Chapter 1495: Antidote
The turning point of the battle had been when Emperor Peerless passed crucial information to a certain Goldbiter Rat.
Everything had proceeded virtually perfectly from that point on. Alas, the disruption of the supposed human empyrean expert had ruined everything. What should have been a bang-up ending turned into a questionable whimper.
"On my orders, all who joined the Order must renounce their allegiances. If any are set in their erroneous ways, they will be branded traitors to the human race!
"Moreover, make it known in the entire human domain what happened in the battle here. Especially the fact that the supreme lord of the Order fled with his tail between his legs. The bulk of the Order is no more. Let the world know that the presumptuous Order of Wind and Cloud has nothing more than the illusion of strength!"
Though Jiang Chen hadn't managed to kill Xiahou Jing, Veluriyam Capital was undisputedly the winner today.
Xiahou Jing had gotten out alive at the end of the day, but his most valued accomplices had been exterminated. Because of the Order's catastrophic loss, it would be significantly harder for him to gather a new group of human cultivators together under his banner.
Jiang Chen wanted to avoid the possibility altogether. That was why he had to warn the human cultivators who lacked a bottom line by announcing his victory to the world.
To tell the truth, Jiang Chen despised those who willingly joined the Order. If Xiahou Jing had been a human senior expert, it was understandable that others would join him.
But it was ridiculous to thoughtlessly worship someone with unknown origins and a penchant for delusion. Jiang Chen wondered whether they had any brains at all.
The Order's defeat had taken Xiahou Jing's personal subordinates out of the equation, but it did have many auxiliary main forces remaining.
Out of the eight Protector Kings, the six that hadn't come with him had been busy with other tasks at the time. In theory, these key members of the Order were still alive without much injury. Moreover, these people were under the control of the Exultation Pill. They would likely be forced to comply with the supreme lord's further orders.
"Old Brother Mo, come with me for a moment." Jiang Chen picked out his sworn brother and took him toward a secret room. "Old Brother Mo, you've suffered quite a bit for the past few years. I have many ways to restore your original appearance with no side effects, of course. However, I do need to research the Exultation Pill of Wind and Cloud. I might need a sample of your blood…"
Mo Wushuang chuckled. "No need for all that trouble. I have a bit of the pill with me." Saying this, he produced a quarter of a pill like performing a magic trick.
The Exultation Pill of Wind and Pill was as large as a lychee, so the quarter-pill that the emperor possessed was reasonably sizable.
"The Order periodically gives out antidotes as well as new Exultation Pills. I l found an opportunity to keep behind a quarter of a pill. Because of the amount, I wasn't detected."
The sect was perpetually kept on high alert. Typically, any sort of under-the-table behavior was forbidden.
However, Emperor Peerless had been skillful enough to receive this risky payoff. Hiding a quarter of an Exultation Pill had certainly been quite dangerous.
Jiang Chen was overjoyed. "Very well done, Old Brother Mo. This will make everything much easier. I'm even more sure of my success than I was before!"
He hadn't done that many serious things in his previous life of a million years. The most he had accomplished was learning pill dao. He learned every kind of pill dao heritage there was, regardless of its perceived social status or faction origin. His scholarly talents from back then had allowed him to navigate pill dao with ease.
The young man was confident that the Exultation Pill would pose no challenge to him in light of his studious nature.
"Young lord," Emperor Peerless sighed. "I can't remember how many times you've saved my life. This is quite embarrassing."
"Not at all, Old Brother Mo. Without the huge risk you took in passing the news onto me, Veluriyam Capital would have been faced with a life and death situation. My gesture to you is minor compared to the grace in your actions. Who else could've done what you did? Who can destroy their own face and lie in wait behind enemy lines for another's sake?"
Jiang Chen had already a deep appreciation of his sworn brother's integrity before this. The matter of the Order had only proven all the more that Mo Wushuang was someone extremely trustworthy, with robust morals that withstood trial.
Emperor Peerless didn't think as much of it. "Many cultivators could've done the same, I'm sure. Destroying one's face did require a bit more courage and cleverness though."
"Regardless, you are a great hero of humanity, Old Brother Mo. There would've been grave consequences if Veluriyam had been taken by the Order."
Jiang Chen wasn't being humble. He was grateful to the great emperor from the bottom of his heart. His family and foundations lay within the city's walls. If anything had happened to them during his absence, he would've regretted it for the rest of his life.
Having a fragment of the Exultation Pill on hand lightened much of Jiang Chen's workload. He was able to forgo a multitude of complex procedures because of it. Instead, he could directly analyze the pill's contents.
Jiang Chen had his unique methodology when it came to analyzing pills. He knew of a plethora of ways and applied what he felt was the most appropriate to his circumstances.
Time waited for no man.
Jiang Chen was in a very big hurry to figure out the characteristics of the pill in order to formulate an antidote. The antidote wasn't only useful for saving Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers; but had another use as well.
His reliability when applying his skills was as remarkable as ever. After four days in seclusion, Jiang Chen was able to decipher the Exultation Pill's medicinal properties and find a recipe that applied appropriate countermeasures. Even Emperor Peerless hadn't expected such rapid research and development from the young lord.
The Jiao brothers were overjoyed. "I've always said that young lord Jiang Chen could remove our poison!" Jiao Feng exclaimed.
The trio were much happier after being freed of the Exultation Pill's shackles.
The return of the three great emperors increased the strength of Jiang Chen's forces as well. Veluriyam's young lord was in need of any and all manpower. The timing for Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers' restoration was impeccable.
"Old Brother Mo, do you think that the people who followed the Order were pressured into it by the supreme lord's aura, or because of the toxicity of the pill?"
Jiang Chen wanted to know the answer to this very badly.
Emperor Peerless thought about it for a moment. "Well, it depends. Some people must have felt compelled by the effects of the pill, but others went with the supreme lord willingly, lured by promises of an empyrean opportunity.
"Of course, most were pressured into it as you said. Coercion was sadly an effective tool."
"What if I announced my antidote to the world? What kind of effect would that have then?" Jiang Chen asked.
Emperor Peerless's expression froze. He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before slapping his thigh. "That would be a wonderful thing! If the antidote is made available to the public, I think that many stuck with the Order would leave!"
Jiang Chen nodded. "The ones coerced into it in the first place are the only ones who'd be given the pill. The die-hard loyalists wouldn't need them anyway."
He'd already considered the topic when developing the antidote. Hearing Emperor Peerless's conclusion only assured him.
Antidotes were only difficult during the development stage. Mass production was trivial once that was over with.
...
Xiahou Jing was lucky to have escaped alive. Filled with anger and hatred, he took it out on many of his current subordinates. Without his most loyal retainers and the Elders Peng and Mo, his future in the human domain looked much dimmer than before.
