Chapter 1455: Let Fists Talk First
"Pillzenith, what was it you said before? One should take responsibility for his actions?" Jiang Chen's indifferent voice echoed from thin air, shaking the crowd's souls.
He whistled softly. As if under a sudden petrification spell, the Goldbiter Rats ceased all movement and stayed obediently in place.
The young lord looked at Pillzenith with a faint smile. "I can't be bothered wasting time with you either. I'll give you a choice. Surrender here and now, or else everyone here will be buried to pay for your ambitions."
He'd almost mirrored Pillzenith's previous words.
The latter's face shifted between green and purple.As he looked at the young man smiling cheerfully not far away, an intense desire to kill flashed in his eyes, as well as anger, dismay, dejection, a hint of helplessness, frustration, and irrepressible envy.
How could he accept such a young brat looking down on him and talking to him like an authority passing judgment?
But there was nothing he could do.
Jiang Chen's cold eyes swept across everyone present.
"Someone please tell me, should I order you be put down or should I give you a chance to live?" He didn't bother hiding the naked derision in his voice. These fellows had hooted at him, eager to skin him alive, but none now dared look in his eyes.
"How unsightly. What would our human forebearers think if they could see you now? You bully the virtuous, yet cower in front of strength. What are you, if not the scum of humanity?" He continued to fling their words back in their faces.
Under his forceful stare, everyone looked down, afraid they might be misunderstood if they met his gaze. Even Pillzenith stood petrified, still shocked by the rat tide.
"I told you I'd teach you a lesson. Now, who will live and who will die? Let's see what the heavens have in store for you. Remember, it's not your first time offending me or plotting against Veluriyam. Every action comes with its price!"
Judgment? He'd show them true judgment!
The crowd kept its peace, shivering in fear. No one had the gall to retort. Their hearts had trembled when Jiang Chen had mentioned prices to pay. Would they be sentenced to death?
Pillzenith finally came back to his senses. He roared, "Little bastard, aren't you acting high and mighty for someone relying on stinky mice!?
"True, you're great at underhanded tricks! But do you think you can destroy the whole of humanity with just these mice?
"Jiang Chen, you've colluded with alien races and betrayed mankind. And now, you use beasts against your fellow humans. I was right, you ARE scum!"
The northern alliance blanched in shock. Quite a few almost blew their top off. Was Emperor Pillzenith courting death? Even if he was, why did he have to drag them down with him?
But the young lord merely smiled leisurely, showing no anger. "Pillfire's truly unrivaled when it comes to dirtying someone's name. Betray mankind?" His tone suddenly turned frosty. "Pillzenith, what gives you the right to say that?"
His stone-cold eyes moved to Cloudbillow beside Pillzenith. He continued, tone sharp as a sword, "Tell me, what kind of man is this Cloudbillow of yours?"
Pillzenith blinked. "What do you mean?"
Jiang Chen laughed out loud. "What do I mean? He publicly surrendered to an ancient celestial demon lord in Agarwood Valley! As well as the Empyrean River Palace's vice head, Eternal Celestial Capital's Emperor Castveil, and that bullshit Sublime Chord master… Too bad you didn't see these proud Upper Eight elites fawning over the demon."
Pillzenith shook in anger. "Jiang Chen, stop your nonsense!"
"Nonsense?" Jiang Chen snickered with contempt. "Your Pillfire isn't worth the effort. Do you think your so-called Cloudbillow is the same man you once knew? What about the Agarwood returnees? Do you all think they're still the same?"
Despite his indifferent tone, everyone's skin prickled with horror. What did he mean? Not the same? The northern alliance couldn't make heads or tails of his words.
"You slander me and say that I collude with other races or destroyed the Boundary Stele? Correct, it's been broken, but that was the Southern Celestial Tribe's doing. Hmph, if not for me, their empyrean powerhouses would be here by now, invading our territory. The demon lord would be raining destruction on you all. If not for me, those demon slaves would be luring you all into the demons' trap. Idiots, are you so blind you can't recognize the impostors standing right next to you? Have you got so little to do that you spend your days scheming against me?"
Jiang Chen hadn't explained any of it before because no one would have believed him. He had to resort to a show of strength first. Only a total thrashing could make them more receptive.
Indeed, humans were this despicable. Previously, they had had no interest whatsoever and didn't believe anything he had to say. But now, no one dared utter a word, afraid they'd disturb him.
"Impostors? What do you mean?" someone quietly queried.
Some people glanced at the Agarwood returnees, intense doubt in their eyes.
"What does that mean? Have we been fooled?"
"Surrendered to a celestial demon lord? Did these people really become demon slaves? Have they come back to be moles?"
"It can't be! That would be too frightening!"
"Hmph, what do you know?" Most people remained skeptical. After all, it was difficult to blindly take the young lord's words at face value.
Cloudbillow shouted, "Little bastard, kill us if you must! Why use these contemptible means to turn us against each other? You should be disgusted with yourself!"
Jiang Chen's indifferent gaze latched onto the man. "Tsk tsk, you impostor, where does your confidence come from? Who are you anyways? I'm genuinely curious. You're even craftier than the celestial demons!"
The northern alliance's men looked at each other. What now?
Didn't he say they'd submitted to the demons? How'd they become even smarter than demons all of a sudden? He made no sense at all.
Cloudbillow calmly said, "Jiang Chen, spare yourself the effort. Sowing dissension doesn't become you!"
Jiang Chen laughed heartily. "Sowing dissension? Do I need to? I could massacre you all with a finger snap. I just want to know who's the mastermind behind all this. I personally killed all of you demon minions, so who's resurrected you?"
Rather than true resurrection, he meant borrowing these men's names as a cheap trick.
Killed? The shocked cultivators took a deep breath. Was he implying all the top elites sent to Agarwood Valley were died?
And not only so, they'd also surrendered to a demon lord, only to be killed by Jiang Chen?
For some reason, many had become more clear-headed after Jiang Chen's lecture and were now more willing to believe him. They became pensive. Has the young lord truly been wrongly accused?
The thought flashed in some minds.
Cloudbillow cupped his fist at Pillzenith. "Daoist Pillzenith, the brat's gone insane. Please don't let his sinister nonsense poison your heart! He needs to be put to death for his malicious intentions!"
"That's right. What surrendering to a demon lord? What kind of claptrap is that?! There's no demon in Agarwood to begin with!"
"Jiang Chen, how about we go to Agarwood Valley and see who's right?"
"There is no demon lord. Why are you lying? What's your hidden agenda?"
These impostors were the picture of righteous indignation. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, they might have fooled even him. But he'd personally led the golems to kill them all. How could he be mistaken?
He chuckled calmly. "True or false, it's of no importance to me. The way I see it, whether you're real or fake, you were dead the moment you surrendered to the demon. You impostors want to sully my reputation and disrupt the human domain? If I'm not mistaken, you're not human descendants either. Whatever you are, I'll expose your true nature today!"
He beckoned with his hand. A scarlet, sky-blotting cloud suddenly appeared over their heads, casting vast shadows upon them.
"Senior Vermillion, please grace us with your presence!"
Instead of the ancient beast language, he'd used human language, but it wasn't simply an intimidation tactic.
Thanks to the wood spirit spring, the ancient bird had recovered some lifeforce. It was no longer in immediate danger. Even at twenty to thirty percent of its full strength, the ancient bird was a legendary existence compared to the current human domain.
That blazing body exuded an immense aura that took one's breath away! Hearts raced the moment the divine bird appeared.
Chapter 1456: To Be Deserted By One's Followers
"Senior Vermillion, your keen eyes must have witnessed which fellows surrendered to the demon lord in the secret realm. Any familiar face you see today is an imposter. Please use your powers and expose their true nature!" Jiang Chen called out, still using the human language.
The Vermillion Bird glided in the sky, leaving a fiery trail in its wake. It was a celestial furnace that could rain down fire and scorch the entire world if it ever so fancied.
At least, such was the primal fear the ancient creature struck into the heart of the crowd. They could only look up to its unattainable level. Under this kind of fundamental oppression, even Pillzenith succumbed to a sliver of imperceptible panic.
A Vermillion Bird!
An ancient Vermillion Bird!
