
corpse puppets retained most of their host’s consciousness, but their first
instinct was to obey the demon king’s order. Therefore, they were in some ways
more useful than Lu Shinan himself. Although Lu Shinan was an obedient dog, he
had plenty of his own schemes. For example, Lu Shinan had gone after Jiang Chen
out of his own greed. Naturally, Demon King Nineshadows was privy to his little
schemes. He just had no reason to burst the human’s bubble and stop him.
“This brat! If I allow him to run wild in my Myriad Corpse
Valley and leave unharmed, he will absolutely think lightly of my domain!” Demon
King Nineshadows was no kind demon. It was only natural that he feel deeply
offended by Jiang Chen’s act of insolence in his domain and at the murder of
his dog. Why should you be the sole exception when everyone else is turned into
corpse puppets? Why are you able to enter and exit Myriad Corpse Valley in a
flamboyant fashion and even take the life of a dog that belongs to me?
When the demon king thought of this, he felt like going
right after Jiang Chen. But another thought quickly followed, “My physical body
isn’t complete yet, and I have reached a critical moment. If I were to chase
after him now while my physical body is still unstable, everything I’ve done
for the past three days would have all been for naught. In fact, the damage may
even extend to my consciousness. Worse, if this brat is powerful beyond my
expectations, I may even suffer enormous damage by engaging in a fight with him
in this imperfect body, so forget it. I’ll allow that arrogant brat to live for
the moment. When I leave the desolate wildlands, the first person I’m
sacrificing for the supreme ceremony that summons the demon race is you!”
Demon King Nineshadows undeniably possessed some semblance
of rationality despite his inherent brutality. This was thanks to the infinite
tempering of time. All these years had cultivated some shrewdness atop the
demon king’s foundation of ruthlessness.
…...
Jiang Chen finally stepped out of Myriad Corpse Valley after
killing Lu Shinan. However, the ease at which he made his escape puzzled him a
little. Why does it feel like my luck is holding up a little too well? I even
ran into the emperor realm aura of the Wood Demon King earlier, but Shadow
Demons haven’t come after me for some reason. I wonder what level the monster
that controls the Shadow Demons race is at? It can’t be an average demon
considering that it is able to control an emperor realm cultivator like Lu
Shinan.
He was feeling much better after stepping out of Myriad
Corpse Valley. One might say that the most dangerous part of his journey had
passed. After leaving Myriad Corpse Valley, Jiang Chen unsealed Huang’er’s
senses once more. The trip to and from the desolate wildlands had caused her
illness to worsen. But now that he had obtained the Soul Requiem Wood, they
could afford to waste a few days. When he left, Jiang Chen noted that wandering
cultivators were continuously pouring into this place like dumplings dropping
into a pot. He was dumbfounded at the sight. Just how many people had rushed
in?
Some of these wandering cultivators were filled with hatred
when they saw him. It was obvious that these wandering cultivators had recalled
the rules set by the Prince of Shangping’s alliance upon seeing Jiang Chen,
preventing them from entering the desolate wildlands.
“Everyone, this kid was one of the members of that alliance.
Don’t you think that it’s despicable that they are the ones who profited from
this venture while we received nothing?”
“Don’t you think we should get revenge?”
“Yeah, yeah! We number in the few hundreds while he’s alone.
He has to give us an explanation today no matter what!” The crowd started
jeering.
Jiang Chen’s ears were sharp, and he immediately noticed
that some of these hooters were members of the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain.
How shameless were they to hide themselves amongst the wandering cultivators,
but pretend that they were one of the members of the groups who’d come in
later? Jiang Chen wasn’t a blindly kind person, so he sneered, “Since when did
the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain become so pathetic, hiding in the crowd and
pretending to be a victim? Let’s not forget that you were one of those who
benefited from the rules too.”
“The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain?” The group of hundreds
immediately turned clamorous. These wandering cultivators had been the second
group to enter the valley. They had all formed their own temporary alliances,
and their plan was to fight the first group together should they run into them.
There was no way they were allowing themselves to be bullied by the cultivators
of the first group!
The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain was within the first
group, so why had they purposely disguised and hidden themselves inside the
second group? Just what were they plotting at? For a time, these wandering
cultivators were all on edge, as if they faced a dangerous enemy. No one knew
better than them what kind of people the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain were.
There was no way the group would be kind enough to look after the crowd like a
nanny.
Jiang Chen began scanning the crowd with his God’s Eye. What
on earth was the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain planning by mingling amidst the
second group? They couldn’t have been transformed into dogs of the demon race
just like Lu Shinan, could they?
The more Jiang Chen thought about the possibility, the
likelier he felt it was. It was impossible that a group as arrogant and
domineering as them would lower themselves to join the weaker second group of
cultivators otherwise. There was only one reason they would do so, and that was
to fan the flames in order to lure more cultivators into Myriad Corpse Valley
for the demons.
“Don’t listen to this kid’s nonsense, everyone. He’s
purposely trying to distract us. Let’s charge at him together and take him out!
He’s gone in for so many days and he’s ready to leave. This means that he must
have gotten a lot of loot. Who else do we rob if not him? Everything he
possesses rightfully belongs to us!”
“Yeah, he’s purposely trying to make us fight. Let’s kill
him first and talk about other details later!” The voices kept sounding amidst
the crowd.
Jiang Chen kept his Ear of the Zephyr open and roughly
locked down the locations of the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain. He abruptly
declared in a loud voice, “Everyone, the opening of the desolate wildlands is a
complete trap. The desolate wildlands is the forbidden land of the demon race,
and almost all of the numerous cultivators who went inside were turned into
corpse puppets. If you wish to meet the same fate as them, then enter as you so
please. You will be met with no resistance. However, know that once you go in,
you will never make it out of that place ever again.”
Chapter 896: Eliminating the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain
Jiang Chen wasn’t even trying to scare them. He truly hadn’t
found anyone alive when he was making his way out of Myriad Corpse Valley.
They’d either been turned into corpse puppets or bone apparitions. He sighed as
he watched a continuous stream of people flooding in his direction. “If you
would use your brains for even a second, you would realize why you were all
gathered at this place. It’s because someone has purposely laid down a trap to
lure all of you in. I’m sure you all think that there are countless precious
treasures lying on the ground just waiting for you to pick them up inside, but
the reality is a stark and brutal contrast.”
He didn’t expect them to change their minds. He had already
fulfilled his original goals. There was no reason for Jiang Chen to stop them
by force if these people insisted on committing suicide. Right now, he only
hoped that these people would calm down a little.
“Bullshit! That kid must have gotten quite the haul inside
the valley, but is afraid that we’d go in and grab the rest for ourselves.
That’s why he’s spouting such idiotic nonsense.”
“Let’s kill him first and see if there’s anything good on
him!” Because Jiang Chen wasn’t an emperor realm expert, these people thought
that they might have a chance to take him down together. Moreover, the Six
Wolves of Sparrow Mountain was hiding inside the group. If they could spur
these blind wandering cultivators into clashing against Jiang Chen, then they
would have a good opportunity to benefit from the conflict.
