Chapter 1837: The Vermilion Bird Charges Into the Fray
Long Xiaoxuan was eager to fight, but his job was to bait these men, not engage them.
He was confident in his ability to go against every one of them except the demigod forefather. However, if all of them charged at him together, he'd have no choice but to flee.
Thus, he wasn't going to make a move now.
Dragons weren't the fastest species, but that was relative to the fastest races of the heavenly planes. Compared to humans, dragons held a great advantage.
When Long Xiaoxuan traveled at his peak speed, only Forefather Goldenbell was able to surpass him. The other seven men were having difficulty catching up.
The forefather was surprised by the dragon's reaction. It'd clearly noticed them.
"It's discovered us. After it!" He was a little antsy. They'd alerted their prey before even reaching their spots, which would undoubtedly make capturing the dragon more difficult.
Fortunately, he was fast and could overtake the dragon by a small margin.
He took the lead while his seven companions struggled to keep up. Their plan depended on them catching up with the forefather and getting at least a few hits in. He wouldn't have to honor his oath if they didn't help at all.
Their hearts raced anxiously, worried that they wouldn't get anything in the end.
Long Xiaoxuan had drawn up a detailed plan with Jiang Chen and the Vermilion Bird beforehand. He turned to see that the forefather was indeed on his own. The other seven were lagging far behind.
The time was about right.
He suddenly dove for the ground. Forefather Goldenbell cackled and raised his arms. Suddenly, an enormous golden bell materialized behind him and flew at the dragon with tremendous might and speed. It radiated terrifying power and threatened to burn the air as it fell.
Long Xiaoxuan started. The forefather was indeed extraordinary.
Even he felt his blood boil under the bell's might. If it'd been a little closer, the bell could've trapped him successfully.
The bell was the forefather's most prized treasure. The magical item could devour the air and consume heaven and earth. Its power was terrifying.
The dragon didn't dare get careless. With a flash, he transformed himself into the size of a mustard seed and vanished from thin air.
This concealment method was unique to dragons, but the bell was very powerful. Although he'd turned himself infinitely smaller, it was still able to detect him and chase him doggedly.
The forefather broke into a feral grin, impressed by the dragon's ability. This is indeed a descendent of the true dragons. What an amazing technique of stealth! However, that's not enough for it to lose me. I'll trap and overpower it!
The forefather was eager to capture the dragon before the others caught up. Then the oath would be rendered obsolete.
His rewards were only promised to those who helped. If he captured the dragon on his own, he didn't have to give them a single stone.
"Surrender! No matter how you try to hide, you can't escape." The forefather strengthened his consciousness further, tapping into the full tracking power of the bell.
It rang and made a series of ear-piercing notes, threatening to cover the entire area.
Suddenly, something registered on the forefather's consciousness, a trace of apprehension flashed through his mind. He steadied himself, surveying his surroundings cautiously.
Unexpectedly, the area around him burst into flames, as if the air was filled with oil. An ocean of fire circled around him.
The forefather started, caught off guard by the unnatural phenomenon. How could the air combust on its own?!
"What's going on?" His hackles raised.
As he anxiously scan for dangers, the air cracked and out came an enormous claw. It slashed at the forefather's face aggressively.
Its destructive power reached the forefather in the blink of an eye.
"Piss off!" The forefather threw two punches, sending strong torrents of boxing air at the enormous claw.
He'd thought his full might would be able to knock the strange claw awry, but to his shock, the claw wasn't even delayed for long before it came at him again.
The next hit was even more powerful than the last.
The forefather broke into a cold sweat. He hadn't expected the bizarre claw to contain such terrifying power!
He threw many more punches trying to deter it, but every attempt ended in disappointment. Despite the great force he put into the punches, he couldn't knock the claw off its trajectory at all.
To make things worse, another claw split through the air and slashed at him with enough might to destroy heaven and earth.
The slashes from both directions left him with no way to escape. Even he lost his composure in the face of such relentless attacks.
From the blazing sea of fire emerged the Vermilion Bird. It rose from the flames, radiating the might of its bloodline.
The forefather's heart sank and he sweated so profusely that he drenched his clothes. Could it be a vermilion bird?!
He was experienced enough to readily recognize the burning divine spirit as the mythical vermilion bird.
Among the four divine beasts, he'd seen both a true dragon and vermilion bird today. Naturally he was more than a little shocked.
More importantly, the Vermilion Bird wasn't an unknown quantity.
He immediately recalled the rumors about Eternal Divine Nation and how their sacred land had emerged victorious. Was this the divine beast that had helped them turn the tide?
Chapter 1838: Destroying Forefather Goldenbell
Forefather Goldenbell instantly felt an indescribable pressure. It transformed into an intense sense of danger, as if he straddling the border between life and death.
An expert's instincts were very sharp. As soon as the forefather saw the Vermilion Bird cut in suddenly, he realized that there might be a trap involved. Rather than attempting to catch the dragon, he tried to retract his enormous golden bell with hand seals to shore up his defenses.
However, Long Xiaoxuan reappeared once more as he tried to do so. This time, the dragon's body was several times bigger. He encircled the golden bell relentlessly, trapping it with his coiling ability.
Forefather Goldenbell's summons were met with dull thuds. Though the bell tried to move in the direction of its master, it did so at a snail's pace. It would be of zero help in defending him.
The Vermilion Bird wouldn't pass up such a golden opportunity. It blasted a firestorm of feathers in Goldenbell's direction, blanketing the space several miles around the human in a meteoric shower.
The bird's feathers burned with a heat that threatened to set the very air afire, and moved with a sharpness that could cut the fabric of space itself.
Without the golden bell, Forefather Goldenbell's defenses were lowered by at least two-thirds. He didn't expect the Vermilion Bird to mobilize such a lightning-fast offense.
He had only barely fended off the bird's talons with his physical defenses before. The feathers were several degrees of magnitude more dangerous.
His rhythm having been interrupted, the forefather began to feel out of his element. In his haste, he tossed several defensive talismans into the air to fend off the vermilion feathers' crazed onslaught.
However, the Vermilion Bird wouldn't give him a chance to come back. Before the talismans could even activate, the bird swept them away with a flap of its wings.
Forefather Goldenbell paled in fear. He finally moved himself to try to evade the attack, but it was already too late. He was swept into the vortex of fiery feathers in the blink of an eye.
The forefather clearly had no intention of giving up. Despite his predicament, he tried his best to avoid certain death. What surprised him was that despite the feathers' density, he could just barely stay alive within the vortex.
Are these vermilion feathers just for show? A hint of joy crept into his heart.
He had been ready to succumb to despair. The blanket bombardment of the feathers made it look like he was a goner for sure. Survival was unexpected! Truly, a stroke of fortune. He felt the barest glimmer of hope.
"I have to live! I want to live!" The desire to survive hardened Forefather Goldenbell's resolve. He continued dodging the razor-sharp feathers within the firestorm. At the same time, he called for his seven companions to assist him.
"You lot, hurry up!" he demanded out angrily.
The cultivators behind him had been speeding up as they approached. When they saw the heart-stopping intervention of the Vermilion Bird though, a natural fear slowed their pace.
The forefather's shout eliminated any excuses they might have had for delaying. What they had encountered far exceeded their imaginations.
If they hesitated out of fear and Forefather Goldenbell died, they would be indirectly held responsible. If they hadn't been nearby, that wouldn't be the case, but they couldn't use such a reason now.
"Friends, that Vermilion Bird is a terrifying fowl. We must fight and retreat as a unit. If we act selfishly, we'll be easily defeated!"