His mind went blank. Fear and anger assailed his heart. How could the scion of a mundane noble of the trivial sixteen kingdoms alliance be this lucky? Did every good thing in the world have his name written on it? Did he have to hoard all advantages beneath heaven?
Dragons and Vermillion Birds were divine beasts from the ancient era. These divine creatures were thought to be extinct, yet Jiang Chen had both of them at his side.
Pillzenith seethed with envy.
As for the other powerhouses, the bird's formidable presence filled them with fear and regret. Enlightenment beat them over the head. They finally understood why the young lord had seemed so unafraid.
The terrifying tide of rats was one thing, but an ancient Vermillion Bird was simply an existence beyond their comprehension!
Judging by its aura, it was at least empyrean realm, an existence far beyond great emperors. Without a doubt, it could easily kill great swathes of them in the blink of an eye if it cared to. In fact, perhaps none of them could make it out alive.
With such a hidden card, what was there for Jiang Chen to worry about?
Alas!
Even the factions most loyal to Pillfire were full of remorse.
"To think that a single bad decision would cause our downfall! We shouldn't have opposed Veluriyam. We shouldn't have listened to Pillzenith!"
"Why did we have to stick our noses in a power struggle way beyond us? Isn't that pure suicide? Sigh, I just hope the situation can still be salvaged."
"Damn Pillzenith, damn Pillfire, everything's their fault!"
"Jiang Chen is truly a tiger grown with wings. He's too strong now to be stopped. By opposing him, we'll become his stepping stones. How foolish this was!"
The same heartfelt regrets resonated deeply in all of the powerhouses. How they wished they hadn't succumbed to Pillfire's carrot and stick! They should've kept to their own business.
Now, their very lives were in jeopardy because of Pillzenith's ambitions. Had everything been worth it? Even a child could answer that. The more they thought about it, the more resentful they became.
Combining the God's Eye with the Evil Golden Eye, Jiang Chen could read their inner thoughts like an open book. He smiled expressionlessly.
"I ought to kill you ten times over for your conduct and misdeeds. I wouldn't feel the slightest bit of guilt if I did so. However, the heavens treasure life and humanity can't afford never-ending infighting. So, after some contemplation, I've decided to give you a chance. I repeat, this is your last chance!" he warned sternly.
"Another chance?" The crowd perked up.
"Wonderful! Young lord Jiang Chen is truly not the heinous villain that Emperor Pillzenith's depicted!"
"But will he really give us one last chance?" Some found it hard to believe.
Pillzenith shouted, "Don't fall for his lies! The brat wants to drive a wedge between us so he can destroy us one by one! Trusting him will only bring ruin!"
The anxious lord of Pillfire had to stop his rival from inciting the people to desert him. The alliance already rested on flimsy foundations. If they were swayed by Jiang Chen, they would lose their last bit of fighting spirit.
Pillfire would become isolated on all sides. How could he afford that in the current circumstances?
He wouldn't have been afraid if not for the Vermillion Bird. Even if he couldn't reverse the situation, he was confident that he and his elites were powerful enough to escape.
But everything had flown out of the window the moment the ancient bird had appeared.
Just how strong was it? That was difficult to gauge, even for him. The beast didn't look in its best condition, but even so, it wasn't something that Pillzenith could take on!
He'd been reluctant to retreat, wondering if he should continue fighting. But now, he only had one thing on his mind: flee!
Jiang Chen looked at him with a supercilious smile. "Pillzenith, even at death's door, it seems you still want to drag everyone down with you."
His eyes landed on the various factions' leaders. "You can help him, or you can mend your ways. It doesn't matter to me, but you'll have to bear the consequences of your decision. You've been warned.
"Now, those faithful to Pillzenith to the bitter end, stand to the right. Those with a change of heart, move to the left! Remember, there's no middle ground. If you don't move, you'll be considered Pillfire's staunch follower!
"You have ten breaths to decide starting from now!"
The crowd stared, dumbstruck, especially those who still hoping for a miracle. Some weak-willed fellows immediately ran to the left, clearly fed up with Pillfire. Why should we pay for Pillzenith's ambitions with our deaths?
Things would be different if the man had some mettle. Everyone could have shared some profits together and gone home happy. However, the great emperor only had ambition going for him. Time and again, he'd come off the worse for wear against young lord Zhen, retreating with his tail between his legs.
It seemed he'd enraged the young lord enough this time that Veluriyam was determined to settle things once and for all.
As to who was stronger and who was weaker, didn't the results speak for themselves? These cultivators had little love for Pillfire to begin with. Now they only wished to draw a clear line between the city and themselves as swiftly as possible!
The first one led to the second, then a third...
Pillzenith watched as familiar faces normally filled with deference and flattery leave his side without any hesitation.
In less than ten breaths, three-quarters of the crowd stood to the left, with quite a few Empyrean River and Sublime Chord cultivators among them.
The Empyrean River Palace's master still stood in front of Pillzenith, but his inner struggle was plain on his face for all to see. Despite his vast experience, he couldn't help but be cowed by the Vermillion Bird's overpowering aura. He'd finally started having second thoughts. What had he gained with following Pillfire so staunchly all these years?
He looked at the opposite side. The Great Yu Skysword Sect and Celestial Cicada Court stood by relaxed and carefree, idly watching them.
These first rank sects were just like his own faction, so why were they on such a vastly different trajectory?
"Daoist Pillzenith…" he finally spoke, his tone pained.
"What? Are you planning to betray me as well?" Pillzenith asked indifferently.
"N-no. But where there's life, there's hope. With these circumstances, why don't you…"
"Enough!" Pillzenith interrupted furiously with displeasure. "That brat must've given you something good for you to waggle your tongue like this to try to persuade me!"
That stopped the palace master in his tracks. He was Pillzenith's confidant. How could Jiang Chen possibly give him anything? He's simply taking out his helplessness and frustration on his own people.
The palace master smiled ruefully. Without a word, he raised a cupped fist salute. Then, despite his shame, he walked to the left without a backwards glance. He could see as clearly as anyone how utterly routed they had been, so he had to make a choice.
For Pillfire, Empyrean River Palace's abandonment was the last nail in the coffin.
Pillzenith laughed arrogantly despite his anger. "What a bunch of cowards! Buck up, all of you! Even if the entire world abandons us, what does this great emperor have to fear?"
With a grab of the hand, a purple talisman suddenly appeared in front of him.
"This is bad, he wants to get away!" Skysword Sect's Han Qianzhan immediately saw through Pillzenith's intentions.
Sure enough, the talisman immediately glowed with a divine purple light that enveloped all of Pillfire's powerhouses. With an incantation, the radius covered by the purple light steadily increased.
"Be careful, Jiang Chen. This is an ancient talisman. The old man is trying to slip away," the Vermillion Bird warned.
Given the divine creature's condition, the young lord hadn't planned on making it fight. He merely needed its deterrence effect.
Chapter 1457: Struggles of a Cornered Beast, Crippling With One Palm Strike
"It's your time to shine, Big Stone!" Jiang Chen was alert in his own right after receiving the warning from the Vermilion Bird. The ancient talisman Pillzenith was quickly activating likely held untold power. Perhaps it was a treasure with a remarkable heritage.
The violet light flared into the firmament, carrying with it a crowd of Pillfire cultivators on an escape through the horizon. It left behind it a lavender streak of an afterimage.
"Well met!" The eight stone golem brothers had waited in the clouds for a long time.
When the violet light hurtled into the sky, it was met by Big Stone's giant hand. A giant palm was formed with incredible energy, slamming ferociously down on the fleeing cultivators.
Boom!
The light scattered instantly, and many cultivators that it had carried were flattened into pancakes. A few of the stronger great emperors spread out in time with terrified screams.
But there was no way Jiang Chen was letting them escape.
"Don't miss a single one, Big Stone!" He gave the order to the eldest stone golem.
"No worries, Savior." Howling at the air, Big Stone pounced at Pillzenith.
The emperor was extremely fast even though one of his hands was occupied with his son. In the instant the violet light was destroyed, he found another gap of space and blitzed towards it.
His other hand produced a second talisman, an ancient one designed for retreating like the last. His body was transformed into a sharp arrow designed to pierce through spatial restrictions.