"That petty, vile thief Jiang Chen! That bastard! As long as I still draw breath, killing you will be my goal!" Xiahou Jing couldn't control his rage whenever he remembered his shameful loss.
"Pass on my order. All Protector Kings in the outside world should return to headquarters without delay!" Xiahou Jing was quite anxious. Without his trump cards, he was unsure what the future held.
Without his subordinates from Myriad Abyss Island, he could only rely on followers from the human domain. If he couldn't steady the hearts of these people, the Order would crumble in an even shorter time than it had risen in.
However, trouble always came in pairs.
"Supreme Lord, Veluriyam Capital has spread the news about the Order's crushing defeat. They claim that our forces were almost entirely wiped out and that you…"
"What about me?" Xiahou Jing's face darkened.
"You… you ran away with your tail between your legs…"
Xiahou Jing was irate enough to cough up blood. He forced himself to calm down and continued on. "Tell me, what other terrible news is there?"
"There's… there's more. The young lord of Veluriyam says that all the cultivators under heaven will be branded as traitors if they stay loyal to the Order. Those who wish to renege on their mistaken allegiance can receive an antidote to the Exultation Pill."
"What?!" Xiahou Jing couldn't sit tight any more. Where had Jiang Chen gotten an antidote from?
His exclusivity to the antidote was key to his current control over the Order!
If the antidote was disseminated into the world, he would have no more cards available to play. He couldn't even maintain a semblance of calm now. His brows were furrowed deeply. "It's only been a few days. That brat must be making things up! He has to be!"
Still, Xiahou Jing couldn't stay cool despite knowing that.
The Order wasn't in the best of shape after its painful defeat. Xiahou Jing could just imagine the numerous executives that would take this as an opportunity to leave him behind!
Chapter 1496: Like-minded Villains
Just as Xiahou Jing feared, the entire Order collapsed once news from Veluriyam reached it.
Other than a small core of high-level, die-hard followers, most members became restless. The boldest among them surreptitiously left Unbounded Mid Region to head for Veluriyam. And of the protector kings and elders still at large, more than half went underground, never to return.
However, Emperor Everviolet wasn't one of them. He wasn't that dedicated to the supreme lord, but he'd already burned all his bridges with Jiang Chen.
Others might seek a better future away from the Order. But if he were to leave, could he go to Veluriyam and beg the young lord for an antidote? That would be inviting humiliation onto himself. Not to mentioned, he'd joined the Order on his own initiative.
"There's no need for distress, my lord. Most people are fairweather friends in the martial world. We can't count on them for the sect to grow!" In fact, Everviolet was rather excited. He had his doubts about Xiahou Jing himself, but he was willing to stake all his chips on the young man after learning of his origins.
This supreme lord comes from Myriad Abyss Island. Even if he's failed this time, who's to say he can't turn thing around? That was now Everviolet's fond wish.
His spirit at its lowest, Xiahou Jing was comforted by Everviolet's words.
"Protector King Shockcloud, they say only the strongest grass can withstand the storm. It seems that you're the one most deserving of my trust." Xiahou Jing generously doled some encouragement of his own.
This was the right move to make! Everviolet burst with joy.
"Supreme Lord, we didn't fail not due to lack of strength, but because of strategy. We underestimated Jiang Chen. That bastard Mo Wushuang was a determining factor as well." He gnashed his teeth at the mention of Peerless.
After several days of analysis, he'd come to the conclusion Peerless had been the one to create a chink in their armor and light the fuse of their defeat. Xiahou Jing also fumed when he heard the two words "Mo Wushuang."
"That bastard's always done as he pleased. He pulled a fast one even on me. To think he was Jiang Chen's man all along!"
Everviolet snorted coldly. "I have no idea what he was thinking. Flocking to Jiang Chen? He even looks quite the loyal dog. That said, he's a strange one to have stayed under our noses for so many years without exposing his identity. To think he changed his martial path! I'm familiar with his martial style, but even I was completely duped."
Xiahou Jing exclaimed, "More frighteningly, he didn't hesitate to disfigure himself. It speaks volumes about his resolve!"
Despite his anger, he couldn't but admire Peerless in that aspect.
A grim, murderous glint flashed in Everviolet's eyes. Back in the day, he'd ranked far above Mo Wushuang among the six wandering titans, overshadowing the latter in both strength and prestige. There'd be no question about it.
But now, Peerless was well on his way to eclipsing Everviolet! He couldn't accept that the outcome of the battle had been influenced by someone who used to be inferior to him in every respect.
"Shockcloud, we've suffered a great deal this time, so I need to consider our future plans carefully. In the meantime, you'll be in charge of the consolidation effort."
"Consolidation?"
"Just as you've said, we don't need those fairweather followers. Those left will form our true, most reliable core! We need to make every single one of them feel like they belong. How will we prosper without cohesion?"
Xiahou Jing remained rational despite the crushing defeat. Confront Jiang Chen head-on was no longer an option for the foreseeable future. Lying dormant was the wisest course to take.
Someone outside suddenly reported, "Supreme Lord, there's a visitor who wants a word with you. He calls himself your savior."
Savior? Xiahou Jing immediately thought of the person who'd intervened in the battle and created a small gap in the golems' stone field, giving him a chance to escape.
It wasn't wrong to call the man his lifesaver.
In fact, Xiahou Jing had been puzzling over the matter. Who had it been? Many possibilities had crossed his mind. It might've even been an esteemed senior from Myriad Abyss Island. If so, would the senior bring tales of his disgrace back home?
He'd fretted over the possibility. Now that the "savior" had come to find him, he could no longer postpone the face-to-face. The time for reckoning had come.
"Invite him in!"
Xiahou Jing composed himself and remarked to Everviolet, "Shockcloud, I have high hopes for you. If some of you can become empyrean masters, you might be the first among them."
In spite of his delight, Everviolet remained outwardly humble. "It's my honor to be of use to my lord. Your subordinate has few abilities, but thanks my eye arts, I'm rarely wrong about people. Supreme Lord, you're destined for great things. Your future is limitless."
With silver hair and a white beard, the guest seemed old but exuded an unfathomable aura. After taking place in the seat of honor and sipping the proffered tea, he sighed with emotion. "The Order's supreme lord, a guest from Myriad Abyss Island… Heh, it can't have been easy establishing such a foothold at your young age. Sure enough, Myriad Abyss Island is this continent's true holy land."
Not batting an eye, Xiahou Jing cupped his fist and asked, "Friend, words aren't enough to express my thanks, but you'll have to excuse my shamelessness. May I know your honorable name and background?"
"This old man is named Shu, given name Wanqing," the guest casually introduced himself.
"I am honored to make your acquaintance." Xiahou Jing cupped his fist again. "Daoist Shu, do you have any advice?"