"You're right. Let's help Forefather Goldenbell out of his bind first. Then, we'll have a real chance!"
"What should we do? Shall we attack it together?"
"Are you confident you'll be able to withstand those feathers?"
The seven weren't in consensus. In particular, they were quite wary of the Vermilion Bird's devastating attacks.
"Friends, hear me out," a man in white spoke.
"Do you have an idea?"
"Look, the forefather's golden bell is a powerful defensive treasure. That dragon is coiled around it to prevent it from returning. If we send two people to attack it so the bell can return, the forefather will be in a much better spot. Isn't that a better plan than attacking the Vermilion Bird?"
Evidently, there was serious wariness of facing a powerful divine spirit creature. Thus, this suggestion was met with unanimous approval.
"You're right. It's decided then. That dragon is far weaker than the Vermilion Bird. It seems its strength is not yet perfected. We can take it out with no problems!"
"I mean to say that only two should take on the true dragon. The remaining five can distract the Vermilion Bird and take the pressure off of Forefather Goldenbell."
"Who would like to volunteer for that?"
"I think we should focus our efforts on the dragon. The Vermilion Bird will hesitate to take further action against us once we capture it."
"Hmm, if the true dragon and the Vermilion Bird are in cahoots with each other, that will be a good strategy."
"We should move together. Let's take down that dragon!"
The seven cultivators had decided their plan of action. They avoided confronting the Vermilion Bird head on, transforming into seven streaks of light toward the true dragon instead.
They'd underestimated the bird's capabilities, however.
The maw of the Vermilion Bird opened to unleash a crimson ball of energy. It blasted across the air, scorching a long trail behind it that blocked the seven's path. The sea of flames was a barricade that prevented them from crossing. They were caught between a fire and a hard place.
Forefather Goldenbell was furious. "You lot, what're you standing around for?" he yelled. "Hurry up and attack the Vermilion Bird! Hurry!"
The seven cultivators had wanted to pick on an easier target. But alas, the Vermilion Bird didn't give them that chance. Their way forward was completely cut off. The only option left was to face the bird.
Suddenly, the sacred fowl uttered a piercing cry. The feathers on its wings and tail bristled into full blooms of fire, becoming blindingly radiant before suddenly vanishing into thin air.
Forefather Goldenbell hadn't yet fully recovered when the fabric of reality nearby began to ripple slightly.
The patch of space opened to reveal the wave-riding Vermilion Bird, now in close proximity. In fact, it was so close that the forefather could see the runes and patterns all over the bird's feathers.
Goldenbell felt his wits leave him. He instinctively wanted to flee, but his fate was already sealed. The gigantic fowl picked him up by the torso like an eagle would a small rabbit.
The forefather could no longer move. His body was locked into place, and no amount of struggling would get him free again.
The Vermilion Bird shrieked once more before consuming the forefather in a single gulp.
There was a snap; the bird's beak clamping together.
Blood gushed from the cracks between its teeth. The forefather didn't even have a chance to make a noise before disappearing into the abyss of death.
The Vermilion Bird unfurled its wings in another fluid motion. Another wave of feathers assaulted the group that remained.
The cultivators in question were far weaker than Forefather Goldenbell. They were horrified enough after witnessing the forefather being eaten. The sight of new feathers in the sky prompted them to make a break for it.
Was it really possible for them to get away now, though?
The answer was a decisive no. They were trapped within the sea of flames from before. Countless vermilion feathers rained down from the sky like comets, heralding their demise.
For another moment or so, howls of pain preceded the seven cultivators' consumption.
After Goldenbell's death, his eponymous treasure had lost its light. It now descended to the ground with a muffled honk.
Someone darted out from the side, then shoved the bell into his sleeves.
"This golden bell is pretty remarkable. I'll take it!"
It was none other than Jiang Chen. He had lain in wait to lend a hand at a potentially crucial moment, but his presence had clearly been unnecessary. The ambush had been basically perfect. All the rebel leaders had been slain in one fell swoop, and treasure had literally fallen into his lap!
But Long Xiaoxuan was a bit upset. "Old Brother Vermilion, why didn't you leave one or two for me?"
The Vermilion Bird chuckled. "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself. Don't worry, I'll leave the rest for you. I won't intervene there unless you specifically ask for it, alright?"
The bird was quite friendly to the young dragon. It didn't use its seniority as a cudgel. The four sacred beasts generally didn't differentiate their associations based on age.
Long Xiaoxuan nodded without much fuss. "Young master Chen," he glanced over to the young man, "the leaders are dead. We can rampage through the rest of the rebels now, right?"
Indeed, the Martial Divine Nation rebels around here were now leaderless. It was time for a slaughter!
Chapter 1839: The Prime and the Holy Girl
In the valley outside the spirit herb fields, the rebel army was assembled like an impenetrable matrix. No entrance or exit was permitted.
Though Forefather Goldenbell and the seven most important leaders had left temporarily, their lieutenants yet remained. The army's morale was very high. They plainly didn't know about their leaders' demises yet.
The Martial Sacred Land only had roughly two thousand stationed at the spirit herb base. Though they were all elites, their absolute numbers disadvantage meant that they didn't have the forces to spare on a breakout effort.
However, they weren't going to try to escape even if they could.
Their only mission was to protect these spirit herbs. If this place fell to the rebels, what good was their safety?
Relying on the terrain and formation to defend to the last was the common understanding of all the cultivators who remained here.
But the army outside pressed down on their nerves as much as it did on their borders. No one could predict when the attack would come, despite its certainty.
And when it did, there would be a bloodbath.
The rebels had manpower on their side. They could send wave after wave of soldiers to push an offensive. The two thousand-odd elites on the sacred land's side didn't have room for any error; each person that died was a soldier permanently lost on the battlefront.
Under these circumstances, the feeling of tremendous pressure was understandable.
Thankfully, the powerful defensive formation around the base covered all the main pathways in. The rebels would need to pay a hefty price to attempt brute entry.
Two slender figures stood in the passage to the nexus of the formation.
They shared a floral elegance, like orchids blooming in the stillness of the night. There was a unique aura that made them difficult to ignore.
The older of the duo was a more mature woman, her expression carrying the weight of authority. It was the Martial Sacred Land's only female prime, Puresmoke.
Though not quite the strongest in the sacred land, she was a contender for that title.
At her side was a much younger girl, radiant with the exuberance of youth. Her complexion was pretty in its purity, but she conducted herself with an exceptional nobility as well.
The girl was the Martial Sacred Land's holy girl, Yu Ling. Upon Myriad Abyss's famous list of sixteen beauties, she ranked in the top five. Miss Yu Ling was the student of Prime Puresmoke.
Master and pupil were studying each and every connection of the formation, to prevent any flaws from being taken advantage of.
"Ling'er, the sacred land's recent disaster is one we've never encountered in history before. In your heart of hearts, are you afraid of what may happen?" Prime Puresmoke asked unhurriedly.
Yu Ling stuck her pert nose into the air. "Master, I'm not scared of anything as long as you're here. We've been together for so many years."
"What if I'm not?" Prime Puresmoke sighed softly.
Miss Yu Ling froze a little. "Your abilities are sublime, master," she ventured. "The rebels' petty tricks won't faze you."
"Not necessarily," the prime's tone grew somber. "This time, the leader of the rebels is Forefather Goldenbell. My cultivation level is slightly inferior to his. If we fight, I may be able to keep myself safe, but I can't say the same for everyone else.
"Of course, I'm to protect this base. Even that forefather won't be allowed to take a single step inside. As long as I live, it will remain intact. If they intend to invade, it'll be over my dead body."