“You want to kill me?” The mint ginseng acted as Jiang Chen
sneered. It let out many puffs of green smoke, causing its innumerable
wart-riddled tentacles to burst out from underground, enveloping the
cultivators. The mint ginseng might have been weak in comparison to Jiang Chen,
but it was still quite strong against these wandering cultivators.
The second they were caught, the hundred wandering
cultivators couldn’t move a single muscle no matter how hard they struggled.
They felt as if they were wrapped by steel. Fortunately for them, Jiang Chen
had no intentions of taking their lives. A flash of cold indifference flew
through his eyes as he stared at the captured cultivators. “I wouldn’t have
given a damn about you lot if the demon race wasn’t lying in wait to profit
freely from your corpses.”
As he said this, the mint ginseng swung its limbs repeatedly
and tossed the cultivators at least several hundred meters away. Thump thump
thump. The wandering cultivators cut a sorry figure as they crashed into the
ground like sandbags. Although the collision was hardly fatal, it still hurt
them a little. However, not everyone was as lucky as them. More specifically,
six particular people didn’t fare so well.
“Hello, Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain. If you don’t mind,
can you tell me what you’re plotting by hiding within this group?” Jiang Chen
sneered and stared at them, the ghost of a smile passing through his lips.
“Don’t tell me you’re trying to take down strong opponents later by pretending
to be weak now?”
The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain wore fearful looks on
their faces. They hadn’t immediately turned against Jiang Chen earlier, outside
the valley entrance, out of consideration of the bigger picture. Otherwise, how
would a group as infamous as the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain let go of the
matter as simply as they did otherwise? Moreover, they had never regarded Jiang
Chen highly from the beginning to the end. They had always thought that Jiang
Chen’s arrogance was a product of ignorance. But now, these thoughts had
completely vanished from their minds. Pride was now a forgotten priority as the
white-haired old leader of the group hastily said, “It’s all just a mistake, my
friend. We surrender.”
The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountains were flexible people who
could bow their heads if need be. Otherwise, their tyranny would’ve already
earned them a swift death in the world of wandering cultivators.
“Surrender?” Jiang Chen’s eyes turned cold, “Do you think
that this is just a matter of winning or losing?”
The white-haired leader hastily continued, “Friend, we gave
you face earlier outside the valley, didn’t we? If you can let us go this one
time, our lives will belong to you.”
It was only natural that they would struggle in the face of
death. They were strong enough, but because the mint ginseng had ambushed
everyone by spewing the green gas, their movements had been greatly slowed.
Moreover, Jiang Chen had locked onto the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountains before
he’d attacked them. He had subtly pointed the Featherflight Mirror at them a
few times during the ambush. Therefore, despite their strength, they weren’t
able to avoid capture. As long as their movements were restricted, they could
possess a million trump cards, but not be able to use any of them.
The wandering cultivators who were tossed to the distance
looked shocked to hear that these six people were really the Six Wolves of
Sparrow Mountains. They glared at the group with disbelief in their eyes.
“The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountains?”
“Holy shit, is it really those six bastards? Hadn’t they
already made their way into the valley from the start? Why are they here with
us?”
“Also, weren’t they fanning the flames and attempting to
push everyone into the valley?”
“Can it be… can it really be true that these six bastards
have submitted to the demon race and were baiting us into our deaths?” Not all
wandering cultivators were foolish, so quite a few of them came to the
realization that this whole scenario was a trap after taking the time to
consider the entire situation. Everyone turned pale when they heard of the
demon race.
The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountains were shocked when they
heard the cultivators’ conversations. “You must not misunderstand us. We are
simply trying to take care of you, fellow wandering cultivators, as there’s
strength in numbers. We absolutely haven’t surrendered to the demon race.”
“Daoist Huang, how can you wrong us? The demon race is an
ancient threat, how can we possibly submit to the demon race? Plus, we’ve only
arrived here a few days ago, and the desolate wildlands was still sealed at the
time. How can we have defected to them?”
If this conversation had happened in the past, then maybe
Jiang Chen might have believed their words. But with the earlier case of Lu
Shinan, although he still had no idea how these people had managed to defect to
the demon race, facts spoke louder than words.
“In that case, do you mind swearing a heavenly oath to prove
your innocence?” Jiang Chen’s tone was indifferent, “You know, just in case I
did accuse you wrongly. If you, the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain dare swear a
heavenly oath to prove your innocence, then I can let you live this one time.”
A heavenly oath? A trace of panic appeared in the group’s
eyes. If they swore a heavenly oath, then there was no escaping death no matter
what. But if they didn’t swear it now, they might not even be able to live past
this moment. All six of them were men of steel. After they exchanged meaningful
glances with each other, they decided to take a risk and survive today’s
predicament first. Whether or not the heavenly oath would strike them down
after this was a matter for the future.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen hadn’t missed the cunning gleam in their
eyes. So he said coldly, “Remember, your heavenly oath must include the people
who are closest to you. I know you’re trying to make it past this moment and
hope to get lucky later on. You can stop thinking such thoughts now.”
Jiang Chen’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured
over the six men’s heads.
“Daoist Huang, you go too far. This is intolerable!”
“Why should this involve the people closest to us? Also, I
thought the heavenly oath only harms the person who swears the oath and not
their family?” His words were in fact true. Most of the time, the heavenly oath
only bound the person who swore the oath. However, if an entire group was
involved in the oath, it wasn’t unthinkable that the group would be dragged into
it as well. At the same time, the oath might not necessarily trigger punishment
on every person. For example, the Tristar Sect broke their heavenly oath and
was punished for it, but not all Tristar Sect disciples were killed by the
oath.
“It’s true that the punishment of the heavenly oath may not
befall on your families, but if you’re lying, then I will act on behalf of the
heavens instead.” Jiang Chen’s tone was cold.
The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain shuddered and glared
hatefully at Jiang Chen. He didn’t fear them in the slightest. He smiled
faintly, “First Lu Shinan, now the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain. It’s exactly
because of trash like you all who have surrendered to the demon race that’s
prompted their revival and seemingly infinite numbers.”
The Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain turned deathly pale when
they heard Jiang Chen bringing up Lu Shinan. They knew that they likely weren’t
going to escape death today. The white-haired old man abruptly chuckled evilly.
“Do you think you can escape after you kill us, Huang?”
“That’s right. When the demon king descends upon the
desolate wildlands, all cultivators who intrude here can do nothing but die!”
Realizing that they weren’t escaping today, the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountains
decided to discard all pretenses and cackle like madmen. Their faces were ugly
and terrifying.
The wandering cultivators who had been previously fooled
looked dumbfounded by this. They hadn’t really believed Jiang Chen earlier, but
now that they heard the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain’s crazed words, their
jaws fell open in shock. Had the group really surrendered to the demon race?
Did they just say that a demon king was about to appear in this world? Did
these signs really indicate the start of the demon race’s revival?
Jiang Chen’s eyes turned frosty. “The descent of the demon
king, you say? That may be true, but you lot still aren’t escaping death today
no matter what.”