Shu Wanqing stroked his long beard with a faint smile. "I merely came for confirmation."
"Oh?" Xiahou Jing blinked but refrained from inquiring.
"I've heard that the supreme lord is a young man from Myriad Abyss Island?" Curiosity and indifference seeped from the old man's voice in equal measure. Not too eager and not too tepid, he spoke with just the perfect tone.
"Is that very important to you?" Xiahou Jing asked calmly in response.
"You could say it's important, or you could say it isn't." Shu Wanqing chuckled. "Tell me, you must have exhausted all your cards in this defeat?"
"What of it? Fellow daoist, did you come to mock me?" Xiahou Jing suddenly turned frosty.
The old man chuckled leisurely. "Why would I have helped you if so? I could've helped the bastard Jiang Chen subdue you. He'd even have owed me a favor then, don't you think so?"
Xiahou Jing's expression eased. "Fellow daoist, there's no need to beat around the bush. Please say your piece."
Shu Wanqing knocked on his chair's armrest and thought deeply for a long time before responding, "I came to propose cooperation."
"Cooperation?" Xiahou Jing blinked, taken aback. "What kind? Pardon my wariness, but I don't even know where you come from."
"That's no great secret. I was born and bred in the human domain. When I ran free in the world seven thousand years ago, those so-called peak experts in Veluriyam hadn't been born yet!" His voice brimmed with ambition, a tone often belonging to those possessing unbridled arrogance and unrestrained by mundane morals or ethics.
"So you're from the human domain?" A possibility came to Xiahou Jing.
"Correct. What? Do you think I'm not qualified to work with you since I'm not from Myriad Abyss Island?" Shu Wanqing's tone also turned cool.
Xiahou Jing didn't grow angry. He laughed instead. "Of course not. I've just never envisioned a day I'd happily cooperate with someone from the human domain."
"Everything is relative. Should people at our level be bound by mundane bias? I've always done as I pleased. Every man for himself, and the devil take the rest!"
Xiahou Jing slapped the table and laughed heartily. "Well said! Daoist Shu, let's hear what kind of cooperation you have in mind!"
Every man for himself, and the devil take the rest!
This was the cruelest yet bluntest truth of the martial world. Untold cultivators lived by these words, possessing no bottom line and no morality whatsoever. As it turned out, both Xiahou Jing and Shu Wanqing were cut from the same cloth.
"Myriad Abyss Island is the holiest of holies for cultivators like me. But you, Supreme Lord, left it for the human domain. Pardon my rudeness, but they say a man doesn't get out of bed without benefits at stake. You must have your own reason for coming here. As for me, I've become indifferent to mundane affairs after living for so long. What I seek is the supreme dao."
"Alas, the human domain is too weak for the supreme dao of a man of your caliber. Myriad Abyss Island is the place you seek." Xiahou Jing surmised.
Shu Wanqing nodded solemnly. "Correct. I have no desire to involve myself in whatever you're after. However, I can help you against Veluriyam. As payment, I require a pass to Myriad Abyss Island!"
Chapter 1497: The Northwestern Wastes
It was plain to see that Shu Wanqing had tossed aside all notion of morality and decorum in his age. When that occurred, a man like him would become a terrifying presence.
He was willing to ignore all that happened in the human domain to conserve his lifespan and energy. No matter what disaster or calamity befell it, he felt absolutely no emotional disturbance.
A faint smile hung on Xiahou Jing's face as he unabashedly observed Shu Wanqing's expression. Their gazes clashed, each attempting to probe something out of the other.
Shu Wanqing's was perpetually calm. He reacted very little to the hatred towards Veluriyam emitting from the younger man.
"Your heart is steadfast, Daoist Shu. Why should the path to the supreme dao be denied you?" Xiahou Jing's comment was an unknown mixture of mockery and politeness.
"Thank you for the undeserved praise," Shu Wanqing smiled.
"You are a straightforward man, Daoist Shu. I won't beat around the bush then. It's a crime for someone of your talents to remain in the human domain. Myriad Abyss Island would make a much better home for you. It's not that I'm throwing my clout around or anything, but I can guarantee your admission there. You may find it possible to enter with your own strength, but Myriad Abyss is a bit too mysterious for the human domain in general. Usually, there are only instances of people from the former visiting the latter. The reverse is essentially impossible without having the coordinates."
Shu Wanqing sighed in deep agreement. "I've tried it before, but each of my previous attempts ended in failure. There were a few times I came quite close to death, so my desire to do so faded after a while. If you hadn't appeared, I wouldn't have shown myself in the world once more at all."
For empyrean experts, taking even a single step into the mortal world cost them a great deal.
They had to live cowardly and conservative lives in order to guarantee they could preserve their lives, wasting no energy on what was unnecessary.
"How many more secluded masters are there in the human domain, daoist? Ones like you, I mean," Xiahou Jing mused.
He had always known that there were sure to be secluded experts in the human domain. The exact number though, was much more up in the air.
"How many exactly? It's hard for me to answer that myself," Shu Wanqing sighed. "Every year yields a different answer. I knew of six a few thousand years ago. Now? Who knows how many are still alive now?"
In the human domain, someone who had broken into empyrean realm were limited by available resources – both material and spirit energy. As such, their lives were only double that of great emperor realm experts here. This was one of the reasons that empyrean experts had been nonexistent for many years.
Xiahou Jing laughed, quickly following up. "Is there any way to contact them?"
Shu Wanqing's reply was cool. "Did you want to recruit them, Supreme Lord?"
Xiahou Jing made no attempt to deny it. "I don't want to see empyrean experts languish in this coarse environment," he laughed.
"There is no need to make those plans. Just because I'm willing to cooperate with you doesn't mean they will do the same. Perhaps some are contrary enough to be angered by your attempts to stir things up here in the human domain. They will then attempt to thwart your plans at every quarter. If you are not worried about that, you go ahead and try."
Not all empyrean experts had the same nature.
"Hahaha, you are a direct man indeed, Daoist Shu." Xiahou Jing roared with laughter, but no longer brought up the matter of other empyrean experts. He turned to something different. "Do you have any ideas about the cooperation you mentioned earlier?"
"I will lend only my strength. It is up to you to craft any stratagems required." Shu Wanqing was as straightforward as ever.
The death of Xiahou Jing's retainers, Elders Peng and Mo, meant that there was a void of power he desperately needed to fill. Shu Wanqing's appearance shored that up perfectly. He would be a fool to not grasp this opportunity. After all, he didn't have the shamelessness to return to Myriad Abyss Island to ask aid.
If House Xiahou knew how poorly he had done here in the human domain, his lofty status within the house would crash into the ground. As such, there was no reason for him to miss out an empyrean expert like Shu Wanqing at this time.
Moreover, the fact that Shu Wanqing had been able to break the stony field alone showed his immense strength. He was probably stronger than the elders had been.