Though Prime Puresmoke was a woman, her speech and mannerisms embodied an uncommon sort of fortitude and gallantry.
"It's the same for me, master. I'll protect the base with my life too. I won't leave you to this fate alone!"
"Silly girl. You have to do no such thing." A hint of softness shone through Puresmoke's lucent eyes. "You're still young. You have a bright future ahead of you. If we can't survive this calamity intact, you younglings have to be preserved. As long as you inherit our heritage, the sacred land's light will not be snuffed out. Conversely, if the younger generation is lost too… then the sacred land will really be done for."
Miss Yu Ling shook her head stubbornly. "The sacred land has many geniuses, but I only have one teacher. Master, I want to stay with you."
"Childish!" Puresmoke's expression darkened. "Don't be so headstrong, Ling'er. You must listen to me in this. Your delusions cannot be tolerated!"
The holy girl's cherry lips trembled, but she couldn't break the silence against her master's humorless look. More like a parent, her master had raised her from childhood. She had never imagined wanting to disobey before.
Still, she couldn't just abandon her master and leave herself. Both student and pupil were beset with their own set of troubles.
As they passed through another passage, a scout came in from the outside in a hurry.
"Madam Prime, Forefather Goldenbell and seven rebel leaders departed just now. We don't know what they're up to."
"Departed? For what reason?" Prime Puresmoke was mildly surprised.
"I'm not sure. I was observing the enemy near the edge of the formation, so I saw what might've been abnormal weather. I didn't dare go investigate it myself. After that, the forefather and the other rebel leaders took their leave. Maybe there's some kind of disturbance even further out? Perhaps our reinforcements have arrived?"
There was some serendipitous surprise in the scout's tone.
"Reinforcements?" Puresmoke furrowed her slender brow. "The sacred land is tight on manpower as it is. Headquarters is understaffed, and the various strongholds have been siloed apart from each other. Even if some of the factions that didn't join the rebellion want to help us, they can't break through the blockades. Plus… what factions are left in this nation that can rescue us from our troubles?"
She leaned toward pessimism. As a prime of the sacred land, she knew the situation in Martial Divine Nation better than many others. She didn't believe every faction in the nation had rebelled, but neither did she believe in the remnants' ability to come to their aid.
"Master, could the reinforcements be from elsewhere?" Miss Yu Ling suddenly suggested. "Didn't headquarters send out a request to the other sacred lands nearby?"
Puresmoke glanced at the hope on her beloved pupil's face, then sighed. "Ling'er, rebellions were launched almost in tandem in all ten of the divine nations. Their synchronicity was premeditated. Therefore, many of the ten sacred lands are in serious trouble themselves."
"I don't believe that all ten of the sacred lands will fall at once," Yu Ling replied. "There's sure to be some sacred lands quicker at quelling their rebels than others."
The cultivators stationed in this base knew little about recent events in the outside world. A lot of news didn't make their way here in the first place.
Prime Puresmoke had heard about Eternal Divine Nation's return to civil peace, but she hadn't dared for too much anticipation. The higher the hopes, the more disappointment there was when they were dashed.
However, she didn't want to take away her cherished disciple's ability to dream. "We've received news that the Eternal Sacred Land has taken care of its rebels," she nodded.
As expected, Yu Ling was immediately overjoyed. "Isn't Eternal on the best of terms with us, master? They're sure to help after they've settled things, right?"
"That would be ideal. Nonetheless, they're sure to be in considerable turmoil right now. I wonder how long it'll take them to stabilize and send out a team?"
Puresmoke was worried that the Martial Sacred Land wouldn't last that long. Even if it did, how much good the reinforcements would do was still up in the air. If the Eternal Sacred Land offered only symbolic assistance, the overall situation wouldn't be much different.
She took a few moments to sort out her thoughts. "Continue your observations. Report back if there are any new developments," she instructed the scout.
"Yes, ma'am." The scout inclined his head before leaving.
The two women went back the direction they'd come from, their minds no less troubled than before.
"Come here, Ling'er," Puresmoke called out to her student.
"Honored master." Yu Ling approached, her voice low.
"I don't know what this Forefather Goldenbell is trying to pull, Ling'er. If the rebels launch an attack, I'm going to find a chance to send you out. If you can get away with it, retreat quickly without a glance back, got it?"
The holy girl stammered without agreeing. Instead, she tugged at the hems of her clothes.
"What, you don't listen to your master anymore?" Prime Puresmoke demanded icily.
"It's not that!" Yu Ling shook her head several times in succession. "We'll definitely be fine, master. I've been thinking just now… if Forefather Goldenbell was going to launch an attack, he wouldn't have a reason to leave. Something must've happened to make him leave."
Yu Ling's words were a helpful reminder. This new line of thought put Prime Puresmoke deep into thought once more.
Her disciple was right. What then, had pulled Goldenbell away? Was it a tactic to lure the sacred land's troops out, maybe?
As a rather conservative person, Puresmoke's first instinct was that this was a possible trap.
However, that didn't seem quite correct. Goldenbell could see just that they relied on the defensive formation and lacked in manpower.
The old man wouldn't take such a stupid approach.
Mid-conversation, the scout came scurrying back. There was great excitement on his face. "Madam Prime, they've started fighting out there!"
Chapter 1840: Reinforcements?
Prime Puresmoke's heart skipped a beat and her brows furrowed. "What fighting? Have the rebels launched their attack?"
Concern flashed through Holy Girl Yu Ling's exquisite features. Had the rebels finally attacked? Would they be able to hold the base?
She wasn't afraid. She was more worried that her master would force her to flee. She'd been raised by and had never thought about being apart from her master, especially not when her master's life was in danger.
She had made up her mind to defend the sacred land until its fall, but she would never be prepared for her master's death.
Prime Puresmoke didn't notice the girl's expression. She waved a hand in the air. "Come on, let's go have a look."
The scout recovered enough from his excitement to shook his head and hands. "No, you've misunderstood, Madam Prime. The rebels haven't launched an attack. They're the ones being attacked!"
"Really? Have reinforcements finally come?" Yu Ling's eyes lit up. "Master, help has come for us!"
The prime remained calm and collected. "Don't celebrate just yet. Perhaps this is all Forefather Goldenbell's ploy to lure us out. We have to stay cautious."
Despite what she said, Prime Puresmoke took her disciple to the fringe of the formation. She wanted to see for herself if the cavalry really had come. It'd be cause for celebration if true.
They stood at the edge of the formation, looking out over the outskirts of the steep valley.
Droves of rebels from different factions had surrounded it, blocking almost every escape route from the base.
Prime Puresmoke's chest tightened. She didn't fear death, but she wanted to help her beloved disciple escape before that. Given the heavy forces circling the base, it'd be a very difficult task.
After a more careful look though, Prime Puresmoke realized that the rebels outside the valley were rattled. The further they were from the base, the more obvious the commotion.
Standing at the edge of the formation, she couldn't get a good enough look at what was happening. After a while, the commotion grew even more intense.
Red clouds rolled over from a distance, devouring the air and dying the sky. They moved slowly and deliberately, but bringing with them a mighty presence and a heavy air of intimidation.
Invaders were traditionally likened to looming dark clouds. In this case, the clouds were a fiery red, but their presence and destructive power were just as strong.
The previously tightly organized rebels panicked and scattered.
A penetrating shriek suddenly split the air.
A man emerged out of nowhere and hovered high in the air. With a wave of his hand, he dropped something round into the fray. "Listen carefully, rebels! Forefather Goldenbell has been killed and his body destroyed. All seven of your commanders have been executed as well. Here are their heads..."