He hated traitors like these to the bone in both of his
lifetimes. After the order was given, the mint ginseng crushed the Six Wolves
of Sparrow Mountain to bits with its tentacles. Unlike the Bewitching Lotus,
the mint ginseng didn’t have suckers on its tentacles and thus wasn’t able to
absorb their essences into its body. Jiang Chen sympathized with the lotus for
missing out on the essences of six cultivators, but he couldn’t summon it in
the public like this. He didn’t stay behind after killing the Six Wolves of
Sparrow Mountain. He slipped past the wandering cultivators, as light as a
sparrow. “Make your choice. I care nothing for it.”
He had performed his obligation to the utmost anyway. If
these people insisted on committing suicide, he had no reason to stop them. One
had to say that the lure of the riches and powers within the desolate wildlands
was too great. Although these wandering cultivators didn’t dare provoke Jiang
Chen any longer, they were reluctant to give up just like this.
“Don’t you think the kid is being a little melodramatic?”
“Yeah, if the demon king really has descended upon this
earth, then why is he still able to enter and leave the valley freely? Maybe he
just didn’t want us to plunder the riches in there and is trying to scare us
away from it?”
“But the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain confessed their
sins.” The hundreds of wandering cultivators conversed with each other, but
didn’t take a step away. It was obvious that they were all reluctant to leave
after finally being given the chance to enter the desolate wildlands. However,
none of them realized that a great danger was currently sneaking towards them
while they were wasting time there.
Jiang Chen was dumbfounded by these foolish cultivators. He
had already said everything there was to say, so there was no way he was
turning back to convince them further. A person’s life was destined at birth.
If it was their fate to die here, then he wasn’t going to become the anchor
that kept them from it. He turned his head immediately and swiftly moved
outside.
After passing through the river and walking for a few hours
straight, he finally arrived at the crossroads where he had agreed to meet Lin
Yanyu. Only five to six days had passed since, and there was still a day or two
left before their agreement of seven days was up. Jiang Chen was a man of his
words, so he didn’t leave the area.
Chapter 897: Majestic Mountain-Sealing Formation
Lin Yanyu wasn’t as blind as many of the other wandering
cultivators. With the weight of a family vendetta on his back, he didn’t
overestimate his own strength. He was eager to do well here, but he was careful
as well. After a few days, he was rewarded with modest results. He arrived
seven days later, as previously agreed upon. He was very surprised when he saw
Jiang Chen already waiting for him. He had been worried about the possibility
that Jiang Chen might not show up after a week’s time. “Daoist Huang, did you
wait long?”
Jiang Chen had indeed waited an entire day, but decided not
to comment on it. He glanced at Lin Yanyu. The latter was well-worn from
traveling, but free of demonic taint.
“You must not have picked the sky rank spirit herbs on the
way in, Daoist Lin?” Jiang Chen asked rhetorically with a half-smile.
Lin Yanyu returned a wry smile. “Maybe someone else would
have, if they hadn’t been paying any attention, but the Lin family specializes
in pills and medicines. I’m not likely to miss any detail relating to spirit
herbs. Those supposed sky rank ones… well, I knew better than to touch them.
Frankly, I didn’t think that they were genuine.”
“Quite,” Jiang Chen nodded. “You have a good eye and
remarkable self-control. That’s why you’re still alive. Others weren’t so
lucky.”
He knew now that the sky rank and earth rank spirit herbs
were mere illusions. Demonshade Flowers lay beneath their disguise. If
cultivators were greedy enough to pick those herbs, the flowers would
immediately strike. Their souls would be captured, and they would be fashioned
into corpse puppets. Jiang Chen had seen many such afflicted cultivators on his
way back.
The remark from Jiang Chen made Lin Yanyu grow more serious.
“Daoist Huang, I think there’s something odd going on this time around. I’ve
only been around the outskirts because I didn’t dare go further in, but I saw a
large inward flow of cultivators while I was traveling. They didn’t look like
they were part of the original five hundred.”
“Yes, it’s definitely not just five hundred cultivators,”
Jiang Chen sighed. “I’d say the number is closer to tens of thousands.” He
shook his head, shrugging. “Each man has his own fate. If they want to go
hastily to their deaths, how are we to stop them?”
“Why do you say that?”
Not bothering to explain, Jiang Chen merely waved a hand. “You’ll
see when we go back outside.”
Lin Yanyu was quite confused. Assessing people and trusting
others was one of his good traits, and he knew, after prolonged contact with
Jiang Chen, that he was someone rather extraordinary. He had good reason to trust
Jiang Chen implicitly. As they headed back outside at a brisk pace, they saw
even more cultivators rush in. Jiang Chen didn’t want to bump into them. He
avoided them the entire way back to the valley’s entrance. The formation that
the Prince of Shangping had set had long been destroyed. The hole in the
restriction over the wildlands had been previously repaired somewhat, but there
were signs of damage here as well.
“How can this be?” Lin Yanyu gasped in surprise.
Jiang Chen didn’t know how to answer. Of course he knew Lu
Shinan was the culprit. The wandering cultivators wouldn’t have gotten in at
all if the formations had remained untouched. Lu Shinan’s sabotage was the
direct cause of roughly thirty thousand cultivators entering the wildlands.
They would never return. Thankfully, nightfall was coming soon, and the number
of cultivators near the valley entrance began to dwindle. Everyone that wanted
to go in seemed to have already done so. The three of them carefully walked out
of the restriction. Jiang Chen stared at it briefly. The restriction showed
signs of self-recovery.
“This restriction… it can fix itself?” Huang'er saw a hint
of the restriction’s recovery as well.
Lin Yanyu was awestruck. He couldn’t make any assessments
about the restriction aside from noting its immense strength and power
signature.
“This is an ancient restriction. It only opens up every so
often because of how old it is. It looks like the period for this opening is
almost over, though. Good thing we came out so quickly.” Jiang Chen sounded
pleased. “Otherwise, we’d have to wait until the next time this thing opens
up.”
“How long would that period be?” Lin Yanyu asked curiously.
Jiang Chen shot the young pillmaker a meaningful look. “Oh?
Do you want to come back some other time, Daoist Lin?”
“No, no, I’m just asking. There’s no way I’ll come back to
this dastardly place. It’s so creepy here.” Lin Yanyu shook his hands
hurriedly.
“I’m glad you think so. Daoist Lin, perhaps we three are the
only survivors of this wildlands excursion.”
However, Jiang Chen was quickly proven wrong. One by one, a
few other wandering cultivators exited the opening as well, their appearances
haggard. Jiang Chen probed each of them with his consciousness as they exited.
If these people had been tainted by demons, he wouldn’t have let them just
leave. However, his investigation revealed that these cultivators were likely
the timid ones. Just like Lin Yanyu, they had only hung around the outskirts.
They hadn’t been brave enough to go further in.
Huang'er gazed at the restriction’s opening, her expression
serious. “Since the opening is closing up, it looks like anyone who still
hasn’t come out will no longer be able to.”
“They certainly won’t come out alive again,” Jiang Chen
sighed. “The only way they can possibly return is as a plague on the human
domain.”
“Why do you say that?” Lin Yanyu exclaimed, fearful.