Xiahou Jing thought about things for a moment before coming up with an idea.
"Daoist Shu, if you are an empyrean expert of the human domain, cultivators all over the realm will surely flock to you if you send out the call. Even if they don't do so immediately, at least they won't support Veluriyam instead. If we pair that with a bit of brutality, every faction will fall beneath our boot. Once Veluriyam Capital's arms and legs are cut off, it will be trivial to take Jiang Chen on."
"Why make it so complicated?" Shu Wanqing frowned. "On a larger scale, it seems to be a fight between the Order and Veluriyam. But really, it's just a spat between you and Jiang Chen. As long as we can deal with the city's leader, everything else will follow."
In his age, Shu Wanqing preferred to head directly for the goal rather than engage in anything too complex. Dealing with Jiang Chen was a precise, efficient maneuver. Without him, Veluriyam Capital would no longer be a problem.
"It's not that easy to deal with him," Xiahou Jing smiled wryly. "Do you think I haven't thought of doing that? I've already assigned him sufficient importance, but what did I get in the end? The deaths of my two closest empyrean retainers!"
He clenched his teeth as he said this. Sparks of anger flew out of his eyes. Clearly, he still held the loss of the two elders very dear.
"That scoundrel himself isn't very strong. He has eight Primordial Stone Golem Tribe warriors, which is probably his strongest asset. He has a Vermilion Bird as well, but it's at the end of its rope. I assume it'll be dead before long."
Xiahou Jing was filled with resentment for the bird as well. He'd lured it with many promises and gifts, but it had remained totally impassive toward him. It was a thoroughly dishonorable experience.
"According to what I know," Shu Wanqing suddenly intoned emotionlessly, "this isn't the first time you've fiddled with Boundary Steles. The one broken at Agarwood, the one in the northwestern wastes this time… the Order of Wind and Cloud is behind this, is it not?"
He appeared to have complete knowledge of these things.
Xiahou Jing was a bit surprised. "You know so much despite being a hermit?"
"Your line of thought is correct," Shu Wanqing stated. "Once the Boundary Stele in the northwestern wastes is shattered, the Embittered Savage Tribe will invade with an army. Veluriyam Capital will be hindered by the new distraction and there will be increased opportunities to deal with Jiang Chen!"
There was no hint of compassion or guilt in Shu Wanqing's voice. Xiahou Jing marveled at his lack of empathy. It seemed odd. He had made contact with many other human domain experts, and those people had harbored a degree of care for the land even after joining the Order. Most cultivators especially couldn't accept the breaking of the Boundary Steles.
As an empyrean expert, Shu Wanqing should have been a leader and elder among humanity. Why was he so uncaring in this regard?
Did he have no sense of belonging to this domain, to his race?
How much enmity did he harbor in his heart to reach this level?
"Daoist Shu, if I may ask, will you really be able to stand by and idly watch while the Embittered Savage Tribe invades?" Xiahou Jing couldn't resist inquiring.
"And why not?" Shu Wanqing replied even-handedly. "Every step I've taken thus far has been over a mound of bones. The heavenly dao was never prepared for those with extraneous things like compassion. Only those with a heart of stone is fit to receive it. Who cares who lives and who dies, be they human or otherwise? What grace have I received from them, that I should worry over their lives?"
Xiahou Jing clapped, laughing. "Good, good! No wonder Daoist Shu was able to reach empyrean realm, while those pursuers of false dao in the human domain languish as great emperors unto their deaths. Everything has a reason behind it. That means that Jiang Chen will only be able to get to great emperor at most. I wonder what the Primordial Stone Golem Tribe sees in him?"
...
In the northwestern wastes, the head of the Moon God Sect was at her limit. Her pretty eyes were bloodshot and her elegant face pale.
"Sectmaster, rest for a while. I'll fill in for a bit." The second sectmaster wasn't as fatigued as the main sect head, but she was plenty tired in her own right.
She cursed as she said this. "Those bastards of the Upper Eight Regions… are they really men?! We sisters have held this place down for so long. Where are our reinforcements? Are they going to let us die here?"
The main sect head sighed softly. "Don't complain, sister. The Order of the Wind and Cloud is set on harming the entire human domain. Perhaps it has already fallen into a great war. The lack of reinforcements is understandable."
Because they were in the northwestern wastes, their knowledge of what had happened in the outside world was delayed. It was difficult just to survive here, not to mention repair the Boundary Stele. They lacked Jiang Chen's methods to do so, so they were finding it quite taxing to perform the same task.
As time went on, they felt their strengths falter. If there was no change to their situation, the Boundary Stele would crumble within three to five days at most.
Once it did, the human domain would no longer have any defense against the Embittered Savage Tribe. Sensing the blood in the water, that bestial tribe would come rushing in.
Or perhaps they were already mobilizing on the other side.
Chapter 1498: A Change In Mindset
The battle between Veluriyam and the Order increased the former's fame to even greater heights. The announcement of the antidote to the Exultation Pill meant that many who had capitulated to the Order surged into the capital instead.
Jiang Chen didn't absorb these defectors into Veluriyam's own forces, but those that wanted the antidote were required to make a vehement oath not to work for the Order ever again.
These hadn't felt much of a sense of belonging to the sect in the first place. They had only bent their knee due to being captured. As such, they didn't oppose this oath at all. Everybody was a winner in the end.
"Young lord, these cultivators are the elites that remain of the human race. Why not make them part of Veluriyam to strengthen our forces?" Coiling Dragon was perplexed. This was the perfect time to attract talent and open up recruitment.
"How many cultivators did we deploy in the fight against Emperor Pillzenith? What of our sortie against the Order?" Jiang Chen smiled.
Coiling Dragon considered this before cracking a wry smile. "That's true. With the Goldbiter Rats, we're not at all pressed for manpower."
"That's not my consideration. Veluriyam doesn't need these fairweather troops. In the world of martial dao, many are placed in harsh conditions and go where the wind blows. I sympathize with their plight, as long as they retained some sort of bottom line. That's why I gave them antidotes in the first place. Ruthless criminals like Emperors Pillzenith and Shura are the ones truly beyond redemption."
"However, just because I can forgive them does not mean I'm happy to share the same air with them, much less trust them with any important tasks." This was Jiang Chen's principle.
He didn't kill innocents and he was able to commiserate with them, but he wasn't going to be friends with them. The cultivators that had joined the Order weren't at all suitable for Veluriyam.
Veluriyam was strong not because it had some kind of advantage in numbers. Compared to the Pillfire of yesteryear, it was actually disadvantaged in both resources and great emperors.
But it came on top in the end, easily crushing Pillfire and the northern alliance's conspiracy in the process.
Had that been because of numbers? Not at all.