It was Jiang Chen. One by one, he dropped the seven blood-stained heads, strewing chaos in their wake.
One of them caught a head. It did belong to one of the seven commanders who had left earlier! All of the decapitated heads had eyes open wide, signifying a death that was far from peaceful. It seemed as if they'd experienced the worst horror in the world before they died.
"Agh! It really is their heads!"
"What's going on? Heavens, what happened?!"
"Even Forefather Goldenbell is dead? How is that possible?!"
The rebels panicked when they saw their commanders' heads, their faces contorted with horror. Both their bodies and minds were paralyzed by fear of the unknown.
The commanders' aides pushed past the crowds and picked the heads up, taking a careful look. It was clear they couldn't just yet accept what had happened.
However, after careful inspection, they couldn't deny that the heads did indeed belong to their commanders. Their leaders had been killed during the short time they were away!
The aides exchanged a look, their arms shaking as they held their commanders' heads. The sudden turn of events disrupted the rebels' original strategies and hammered at their will.
"What's going on? Who is it that killed the commanders? No demigod would've been able to do that. Can it be a full fledged god?"
The possibility that a god had joined their enemy's side took root in their hearts and weighed them down. In that case, the odds were great that they would all die without even a body to bury.
A god was too powerful for them to fight. No matter how many of them there were, an advantage in numbers wouldn't save them. A god could easily defeat an army on their own.
"See this bell? It's Forefather Goldenbell's signature treasure, but now it's my toy." Jiang Chen hit the bell hard, his face splitting into a sardonic grin.
The aides gaped at the floating bell. Of course they recognized the magical item that bore the same name as the forefather. Even the bell had fallen into the young man's hands! The shock left them sweating with fear.
"Who's that kid?" The aides exchanged questioning looks and shook their heads. None of them recognized the unwanted guest.
"He looks young. Could he really have killed the forefather?"
"It's unlikely. He seems capable, but he hasn't yet reached divinity. How could he have killed the forefather?"
The aides were completely lost. They kept the army together on autopilot, keeping everyone in line to stop the group from falling apart.
Prime Puresmoke was confused as well. She didn't understand what was happening.
Holy Girl Yu Ling asked in a quiet voice, "Who is he, master? I haven't seen him around the sacred land. Is he from outside the nation?"
The prime had no clue. She didn't know the young man either. She'd thought this was part of Forefather Goldenbell's plan, but the heads the young man had dropped did indeed belong to the rebel commanders. She could at least judge that much.
It was a forgone conclusion that he was here to help the Martial Sacred Land.
"Is Forefather Goldenbell really dead?" Prime Puresmoke wondered. That would alleviate at least half of her concerns. With both the forefather and the seven commanders dead, the rebels wouldn't pose much of a threat, even if their numbers doubled.
They had no leaders!
In the martial dao world, oftentimes what determined the result of a battle wasn't sheer numbers. That didn't matter when the difference in might was great enough.
"What's that, master?" Yu Ling asked hurriedly, derailing her master's train of thought.
"What?" The prime turned around to look outside the formation.
Red clouds flooded from behind the young man. From the ocean of red emerged an enormous spirit that obscured the sun. It flapped its wings, covering half of the sky.
It tilted its head proudly and shrieked, the sound sending mental shockwaves through the cultivators below. The humans toppled one after another like barley bending in a strong gale. Some lesser cultivators spat up mouthfuls of blood and collapsed to the ground, never to rise again.
The aides hurriedly covered their ears, their expression panicked as they zipped around in flashes to escape. They could tell that their lives were in danger.
"Is that… a vermilion bird?" Realization dawned on the prime. She recalled many rumors about such a divine creature.
The spirit looked mighty from a distance. It seemed capable of devouring heaven and earth.
"The Vermilion Bird?" Holy Girl Yu Ling marveled. "Is it one of the mythical four divine beasts?"
"Are they from the Eternal Sacred Land?" muttered the prime, her eyes lighting up with hope.
It made the holy girl feel a little more at ease seeing her master's expression clear. She could tell her master's mood was recovering.
"Master, are they from the Eternal Sacred Land?" Holy Girl Yu Ling looked up at the spirit hovering in the air, then at the man on the spirit's back. "Who is he? How can he ride on a vermilion bird?"
She was curious. To her knowledge, all descendents of the four divine beasts were very prideful. Why would one of them let a human ride it? Was the bird willingly surrendering control to a human cultivator?
"It seems that the rumors are true," Prime Puresmoke said in a conflicted tone. "Our intel told us that the Eternal Sacred Land started out in a similar situation as we did, but a young genius came out of nowhere with a vermilion bird and turned the tide of the war. He broke apart the rebels with intelligence and power.
"After that, he destroyed the imperial family and then House Xiahou, who led the uprising, putting an end to the rebellion. I thought the Eternal Sacred Land had spread the rumors to create a heroic figure, but it seems they were telling the truth."
On one hand, the prime was thrilled that reinforcement had come. On the other, she worried that such a genius would widen the gap between the Martial and Eternal Sacred Lands.
Moreover, if the young man ended up helping them overcome this challenge, they'd owe the Eternal Sacred Land another great favor.
Of course, there was no use agonizing over that now. Their top priority was to pick themselves up and vanquish the rebellion. The Eternal Sacred Land had been generous to send both the young genius and the Vermilion Bird to the rescue.
It was a demonstration of the friendship between the two sacred lands!
Chapter 1841: A One-Sided Slaughter
The Vermilion Bird utterly destroyed the rebels' organization with its consciousness, leaving them in shambles after a few rushes. All the survivors could think about was how to flee from the valley. They cursed at themselves for having only two legs and not being able to run faster.
"Xiaolong, it's your turn!" The bird cackled and called out for Long Xiaoxuan.
The dragon perked up and, with a whip of his body, brought up a great tornado of wind and cloud. An endless dragon roar pierced through the sky, the call differing greatly from the bird's shriek.
The air around him converged and swept through the void like an infinite array of furious waves. This was a technique unique to the true dragons.
The sound roiled continuously and built upon itself, hammering upon every cultivator's eardrums like cracks of thunder. It was inhumane torture to the rebels.
The roar assaulted their senses, consciousness, and organs with the intensity of a mallet and the weight of a boulder, the impact making minds explode and bodies burst.
Long Xiaoxuan had waited for a chance to stretch his muscles for a very long time. He was going to show off the fullest depths of his might! He whipped around the fringes of the valley like lightning, the roar enveloping the entire area.
The valley seemed trapped in an enormous drum, and the roars a furious drumming on the drum skin.
Shrieks rang through the air.
Long Xiaoxuan's roar made Jiang Chen's blood boil. He laughed and started roaring as well, his just as powerful since he'd assimilated the true dragon bloodline. The chain seal in his consciousness raised his mind to Long Xiaoxuan's level.
It was as if another dragon had joined the fight. Their relentless roars madly pierced the clouds and sky.
Mountains and rivers trembled; the sun and the moon dimmed. Outside the valley, powerful gales brought dust and stones into the air and destroyed all vegetation.
If not for the cover the formation provided, even the spirit herb base within the valley and its cultivators would be caught in the impact.
As it was, they were still antsy in face of the great destruction. They shuddered to think what would happen without their protection.
Holy Girl Yu Ling stammered with shock, "Master, isn't he - isn't he human? Why can he roar like a dragon as well?"
Prime Puresmoke had guessed the human cultivator's identity. "He must be the new genius Jiang Chen from the Eternal Sacred Land - the hero who saved them," she murmured. "I didn't expect him to be this young."