“The demon race is awakening once more. These cultivators are
only serving as cannon fodder and sacrifices for the demons. When they come out
again, they’ll either be converted to demons or be turned into their puppets.
Lost forever to the abyss, as it is.”
“What?”
Jiang Chen continued staring at the opening in the
restriction, but Lin Yanyu was pale with terror. The news about the demon race
positively frightened him. He wanted to leave immediately and go as far away as
possible.
“Daoist Huang, shall we go now?” He called out to Jiang
Chen. The latter shook his head, then walked to the side. He found a mossy rock
and sat cross-legged upon it. Knowing what he was planning, Huang'er sat beside
him as well. Eyes affixed on the opening, Jiang Chen furrowed his brow. He was
contemplating something.
Lin Yanyu’s heart was bitter with complaint when he saw his
benefactor’s strangeness. What had come over Daoist Huang? But as a
kind-hearted man, he wasn’t just about to up and leave while Jiang Chen
remained stationary. He didn’t want to let the other down by fleeing alone.
Picking a spot reasonably near Jiang Chen, he sat down quietly in wait. He
didn’t know what this ‘Daoist Huang’ wanted to do, but his instincts told him
that his friend had some unfinished business.
Only when the morning of the second day came did Jiang Chen
let out a breath of relief.
“The restriction has closed up. Only eighteen people came
out during the night. They’re the only survivors. I assume they similarly only
went around the outskirts and didn’t have any clue regarding what happened further
in.” He muttered, speaking as much to Huang'er as he was to himself.
“Mm. How long is the period until the restriction reopens?”
Having observed the restriction for a long while now, Jiang
Chen gave an accurate estimate. “Half a year to one year, but that’s only
temporary. With the restriction loosening up more and more, I’d posit that the
period could shorten to three months, or even one month. Plus, with news of the
desolate wildlands spreading further, there’ll just be more and more
cultivators who go in.”
“Then we have to make sure that news about the demon race
spreads as well,” Lin Yanyu added from the side.
Jiang Chen smiled bitterly. “It’s no use. Wealth ruins many.
Even if we say that there are traces of a demonic presence, it’ll hardly stop
the desperados who go in solely to satisfy their own greed.”
He wasn’t just making things up. Though he’d previously
killed the Six Wolves of Sparrow Mountain in front of hundreds of wandering
cultivators, none of them had actually left. Clearly, all of them had put their
faith in their own luck, as none of them had personally seen a demon before.
Thinking about the situation at hand for a little while, Lin Yanyu didn’t know
what he could do either. “Demons… the demon race… is another demonic calamity
going to fall upon the Divine Abyss Continent?”
Jiang Chen had his own ideas regarding the matter, but there
was no way he could spread the news himself. Simply making it known to the
masses served only to incite panic, nothing more. Those who needed to know the
news might not believe in such an unreliable word-of-mouth recounting either.
He inspected the fully-healed opening of the restriction. “I’d like to trouble
the two of you to intercept any unwise trespassers from a bit further away,” he
stated to Huang'er and Lin Yanyu. In secret, Jiang Chen instructed Long
Xiaoxuan to protect Huang'er.
The girl seemed to know what Jiang Chen was planning. “You
should be careful,” she pressed lightly upon Jiang Chen’s palm.
Jiang Chen caressed the soft, silky skin on the back of her
hand. “Don’t worry, the restriction is closed now. No matter how fierce the
demons are, they can’t leave for the moment.”
Huang'er and Lin Yanyu fanned out. Jiang Chen circled the
restriction a few times. “There’s nothing for it,” he sighed internally. “If
the seniors of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect were still alive today, they
would undoubtedly do the same. As the heir of their legacy, I should strive to
be worthy of it.”
Back at the sect’s forbidden area, Jiang Chen had read the
characters carved into the cliff face. They had detailed the history of the
sect—every member had been devoted to fighting the alien threat from the outer
realms, sealing off their own doors in the process. Such exemplary conduct was
characteristic of great sects in the ancient times.
As heir to their tradition, Jiang Chen didn’t want to lose
face for the sect. Taking out both sets of sect flags, he surveyed the
landscape for a good place to begin setting up a formation. Jiang Chen had
marked the flags with his own unique signature. Though he was using them in a
formation, he wasn’t scared of losing them permanently. This time, he was
setting the Majestic Mountain-Sealing Formation.
It was two formations in one, one primary and one
supplementary. The Majestic Mountain-Sealing Formation was ten times stronger
than the Nine Gates Incineration Formation. As one of the formations passed
down from the Crimson Sect, it had excellent compatibility with his two sets of
flags. Setting the formation would cost a jaw-dropping number of spirit stones,
but thankfully, it was what he had the largest surplus of.
Even so, he was only a sage realm cultivator. He could
barely unleash a tenth of the power of an ancient formation. It wasn’t because
his formation skills were insufficient, rather, he simply didn’t have enough
power to fuel the formation’s true capabilities. Three days later, two vastly
different Majestic Mountain-Sealing Formations had been completed. One was
within, one without; one aligned with yin, one aligned with yang.
It had cost Jiang Chen more than a hundred million saint
spirit stones to create. It was a heart-bleedingly huge sum to spend, but he
didn’t have any regrets. Though using up so many saint spirit stones was indeed
painful, the alternative may have led to a lifetime of regret. With the
formations complete, Huang'er and Lin Yanyu were free to return. They saw a
newly-fashioned formation and obelisk stationed outside the restriction’s
opening.
“Beware of demons?” Lin Yanyu pondered over the writing on
the monument. The Demonward Obelisk was Jiang Chen’s handiwork. It served as a
warning to anyone who came after them. There were demons roaming out and about
in the wildlands, and any accidental trespassings should be avoided.
Chapter 898: Chasing the Dragonteeth Guard
The formation that Jiang Chen had set was unconcealed. He
was absolutely sure that unless several top-rank emperor realm cultivators
struck in tandem, the formation would remain unbroken. Even a great emperor
would have some trouble breaking through the formation that had taken him three
days of time to set up. After all, this formation had been one of the
cornerstones of an ancient sect.
Huang’er looked at the formation, then at Jiang Chen. Her
clear eyes welled up with renewed adoration. She was naturally quite comforted
that her man was so responsible. What girl didn’t desire for the boy of their
heart to be indomitable, able to hold up the heavens and the earth on their
own? The act that Jiang Chen had performed benefited the entire world. Using
his own resources and time, he was working for the good of all human
cultivators. Many would not know of his sacrifice, much less remember it. It
was more likely for others to curse him for his gesture—after all, the
formation blocked their way into the wildlands. But what did a truly
responsible cultivator care for empty reputation?
Looking at the monument and formation, Lin Yanyu had a lot
to think about as well. After a long while spent in amazement, he came before
Jiang Chen and deeply bowed. “Daoist Huang, I haven’t respected many people in
my life, but you have my sincerest gratitude for your righteous gesture.”
Jiang Chen gave a lackadaisical wave. He didn’t have much
interest in such words. “I’m only doing what I can. How useful it ends up
being… well, that’s up to the heavens.”