Elite soldiers were better than a horde of untrained peasants. Every person Veluriyam took in had to pass Jiang Chen's rigorous testing before he allowed them into his inner circle.
Currently, people like Petalpluck were being gradually sidelined in favor of newcomers like Coiling Dragon.
Time and time again, tribulations had proven that though Emperor Petalpluck wouldn't betray Veluriyam Capital, he didn't possess the kind of resolution needed to suffer through turbulent situations. At the end of the day, people like him had different ideals than Jiang Chen.
Thus, though Emperor Petalpluck was nominally the second great emperor after Emperor Peafowl, Jiang Chen's esteem of him had sunk lower and lower.
Against Pillfire's northern alliance, Petalpluck had expressed pessimistic thoughts and belittled Veluriyam.
Against the Order of Wind and Cloud, he hadn't taken sufficient responsibility. In terms of contribution, he could not be compared to Emperors Peerless and Wellspring.
Peerless had gone undercover and disfigured himself to deliver crucial news at a key moment, allowing Jiang Chen to deliver a brutal counterattack. Wellspring had served to distract the Order's forces elsewhere.
Jiang Chen's philosophy with subordinates was thus: in order to become a member of Sacred Peafowl Mountain's inner circle, one had to be of the same mind with him. Emperors Peerless, Wellspring, Coiling Dragon, and Void all exemplified this fact. The Jiao brothers were included as well.
Though Sacred Peafowl Mountain could definitely use a few more experts, he wasn't going to relax his personal standards for them. He preferred frugal expertise to an excess of incompetence.
"Young lord, Miss Qingxuan is here." Xue Tong came in from outside the door.
Jiang Chen knew instantly what she had come for. He'd been making arrangements for it these past few days.
Xu Qingxuan entered with worry on her face. "Brother," she said with some concern. "It's been quite a while and there's no news from the northwestern wastes. I'm worried about master and…"
Jiang Chen was conflicted himself. Should he go to the northwestern wastes himself?
If he'd managed to successfully kill Xiahou Jing prior without the interference of the mysterious human hermit, Jiang Chen would've had no hesitation whatsoever.
But Xiahou Jing had fled with his life intact, and the mysterious hermit expert only added to his concern. If the Order made a renewed attack during his departure, what was he supposed to do then? Veluriyam couldn't sustain continuous damage.
Most importantly, Jiang Chen suspected that the northwestern wastes' Boundary Stele was beyond repair.
It wasn't so easy to fix one. The one in Agarwood VAlley had been bolstered by the Primosanct Sect's resources. The spirit stones and other miscellany had guaranteed that the process would be successful.
Would the same be present in the northwestern wastes? Jiang Chen was doubtful about that. The realm around a Boundary Stele wasn't a simple formation or restriction.
As the demarcation of the boundaries between the races, it cost an insurmountable amount of work and resources to construct.
The Nine Sparks Petalstorm Formation around the young lord residence had already cost him an astronomical sum. But compared to what a Boundary Stele expended, it was virtually nothing. Due to Jiang Chen's previous repairs on another Boundary Stele, he knew very well what it required.
"Brother, say something." Xu Qingxuan stomped her feet anxiously. Just like Jiang Chen, she valued relationships very much so. Both the Moon God Sect and her master were dear to her.
"I respect the Moon God Sect's responsibility in this time of trouble, Qingxuan. However, the battle cost us a lot of time. I assume the situation has only gotten worse in the northwestern wastes. I don't know if it is possible to repair the Boundary Stele there, and we must prepare for the contingency that it's not."
"Impossible to repair?" Xu Qingxuan's face became pale. "Then… the Embittered Savage Tribe…"
Her eyes radiated despair when she thought of the coming eternal nightmare with the Embittered Savage Tribe. The Moon God Sect lay foremost in the path of the invaders.
"Fortune and misfortune are both fated, and the latter sometimes can't be avoided. I've thought about a great deal these past few days, Qingxuan. I've worked tirelessly for the sake of the human race and its future, but what did I receive in return? The primary troublemakers haven't been the demons I was most worried about."
Xu Qingxuan looked puzzled. She couldn't quite understand what Jiang Chen meant.
"In the secret realm in Agarwood Valley, human experts joined the celestial demon lord without hesitation. When I came out from there, Pillfire had organized the northern alliance to wage war upon me. After that was done, a so-called Order of Wind and Cloud rose up from nowhere. When the Order was about to be destroyed, a human hermit expert showed up to save it… I can't deal with being led around like that! They've practically got me by my nose."
Xu Qingxuan began to understand now.
"In the end, these troubles are being caused by humans and our internal struggles! I've been wondering whether I've done too much. Most people in the human domain have no sense of danger, and are completely irresponsible and spineless in these trying times. Perhaps the arrival of the Embittered Savage Tribe will be a good thing for humanity!"
Jiang Chen's words were filled with indignation. These were the conclusions he'd drawn from mulling things over recently.
The human race had enjoyed peace and quiet for far too long. The hot-bloodedness of its ancient ancestors had all but disappeared. A race like this required baptism through fire and blood in order for it to come to its senses. Otherwise, it would be stuck forever in its current muddled state.
He'd acted as a caretaker for the past few years, dealing with trouble wherever it arose. But the human domain was like a straw hut. It leaked everywhere, and worsened rather than improved over time despite his efforts.
He doubted whether his efforts had any point to it at all, given the direction things were going on a grand scale.
To the side, Wellspring suddenly spoke up. "Young lord, your words have reminded me of a quote from an ancient master, recorded in an equally ancient text."
"What is it?" Jiang Chen asked curiously.
"That ancient master participated in the demon-sealing war in his day. He said that war has the power to both raise up or destroy a race. He made a comparison too. Even a flock of sheep on a prairie is made more hot-blooded and wary by the appearance of a wolf pack. War is not what usually destroys a race, but peace and ignorance."
Jiang Chen slapped his thigh when he heard this. "Well said!" his eyes brightened. "This ancient master was a wise man. He and I think the same."
He'd been toying with that idea in his head for a while now. He'd been worried about the demons and other factions' invasion of the human domain and a massive loss of life.However, if the people he was fussing over were unconcerned and oblivious themselves, did they deserve his protection and exertion in the first place?
Emperor Peafowl's influence had directed his thoughts before; a man who was more powerful should shoulder more responsibility.
But his mindset was beginning to change these days. For the current incarnation of the human race, a war could stir up this stagnant puddle of water.
Chapter 1499: The Boundary Stele is Shattered?
Xu Qingxuan had a lost look in her eyes.
"Brother," she murmured, "do you mean that you've given up on defending the northwestern wastes' Boundary Stele? Then the work that my master and the rest is doing… is wasted? Was it wrong to risk their lives to fix it?"