"Jiang Chen?" Holy Girl Yu Ling was befuddled. She'd never heard of such a young genius in Myriad Abyss. Where had he come from?
Puresmoke sighed softly. "You may not know the name Jiang Chen, Ling'er, but you must have heard of his other name."
"What is it?" the girl asked curiously.
"Shao Yuan."
"Shao Yuan? The pill dao genius from the Eternal Sacred Land? The one that defeated Master Shi Xuan from Flora Divine Nation and turned him into a pill slave?"
"That's him," the prime said pensively. "We only know him as a pill dao genius, but he is even more talented in martial dao. No wonder Xiahou Zong, the top genius of House Xiahou from Eternal, died at his hands in the sword competition."
"I did hear that," Yu Ling said incredulously. "But there are a great number of experts in the Eternal Sacred Land. How can he alone be more impactful than all of them combined?"
"I had the same question. It's said that the young man befriended a vermilion bird that can rival a god. Now it seems the tale is an understatement rather than an exaggeration. He's accompanied by a true dragon as well! There has never been a genius like him throughout history. Is the Eternal Sacred Land going to rise up from now on?"
The prime gazed at the amazing phenomena brought about by the battle outside the valley, a trace of worry flashing through her eyes. She was more and more curious about the young man. She also envied the Eternal Sacred Land for stumbling upon such an unrivaled genius.
People like him appeared only once every ten thousand years, or even longer. And he'd ended up joining the Eternal Sacred Land! She heard that the young man had originally been recruited by House Yan from the Bluesmoke Isles. The Eternal Sacred Land had gotten ridiculously lucky.
"Master, is this Jiang Chen a descendent of the dragons?"
"He should be human, but he must have refined the true dragon bloodline and acquired many of their techniques. It's amazing that his roar can match and resonate with a true dragon's. That proves him to be a genius amongst geniuses."
Puresmoke was proud and her standards were high. Not many youths had been complimented by her, and none had ever received such high praise from her.
Holy Girl Yu Ling widened her eyes, gazing outside the valley with surprise.
"It seems the rebels have fallen apart already, master. Why don't we charge out now?" She was itching for action.
"No!" Puresmoke exclaimed immediately. "The dragon roars are at their peak power. If we barge out now, we'll only get hurt."
"Wouldn't the reinforcements mock us for not even having the courage to go out and kill our enemies?" Yu Ling asked worriedly.
"Silly girl, what good can we do by going out? The rebels are now the losing side. Our effort isn't necessary. Don't worry. The base is no longer in danger. Nonetheless, it's a different matter whether the Marital Sacred Land will be able to survive the war." The prime had greater vision.
As she'd said, the rebels were falling apart. The aides planned to flee during the chaos, but the Vermilion Bird had already marked them with its consciousness. It'd been withdrawn from the battle, but not indifferent to it.
Right before the aides could escape the core battlefield, the bird attacked them with its consciousness, blocking their paths. The aides scurried around like headless chickens.
They weren't weak. All of them were eighth level empyrean experts. It'd take even Jiang Chen and Long Xiaoxuan some time to kill them in a one-on-one fight.
However, their morale had hit rock bottom, which severely undermined their ability to fight. Jiang Chen and Long Xiaoxuan fought them like a well-oiled machine, taking out the aides one by one.
Without Forefather Goldenbell and the seven commanders, the rebels were directionless and helpless. If the aides had stuck together, Jiang Chen and Long Xiaoxuan wouldn't have been able to kill them.
However, they'd split up and fled in fear, which divided their strength and gave man and dragon a chance to pick them off.
The aides had been the rebels' last hope. If they had calmed down and assumed control over the army, they wouldn't be so easy to defeat no matter how powerful Jiang Chen and Long Xiaoxuan were. After all, there were tens of thousands of them.
Unfortunately, the aides had been scared witless by their commanders' heads and lost their will to fight. As a result, this part of the rebellion fell apart.
Jiang Chen and the dragon quickly eliminated five of the seven aides. The remaining two were trapped by the Vermilion Bird, struggling to escape.
Jiang Chen roared and laughed. "Now you don't have to envy Brother Vermilion or Little White, Brother Long. After devouring all seven of them, you'll make great progress in cultivation."
Dragons were adept at devouring cultivators. The flesh and spirit energy of advanced empyrean cultivators were great supplements for them.
A human cultivator might end up exploding due to an overload of energy if they devoured others with no restraint, but true dragons had no such concerns. Long Xiaoxuan feasted on the cultivators without worry.
Jiang Chen could tell the dragon had greatly enjoyed the fight. He didn't try to steal the dragon's thunder, but instead assisted him in devouring the cultivators. Of course, the empyrean decrees left in their remains went to Jiang Chen. Each took what they needed.
Jiang Chen didn't feel any guilt for killing so many empyrean cultivators. He felt no sympathy at all for them.
They were descendents of deserters from the ancient times. They hadn't made any contributions to the human race, and had instead started a civil war, putting all lives in danger. These treacherous people deserved no sympathy no matter how he looked at it.
They hadn't started the rebellion for the greater good, but for their own selfish desires.
The sixth, the seventh...
In less than half an hour, Jiang Chen and Long Xiaoxuan had defeated all seven of the aides. The dragon devoured their flesh and energy, while Jiang Chen gained a great wealth of empyrean decrees.
He suddenly felt that it wasn't such a bad idea to come to Martial Divine Nation's rescue. Even if the rewards the sacred land gave him ended up being limited, he'd gained an abundance of resources on the battlefield.
The empyrean decrees were exactly what the human domain needed.
These cultivators came from the lines of deserters who had robbed the human domain of its greatest heritages and foundations. They'd fled to the Myriad Abyss Island and recreated the glory of the human race.
Taking their empyrean decrees and possessions back to the human domain was simply returning them to their rightful owners.
With the aides dead, there was a shortage of elites within the rebels.
Jiang Chen and his companions had keen eyes. They targeted only the empyrean cultivators. Those below that level of cultivation made up the bulk of the army, but were only a burden in the fight. Even if they were lucky enough to survive the dragon roars, they would be crippled. There wasn't a need to take their lives.
Chapter 1842: Gratitude of Rescue
The rebel army had been destined for collapse since the moment of Forefather Goldenbell's demise.
However, the sight of an army ten thousand strong being steamrolled by one man and two beasts was still astoundingly impressive. Of course, only two hundred or so were actually empyrean experts. The rest were a more standard composition of great emperors and emperors.
Even the ten divine nations couldn't indiscriminately recruit only empyrean cultivators.
Though this was Myriad Abyss, the number of empyrean cultivators was limited all the same. They were a valuable resource.
Among those two hundred empyreans, most were only initial empyrean. Cultivators who could reach mid empyrean generally became executives. Advanced empyrean experts commanded respect even from their executive peers.
With Eternal Divine Nation as an example, even a house as strong as House Xiahou only had ninth level empyrean realm cultivators as their venerated elders. Many of the more important elders were only seventh or eighth level. Cultivators who made it to ninth level were among the best in their faction.
Divine cultivators could be counted with one's fingers. Demigods weren't much more numerous than that.
This group contained a quarter of the rebel elites in Martial Divine Nation. The rebels' resolution to take the spirit herb base was very clear to see.
The destruction that was currently being visited upon them had been wholly unexpected. They hadn't had time to actually launch the assault before being attacked themselves.
The carnage on the battlefield started to conclude.
Aside from a lucky few with potent defenses, the majority of the main force was on the brink of death. Those exposed to the brunt of the dragon's roar had exploded into smithereens.