The formation would stop the average wandering cultivator in
their tracks. Even a typical emperor realm cultivator had very little chance of
success. However, if a large number of top-rank emperor realm cultivators
pooled together their strength, the formation could be broken through after
some time. Jiang Chen simply hoped that the words on his Demonward Obelisk
would serve as a fair amount of warning to newcomers.
Lin Yanyu was forlorn. The greed of human cultivators was
incalculable. When news of the wildlands spread, only more and more cultivators
would arrive. The formation was strong, sure, but it could only block things
off for a short while. It wasn’t a permanent solution. It made Lin Yanyu
respect Jiang Chen all the more.
Jiang Chen had some additional temporary solutions for this
as well, though. He’d tucked a multitude of image crystals away into various
corners. When someone did manage to break through the formation, the image
crystals would record who it was. If they took his flags in the process, Jiang
Chen would be able to see who had taken them away as well. He had no intention
of just throwing away his flags. They were intrinsic to the Crimson Sect’s traditions,
and he had no right to simply dispose of them. Having done all of this, Jiang
Chen looked to Huang’er for affirmation. Her voice was soft with emotion,
“You’ve done enough. Stopping the demon race isn’t a job for one cultivator
alone. More must join the cause, especially the strong ones.”
“But human cultivators are largely concerned with only money
and power. Those with vision and wisdom are few and far between.” Jiang Chen
smiled wryly. He’d only seen a few cultivators who were like that during his
time in this world. People like Ye Chonglou and Palace Head Dan Chi had limited
strength. Even though they were quite insightful, they couldn’t affect change
on a large scale. The only one he knew that could was Emperor Peafowl.
Lin Yanyu felt the same way. “Truly, Daoist Huang. I doubt
there are even a few leaders of the big sects who have their minds set on the
well-being of the world. It’s a shame. They’ve climbed so high that it’s
distanced them from the rest of us… what do they care if we live or die? They
only care about power, profit, and immortality.”
No cultivator could be faulted for pursuing their own dao.
But compared to most, Emperor Peafowl was willing to stay within great emperor
realm despite having experienced communion with the heavenly dao. He did so
only to keep an eye on the demon race, a gesture of remarkable honor and
uprightness that even Jiang Chen had to respect.
“Daoist Lin, what are your plans next?” Jiang Chen asked,
once the group was out of the valley.
Lin Yanyu sighed softly, “I’ll keep traveling, I think. Add
a bit to my life experiences. Maybe after that, I’ll return to Pillfire City.”
“Then we’ll part ways here,” Jiang Chen nodded. “I hope to
see you again someday.”
Lin Yanyu had something on his mind he wanted to voice, but
he’d held himself back all this time. After a brief moment of silence, he
finally mustered up the courage, “Daoist Huang, I’ve always wanted to know…
which great sect’s genius disciple are you?”
He had his guesses, but he didn’t feel that any of them were
right. He only had an expectation of the sect’s general level. There was
something more to it, though. Daoist Huang had been even stronger than the
typical true sect disciple. Especially with regards to the formation he’d set
up! Lin Yanyu hadn’t been able to make heads or tails of it, but he could feel
its strength. A formation like that required great strength, wealth, and
presence of mind. The combination of all three was nothing short of
extraordinary.
Jiang Chen smiled. “My identity is a little special. I’m not
sure you want to know. But I’m also curious about you, friend. If you really
don’t have a place to go, perhaps you can come find me at Veluriyam Capital.”
Veluriyam Capital? Lin Yanyu gasped aloud in surprise. His
expression changed several times as he looked at Jiang Chen.
Still smiling, Jiang Chen inclined his head and presented a
cupped-fist salute. “Let us meet again someday.”
He was in a rush to find a place where he could remove
Huang’er’s Generation Binding Curse. He couldn’t possibly tell Lin Yanyu who he
was right now. Why risk complicating things further?
Jiang Chen’s departing figure induced a sense of loss in Lin
Yanyu. “Veluriyam? …Veluriyam Capital?” His eyes suddenly lit up. “Isn’t that
Pillfire City’s mortal enemy? If Daoist Huang wants me to go to Veluriyam
Capital, does that mean he’s a scion of some great faction there?”
Lin Yanyu was very excited now. Though he had been born in
Pillfire City, Lin Yanyu held only endless hatred for his birthplace. He didn’t
hesitate in his decision. “I’ll go. Only Veluriyam can give me the opportunity
to enact revenge!” A glimmer of resolution flashed across his eyes.
…...
Jiang Chen’s flight took him over the skies of the Eastern
Kingdom. He passed by the Boundless Catacombs. As he was preparing to soar past
Skylaurel Kingdom, he noticed that there was a gruesome battle taking place in
the kingdom’s airspace.
Usually, Jiang Chen would have no interest in such a
low-level battle, but a closer look revealed the Dragonteeth Guard to be one of
the parties involved. Moreover, there were two old friends of his in the
group—Tian Shao, who had received many promotions because of him, and Tang
Long, whose destiny he had changed. Both of these men were backbones of the
Guard now. Because Skylaurel Kingdom was controlled by other factions behind
the scenes, the Guard’s power in the kingdom’s capital had become much weaker
than it had been prior.
At the moment, a dozen guardsmen were being attacked by a
group of men in black. The latter group had roughly fifty members, all of them
in spirit realm. As for the guardsmen, because of Jiang Chen’s connections to
the Precious Tree Sect, the sect had invested more into Skylaurel Kingdom
accordingly. Thus, there were a number of spirit realm cultivators in the
Dragonteeth Guard now as well. In particular, Tian Shao and Tang Long were at
sky rank spirit realm.
Unfortunately, the men in black were no slouches either.
Many guardsman corpses were strewn across the ground. It was a grisly sight to
behold. Tian Shao and Tang Long led their remaining men in a small circle of
resistance. They were fending for their lives. From the looks of it, they were
at their limits. Their assailants could overwhelm them any minute now.
“Director Tian, you should go first. I’ll cover you!” Tang
Long shouted.
“That’s right, Director Tian. Go on without us. Go as far as
you can, away from Skylaurel Kingdom!” The guardsmen were evidently Tian Shao’s
most trusted associates. Though they were almost spent and faced inevitable
death, their loyalty never wavered.
“Am I the kind of person who would leave my men behind to
die?” Tian Shao roared, his face bloody.
One of the men in black snickered, “Tian Shao, what goes
around comes around. How did you get your promotions? Wasn’t it through
flattery? You chased after Hidden Death all those years ago. Did you think
about what would eventually happen one day?”
Hidden Death? Jiang Chen suddenly frowned. Remembering the
name, he smiled out of extreme anger. It had been such a long time ago that
he’d almost forgotten about them. The faction had done as they’d wished in the
sixteen kingdoms. They’d been one of the most elite killer organizations. There
had even been a killer sent after him, who had tried to kill him here with the
Long family’s help. When Jiang Chen had returned to Skylaurel Kingdom later on,
another stronger assassin had been delegated to accomplish the same. Xue Tong
had been briefly captured in the process.