"It's hard to assign right and wrong to many things in the world," Jiang Chen sighed. "Qingxuan, I won't ignore what's happening in the northwestern wastes. I simply said what I was thinking about the matter. I also wanted to let you know that it may be wise for humanity to prepare for war – a single one, or multiple. The human domain is approaching dusk, and a period of darkness is yet to come."
He wasn't applying any pessimism to the matter. Instead, he was speaking from a higher perspective. The current human race was riddled with holes and problems. Even if he were ten times stronger, he wouldn't be able to patch everything up.
Wellspring, the man most closely aligned with Peafowl's ideals, sighed. "I must say that my thoughts are changing as well after all these changes. In the past, I've always thought that us cultivators at the top must bear the burden of the rest of the world. We are the only ones that can, really. But if the rest of our people has not yet awakened to the danger around us, can we really fight with only the strength of a few?"
"We must at least preserve our own strength. Only then do we have a hope of turning the tide." This was Peerless' opinion. He had learned quite a bit from his experience lying low in the Order. The sight of so many human cultivators pressed into loyal service without knowing the origins of their supreme lord shocked him. They hadn't seemed to care if he was evil or not.
Jiang Chen nodded. "As the leader of the human race, Veluriyam will take up the mantle when necessary. However, we must also preserve our own forces and heritages. Only then can we think about saving the rest of the world."
This was his biggest takeaway from the fight against the Order.
Without Peerless' communication, Veluriyam would've very likely suffered a catastrophic loss it could never recovered from. If something like that did happen to his family and friends, what good was vengeance later?
Revenge wouldn't restore his loved ones.
Having said this, Jiang Chen went on. "I know what I'm going to do for the northwestern wastes. I'll make a trip myself. If the Boundary Stele there can be repaired, I'll do my best to do so. If not, I won't force anything. My primary directive will be to save any survivors."
"Yes. Where there is life, there is hope." Peerless nodded in agreement.
"I will make haste without delay and set off today. Old Brother Hui and Mo, Emperors Coiling Dragon and Void, please keep things here in Veluriyam under control. If anyone intentionally spreads damaging rumors, punish him severely. In times of chaos, harsher measures are required. Don't hesitate to apply them when necessary," Jiang Chen instructed his friends. "I will ask our good senior the Vermilion Bird to hold down the fort. Four of the stone golem brothers will also remain."
After fighting the Order of Wind and Cloud, Jiang Chen placed greater value in keeping Veluriyam secure.
Going to the northwestern wastes wasn't as easy as returning to Veluriyam. The spacetime seal could only be used for a one-way trip, and moreover it only had a single usage remaining. The next time back to the Pagoda would be his last.
After making the required arrangements, Jiang Chen left quietly once again without informing anyone. His actions were under the scrutiny of all. No one was benefited by him being too public about his goals.
Thankfully, the human domain didn't pose much of a threat to him aside from the Order's remnants. Every hostile faction in the northern Upper Eight Regions had been destroyed.
The ones that remained were in an alliance with Veluriyam. Therefore, Jiang Chen didn't need to be concerned with much aside from local Order members. Plus, his veneer of secrecy helped to avoid problems as well.
Secrecy aside though, if the destruction of the northwestern wastes' Boundary Stele had something to do with the Order, then his trip would be within their expectations too. But presently, the Order didn't necessarily have the ability to ambush him even if its members knew about his itinerary. It would cost them a great deal to do so.
The removal of Elders Peng and Mo from the equation meant that Xiahou Jing had no manpower available, at any rate.
Jiang Chen's journey was entirely smooth. He reached the territory of Tilted Moon Upper Region in three days. The northwestern wastes were a wide patch of desolate, infertile land.
After entering the region, he could feel the tangible pressure in the atmosphere. A sense of impending war filled the air. A small spark would be enough to ignite the place.
"The threat of the Embittered Savage Tribe is quite intimidating indeed." He remembered how he'd appreciated the region's culture on his first visit. The region's residents had brimmed with optimism, enjoying life to the fullest.
This time, he noticed that even the most optimistic of people smiled a great deal less. While he was here, Jiang Chen found it natural to go visit an old friend. The Third Master Jing he had met all those years ago – alongside Emperor Peerless' foster son, Gu Xintang – were now important members of Tilted Moon's society.
The third master was overjoyed to see Jiang Chen at his door.
"There's no need for too much fuss. I'm here on a secret operation," Jiang Chen instructed.
Third Master Jing held back his overflowing joy. "Young lord Jiang Chen, I've been tremendously worried about you during this time. I was relieved by the news that you had defeated the Order and came close to killing its supreme lord. I was guessing that you'd come around now."
"You guessed I would come?" Jiang Chen was a bit surprised.
"Heheh, you are a very loyal person. There's no way you would abandon Tilted Moon and the Moon God Sect for Holy Maiden Qingxuan's sake."
Jiang Chen sighed softly. "How are things in the northwestern wastes?" he asked.
The third master put away his smile. "Things are getting worse over there," he related somberly. "Contact from the Moon God Sect there has all but ceased. It seems that nothing living can survive over there." He then realized the error in his speech and quickly rectified, "Of course, the sectmaster and the others are capable enough to be fine, I think!".
Jiang Chen nodded. "Time is of the essence. I won't bother you any longer. I'll head to the northwestern wastes right now. I just hope that I can make it in time."
Third Master Jing stood up, solemnly bowing to Jiang Chen thrice. "Young lord, I would like to thank you for your righteous actions on behalf of everyone living in Tilted Moon."
"That's a little too much to say, my friend." Jiang Chen hurriedly helped him up.
Third Master Jing shook his head, his tone firm. "Not at all. Perhaps the rest of the world is used to you saving them, young lord, but you don't actually owe them anything. All that you've done is for the public good! In the current human domain, there are very few men who can say the same. We of Tilted Moon won't take your hard work for granted."
Jiang Chen's lips quivered, but he said nothing further on the subject. Instead, he patted Third Master Jing on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself, and prepare for the worst."
Third Master Jing shook when he heard this. He wanted to ask more, but Jiang Chen had already drifted off.
The young man found his way to the northwestern wastes with the help of a map.
The wasteland was an endless desert, full of sand and not much else. As appropriate of a desert and other such things of that nature, there was very little spirit qi in the air, nor were there any signs of life nearby.
"The northwestern wastes are indeed quite desolate." Jiang Chen and company were having a hard time moving forward because of the conditions. Their pace was noticeably affected.
Any energy they expanded couldn't be replenished through drawing on the surrounding environment. Instead, they had to rely on herbs and pills.
"This is a lot of trouble for you four, Big Stone." Jiang Chen felt some distress when he saw the panting golems. Because of the lack of energy in the air, those with a higher level of cultivation required more upkeep to stay fit. That was why Jiang Chen had brought more than enough pills for them to recover.