The empyrean experts were either kneeling in surrender or cut down and eaten without ceremony.
Not every rebel was dedicated enough to fight to the bitter end. Many empyrean experts saw what Jiang Chen was doing. They were the priority target, and thus dared not offer much resistance.
Man and dragon alone were hard enough to fend off, not to mention the vigilant Vermilion Bird at the side that hadn't yet acted. Primed, the bird was far more threatening and fearsome than the young man and his dragon.
The remaining officers lost their will to fight. They all prostrated themselves in capitulation.
Even if Jiang Chen were to begin indiscriminately slaughtering two hundred empyrean experts, he wouldn't be able to kill them all. Therefore, he didn't pursue the deaths of those who voluntarily surrendered.
He had killed in order to quash the rebels, not to slay them in cold blood. Now that the masterminds were dead, there was no need to exterminate every little accomplice of theirs.
In less than two hours, the land outside the valley was calm once more. Aside from a few fleeing stragglers, most were dead, injured, or captured.
Since there was barely anyone left who could fight, Jiang Chen ceased his actions after a final circle.
Instead, he landed at the passage to the formation. "This is Jiang Chen from the Eternal Sacred Land," he shouted aloud with cupped fists. "I came to aid the Martial Sacred Land at your request. May I ask which master is stationed here? Could we have a meeting?"
He didn't blame them for staying out of things.
The dragon's roar had been far too destructive in a haphazard sort of way. It had been impossible for any allies to effectively join the fray.
A moment after his voice fell, luminous petals opened within the formation, releasing the restrictions blocking entrance. Teams of cultivators from the Martial Sacred Land rushed out, their demeanor no-nonsense and well-trained.
Though the youth said he was an ally, these men and women didn't let down their guard. They stayed around the formation without approaching.
Two pretty figures slowly stepped out from the passage. It was First Prime Puresmoke and Holy Girl Yu Ling.
"Hail, First Prime," the cultivators to either side of them boomed in unison.
"No need for the ceremony." Puresmoke gave a small wave with her delicate hand. She glanced upward with an elegant visage, her clear eyes resting for several moments upon Jiang Chen in scrutiny.
"Heroes have ever made their names in their youth," she pronounced, "and so I have heard of yours, Sir Jiang Chen. Our remoteness doesn't preclude the thunder of your fame from reaching us. Now that I've seen you in person, I can confirm the rumors are true. A real genius, indeed."
Jiang Chen was a little astonished at the two extraordinary women before him. The two responsible for this base were female?
"Greetings, first prime of the Martial Sacred Land. Please excuse my tardiness for coming to your aid."
"You came timely enough," First Prime Puresmoke smiled. "Would you come inside and sit awhile, Sir Jiang?"
Jiang Chen nodded. "I'll be intruding for the next while then, First Prime."
"There's no need to refer to me so impersonally. You may call me Prime Puresmoke."
"Alright," Jiang Chen smiled in turn. "Old Brother Vermilion, Brother Long," he called out to his companions. "I'm going inside for a bit. You can wait for me outside the valley."
The Vermilion Bird shook its head ambiguously, while Long Xiaoxuan growled softly in response. Jiang Chen could guess at what Prime Puresmoke was thinking when he saw her hesitation. "Brother Long, you've got to be tired after all that fighting. Let's leave the taking of prisoners and tidying up to our friends at the Martial Sacred Land."
This was Martial Sacred Land territory. It was fine for them to gather up the spoils without that sacred land's people present, but handing over that right was reasonable now that the owners appeared.
Of course, the bulk of the riches was already theirs. There wasn't much more to plunder, and what there was, Jiang Chen wasn't much interested in.
Past the passage protected by the formation was the spirit herb base proper.
His eyes lit up as soon as he entered. The spirit energy density was much higher than outside – by several times in fact. This was practically the perfect place to grow spirit herbs.
"This is a wondrous place. A beautiful world within a world!" he praised.
The prime was pleased at the youth's recognition. Her impression of him was instantly improved.
Many young geniuses who became famous at their age had poor personalities. They tended to be arrogant, especially after lending their aid to another. It was rare that one would be as composed as this gentleman.
Moreover, Jiang Chen was neither flippant nor pretentious in his words and actions. His natural poise and confidence was especially rare.
The prime recalled that Jiang Chen had first astounded the world with his pill dao prowess. Since having a genius like this visiting was a unique occasion, she wanted to see him show off a thing or two. She took the young man around the spirit herb base to sightsee.
Whenever they passed by a specimen, the prime would ask several questions of Jiang Chen to test him.
Realizing this, he answered with a carefree fluency that was free of shyness. Though there were a few rarities here and there, he had no difficulty waxing eloquent about them. For him, it was nothing more than child's play.
With each comment he easily made, Puresmoke's approval grew.
Holy Girl Yu Ling, on the other hand, was keenly curious about the youth who was barely older than her. Her initial dissatisfaction faded away when she noted Jiang Chen's familiarity with the spirit herbs.
Taking a stroll around the fields, Jiang Chen suddenly smiled.
"Prime Puresmoke, I heard Eternal's venerated forefather say that the Martial Sacred Land has perhaps the most abundant store of Taiyi Dragonscale Fruits anywhere in Myriad Abyss. Are they not cultivated in a place as marvelous as this?"
The prime blinked, then cracked a crooked smile. "I didn't expect you to know that. I suppose it would be rude not to show you around then."
The Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit was one of the spirit flora the Martial Sacred Land was most proud of owning. Typically, it wasn't shown to outsiders. If Jiang Chen hadn't solved their rebel problem, Prime Puresmoke wouldn't have considered for even a moment taking him to see the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit.
The fruit was located at the core of the spirit herb base, an area compartmentalized and hidden away from the rest of the complex.
Entry into this space required passage through several pathways guarded by formations, showcasing the fruit's importance to the Martial Sacred Land.
The security elicited a wry smile from Jiang Chen in turn. "The Martial Sacred Land places this much importance on the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit?"
"Thanks to you, Sir Jiang," Prime Puresmoke smiled slightly.
Jiang Chen blinked. "How so?"
"Originally, the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit was only considered a reasonably important species in our catalogue. Nothing to warrant all of this secrecy though. After the Taiyi Skymender Pill was shown to the world, the price of the Dragonscale Fruit skyrocketed, which in turn increased our regard."
Jiang Chen burst out laughing. "I helped your assets increase in value?" he joked.
"If you want to put it that way," Prime Puresmoke inclined her head.
"Haha, I'd be very happy to receive priority consideration if I end up needing some of that fruit in the future," Jiang Chen remarked in half-jest.
He didn't actively ask after a reward. However, he did desperately need the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit. If it came down to it, he definitely wouldn't mind receiving it as compensation from the Martial Sacred Land.
Chapter 1843: A Connection With The Earth Bodhisattva Sect?
Within this inner sanctum, Jiang Chen finally laid eyes upon the Martial Sacred Land's Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit. There was only one specimen.
It had blossomed and grown a smattering of offshoots. This allowed it to produce quite the formidable amount of fruit. Jiang Chen marveled at the sight of the plant.
He had seen other occurrences of the spirit herb before, but a specimen that could bear this much fruit was exceptional, even for him.
"This is a natural wonder." He clucked his tongue as he examined it more closely. "It's hard to find another just like this anywhere else. A priceless treasure! Prime Puresmoke, the Martial Sacred Land should definitely protect and cherish it, lest a treasure be wasted."
"Of course," Puresmoke smiled and nodded. "What do you consider the quality of this fruit to be, Sir Jiang?"