Jiang Chen had caught a few from the organization at the
time, but there were always fish that slipped through the net. Because he’d
been busy going on to bigger and better things, Jiang Chen hadn’t taken them to
task for their crimes. But now, Hidden Death was openly violating the peace in
Skylaurel Kingdom?! Something perplexed him, though. Wasn’t Hidden Death a,
well, hidden organization of killers? Why were they moving about so openly?
Tian Shao and company were at the end of their rope. Jiang
Chen shook his sleeves. A golden stream of air poured down from the sky like a
cascading waterfall. It crashed down onto the men in black below, wrapping them
entirely within. The golden waterfall was actually powered by magnetic energy.
Even sage realm cultivators would have a very difficult time escaping from such
a prison. The men in black were stuck in place. They couldn’t move no matter
how much they struggled. They were powerless to resist.
“Who? Who is ambushing us?!”
“Who dares meddle in Hidden Death’s affairs?” The men in
black were too used to running amok! Even in captivity, they were still quite
ferocious. Their tone was filled with an arrogance that showed a complete lack
of awareness.
The Dragonteeth Guard on Tian Shao’s side had been prepared
to fight to the death. They weren’t sure what had just happened. This turn of
events was shocking.
“Director Tian, we…” Tang Long had no idea what was going on
either. Tian Shao had long since been promoted to vice director of the
Dragonteeth Guard, but despite that, with regards to the situation at hand, he
knew about as much as the rest of his crew.
Chapter 899: Death by One Palm Strike
Jiang Chen and Huang’er were emotionless as they descended
into a lower altitude where the battle was happening. Because he was disguised,
Tian Shao and Tang Long wouldn’t know who he was. In fact, not even Gong Wuji
would, even if the man were to come back to life.
The men in black were slightly intimidated by the fact that
Jiang Chen and Huang’er hadn’t flown on mounts, instead descending middair with
their own strength. Tian Shao and his subordinates saw it as well. Flying! They
looked at each other with shocked eyes, their faces pale. These newcomers had
flown in without spirit beasts. They had to be at least in sage realm! Although
the occasional sage realm cultivator did show up in Skylaurel Kingdom from time
to time, seeing such a cultivator in person was off limits for them. Even if
they were accidentally able to catch a glimpse, they wouldn’t know about it.
Both parties were surprised at such a rare sight.
“Wh-… who’re you?” The leader of the men in black stammered.
“We… we are of the Hidden Death…”
“Hidden Death. Is that one of those clandestine killer
organizations?” Jiang Chen said impassively. Tian Shao and company were
relieved at Jiang Chen’s evaluation of the organization. It didn’t sound like
they were on particularly great terms.
“That’s how we were before,” the black-garbed leader nodded.
“We have become followers of the Ninesuns Sky Sect and are now a faction
beneath one of their first-rank sects. Our sect head is one of the division
leaders for the Purple Light Division.”
“Ninesuns Sky Sect? Purple Light Division?” Jiang Chen
blinked. Isn’t the Purple Light Division what the Purple Sun Sect changed its
name to after defecting to the Ninesuns Sky Sect? It appeared that after the
sect’s elites died, the Division had fallen into Hidden Death’s hands.
The black-garbed leader puffed himself up. “That’s right,
the Ninesuns Sky Sect. Our sect head is sworn brothers with an eleventh-rank
inspector of that sect and has received sufficient recognition from the sect
itself. He’s a sage realm cultivator now. Friends…”
Jiang Chen’s face suddenly darkened. “Friends? What right do
you have to call me your friend?”
“We might not, but surely you’ve heard of the Ninesuns Sky
Sect’s name?!” The black-garbed leader loudly proclaimed.
Are these guys trying to pressure me using the sect’s name?
Jiang Chen couldn’t help but laugh. He hadn’t been scared of the Ninesuns Sky
Sect even when he’d been a mere spirit realm cultivator. What possibility was
there of that changing now?
On the other hand, Tian Shao and his guardsmen were quite
anxious. They were fearful that these two strong cultivators would leave after
hearing the sect’s name. If they did, then the Dragonteeth Guard would lose
their only lifeline.
Seeing that Jiang Chen had fallen silent, the black-garbed
leader thought that the person in front of him had grown fearful. He began to
push for an advantage. “I don’t think you’re related to these Skylaurel ants,
friend. Why risk your head for theirs? We need to settle some old grudges.
Surely that doesn’t relate to you?”
Jiang Chen laughed coldly. “Are you threatening me?”
“I don’t think I am. Rather, I’m trying to convince you to
see the truth of the matter. Why make an enemy of the Ninesuns Sky Sect? There
isn’t anywhere to rest under the heavens for people who do.”
It was sounding more and more like a threat after all. Jiang
Chen was no stranger to words like these, but the source that they came from…
the men in black didn’t even have an origin realm cultivator in their group.
How did they have the guts to threaten him? Quite odd, really. These people
from Hidden Death showed themselves to be upstarts after all. Now that they had
the Ninesuns Sky Sect to back them up, they thought that they were the greatest
in the world.
Jiang Chen bobbed his head a little. “How unfortunate for
you. I have old debts to settle with Hidden Death as well. I’ll treat you guys
as an advance payment of interest.”
“What? You should think things through… ah!”
The time for talk was over. Jiang Chen smacked his hand
down, conjuring a golden hand sign that grew bigger and bigger until it became
a mountain. The hand burst the men in black as easily as if they’d been
bubbles. Their lives were snuffed out like candle flames, their screams stifled
in the process. A cultivator of Jiang Chen’s caliber could fight toe-to-toe
with an emperor realm cultivator. These spirit realm toadies were no match for
him. They were ground to dust beneath the palm of his hand.
To Tian Shao and his men, however, the sight was enough to
make the muscles on their faces spasm. Their opponents were the ones being
killed, but the method that had been used to do it was still gut-wrenchingly
fearsome. The scores of enemies who had been after them couldn’t even take one
slap of this stranger’s palm. They had been directly reduced to smithereens.
Just what kind of power did he possess? Tian Shao’s entire body felt limp. He
barely calmed himself, offering a cupped-fist salute to Jiang Chen. “Thank you
for your help, sir.”
Jiang Chen looked back at Tian Shao, then at Tang Long.
Those two’s strengths had increased a fair amount during these many years. But
alas, the Skylaurel Kingdom of today was no longer the same as the Skylaurel
Kingdom of days past. Their skills were a drop in the bucket in the grand
scheme of things. Faintly nodding in approval, he asked, “What’s up with Hidden
Death? Can one of you explain in more detail?”
Tian Shao worked up the courage to come over. He recounted
the drastic changes that Hidden Death had undergone during these past few
years. Everything was described in detail. When Hidden Death had worked within
the sixteen kingdoms alliance all those years ago, their strength had been
formidable even back then. Though they weren’t as strong as the four great
sects, they were only weaker by a small measure.
Their first opportunity came after the alliance of Precious
Tree Sect and Regal Pill Palace several years ago. Purple Sun Sect had been at
a low point then, and the other sects all had different backers. Ninesuns Sky
Sect’s plans were greatly disrupted, and that was where Hidden Death had come
in. The head of Hidden Death offered up a treasure that greatly pleased a
certain rank eleven inspector of the Ninesuns Sky Sect. The inspector instantly
became sworn brothers with Hidden Death’s sect head, wholeheartedly
recommending Hidden Death to his higher-ups. With Ninesuns’ assistance, Hidden
Death shot up in strength over the course of only a few years. Their strength
surpassed the historical four great sects, and neared that of a fifth-rank
sect.