Even this high in the air, the stone golem brothers had locked down the space entirely. To any intrepid travelers, this defense was harder than stone or metal wall.
No matter how much Pillzenith tried to penetrate the defenses, he couldn't break through them.
The emperor was scared out of his wits. He'd never thought that all of his trump cards would fail to bring him out of this mess. Right now, he was a homeless stray rather than a leader of a prominent faction.
His embarrassing behavior was completely taken in by the other factions down below. Their men and leaders all quavered at what was happening. They'd never thought it possible for the imperious Pillzenith to one day be so flustered and helpless.
However, they were also thankful that they had come around at the last second. It was certainly much better than the alternative of supporting Pillzenith all the way.
"Do you know what this is called, Pillzenith?" Jiang Chen's voice was infinitely harsh to Pillzenith's ears.
"This is called 'bolting the door to beat the dog'." Jiang Chen laughed easily. "You're an old dog that's plagued the human domain for far too long. If you're allowed to live for much longer, you'll drag the rest of us into the abyss with you."
Pillzenith presently didn't even have the heart to utter a witty retort. The only thing on his mind was escaping with his life intact.
Unfortunately, the position the eight golem brothers had taken wasn't something he could possibly break through. No matter how hard he tried, he was met with an impassable brick wall.
Jiang Chen's eyes didn't rest on Pillzenith. He was more attentive to the others who'd formerly been his cohorts.
"You've made the wise decision in the end, so I'll spare you from death. However, this doesn't mean I've forgiven your transgressions. You have a chance to redeem yourselves by arresting anyone who went to Agarwood Valley. I can clearly tell you that they are imposters, one and all, with only the most malicious of intents in infiltrating us!"
He hadn't forgotten about this matter. In fact, he held the imposter problem in much higher regard than Pillzenith's offensive.
No matter what the leader of Pillfire did, he was restricted to a set of relatively predictable maneuvers. There was nothing creative he could pull off.
These unknown imposters, on the other hand, were concerning due to their mystery. Who was the mastermind behind them? What faction did they belong to? This was Jiang Chen's foremost concern.
If the mastermind couldn't be found, a hidden threat would remain. More importantly, he suspected that Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers had fallen into this mysterious faction's hands. He had no desire to see any harm come to those three.
The imposters collectively paled when they heard what Jiang Chen had said, turning into streaks of light that also attempted to flee.
This reaction instantly revealed their status as fakes. The sect members finally realized that Jiang Chen hadn't made anything up. He was speaking only the truth.
"Stop them!"
"Quick, quick, stop them from getting away!" There was mass anarchy due to the fakes' sudden escape attempts.
Thankfully, Jiang Chen's arrangements beforehand meant that none had a real chance of actually getting away.
Countless Goldbiter Rats surrounded them on the ground, and the stone golem brothers' wall locked down the airspace.
Despite transforming into beams of light, the imposters failed at getting anywhere, largely because they kept on slamming into walls of resistance. Eventually, they all ricocheted back to where they started from.
Their former fellows and current pursuers arrived just in time to encircle all of them.
When the imposters saw they had no possibility of escaping alive, they traded resolute looks, then muttered a few words. In the next moment –
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their bodies exploded without any prior warning. The resulting bloody debris and energy scattered outwards.
They had chosen to self-destruct, every single one of them!
This sent absolutely every witness into shock. The cultivators who were closest died on the spot, hit by the aftershocks of the detonations.
The ones who remained were extremely terrified, backing off in unison. They remained fearful as their eyes passed over all the gore littering the ground, their hearts pounding with dread.
Jiang Chen was as utterly astonished as the rest.
What kind of faction was this? Why were the imposters so organized that they uniformly chose suicide after failing to escape? A cultivator choosing to detonate himself was one of the cruelest things to do to oneself.
Without an especially cold heart, who could be callous enough to harm oneself to such a degree?
Jiang Chen's pleasure from having completely quashed the northern coalition evaporated because of this new turn of events. He didn't particularly value the lives of the dead, but the trail was cold now that they were gone. How was he supposed to find Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers now?
Above the clouds, Pillzenith fought like a cornered beast. The other Pillfire executives were either captured or dead, and none was left to mount any resistance. The emperor was still struggling alone like a madman, his hair messy and unkempt.
"Big Stone, send him to hell." Jiang Chen wasn't interested in showing unnecessary mercy. People like Pillzenith didn't deserve it in the first place, and shouldn't be given that hope.
His ilk created disaster wherever they roamed. Therefore, he couldn't allow Pillzenith to leave alive.
Chortling, Big Stone leaped down from the clouds with a giant thud.
A descending jump from someone as enormous as him had immense visual impact. The stone golem looked like a powerful god among mortals.
Big Stone strode up, the steps of his thick, burly legs long enough to almost circumvent the limitations of space. He wasn't particularly brisk, but the sheer distance between each footfall was astounding.
Within a single inhale and exhale, he was already at Pillzenith's side. A divine art exerted the weight of the world on the emperor's chest, instantly slowing the target down. A colossal palm shot through the clouds directly down, gripping the great emperor within its clutches.
Pillzenith was scared witless. He wanted to struggle, but he no longer had control over his body. He was being held in place by a huge clamp.
With a casual slam from Big Stone, a tremendous force passed through Pillzenith's skin to shatter his qi ocean. All of his veins and meridians were completely destroyed!
The attack hadn't taken Pillzenith's life, but it had taken the basis that he lived by.
For Big Stone, anyone who lost against him was treated the exact same way, regardless of their status.
He tossed the body of Pillfire's leader before Jiang Chen. "Savior, he's useless now. You tell me what to do with him."
Big Stone may be naïve, but he had some cunning of his own. He knew enough to let Jiang Chen decide his enemy's final fate.
Jiang Chen looked at the struggling emperor, his heart devoid of compassion. In fact, he despised the man to the bitter end.
"You'll meet an ignoble end of your own, Jiang Chen. I won't let you off even as a ghost!" Pillzenith knew that his death was assured so resorted to wanton cursing.
"I considered you as low as dirt when you were alive. Do you think I'll be scared of you after you die?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Your actions in this life means that even if you reincarnate, you'll become an animal. Want to get revenge on me? Do ten lifetimes worth of punishment first!"
The formerly arrogant Pillzenith flopped on the ground like a dead dog. He rather looked like he was kneeling out of respect to Jiang Chen.
Pillfire's erstwhile allies were dumbfounded. In their eyes, Pillzenith had once been someone second to none in the world. But that invincible emperor was virtually insignificant before Jiang Chen. This vast difference between expectation and reality was a bit hard to accept for most.
"Is Emperor Pillzenith's era over just like this?"
"It seems that Pillfire's blooming ambitions were an absolute joke."
"From now on, the human domain belongs to Veluriyam Capital alone!"
"This is better in the end. When north and south war against each other, humanity is the biggest loser. A decisive conclusion may be for the best!"
If Jiang Chen had relied on threats and coercion before, his excessive display of force finally clarified to these people why the young lord had treated Pillfire's incursion so casually. He had the absolute strength necessary to back him up!
Chapter 1458: The Curtains Fall
The battle on the borders of Bluesky Nation was destined to go down as a pivotal event in human history.
When Emperor Pillzenith had formed his northern coalition, almost every cultivator in the human domain was pessimistic about Veluriyam's prospects. The faction seemed certain to be crushed under the barrage from their neighbors in the north.
However, both process and conclusion were nothing short of astonishing.
Pillzenith had been crippled like a dead dog, then eaten to the bone by countless Goldbiter Rats. Though his veins and meridians had been destroyed, his life essence hadn't dissipated. Therefore, he was superb nutrition for the rats.
The rapid skeletonization of the once-proud great emperor inspired shocked awe in his former followers. Pillzenith's fall was like a monument in their hearts being demolished. They hadn't at all expected the near-invincible great emperor to be so easily crushed by Veluriyam's young lord. This was a real, measurable gap!
Pillzenith had conspired time and time again to topple Jiang Chen. This time however, he'd clearly gone too far. The young man had returned the favor by utterly smashing both the emperor and his faction in a lightning stroke.