"Upper rank, I believe."
"Not supreme?" The prime was mildly disappointed.
"Supreme rank is attained only through natural circumstance. Heaven must bless a specimen for it to reach such perfection. That's not something we as humans can actively pursue, unfortunately." Jiang Chen's response was filled with wisdom.
Prime Puresmoke grew thoughtful. She mulled over the deeper meaning behind the young man's words.
After checking out the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit, Jiang Chen was brought to the residential area of the base. A few moments later, Holy Girl Yu Ling appeared with a jade tray.
"Sir Jiang, here are six Taiyi Dragonscale Fruits. Please take it as a token of our appreciation," Prime Puresmoke declared.
Jiang Chen was somewhat taken aback. He had thought the Martial Sacred Land considered these fruits dearer than life itself. That he would be given six of them at once was generous beyond his wildest dreams.
"If you refuse, Sir Jiang, we'll assume you did so because you received too few." The prime smiled coyly.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "If that's the case, who am I to refuse? Honestly, I do like this gift a lot."
"Good! Your appreciation gives these fruits value."
Without further ado, the young man put away the Dragonscale Fruits he'd just been gifted.
"Perhaps the fruits will achieve their maximum value only in your hands, Sir Jiang. If you didn't care to use them for refining pills, they would be much more ordinary." Puresmoke made the remark as an emotional afterthought.
What she had said was true. The fruit had only shot up in value because of Jiang Chen's Taiyi Skymender Pills. Since he was the only one who had the recipe, no one else could actualize the hypothetical value in them.
The prime was wise enough to know that the favor she was doing today in giving away six fruits was more than a worthwhile investment.
"That's true. When not used in the Taiyi Skymender Pill, they are much less useful. On another topic, Prime Puresmoke, several of the divine nations have quelled their rebellions already. How is the Martial Sacred Land doing? Any news lately?"
"Quelled their rebellions?" Having been holed up here for quite a while, Puresmoke knew less of the outside world than the youth she was hosting.
"Yes. Only a few sacred lands are still struggling with their would-be usurpers. Some sacred lands have successfully crushed theirs, while others prevented them from occurring in the first place. The ten sacred lands may experience gaps in strength as a result."
Jiang Chen wasn't exaggerating. The sacred lands in nations that hadn't been ravaged by civil war were left intact, which gave them an advantage.
The sacred lands in those nations filled with strife were seriously harmed, and their influence and strength would be comparatively lowered. This was so obvious that it didn't need to be said.
Prime Puresmoke became much more depressed. "If that's the case," she sighed, "the Martial Sacred Land isn't well off at all, is it?"
"Aside from the Martial Sacred Land, the Radiance and Sunrise Sacred Lands are also battling with rebels still. The other nations are done with their troubles, or nearly so," Jiang Chen recounted honestly.
"What? Just us three?" Puresmoke felt quite defeated by this revelation.
"Yes. Our venerated forefather informed me of this himself from the latest reports. He sent me here to help the Martial Sacred Land because of our two sacred lands' friendship. This spirit herb base was my first stop."
Gratefulness welled up in the prime's heart.
Regardless of everything else, Eternal had respected the sacred lands' mutual bond. It must've been difficult to do anything at all so soon after stamping out its own fire, much less send such capable aid.
"I don't want to use a few simple words to thank you, Sir Jiang. If you have any requests you need to make of me in the future, I will do everything in my power to fulfill them. Perhaps your prospects are so bright as to not need that though, eh?"
"Haha, you humble yourself too much, First Prime. Let us put courtesies aside and talk about the situation your sacred land is in. We must deliver a swift stroke to conclude the rebellion decisively. The longer it drags on, the worse off the sacred land and nation will be."
"Astutely said, Sir Jiang. But the rebels are numerous and the Martial Sacred Land doesn't have enough men. We are in a very passive situation right now. This spirit herb base wouldn't necessarily have held without your help." The prime's analysis was reasonably objective.
"The spirit herb base is defensible enough with the formation, isn't it? If you really bunkered down, you should have a seventy to eighty percent chance of enduring."
This was more of a cordiality. Jiang Chen wasn't going to be dismissive when the first prime had already disparaged things herself. Deep down, he agreed with her conclusion.
"It seems you have some expertise with formations as well, Sir Jiang?" Puresmoke ventured.
"I've a deep interest in them, yes. My studies have yielded modest fruit. I hear that the Martial Sacred Land is quite adept with them?"
"In the ten divine nations, the Martial Sacred Land boasts the greatest mastery in them." The prime made no attempt to hide her confidence when she claimed this. Clearly, she was very self-assured regarding them.
"If I may ask, is the Martial Sacred Land's ancient heritage related to a great formation sect of the past?" Jiang Chen asked again.
He had come to the Martial Sacred Land for another reason: asking after the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement. Eternal's venerated forefather had told him that the Martial Sacred Land excelled at formations.
Information about said formation was one of the biggest reasons Jiang Chen was still here in Myriad Abyss. Anything he could find out would mean a lot to the human domain.
Jiang Chen had been gone from the human domain for quite a few years. Though the demonic invasion would theoretically need at least fifty years to come into full swing, his calculations were far from certain fact. What if the invasion happened ahead of schedule?
He anticipated returning to the human domain more than anything else.
Puresmoke blinked. "Are you well versed in the ancient times, Sir Jiang?"
"One of my favorite things during my childhood was to study ancient history. The ancient era was a perfect era. Without foreign invastion, Divine Abyss back then was a heaven for cultivators, a golden age of progress."
Puresmoke glanced toward the youth with some astonishment. What kind of child was this? How come he was so proficient in everything?
"Do you have any insight into ancient formations, Sir Jiang?" she couldn't resist asking.
"There were only two top formation sects back then. One was the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect; the other, the Earth Bodhisattva Sect."
"The Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect? Was that really a top sect?" Puresmoke was doubtful.
"That sect once possessed immense knowledge and prestige, more than enough to elevate it so. The Earth Bodhisattva Sect, on the other hand, benefited from a bevy of powerful treasures: the Earth Bodhisattva Orb that bears its namesake for example, was something the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect had no answer for."
Puresmoke was shocked by what she was hearing. How was this youth speaking so eloquently about that bygone era?
Had he begun learning in his mother's womb? How else would he be such an accomplished scholar?
She was stunned into silence for a long time.
Jiang Chen was observing her expression closely. "The Martial Sacred Land is skilled in formations. Can it be that your heritage is from one of the ancient sects?"
Primesmoke wavered, wanting to shake her head, but not managing it in the end. She sighed softly. "To think that a young man would know the name of the Earth Bodhisattva Sect! Ai! I learned of these ancient matters from our historical tomes. Apart from the primes, no one else may look through them."
"The Earth Bodhisattva Sect? Truly?" Jiang Chen was overjoyed.
"Are you connected to it somehow, Sir Jiang?" Puresmoke was amazed.
Jiang Chen denied it. "No. I only read in ancient texts that the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect and the Earth Bodhisattva Sect were both instrumental to the ancient demon-sealing war effort."
Pride flashed across the prime's face when she heard mention of the ancient war.
"Indeed. The Earth Bodhisattva Sect was one of the leading sects in the demon-sealing war, one of the primary contributors. That the demons have been held back for so long is a testament to the sect's merit. The Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect provided important assistance as well, but the Earth Bodhisattva Sect spearheaded the effort."
Evidently, the prime felt a sense of honor and belonging to the sect.
Chapter 1844: None Are Dispensable
Prime Puresmoke's words were enough to enlighten Jiang Chen that there was a connection between the Martial Sacred Land and the ancient Earth Bodhisattava Sect. It'd been one of the ten major sects, and the only one that specialized in formations.