When Eternal Celestial Capital invaded the Myriad Domain, a
further opportunity for Hidden Death’s advancement came. The added chaos was
perfect for the Ninesuns-backed Hidden Death to develop like wildfire. The
Hidden Death of today was fully under the Purple Light Division. Its sect head
was the second-in-command there. There was no difference between the
second-in-command and the actual person in charge, since the latter was designated
by the Ninesuns Sky Sect. For the most part, they didn’t mind much of the
division’s business. Thus, Hidden Death grew full of themselves in the sixteen
kingdoms. Moreover, they were able to spread their reach to the entire Myriad
Domain.
Though the domain had a multitude of factions occupying it,
others gave the Purple Light Division a wide berth. They were subordinate to
the Ninesuns Sky Sect, after all. A few days prior, someone at Hidden Death had
probably recalled the shame of their previous failure in Skylaurel all those
years ago, putting forward a proposition to get even. Tian Shao had been one of
the heads of the taskforce at the time. Unfortunately, he had been found on
duty and engaged by this bloodthirsty group.
“Sirs, the Purple Light Division will surely investigate now
that you’ve killed someone from Hidden Death.” Tian Shao couldn’t help but
mention after his explanation. “They’re backed by Ninesuns Sky Sect now, and
they use that as license to run rampant all over the place. You should depart
as soon as possible.”
“What about you?” Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
Tian Shao looked depressed. “We can only change our names
and retire. Skylaurel Kingdom isn’t what it once was. If it wasn’t for our
loyalty to His Majesty the king, we would all have left long ago.”
Jiang Chen sighed softly. It hadn’t even been ten years, but
things had already become this bad. Even a place as insignificant as Skylaurel
Kingdom had been caught up in the sweeping changes of the world. The Eternal
Celestial Capital and Ninesuns Sky Sect were the ones ultimately responsible
for the state of things. Thinking for a moment, he took some time to sort
through a few things before giving Tian Shao a storage ring. “Here, take this.”
Tian Shao figured out its nature as soon as he received it.
“Sir, what are you…”
“Ole Tian, this is Jiang Chen,” Jiang Chen messaged. “There
are a lot of things in this storage ring that will help you in your retirement.
Some of it will also increase your strength. Go split them up with Tang Long.
As for the fourth prince… he’ll have to sit tight for a while longer. Remember,
as long as you’re still alive, there’s always hope.”
The message shook Tian Shao to the core. He immediately
remembered that Jiang Chen was still technically a criminal at large. His
location could not be betrayed. Suppressing his elation, he bowed. “Thank you
for your generosity, sir. If you have any interest, please come to the capital
for tea and a chat.”
“There’s no need,” Jiang Chen waved. “If you intend to hide
yourselves and your names, you should leave now.” He followed up with a message.
“Don’t worry about Hidden Death. Starting tomorrow, there will be no such
organization anymore. However, you should still retire into seclusion. There
will definitely be an investigation from the Ninesuns Sky Sect if Hidden Death
simply vanishes off the face of the earth. You should be prepared for it so as
to avoid being implicated.”
Tian Shao had wanted to retire for a long time. His heart
was amazed at the contents of Jiang Chen’s second message. Was the young man
going to destroy Hidden Death alone?
Hidden Death was as strong as a fifth rank sect and had the
Ninesuns Sky Sect as its backer. It was the strongest entity in the sixteen
kingdoms alliance. It was likely that the current Purple Light Division could
do as it wished even within the Myriad Domain. Not necessarily due to their own
strength, but because Ninesuns Sky Sect’s name carried far too much weight.
However, Tian Shao recalled a few rumors that had circulated
about Jiang Chen. A few years ago, Jiang Chen had been able to kill an emperor
realm cultivator from Eternal Celestial Capital. Perhaps his cultivation as of
late allowed for even greater miracles? Though Hidden Death was strong, they
were mere upstarts. They had a million chinks in their armor before a genius
like Jiang Chen. There was no more time for small talk, though. Tian Shao bowed
once more with the rest of the Dragonteeth Guard, then beckoned to them. “We’re
off!”
Chapter 900: The Delight of Old Acquaintances
Tian Shao couldn’t contain his excitement when he left.
Though he was silent the entire way back, the recent revelations sent powerful
waves surging through his heart. After they returned to the capital, he
dismissed the rest of the guardsmen. “Come with me for a moment,” he spoke to
Tang Long.
The latter had been promoted by Tian Shao and naturally
obeyed his every command. The two of them walked towards a secret room in the
Dragonteeth Guard headquarters. Tian Shao’s serious expression made Tang Long a
little uneasy. He knew as well as anyone that they couldn’t survive in
Skylaurel Kingdom anymore after killing those people from Hidden Death.
Seclusion via retirement was their only choice. Closing the door of the secret
room, Tian Shao looked about him before erecting a soundproof barrier. “Little
Tang, do you remember how you got to your current position?” He messaged, as a
final security precaution.
Tang Long paused a little before nodding. “It’s because I
met young master Chen, my great benefactor, while I was out on border patrol.
After that, you promoted me every step of the way.”
Tian Shao smiled wryly, “My current position was given to me
through the same way.”
It wasn’t good for subordinates to comment about the matters
of their superiors. Thus, Tang Long kept silent. Still, he thought that
something was odd given how solemn Tian Shao was. He also messaged silently,
“Director, what’s the matter?”
Taking out the storage ring he had been given, Tian Shao
retrieved a wealth of treasures from it.
“Did… did that cultivator give this to you, director?”
“Yes, he gave it to the both of us.” Tian Shao remarked
after a glance. The things in the storage ring were portioned for pairs. One
set for him, one for Tang Long. These things were useless to Jiang Chen, but
for Tang Long and Tian Shao, they were priceless treasures. Pills, the essence
of a wood spirit spring, the blood and bone of a Redscaled Firelizard, various
weapons and armors, talismans, and hundreds of thousands of origin spirit
stones… It was an enormous treasure trove.
“How come there’s so much stuff? There’s some for me, too?”
Tang Long was surprised.
Tian Shao laughed, “Do you know who that cultivator was,
Little Tang?”
Tang Long thought for a moment, his eyes glittering. Tian
Shao’s earlier question inspired him. “Was it young master Chen?”
Smiling, Tian Shao nodded affirmatively. “That’s right, it
was him. Young master Chen messaged me about it and how we should split up
these things he gave me.”
“Young master Chen… thank goodness he’s alright!” Tang
Long’s eyes reddened. “I always knew that a genius like him would come out
unscathed. It’s the best news I’ve heard in a couple of years. He’s… he’s
already a sage realm cultivator, huh!”
“I don’t think he’s just at sage realm anymore. He mentioned
that he was going to destroy the entirety of Hidden Death.”
“What, the entirety of Hidden Death?” Tang Long stammered.