This made everyone came to a shocking realization that Veluriyam had never feared Pillfire even from the start. Instead, young lord Jiang Chen had never even seen Pillfire as a long-term rival of any kind. In his eyes, Pillzenith was little more than a dancing clown!
Pillfire City's men were all dead, but Jiang Chen didn't call for his Goldbiter Rats to retreat yet. They swarmed around the defectors.
Jiang Chen didn't believe for one second that ethics had to do with their defection. They had only caved due to their collective fear of death.
"The eight first rank sects of the Upper Eight Regions are supposed to be its pillars. Look at what you've done instead! Day in and day out, all you manage is trickery and deceit of each other. You do the common people a great disservice simply by existing!
"I'm letting you go today with your lives, but it's not because of your innocence. Spend some more effort in thinking about what you should do in the future." Pausing, Jiang Chen tossed a frigid gaze towards the Eternal Celestial Capital. Its holy emperor shivered when he detected the young man's eyes. "Luo Jue, I can absolve the other sects of their responsibility as they were strong-armed into it by Pillfire. The Eternal Celestial Capital however, cannot be forgiven!"
The sect had made its way onto Jiang Chen's hit list a long time ago.
"Young lord Jiang Chen!" Luo Jue spat resentfully, "are you turning on me after tricking me into surrendering?"
"There's no need to defend yourself," Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "I'm not interested in hearing your excuses. Whether you resist or not, your fate won't change."
Panic flashed across the sect head's face. "Jiang Chen," he called out, "if you're willing to forgive these other Pillfire loyalists, why can't you show some mercy to us as well? Yes, we were responsible for Myriad Domain all those years ago. Still, hasn't survival of the fittest been the unspoken law of the human domain since time immemorial? What difference is there between us and the Ninesuns Sky Sect? Why do you solely target us, young lord Jiang Chen?"
He hadn't given up on weaseling his way out of his fate.
"Survival of the fittest?" Jiang Chen burst into laughter. "Is that how you understand it? Very well then, since I am now more fit to survive than you, that means you should die because I say so. Right?"
He was using Luo Jue's own argument against him. Because of this, the lord of the Eternal Celestial Capital had no response. Yes, why couldn't survival of the fittest apply here, too?
The sect head wanted to say more, but Jiang Chen wasn't interested in giving him the chance. "Big Stone, take him out!"
The young man was set on clearing away all of his enemies. Both the Eternal Celestial Capital and its holy emperor lacked a great deal when compared to Pillfire City. There had been nothing that the latter had been do, which made the former's case all the more hopeless.
The holy emperor wanted to make a last stand, but he could barely move a finger before the eight golem brothers subjected him to the same fate as Emperor Pillzenith.
The layout of the Upper Eight Regions were henceforth completely altered. The Eternal Celestial Capital was struck from the list of the eight first rank sects.
In the clash between two superpowers, Veluriyam was the final victor. Pillfire was forced into decline, marking the end of an era.
For Veluriyam, the victory had been nothing short of total. It was a golden opportunity for the faction's development. Coupled with the many advantages it already possessed, it felt like it was on top of the whole world.
Jiang Chen however, was quite unhappy.
The imposters sent by the mysterious faction had committed suicide before his very eyes. He hadn't been able to question a single one of them, despite his extremely strong desire to do so.
Jiang Chen was unafraid of Pillfire or any other first rank faction within the Upper Eight Regions. After extended exposure to them, he knew them like the back of his hand.
All their cards and resources were an open book. Even when the situation for Veluriyam had been at its worst, Jiang Chen had never been particularly pressed. The mysterious faction, though… its ability to create so many imposters within such a short span of time made him wary.
He ignored the fearful looks from the others after eradicating the cultivators from the Eternal Celestial Capital.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect, the Sublime Chord Temple, and the Empyrean River Palace – none of the three sects had a mortal grudge with Jiang Chen. There was no reason for the young man to cut them down.
"If I followed my emotions, gentlemen, I would find killing all of you to sit perfectly well with me. After all, you acted as Pillfire City's hunting dogs on its incursion into Veluriyam territory."
The others muttered half-hearted assent. They could neither agree nor disagree.
"However, I'm not exactly the bloody, murderous type. The human domain can't tolerate further struggle and strife. Emperor Pillzenith has seen me as his biggest threat for a long time now. I was supposedly some kind of challenge to his personal authority. He was a complete and utter fool! Danger has long brewed over the human domain, the kind that you cannot hope to understand.
"Demons and aliens outside the Boundary Steles are prowling for weaknesses in our ranks. It's absurd that as the nominal leader of the human race, Pillfire never thought about how to handle a potential invasion. Instead, it focused solely on opposing me. Is that appropriate behavior for a real leader? He could have led you from rags to riches, but it's far more likely he would have led you into a bottomless abyss!
"But never mind that." Jiang Chen waved a hand. "Take care of yourselves. The demons will invade sooner or later. If you're still only interested in civil unrest and petty politics, you will be the first to perish when the demons arrive!"
These people were humiliated by Jiang Chen's criticisms. However, they were overjoyed to hear that the young lord had granted them permission to leave. It rather felt like they'd been granted amnesty.
The tide of Goldbiter Rats finally receded.
Under relayed orders from the rat king, his children began to retreat. In about fifteen minutes' time, all of the rats had vanished from the scene, as if they had never been here in the first place.
The uneasy sects immediately asked leave from the young lord.
Jiang Chen reacted with nonchalant coolness. He had given these people clemency, but that didn't mean he liked them one bit. He simply had no desire to gain the reputation of a brutal tyrant.
Moreover, these sects were sure to have nightmares upon hearing his name after today's loss. It was extremely unlikely they would oppose him ever again.
On the very off chance they did make a return visit, Jiang Chen had no qualms about wiping them out.
The disgraceful departure of the three former Pillfire allies elicited an exclamation from Han Qianzhan. "That first rank sects in the Upper Eight Regions would stoop so low… Miserable! Absolutely miserable. Am I supposed to think them the Great Yu Skysword Sect's peers?"
"Daoist Han," Su Huanzhen giggled. "I don't think you should think of it that way. At the end of the day, they're still strong enough to be considered first rank sects. If they're willing to recognize the error of their ways, their potential effect on the Upper Eight Regions shouldn't be underestimated."
The Moon God Sect's second sectmaster was strangely silent. Her expression was a mixture of uncertainty and shock.
"Congratulations, young lord Jiang Chen." Her tone was as conflicted as her look.
"What is there to congratulate me for?" Jiang Chen sighed softly. "There was no joy in that battle. What good is there if I kill a group of my fellow humans? I only hope that all of the human sects and factions can coexist peacefully from now on."
Emperor Wellspring sighed as well. "The toppling of Pillfire may indeed prove to be an opportunity for the Upper Eight Regions. In the north especially, Pillfire has had a monopoly over every pill-related channel and resource. Because of this, the other first rank sects will be revitalized now that the cloud looming over them is gone. There will be changes for sure, possibly even radical ones."
The emperor's viewpoint was sharp and incisive. He instantly saw the effect of Pillfire's destruction on the world. The biggest change was that Pillfire's monopolized profits would now be divided among its sufficiently powerful neighbors. A lot of money was going to change hands.
Jiang Chen became ponderous at the proffered opinion.
"Young lord, I think that Veluriyam must take over what Pillfire has left behind. Otherwise, there may be severe infighting arising from the power vacuum, perhaps on an unaffordable scale. Moreover, Veluriyam must command both the south and the north if it wishes to rule over the entirety of the human domain!" Emperor Wellspring's suggestion was equally thought-provoking.
Just as he had said, Pillfire's void could only be filled by Veluriyam. The amount of profit on the table could elicit the bloodlust of the staunchest pacifist. How could a warring human domain stand against a demonic invasion?
Jiang Chen completely agreed with the great emperor's analysis.
Chapter 1459: An Impossible Decision Between Dan'er and Huang'er
Jiang Chen was both swift and efficient. With imposing momentum, he brought a group of subordinates with him to Pillfire City that very day.
Pillzenith had brought as much as ninety percent of Pillfire's best on his sortie against Veluriyam. The remaining ten had been left behind to hold down the fort.