"The ancestors were immensely daring to have constructed a Boundary Stele in these wastes." The poverty and bleakness of these wastes was teaching Jiang Chen a lesson in the hardships the ancients had had to endure to build a defense here.
As he said this, the young man felt the earth shake a little. He thought that he was hallucinating at first, but the earth shook once more after a few more steps, a bit more vigorously than the last.
The shaking turned into a recurring event, cascading in intensity.
Jiang Chen hastily sent a few Goldbiter Rats out. "Go on and scout ahead. See what's happening in front of us."
Because there was no spirit qi here, Jiang Chen couldn't send out a swarm of Goldbiter Rats. He sent out only a few of the particularly clever ones. A few moments was enough for them to return.
"Young lord, there's enormous shaking a hundred plus miles out from here. Something related to a restriction. It should be the fabled realm around a Boundary Stele, a real impressive sight to behold. But…"
"But what? Say it straight." Jiang Chen frowned.
"But…"
Before the rat could finish, Jiang Chen stumbled almost to his knees. A string of rumbling echoed at his ears — a series of destructive thunderclaps that caused the air to explode.
In the next moment, the ground shook like the tides, wavering in intensifying succession. It was as if the order of heaven and earth in this area had been thrown into disarray. A frightening thought flickered into Jiang Chen's mind.
"This isn't good. The Moon God Sect's people are in danger!" Aside from Xu Qingxuan, there were only a few that Jiang Chen admired from that sect: the main sectmaster and Holy Maiden Xu Shan.
He didn't know the others and cared even less about them. However, they were risking their lives to repair the Boundary Stele. Jiang Chen couldn't simply abandon them to their fates.
"Big Stone, we have to hurry." Jiang Chen rushed ahead, anxiety fueling his step.
Though the lack of energy here meant that it was extremely taxing on picking up speed, Veluriyam's young lord unreservedly charged ahead nevertheless.
Chapter 1500: The Embittered Savage Tribe
"Hahaha! Finally! We're through!"
"How many years has it been? We've finally broken through the damn border! Will this be a new age for our tribe?"
"My brothers! The succulent pigs in the human domain have grown fat and are waiting to be slaughtered! Hahaha!"
"Tsk tsk! Is this the human domain our ancestors told us about?"
"Humans! Tremble in fear. Your masters have arrived!"
With the breaking of the Stele, the realm that emanated from it collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Like mountain ranges continuously collapsing, the despairing sight ground on.
Color drained from the faces of those of the Moon God Sect. Horror and anxiety flooded their beautiful eyes. Even the head sectmaster was stunned despite her usual calm demeanor.
Countless shadows swarmed furiously through the collapsed rubble like a school of carp leaping over the waters. There seemed to be no end in sight. It was as if the place beyond the boundary was hell, while the human domain was heaven.
There were clear physiological differences between them and humans.
Their shoulders were broad and burly, paired with a waist that was as thick as a bear's. They were a head taller than most humans and naked from the waist up. Their muscles seemed to have been poured from bronze, well-defined and filled with explosive strength.
From the waist down, they either wore kilts made out of animal skin or odd-looking wraps of leaves, branches, or bizarre ornaments. Moreover, tattoos covered their faces, making them seem even more foreign. Even the shapes of their heads were completely different.
Some were bald, some had shoulder length hair or braided hair, while others wore strange ornaments on top. However, the biggest difference was without a doubt their skin tone. Perhaps due to geographical and environmental reasons, their skin was mostly bronze or darker in color.
Their noses were also an eye-catching characteristic. It was extremely big and seemed to take up a third of their faces. They were an extremely recognizable race.
They were the invaders! There was no doubt of it!
Their chiseled muscles, maddened eyes, and brazen actions were clear indications that they were war-hungry barbarians. Batch upon batch of them followed.
The Moon God Sect was surrounded in the blink of an eye. The three sectmasters had only brought a few trusted disciples to the border. Their numbers didn't exceed thirty.
In comparison, over tens of thousands of savages from the Embittered Savage Tribe had swarmed through the border in a few breaths. The Moon God Sect was completely surrounded before they even had time to escape.
"Haha! Such fortune! To think that so many beauties were waiting for us just beyond the Boundary Stele!"
"Tsk tsk! Our ancestors didn't lie! The women of the human race do seem soft and tender!"
"Hahaha! I finally understand why our ancestors are so obsessed with the human domain! Just look at them! There's nothing to complain about!"
"They all seem so exquisite! We're in for a treat!"
At least a dozen layers of the barbarians had surrounded them. Lust and desire was written all over their faces. They would've pounced on the women already if their leaders hadn't stopped them. Even still, they were aching to make a move.
"Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!" The warriors of the tribe stood shoulder to shoulder and danced while muttering strange chants. They were clearly celebrating with song and dance. The more excited ones even stroked their crotch and leered.
From the Moon God Sect's point of view, there seemed to be no end to the savages. The younger and more timid disciples were thoroughly terrified and hid behind the sectmasters. Unfortunately, they were surrounded from all sides. No matter where they hid, ran, or scampered, lascivious grimaces greeted them.
The warriors howled ceaselessly and made various lewd gestures at the women. Some even tore apart the scant cloth at their waist and swung their private parts at the humans. They were as vulgar as one could be.
The female disciples could only respond with endless shrieks. They covered their eyes, humiliated and terrified. The head sectmaster was an experienced warrior. "What are you panicking for?! Maintain your composure!" She yelled.
The exhortations from their leader helped the shrieks slowly die out. However, the disciples were still white as ghosts. Clearly, their fear hadn't lessened one bit.
The three sectmasters exchanged glances and transmitted silently to all of the sect members present. "We will cover you while you retreat. Remember, try your best to escape, but if you don't…" The head sectmaster shifted her gaze at the leering barbarians. "You know what to do!" She warned coldly.
The disciples trembled. They understood what the sectmaster was implying. They were to take their own lives if they couldn't escape. Death was better than being ravaged by the beastly barbarians!
The second sectmaster was next to speak. "As cultivators, why are you acting like the common womenfolk? What was the purpose of all your training if all you do is tremble in the face of danger?"
The second sectmaster had always had a short temper. She feared absolutely nothing and was the calmest in their current precarious situation.
"I will lead by example! If I'm defeated, I'd rather implode than be tarnished by these savage beasts!" Her voice was filled resolve and integrity.
The head sectmaster nodded. "That's how it should be. I will do the same!"
Their conversation calmed the disciples down. Calm prevailed and the girls looked at their current predicament in a new light.
However, Holy Maiden Xi Yuan burst into an angry tirade. "Isn't junior sister Qingxuan smart?! She's having the time of her life at Veluriyam Capital. How can she be at peace living like a princess while our lives are threatened? The second sectmaster's love for her has gone down the drain!"