“Taking down the whole sect? By… by himself?”
Tian Shao found it hard to believe as well, but he had
mulled over the entire situation for a little longer than Tang Long had. “When
has young master Chen done anything brashly since making his way into the
world? He’s always had a good grasp on things.”
The reminder rang true. Tang Long agreed after thoroughly
considering everything.
“He told me some other things as well. He said that we
should be patient. As long as we’re alive, there’s hope. It looks like he has
great ambitions in sight. Maybe he’ll recover the entire Myriad Domain some day
and drive out the bandits who are currently residing here.” Tian Shao was
enthusiastic at the prospect.
Tang Long’s face was full of joy. “I’m sure that day will
come. Someone as prodigious as young master Chen will definitely return with a
vengeance. Look at how long the Eternal Celestial Capital has chased after him
for, but he’s still fine!”
“Yes, that’s why he gave us these things. We should become
strong in preparation for that day’s arrival.”
Tian Shao’s tone was very passionate. “We’re here today
entirely because of young master Chen. That’s why we must keep his secret, even
unto death. You must remember this, Little Tang.”
Tang Long nodded gravely, “Don’t worry, I won’t sell him out
even if I’m at death’s doorstep. Oh, yes, should we tell His Majesty about
this?”
Sighing softly, Tian Shao shook his head. “Young master Chen
probably doesn’t want His Majesty to know yet. After all, His Majesty has to
stay to maintain the current situation here in Skylaurel Kingdom. From his
point of view, there’s no way for him to leave.”
Tang Long nodded. “Then if we go now, wouldn’t His Majesty
be even lonelier?”
“We must go. We cannot burden him with our continued
presence. His Majesty has suffered for so many years already. Perhaps it is a
kind of trial from young master Chen?” Tian Shao had thought through things
more thoroughly than Tang Long had. It was difficult to judge the machinations
of men in power. Though young master Chen and His Majesty had been almost akin
to brothers in the past, Tian Shao didn’t know if that was still the case now.
Thus, in the end he couldn’t tell the king about these things.
“Little Tang, make your preparations. We’ll turn in our
resignation to His Majesty shortly.” Tian Shao instructed.
“Will His Majesty agree?” In truth, Tang Long wanted to quit
as well. He had stayed these past years because he had wanted to repay Tian
Shao, not out of devotion to the king. Now that the director was leaving, it
was natural for him to follow.
“His Majesty will understand,” Tian Shao said sadly. “We
can’t help him much anyway. I find it hard to understand what His Majesty
thinks sometimes, nowadays.” Because of the change in circumstances, Ye Rong
now lived an aggrieved life as a figurehead king. His relationship with Tian
Shao wasn’t as seamless as it had been before. Tian Shao was nominally a vice
director of the Dragonteeth Guard, but the Guard itself was powerless in
Skylaurel. They had none of the glamour and style of their bygone days.
…...
Jiang Chen was not in a hurry to leave Skylaurel Kingdom. He
wanted to make sure that Tian Shao and Tang Long were able to safely depart. He
didn’t want them to encounter any further complications. He also took the time
to draft up some plans against Hidden Death.
The organization had crossed him twice before, and he hadn’t
returned the favor. This was the perfect opportunity to uproot them in their
entirety. No matter who their new backer was, no matter what faction they were
now part of, Jiang Chen would no longer allow Hidden Death to exist in this
world. Such a faction was not fit to exist.
Tian Shao and Tang Long left in the night, and Jiang Chen
protected them part of the way. He only left after ensuring their safety. The
next day, he arrived at the Purple Light Division’s headquarters very early in
the morning. The division was located in the Purple Sun Sect’s former
territory. He had heard rumors about a gathering held here in three days’ time.
Everyone belonging to the division would come to the gathering.
Given Jiang Chen’s current level of cultivation, there was
no one at the division who could even detect him, much less throw a wrench in
his plans. Any security became just for show around him. He had enough time to
wait. He observed that half of the Purple Light Division was made up of
original Purple Sun Sect members, and that the other half consisted of Hidden
Death newcomers. However, the killer organization was in the leading position
now. The Purple Sun Sect people were forced to occupy second place.
Purple Sun Sect’s geniuses of yesteryear were pretty much
all gone by now. The ones that remained were largely the elderly. Knowing that
they didn’t have a future elsewhere, they treated the Purple Light Division as
a retirement home. They spent their days living off the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s
handouts. The Purple Sun Sect no longer possessed its previously illustrious
prestige.
Jiang Chen was unsympathetic. They had brought their
troubles upon themselves. They had been in cahoots with Ninesuns Sky Sect from
the very start, and they were the first ones to sell out the sixteen kingdoms
alliance. Their current situation was well-deserved. How pretentious they once
were in the sixteen kingdoms! It was not easy to forget the overbearing old man
Sunchaser of the past.
Three days passed, and the conference was set to begin. All
of the middle and high-ranking members of the Purple Light Division had
gathered together. There were several hundred people in the same place. Most
were from Hidden Death, but a few were old-timers from the Purple Sun Sect. The
head of Hidden Death was seated high on the division head’s throne. His gaze
was proud and his spirits high. “Everyone,” he looked all around him. “After
the last few years of growth, our Purple Light Division is improving with every
passing day. There’s some good news that just came in during these last few
days. A territory with a spirit vein that used to belong to the six great sects
has fallen under our control. We will use this land in the next decade to strengthen
ourselves even further. We are sure to receive even more accolades from the
Ninesuns Sky Sect!”
The audience below resounded with applause. Waves of
flattery swelled up like an incoming tide. The Hidden Death head looked over at
Purple Sun Sect’s previous members. “Elder Qiu, do you or any of the other
Purple Sun Sect people have leads on the Precious Tree Sect? It’s been so long
since their leader’s disappearance and the disbanding of their sect. Even their
precious tree has disappeared. How can this be? Have you forgotten your grudge
with them?”
The elder who’d been called on laughed ruefully. “Precious
Tree Sect must have received some kind of forewarning. They scattered even
before mass change swept across the land. Even if we wanted to pursue them,
what clues do we have?”
“Hmph, do you Purple Sun Sect old-timers all waste away your
days like this? Wallowing in incompetence?” The Hidden Death head’s tone became
chilly. “We can’t have that kind of thinking here. Useless people are not
welcome within the Ninesuns Sky Sect.”
The old-timers from the Purple Sun Sect could only agree.
One of them piped up, “They can hide for a time, but they can’t hide forever.
Skylaurel Kingdom is the Precious Tree Sect’s home. If we decimate the place,
maybe they’ll show up.”
It was a very malicious suggestion.
“Decimate Skylaurel Kingdom? What, you want me to just walk
in and slaughter some people there? The martial dao world has unspoken rules
about interfering with worldly affairs. That’s a stupid idea. I remember there
was a group sent to the kingdom in order to take revenge for something,” the
head of Hidden Death added suddenly. “That was a few days ago. Is there any
news of them?” Having said this, the head looked to an officer responsible for
the delegation.
“Maybe they’re still waiting to strike,” the officer
explained hastily. “They can’t publicly make a scene in the capital. They might
need a bit of time.”