When these glorified sentries heard of what'd happened in Veluriyam territory, none of them had the courage left to resist. They fled the city before Jiang Chen's arrival, taking vast amounts of the city's wealth with them.
When Jiang Chen arrived at Pillfire and announced he was taking over, not a single figure of importance was to be found. Its commoners teemed with unrest and uncertainty.
After taking control of the city, he was quick to push out a series of procedures aimed to eliminate Pillfire's original principles.
At first, the residents of the city and its surrounding powers were a bit worried about Veluriyam's takeover. Many of the smaller factions, clans, and vassals also shared this sentiment. They were concerned about the possibility that Jiang Chen would take revenge by looting and sacking Pillfire and its wealth.
However, Jiang Chen's edicts won them over after a while. Pillfire under his rule was no worse off than it had been in the past. In fact, it was improved in some ways.
The city was very stable under the young lord's rule. Moreover, many of the harsh taxes, tariffs, and mandatory bribes were eliminated. His policies were both righteous and honest, a reflection of the youth's personal nature.
After three months, the entirety of Pillfire had completely forgotten about Pillzenith. They preferred the way things currently were. There was no exploitation, no pressure, no dictatorial actions…
Jiang Chen was well aware of the strategy his administration had to take. If he resorted to brute force rather than diplomacy, he would have been resisted at every turn. It was easy enough to oppress a territory's existing factions, but extremely difficult to brainwash a people.
And yet, he had done precisely that through exerting his unique charisma and methodology, spreading his own ideology throughout the city. Without realizing it, Pillfire became a much more law-abiding place.
Of course, Jiang Chen had listened to Wellspring's advice about calling up some of the wandering cultivator experts and quartering them within the city as well.
"Your Majesty, the great emperors among wandering cultivators are no less talented than the leading experts of the largest factions. The only thing the former lacks is the vast quantity of resources available at the latter's disposal. If you lack in people and are willing to give them some opportunities, they may surprise you in the end." Wellspring's eye for strategy was perpetually superb.
He always saw things from a distance. It was better to gather the scattered wandering cultivators into a loose faction rather than have them remain completely separate like a pile of sand.
When a wandering cultivator was merely a grain of loose sand, he had the most to lose. He had no advantage against any sect cultivator because he had no backing of his own. Oftentimes, he had to swallow his pride despite abuse and hardship.
If the wandering cultivators, especially great emperors, could be gathered together, it would be a big help against the demonic invasion.
After considering it for a moment, Jiang Chen nodded. "Old Brother Hui, your perception and level headedness is second to none among your wandering brethren."
"Haha, you think too highly of me, young lord. I think about these things all the time. Even a fool like me can have his moments of brilliance, you know!" Wellspring was very humble.
"No need to sell yourself short, Old Brother Hui. There are many advantages to gathering up the wandering great emperors. It's not as simple as bringing together just any bunch of experts. Because wandering cultivators often travel around, they'll be the first target for any reawakened demons.
"Plus, if a sense of collective honor could be cultivated by gathering the wandering cultivators together, it would be very helpful to the anti-demon effort in the future. Strength and cooperation in numbers is quite potent, no?
"Finally, you are very much respected in the wandering cultivator world. If you oversee this matter, it will be as good as done. Therefore, I'm leaving all the details of this initiative up to you." Jiang Chen had no love for power and authority. Quite the opposite in fact: he was perfectly willing to give it up to anyone he saw fit.
Wellspring was the kind of person that had the morals and character to back up his outstanding ability. There was nothing wrong with placing utmost trust in him.
After giving full control of Pillfire's affairs to Wellspring, Jiang Chen journeyed back to Veluriyam. This was where his roots were. There was no reason for him to linger in Pillfire territory.
The familiar sight of his family and friends lightened his mood a great deal.
Though his battle against Pillfire had proved to be trivial, Jiang Chen was very much depressed. No matter how good the results of a civil war were, that was no cause for happiness.
"Stinky brother, my master has already gone back to the Moon God Sect. She said that she's too embarrassed to face you, and asked… asked me to apologize on her behalf." Xu Qingxuan was quite excited to see Jiang Chen again.
Still, talking about her master was a little awkward. Her master didn't have a pristine track record when it came to her family.
Jiang Chen didn't mind. "Nothing to worry about," he shrugged. "She's your master at the end of the day. I couldn't very well just let her die in front of my eyes."
Xu Qingxuan's eyes reddened. "Thanks, stinky brother," she murmured after a while.
The girl typically enjoyed butting heads with her brother, but that didn't mean she had anything against him. She admired and worshiped him a great deal, in fact!
In the past, she would sometimes consider her brother's superiority over her a product of blind luck. But after experiencing recent events, Xu Qingxuan finally understood that her brother wasn't merely lucky. He was also superbly charismatic. That was why so many were impressed with him despite his youth.
Who else would have cared for the Moon God Sect's second sectmaster in that situation? She hadn't exactly been his friend. To say that they'd been on poor terms was putting it lightly.
Ordinary people would have enjoyed a moment of schadenfreude.
Jiang Chen had done something quite different. He had made the hostage exchange, indirectly teaching his sister a lesson in the process.
After Veluriyam finally saw the return of its young lord, many covert operatives were immediately sent out to investigate.
Jiang Chen paid a great deal of attention to Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers' potential whereabouts. In fact, he wanted to go out and search himself.
That night, Dan Fei wrapped her arms lightly around Jiang Chen's waist. She rested her face on Jiang Chen's back, her voice tender. "Brother Chen, I hear that you're closing your doors to cultivate again?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "Dan'er, I've let you suffer all these years. We cultivators toil our lives away on travel and cultivation. Though we live much longer than mortals, we spend little time with our loved ones and family."
Dan Fei sighed delicately. "Sometimes, I wonder if we would have had better lives as a normal couple. And yet, wouldn't life be too mundane for us that way? A normal woman only has ten years of youth… I think cultivation is better in the end."
Cultivation extended lives and preserved youthfulness, sometimes indefinitely. Dan Fei cared quite a lot about her looks. She had been like that ever since her time at Skylaurel Kingdom.
"Yes, female cultivators definitely retain their youth," Jiang Chen laughed. "Dan'er, you look just like the day we met back in Skylaurel. Well, you do seem much more mature."
Dan Fei blushed. "I was a bit too childish back then. My girlishness must have been pretty silly."
Jiang Chen felt only warmth when he recalled the events of yesteryear. Alas, memories of Huang'er resurfaced even as he did so. The girl who had endured the best and worst of times with him, the girl whom he'd sworn an oath to.
How bitter would she be if she knew that he had another girl, and a daughter with her to boot?
He couldn't help but feel guilty. It wasn't his fault. That trial years ago had been an unexpectedly alluring misunderstanding.
Jiang Chen was remorseful to Dan Fei as well. After all, he'd completely forgotten about his one-time affair after the fact. This had led to many years of anguish for her as well. He couldn't give up either emotional attachment.
Having been with Jiang Chen for so long, Dan Fei was close enough to his heart to gain a tacit understanding of his thoughts.
"Brother Chen, are you… remembering little sister Huang'er?" Dan Fei was a bit older in terms of age.
Jiang Chen sighed softly. "You must have heard from Gouyu about Huang'er, Dan'er. I will never forget her, nor can I let her down. Whenever I think of her long days and nights of misery on Myriad Abyss Island, my heart burns in yearning and anxiety. That's why I have to cultivate more. I need to go there as soon as possible to save her!"
After experiencing the world's ups and downs, Dan Fei knew that most things were imperfect in some way. A genius like Jiang Chen was idolized by countless young girls who would stop at nothing to offer themselves to him...
It was already exceptional for Jiang Chen to not have any other attachments aside from Huang'er. Many other youthful talents could only be described as stylish dandies, womanizers everywhere they went.
There was no right for Dan Fei to complain about Huang'er in light of that.
One, Huang'er and Jiang Chen had unbreakable bonds. The strength of their relationship was one that Dan Fei could not boast the same of.
Two, Jiang Chen had started a relationship with Huang'er before he had formally been with Dan Fei.
Most critically, Huang'er was seen as the mistress of the young lord residence. Everyone admired her, and Dan Fei saw no reason to upset the others who lived here through her jealousy.