The ten sects had once led the human race. As one of the ten, the Earth Bodhisattava Sect had also deployed their people to Myriad Abyss to join the offworld battles.
Since the coordinates of the Divine Abyss Continent had been exposed, the continent itself was vulnerable to outside invasion. Even though the coordinates would slowly be masked as the continent moved overtime, there was a pattern to the movement that remained unchanged.
After a certain amount of time, the coordinates would again be exposed to the offworld adventurers, making the continent easy prey.
There was no changing the continent's fate, unless the heavenly axis deviated by a great margin, or a mighty figure used an earth-shattering technique to distort the rules the continent followed, thus completely changing its movement pattern.
Both were extremely unlikely, especially the latter. Even the oldest and most powerful cultivators of the heavenly planes didn't necessarily possess such power.
To change a mortal plane's rules was to change its destiny. Technique alone wasn't enough. One also required fate and fortune to be on his side in order to achieve such a feat.
Even someone like the Celestial Emperor would attract tribulations if he violated the heavenly law.
If Jiang Chen's father from his past life hadn't refined the Sun Moon Pill to change his son's fate, the Taiyuan Heavenly Plane wouldn't have been hit by such a terrible cataclysm.
Jiang Chen didn't yet understand what had happened at the time, but he had a feeling he was getting closer to an answer. He'd know the truth sooner or later. He only wished that he'd be prepared when the day came. Now wasn't the time for him to dwell on the past.
Prime Puresmoke continued, "According to the ancient texts of the Martial Sacred Land, we are closely connected to the ancient Earth Bodhisattava Sect. You could even call them our predecessors."
Delighted, Jiang Chen almost asked about the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement, but he was no longer a reckless young man who couldn't control his urges. He had to exercise caution for a matter this grave.
"No wonder the sacred land has been able to maintain its status in Martial Divine Nation and the Ten Divine Nations at large for so long. It turns out you possess the heritage of the ancient Earth Bodhisattava Sect. That is incredibly impressive!" He was generous with his compliments.
Prime Puresmoke brightened visibly. It was quite an honor for the Martial Sacred Land to be praised by someone like Jiang Chen.
"Sir Jiang, this seat isn't trying to make us look good when I say we're among the top in Myriad Abyss when it comes to formations. The heritage we have from the Earth Bodhisattava Sect are is joke."
Jiang Chen nodded. "I believe you. The base's defenses are telling enough."
Prime Puresmoke couldn't be more proud of their heritage from the ancient sect.
"Sir Jiang, you mentioned the ancient demonic war. Have you studied the demons as well?" she asked suddenly.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. "Humans in all parts of the world will face the demons sooner or later. Even Myriad Abyss is no exception. In order to defeat demons, it's crucial to study the history of the ancient war."
Prime Puresmoke was astonished. "I didn't expect someone your age to look so far into the future. The Eternal Sacred Land has stumbled upon a real treasure. Even I envy your sacred land. If we had someone like you on our side as well, we wouldn't have to worry about losing our base."
"It's unlikely for you to get to that point. However, the civil war is taking an unnecessary toll on the sacred land. We have to vanquish the uprising as soon as possible to minimize all damage."
"Still, the rebels are many. It's not easy to quickly eliminate them. The sacred land headquarters are still surrounded by the rebels. There's no telling if we can end the siege." Prime Puresmoke was deeply concerned. It pained her to witness the sacred land's decline.
Jiang Chen couldn't contain his curiosity. "Since the sacred land has received the heritage of the Earth Bodhisattava Sect, you should be second to none in formations. No matter how many rebels there are, they can't possibly break through, can they?"
"That heritage isn't helpful without a powerful heir to inherit it. The ten sacred lands have been facing the same problem lately, and that is a shortage of talent. The Martial Sacred Land is having an especially difficult time."
The ten sacred lands had suffered too many casualties in the offworld battles, leading to a great demand for new talent.
However, Jiang Chen knew for a fact that a solid foundation wasn't the only reason why the Earth Bodhisattava Sect had been powerful in the ancient times. There was something else that enabled the sect to overtake the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect as the top formation sect - the Earth Bodhisattava Orb.
He had stumbled upon the orb years ago. It was the single most valuable item from the Earth Bodhisattava Sect, more so than any formation heritage. Many of the sect's formations had been created with the orb in mind.
The orb had then gone missing. It would've stayed that way if Jiang Chen hadn't found it and recovered its value. Without it, much of the sect's heritage was useless.
"Prime Puresmoke, how does the Martial Sacred Land see the ancient Earth Bodhisattava Sect? Have you ever considered returning to the human domain to trace the origin of the sect?"
"The origin? Why would we? The ancient sect is no more. We've inherited their most important heritage and become its rightful owner."
Jiang Chen chuckled, but his expression was disapproving.
His reaction didn't escape Prime Puresmoke's attention. "You don't agree, do you?"
Jiang Chen smiled slightly. "I've read that most of the ancient sect's heritage is useless without the sect treasure, the Earth Bodhisattava Orb."
"You know about the orb?" Prime Puresmoke asked, surprised.
"I know a thing or two." Jiang Chen naturally wasn't going to admit the orb was on him.
"Sir Jiang is indeed knowledgeable. Unfortunately, the orb is missing. What we wouldn't give to get our hands on the orb! If we have it, we'll not only be able to quell the rebellion, but even dominate Myriad Abyss. "
Jiang Chen smiled. He'd never give them the orb. He valued the orb greatly, and he hadn't discovered all its value at the time being.
However, he believed there must be much more to the orb for it to be considered the sect treasure. His progress in discovering the orb's power was slow, the main reason being a missing piece he hadn't acquired - the heritage of the Earth Bodhisattava Sect.
Only through combining the heritage and the orb could he tap into the full potential of both.
Nevertheless, the orb's power to shift the earth was enough to impress Jiang Chen. What havoc would the orb be able to wreck once he mastered it?
His visit to the Martial Sacred Land was indeed worthwhile.
If he could find out more about the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement and how to reactivate it, he would be able to protect the human race by activating the formation in the human domain. When the demons invaded, the formation would shield humans from full brunt the impact and give them enough time to prepare for the upcoming war.
"You helped eliminate the rebellion in Eternal Divine Nation, Sir Jiang. Do you have any advice for us?" Prime Puresmoke didn't find it shameful to ask the young man for help.
"You have to end the war swiftly with an unexpected attack. Take this battle for an example, if we hadn't caught Forefather Goldenbell off guard and killed him, it wouldn't have ended so soon."
Prime Puresmoke considered his words and came to the same conclusion.
"Forgive me for being blunt, Prime Puresmoke. If the fight drags on, things will only get worse. The rebels have lost a lot of their members in the fight to claim the spirit herb base, which struck a heavy blow on their morale. Once news gets out, the rebels may deploy more troops to attack the base."
"That'll be ideal. Another deployed here is one less attacking our headquarters. That's the best we can do for the sacred land."
Jiang Chen smiled slightly. "You have a point. However, the next troops are likely to be more powerful than the previous one."
"The rebels are powerful, but they can't put part of their army to attack the base indefinitely. Forefather Goldenbell was one of their best commanders. His death took a great toll on them."
"Would you be willing to work together, Prime Puresmoke?" Jiang Chen asked bluntly. He was tired of beating around the bush.
"Of course!" the prime agreed readily. "I hear you've contributed greatly to the Eternal Sacred Land's victory. With your help, we'll be able to turn things around as well!"