When she considered this, Dan Fei sighed once more. "Brother Chen, I know about your relationship with Huang'er. Someone like you is beloved by innumerable other girls. I'm happy enough just to have a child with you, and little sister Huang'er deserves the same happiness. I almost wouldn't be able to live without you. I'm sure she's the same way. Where would she get the courage to go through each day otherwise? I couldn't possibly be selfish enough to stop you from going."
Chapter 1460: Vermillion Bird Essence
This time, Jiang Chen was determined to stay in seclusion until he attained sixth level emperor realm. He was at already peak fourth level, so he needed two successive breakthroughs.
Anyone else might have found it a great challenge, but for him, ascension within emperor realm posed little difficulty. He'd gained many things in Agarwood Valley, including a deeper understanding of martial dao that would help him reach his objective.
He might even be able to rush all the way to seventh level in one session. In actuality, reaching seventh level within five years was the goal he'd set for himself.
According to Venerated Skysoarer, Jiang Chen needed to be at advanced emperor realm for the highest chance of success in the third of the Six Palaces of Heritage. The lowest threshold for that was seventh level emperor realm. And given their close relationship, Venerated Skysoarer wouldn't scare him for no good cause.
He really had no time to lose.
He needed absolute power to protect those dearest to him. He'd understood this cold hard truth when Elder Xi had taken away his beloved Huang'er. The trip to Agarwood had reinforced this notion even further.
After such rude awakenings, he now longed for strength as he never had before.
But first, he went looking for the Vermillion Bird in the rear mountain of the young lord residence. The divine beast had become fond of the place. Not only because it was Jiang Chen's territory, but because of the wood spirit spring.
Bathing every day in the spring had helped it recover quite some lifeforce. Although the spring couldn't fundamentally reverse its predicament, the waters could at least noticeably prevent further deterioration in the short-term. Such improvement was the best insurance for the ancient bird.
"Senior, I might spend a long while behind closed doors this time. A year at least, but it might be five years or more."
"You do you, why tell me? Or do you want to chase me away?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "Of course not. You're welcome here as long as you want. With an divine senior holding down the fort, what else could I ask for?"
The longer the bird interacted with the young man, the fonder it was of him.
"Kid, you don't need me for that. And don't you have the golem brothers? Get to the point, what do you really want?" Seeing the human prevaricating, it knew he must have something else to say.
Jiang Chen grinned. "Hehe, I can't hide anything from the mighty senior. In fact, I came to ask you for a few drops of blood."
This, for an ancient divine creature, was the most taboo of subjects. Of course, they had enough blood to spare. They would hardly feel the loss of a hundred drops, to say nothing of a couple.
However, their blood was as important to them as their very lives. They would fight to the death to protect it. Unless they offered it on their own, very few would gift it away. After all, some risk was involved in the process.
Indeed, the divine bird turned stony. "You want my blood essence?"
"Senior, I'm cultivating a formidable art that can shape the essence of ancient flames into the form of a Vermillion Bird. Unfortunately, it can imitate the shape but not the soul. After careful study, the reason seems to be my lack of a genuine Vermillion Bird bloodline. Otherwise, it might well be ten times stronger."
Jiang Chen looked at the divine bird with sincerity, his expression tranquil and candid, free of nefarious ambitions. The bird stared back for a long while before sighing. "Jiang Chen, even in ancient times, no human expert's ever dared ask me that. You're the first one."
"Senior, let's pretend I didn't say anything if I was out of line. I have many other ways to deal with my enemies anyways."
He longed to enhance his technique, but it wasn't in his nature to compel someone else. He would naturally drop it if the bird wasn't willing.
"Ah well…" the ancient bird sighed. "Why do I have to be so fond of you? Why did you have to help me at every turn? I guess I'll indulge you this once. But remember, bloodlines are very important for us. The longer we live, the more we cherish it. Another divine creature might have killed you for this insolence."
Jiang Chen was well aware of this fact, but he simply nodded docilely. "Many thanks for your guidance, senior. I'll be more careful next time."
Long Xiaoxuan and Little White were also ancient beats, one a true dragon and the other an astral white tiger. But the dragon willingly gave his blood whenever Jiang Chen asked. As for the white tiger, he'd raised it since young. It was essentially his contracted beast, so it never refused him anything.
Hence, he'd overlooked this issue.
It wasn't until the Vermillion Bird's reminder had he realized how impetuous his request had been. Fortunately, even if reluctant, the ancient bird hadn't been miserly enough to refuse.
It gave him three drops of blood in the end, quantifying sorrowfully, "My strength has plummeted because my life is near its end, so the blood has lost much of its potency. How about I give you some more once I fully recover?"
Jiang Chen beamed with happiness. "I can't thank you enough, senior. That reminds me, please make the residence your home. Once I become great emperor, we'll go to Myriad Abyss Island together. Perhaps you'll find a suitable place there to break free of the shackles of life and be reborn anew."
The Vermillion Bird perked up, remaining silent for a long while before exclaiming, "I'll wait for you to reach great emperor realm then. Hurry the hell up!"
That was a simple jest. It was already pleased enough with the wooden spirit spring and life in the young lord residence was easy. In fact, it wouldn't abandon the spring's safety even if Jiang Chen were to chase it away.
The young lord then went to find the eight golems. He'd reserved an area behind the mountain for their rest, cultivation, or other activities.
They'd revived not too long ago, their bodies and souls previously separated for aeons. Compared to their prime, they were still far too weak. Now, they too could cultivate single-mindedly in the residence.
Big Stone thumped his chest when Jiang Chen mentioned seclusion. "Don't worry. Us brothers will defend this place with our lives, even if some lame demons come invading."
The young lord smiled. The golem had understood him before he'd said anything.
Golems were purportedly slow and simple, but Big Stone seemed to have absorbed human culture quite fast and now understood the way of the world.
His next stop was the residential area, or more precisely, Madame Yun. He felt guilty over Peerless' disappearance. He had to pay a call at least, and perhaps provide whatever solace he could. It wouldn't do to cause her continued worry by just remaining silent.
Indeed, surprised by his visit, she couldn't hide her inner worries.
"Sister-in-law, I'm to blame for Old Brother Mo's disappearance. But I promise I won't idly sit by.
I've already sent out many men to investigate. His business is Veluriyam's business. And with his vast powers, he'll surely stay out of harm's way. So don't be too worried."
Madame Yun was a proper and empathetic lady. She was indeed sick with worry, but she knew Jiang Chen wasn't at fault.
"Little brother, the heavens help the worthy. Just as you've said, I'm sure Brother Mo is safe and sound somewhere. He must be detained for some reason, but he'll come back one day." She had great faith in her dao partner.
Jiang Chen was slightly relieved by her steady mood.
Indeed, after obtaining the kunpeng blood, Peerless had the potential to break through to empyrean realm. With his ability, he'd surely be safe no matter who was plotting in the shadows.
With everything finally sorted, Jiang Chen entered Guo Ran's palace, formally starting his seclusion. His first priority was to refine the Vermillion Bird's blood essence. Even near the end of its life, an ancient divine creature's blood wasn't for show.
As long as he could fuse it with the Vermillion Bird image, the power of his technique would soar.
"Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise. I'm only missing the Black Tortoise bloodline. If I can obtain it one day… With all four, I can master all five elements and fathom the heavenly dao. That would be the opportunity of more than a single lifetime!"
Although the trip to Agarwood Valley had been fraught with danger, he'd reaped enormous gains. The Vermillion Bird's blood, in particular, was a heaven-sent.
His long-term goal was to reach the heavenly planes and plumb their depths. Why had the planes shattered? Gathering the blood of all four great ancient creatures might allow him to make the impossible possible, bringing him one step closer to the root of his past life's mystery!
Chapter 1461: Three Years Seclusion
Jiang Chen had already obtained three of the four legendary beasts. Even though the True Dragon and Astral White Tiger were still younglings, he was more than aware of their potential. The speed of their growth was no less than amazing.
Unfortunately, the environment of the human domain was a far cry from that of the ancient times. Many spirit veins had been destroyed in the ancient demonic war, causing energy levels in the environment to dwindle.
It was the main reason why various factions in the human domain could no longer produce worthy successors. The land was no longer fertile enough to develop such talents.
To put it into simpler terms, the human domain was living through an era of great decline. The amount of available qi had dwindled greatly, while various resources were running out. The human race was at its lowest of lows.
This was an unavoidable issue faced by every living being on the land. Thus, Jiang Chen desperately wanted to increase his cultivation levels to head for Myriad Abyss Island.
According to Huang'er's descriptions, the island should be filled with abundant qi and powerful experts, mirroring the Divine Abyss Continent of ancient times.
A man should always aim for greater heights.
Jiang Chen's roots were firmly planted in the human domain, but it'd long since become a bottleneck. Breakthroughs would only grow more difficult and infrequent if he didn't seek greener pastures. A place devoid of qi would ground him from his pursuit of the heavenly dao.
He had to leave!
However, he had to achieve a certain level of strength before leaving, or death would only await him on the path ahead. His foes wouldn't show him mercy just because he was the Celestial Emperor's son, nor would his journey be uneventful just because of his past knowledge.
All kinds of danger lay in wait on the path ahead. They would appear without warning or reason and be impossible to avoid.
The events of Agarwood Valley were an excellent example. There was nothing Jiang Chen had been able to do against the empyrean experts or the demon lord. Facing them head on would've only caused immeasurable hardship or death.
"The Divine Abyss Continent is vast beyond measure. The world map has experienced countless alterations since the ancient times. Perhaps the human domain is the size of a pea. The Southern Celestial tribe was far weaker than us in the ancient era, but now they can easily send three empyrean experts to us. The grimness of our situation has far exceeded my imagination."
After the ancient war, Boundary Steles isolated the human race from the outside world. Thus, humans knew very little about the situation beyond their territory.
Jiang Chen was blessed with boundless knowledge from his previous life, but as the young lord of Veluriyam Capital, the fate of the human race was in his hands. He couldn't help but feel like a frog at the bottom of a well.
He had to become stronger! Much stronger!
Strength was his greatest desire!
His closed door cultivation lasted for three years, longer than any of his previous stints. Three years in the palace was on par with ten years in the outside world.
"Time flies." Jiang Chen sighed gently. "Three years have gone by in a blink of an eye, but they haven't gone to waste."
He could feel the changes in his body. A powerful energy was circulating inside of him, filling his body with vitality. He seemed to have grown much stronger.
Sixth level! Still a hair's breadth away from advanced emperor realm…
He had grown immensely stronger in these three years, rising to sixth level emperor realm in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, he'd fell slightly short of his goal. The seventh level was just a tiny step away.
Momentum was a very important factor in cultivation. If one failed to reach one's goals the first time around, the second attempt would be less effective than the first.
However, Jiang Chen didn't take his frustration out on himself. Overzealousness was often counterproductive. It was better to slow down his pace to search for inspiration and consolidate his cultivation. The next breakthrough might arrive sooner than expected.
Seventh level emperor realm was an enormous hurdle. It wasn't impossible for Jiang Chen at the moment as he'd already reached the limits of his current momentum. However willing he might be, he no longer had the requisite stamina.
Any continued effort would only be a waste of time and energy.
Three years was a very brief amount of time in the martial dao world, but to Jiang Chen, it was far too long. Many were waiting for him in the outside world.
After consolidating his level, he began honing his foundation and martial techniques. His treasures and methods also had to be sharpened in accordance to his increase in strength.
"My arsenal of killing devices grows larger and larger. The Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation, an ancient divine bow, the True Spirit Post, the Divine Five Thunderclap Sword…"
They were all tricks up his sleeve, and the more the merrier.
He didn't forget to refine the golden magnetic mountain, Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, or the Earth Bodhisattva Orb either.
They were treasures that grew stronger with their user. For the magnetic golden mountain and the Bewitching Lotus of Fire and Ice, all he did was consolidate their growth as he already knew them from the inside-out after constant usage throughout the years.
The Earth Bodhisattva Orb however, he never had uncovered its true might. In other words, it was being squandered in his hands.
The Orb is a peerless earth attribute treasure only being used for child's play. There was simply too many good items in his possession. The orb was an unrivalled treasure, but he hadn't had the time to study and fully utilize it.
I'll have to look for some powerful earth attribute arts to better utilize the Orb. He was actually very fond of it. This was a treasure that could summon earth pulses!
It was the same case when looking at the Primosanct Sect; neither the divine bow or True Spirit Post was anything less than amazing. There was no way that a supreme treasure from an ancient sect unrivalled in certain aspects could be useless.
Jiang Chen wasn't overzealous. He had a vast repertoire of earth attribute techniques from his previous life, but there were various factors to consider before he could select the most suitable one.
After all, he could only extract a tiny sliver of the orb's potential. The Earth Bodhisattva Sect primarily used it to power formations, but Jiang Chen was reluctant to do the same. He didn't want to squander this precious item for such a niche use. If possible, it should be utilized during battle.
"I can now control twenty-five of the flying swords. I have officially begun my grasp of the formation. I can take on even an ordinary great emperor in battle now!"
Jiang Chen's grasp of the Heavenly Chalice Sword Formation had improved by leaps and bounds. He was greatly attuned with it and had practiced it ceaselessly from the very beginning.
Upon his breakthrough to seventh emperor realm, the formation would finally reach the realm of perfection. He'd be able to control thirty-six swords then, vastly increasing his power output.
This was the formation's greatest appeal. Every elevation in proficiency allowed one to control even more swords. The mysteries of the formation would grow more complex with increased sword count, vastly increasing its strength and lethality.
Of course, the realm of perfection was merely the halfway point. The great perfection, supreme, and legendary realms would take the formation to the next level.
Unfortunately, these realms were extremely difficult to attain. It was impossible for Jiang Chen at his current cultivation level. Even the realm of perfection was already proving to be a great hurdle.
He was confident that upon his breakthrough to seventh emperor realm, he could easily slay great emperors with the formation if they were caught off guard.
What was proving even more unruly than the formation was the Primosanct Sect's divine bow. Even at sixth emperor realm, Jiang Chen could only extract a tiny fraction of the bow's strength. He estimated that he hadn't even extracted a tenth of its true potential.
He held the bow in his hand and gently caressed his fingers over the simple yet impeccably shaped bow. Its ancient aura left him flabbergasted.
He could feel the bow's might through his consciousness. It felt like he'd gone back in time and personally witnessed the bow's dominance and slaughter of countless experts in the ancient era. Such might and killing intent could only honed from the baptism of countless slaughter.
The bow had definitely been an unparalleled treasure in the ancient era. As he caressed the bow, he suddenly noticed that there were words etched onto the inner side of the bow. They couldn't be discerned through touch alone. By using his Evil Golden Eye in tandem with the God's Eye, Jiang Chen could finally make out what was etched onto the bow.
They were ancient characters.
"Property of Ling Dan. A divine dragon in the north sea passed away and left its remains behind. Its bones and tendons were used to create this bow, thus the bow shall be named the Holy Dragon Bow…"
Ling Dan?
Jiang Chen suddenly recalled that the founding forefather of the Primosanct Sect, also the person who saved the eight Primordial Stone Golems, was called Saint Dan.
Perhaps Saint Dan and Ling Dan were the same person?
Chapter 1462: The Order of Wind and Cloud?
Jiang Chen was a bit confused. If Ling Dan was the very same Saint Dan of the Primosanct Sect, how come the 'dan' characters were written differently?
Both were pronounced the same as the character for 'pill'. Did he have something to do with pills, then?
Perhaps the primordial era was too far in the distant past. A founder's name could easily get muddied by the swirls of time. Was it possible that this had been an honest mistake?
Jiang Chen laughed despite himself. "There's not much point in being too serious about this. Whether or not Ling Dan is Saint Dan, this legendary ancient bow is definitely a treasure of the Primosanct Sect. So its true name is the Holy Dragon Bow, huh? A weapon forged from the forgotten corpse of a divine dragon of the northern sea, a relic of the primordial era. No wonder this bow is so naturally and effortlessly regal.
"Even in the heavenly planes, this bow would be quite a respectable weapon. It must have accompanied Ling Dan in countless battles and slain that many foes." Jiang Chen could tangibly feel the bow's killing aura. There had to be some kind of reason for it developing, and the most likely was its repeated usage in warfare, reaping, and conquest.
He liked the bow very much so. It was an extremely powerful weapon of mass destruction. Though he could only access about a tenth of its full strength, that didn't dampen his excitement to refine it.
Jiang Chen had always had a remarkable talent for archery. He'd used the Da Yu bow and Sunpiercer in the past. Both weapons had accompanied him for a long time.
The Holy Dragon Bow, carrying destructive potential that was hundreds or thousands of times his past weapons, was going to be even more potent.
"Maintaining fine control over one's shots requires perfect harmony with both bow and arrow. All martial arts under heaven are imbued with dao. Sword techniques involve sword dao, blade techniques require blade dao, and the bow has its own dao as well. In fact, the dao of weaponry is commutative to a certain extent…"
Jiang Chen used his consciousness to feel every inch of the bow's detail. Each bit of space upon the weapon's surface was filled with the intense presence of the primordial era. It was as if the bow carried incredible stories within every fiber of its being.
His understanding of the primordial era itself deepened through communing with the bow. Subconsciously, he'd almost returned to that antiquated time; one that was filled with brutal, exhilarating battle and primal, frenzied conquest.
...
Three months passed.
Jiang Chen awoke with a start. He snatched at the air for a message glyph.
Something must've happened outside. There was no reason for a disturbance during closed door cultivation otherwise. He activated the glyph, allowing the message within to flicker into his mind.
"The Order of Wind and Cloud?" Jiang Chen blinked. The message mentioned that this peculiar faction had bizarrely risen within the very short span of the past four years.
It had garnered so much momentum as to overtake most of the first rank sects. Its headquarters was located to the west of the Upper Eight Regions, in a place called Unbounded Mid Region.
This region was located very close to the Heavenly Dragon Sect, which made it reasonably close to the Ninesuns Sky Sect as well. It was almost wedged in between the two sects. It had another neighbor: Phoenix Cry Lower Region, the region that contained Agarwood Valley.
The glyph mentioned a large-scale conflict between the Order and the Heavenly Dragon Sect half a year ago over ownership of a mine.
It had concluded with the total defeat of the latter. Heavenly Dragon's sect head, Long Zhe, had suffered a grievous injury to the degree of his cultivation being completely crippled. Terrified, the sect had sent out requests for assistance to its peers.
Unfortunately, because of its customary arrogance, the sect's relationship with the other first rank sects of the Upper Eight was lukewarm at best. Its requests fell on deaf ears.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect then resorted to self-preservation via turtling within the sect itself. Its territory had largely been taken over by the Order, so much so that the majority of its holdings were no longer its own.
Because of this devastating blow to its forces and finances, the Heavenly Dragon Sect had little ability to actively oppose the Order of Wind and Cloud. There were even rumors that Long Zhe had died of his injuries.
Long Zhe's cultivation level was very close to both Emperor Peafowl and Pillzenith's. Aside from the generally acknowledged hegemon of Veluriyam, there were essentially no existing factions that could hope to rival the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
After all, it was originally ranked at the top of the first rank sects. At its high point, it had stood alongside the Ninesuns Sky Sect and the Great Yu Skysword Sect as the strongest among its peers.
It was astonishing for it to have suffered such a devastating loss now that Pillfire was gone. The entire human domain shared in the shock. The Order of Wind and Cloud had drawn the collective attention of the human domain.
Moreover, there were rumors on the wind that the Order was planning on making a move against the Ninesuns Sky Sect. Ninesuns and Heavenly Dragon were the two jaws of a pincer. If they closed around the Order's headquarters, they could surely deal an incredible amount of damage.
Alas, relations between the two sects had never been particularly harmonious. Because both parties desired the title of foremost among the first rank sects, they had a tradition of private squabbling.
In fact, the Ninesuns Sky Sect had felt some schadenfreude when they saw the Heavenly Dragon Sect suffer. Only when the Order set their sights on the sect did the latter realize that the two neighboring sects shared a common lot. This understanding came a little late, however.
The Heavenly Dragon Sect no longer had the strength to fight, much less ally with the Ninesuns Sky Sect in a struggle to the death. This meant that Ninesuns had to face the Order's blade alone.
The Ninesuns Sky Sect was forced to the edge of desperation. Originally, it neighbored both the Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Eternal Celestial Capital.
Jiang Chen had quashed the Eternal Celestial Capital and the Heavenly Dragon Sect was now out of commission. With that, the Order's territories spanned multiple upper regions.
Because of the urgency of the situation, the Ninesuns Sky Sect sorely felt the absence of any close allies. It was forced to request help from Veluriyam Capital.
Jiang Chen frowned when he finished perusing the glyph's contents. "Where did this Order of Wind and Cloud come from? Is this the mastermind behind those imposters a couple years back?"
He had a few guesses of his own brewing. It was impossible for the rise of such a colossus to have been anything other than premeditated. It was much more likely that the Order of Wind and Cloud had begun planning and preparation far earlier.
Perhaps it had already laid down decades of hidden groundwork and it was simply this recent opportunity that allowed the sect to come into the light. How could a budding sect like that overwhelm an experienced first rank sect like the Heavenly Dragon Sect otherwise?
Jiang Chen went over the glyph a few more times, making sure he hadn't missed anything.
"The Ninesuns Sky Sect seems pretty useless in this situation. Why is it showing weakness before even a preliminary skirmish? How is it supposed to fight after throwing away its spirit?" He could see the sect's timidity through its decisions.
Still, the sect's attitude was understandable in the end. If the Heavenly Dragon Sect had lost so badly, there wasn't much reason to think the Ninesuns Sky Sect – very nearly its equal – was going to fare much better. It had been wise of them to request aid beforehand.
In any case, it was much better than the Heavenly Dragon Sect's attempted gambit. What use was asking for help when trouble was already at one's door? There was no time for any interested helpers to gather information or prepare.
"It seems I must stop cultivating for now." The message glyph changed Jiang Chen's plans for the immediate future. Without his intervention, the chaos in the outside world would only multiply.
...
Within the Empyrean River Palace, the palace head held a secret letter in his hands. His expression was serious, clearly at a difficult crossroads.
"What does the letter say, Palace Head?" Standing nearby, a venerated elder of the palace asked eagerly.
"Ah, where did this Order of Wind and Cloud come from?" The Empyrean River Palace head sighed softly. "In this letter, there's a demand for us to make a decision within three months whether or not to surrender to them."
"Surrender to the Order?" The venerated elder frowned. "Ridiculous! What are they thinking? How dare a four-year-old upstart speak to us so!"
"Well, that's what they did," the palace head smiled wryly. "After defeating the Heavenly Dragon Sect, they're qualified to a certain extent to do so."
"Hmph! Is Veluriyam going to ignore all this?" The venerated elder had finally remembered a helping hand in this time of trouble.
"Veluriyam… hasn't made their opinion known yet. They did nothing when the Heavenly Dragon Sect was crushed, and they haven't announced anything yet regarding the coming battle between the Order and the Ninesuns Sky Sect… I'm worried that the city still may not care very much about us northern sects. A lingering grudge may exist still because of what the northern coalition did a few years ago."
The Heavenly Dragon Sect and the Empyrean River Palace had both belonged to that alliance. Even though Jiang Chen hadn't ended up destroying these sects in the end, this didn't mean he had forgiven them. In particular, he wasn't necessarily going to help them out of sticky situations.
And though Ninesuns hadn't participated in the northern coalition, Emperor Newsun had partially done so in its stead. He'd proven an imposter in the end, but who knew what Jiang Chen really thought?
There was no indication of an olive branch from Veluriyam despite Ninesuns's current danger.
"Palace Head," the venerated elder intoned in a low voice, "Pillfire City used to coerce us into many things for countless years. Are we going to let the Order do the same? How can we possibly suffer the same injustice twice without resistance?"
Its experience with Pillfire alone had been shameful enough in the past. Was it going to make a repeat performance after receiving Veluriyam's clemency?
What if the Order went to fight Veluriyam in the end? Were they going to serve as hapless peons once more?
That kind of shame was deadly enough on its own.