She felt the world so very unfair.
Xu Qingxuan ordinarily received the highest treatment among all of the youth in the sect and was widely regarded as the foremost holy maiden. Many worshipped her as a goddess.
And yet, she was swanning around in Veluriyam while the sect was risking their lives in the harshness of the northwestern wastes. The disgusting faces of the Embittered Savage Tribe made Xi Yuan want to throw up. It was no wonder that she was filled with hate and resentment.
The second sectmaster's visage turned ice-cold. "Are you stirring up trouble? And now, of all times?"
On the brink of death, Holy Maiden Xi Yuan no longer felt the need to hold herself back. "Second sectmaster, this junior isn't stirring up anything! These are merely my heartfelt words. If junior sister Qingxuan truly cares about the sect, why doesn't she come to our aid when she clearly knows the northwestern wastes are endangered? Isn't her brother the young lord of Veluriyam Capital? Why doesn't she ask him for help?"
Her complaints did make some sense and riled up many of the younger disciples, making them consider Xu Qingxuan a traitor.
The second sectmaster flew into a rage. "You've always been jealous of Qingxuan and afraid to express it! So you no longer see the need to hide your true feelings, is it? How do you know that Qingxuan didn't ask Jiang Chen for help? Do you know who won the war between Veluriyam and the Order of Wind and Cloud? Are you even aware of the current state of affairs in the human domain?"
She might've not been a highly educated and cultured person, but she knew very well that her disciple was anything but an ingrate. Thus, she couldn't stand to let her true disciple be slandered by Xi Yuan.
Xi Yuan had more to say, but she was disrupted by the head sectmaster. "Shut up! How can you afford to think about that given current circumstances? Do you think we don't know what kind of person Qingxuan is? If it weren't for her, do you think Veluriyam would've cared to propose a polite alliance with us?"
This was the unbridled truth. If it weren't for Xu Qingxuan, Jiang Chen could very well have led an army and taken his mother by force. In fact, he could've destroy the sect with a flick of a finger, given his strength and resources!
Not even Pillfire City was a match for him, let alone the Moon God Sect.
"Qingxuan isn't like that! Nor is young lord Jiang Chen! They must have their reasons for not coming to our help!" Holy Maiden Xu Shan rebutted.
While they were talking, the Embittered Savages suddenly opened a path to allow a few figures to walk in.
One of them was very tall and stocky. He was dressed differently from the others and had on much more luxurious tattoos and accessories. The armor on his shoulders, chest, and waist was exquisitely crafted. One could easily tell that he was a noble.
He didn't share the same crude brutishness as the other members of his tribe. He had neatly braided hair, an enormous pair of dangling earrings, and didn't have any overly conspicuous tattoos on his face. It was clear that he was of a different status than the others. Moreover, he didn't seem very old.
He was escorted by four cultivators, two middle-aged and two even more elderly. The entourage seemed to have a different status from the others as well. Their attire was leagues better the common barbarians. However, they were all protecting the young noble and extremely respectful towards him.
Chapter 1501: The Gunuo Village
The young man's eyes were sharp and savage, like hawk or a falcon's. He gave off a predatory aura of dominance. The three sectmasters of the Moon God Sect were shaken by his very look. It was as if he'd taken a full look at their bodies, and there were no secrets to be hidden from him.
"Wami, wami!" The Embittered Savages shouted in unison. This was evidently a gesture of respect. No one from the Moon God Sect knew what the word meant, but the expressions of the Savages showed that it was an honored title of some sort.
The young man smiled slightly, obviously used to this kind of treatment. He raised both hands a few degrees into the air and waved them about a little. The Savages' cultivators began to shriek, dancing about in frenzied response. Some whistled, others shrieked, some stomped, clapped, and still others did all kinds of strange acts.
The Embittered Savage Tribe is as crude as they say, flashed across the hearts of all those from the Moon God Sect. They were surrounded by a group of these barbarians. To be captured and manhandled by them was a fate worse than death. Many of the younger female disciples resolved to commit suicide if they were captured.
However, the young nobleman among the Savages loosened the attitude of a few of the disciples.
If it was just him… The girls that thought this involuntarily blushed. It was a life and death situation, and yet they were thinking such strange things… How embarrassing!
The young nobleman strode slowly closer with a light step, bringing his features into focus.
Aside from the trademark large nose, he was significantly more handsome than the rest of his tribesmen. His keen eyes especially held something intrepid and daring to them, giving off an overpoweringly masculine aura.
The fact that he was an enemy aside, that kind of look was enough to capture the hearts of countless inexperienced little girls.
"I didn't expect that my Embittered Savage Tribe would be able to step foot on human territory again after the ancient times. How surprising," the young man suddenly spoke. His voice was deep and rich, and he conversed in the human tongue. However, it did carry an unmistakably alien accent that made it sound much rougher and more exotic.
Most importantly, his tone was so magnetic that it instantly lowered the guard of many of the younger female disciples. It was as if a man with such a resonant, charming voice couldn't possibly be evil.
The young man's eyes were full of conquest as he swept them across the Moon God Sect faces. His expression was colored with some humor to it. At least a third of it was flirtatious, another third admiring.
Clearly, he was astounded by these women's appearances. As an aristocrat of the Embittered Savage Tribe, he enjoyed its best resources and prettiest women. That was an obvious, foregone conclusion. However, only after seeing these female cultivators did he realize that all his previous women were complete trash!
"I finally understand why my forebears always had the human domain on their minds. My darlings, if I may ask, are all the women of the human domain as splendidly beautiful as you? Your radiance is almost heavenly." The young man's words bordered on the flippant. He gestured in attempted stylishness.
Holy Maiden Xi Yuan was apparently so charmed by his mannerisms that she was brave enough to reply. "No way! You're lucky, running into the Moon God Sect…"
"Shut up, Xi Yuan!" The sectmaster found the girl's response unbearable. This wasn't the time to be a ditz! This young man obviously had malicious intentions!
The main sectmaster was somewhat forlorn. Though these disciples were reasonably talented, the Moon God Sect didn't allow its students to experience much of the world in general. Thus, they were disadvantaged when social situations came to bear, and became ignorant to the point of not realizing the danger behind this young man's apparent politeness.
Holy Maiden Xi Yuan was truthfully extremely unhappy about being scolded by the sectmaster multiple times. She didn't dare to act out of line in front though. Instead, she pursed her lips sullenly.
The young nobleman was sensitive enough to notice this. "Adorable little girl," he smiled gently, "don't worry. Feel free to keep talking. I guarantee that as long as you're polite with me, I will be the same. I've always been like that, you know."
Holy Maiden Xi Yuan was at a bit of an impasse. She was naturally drawn toward the barbarous nobleman, but the sectmaster's rebukes loomed over her menacingly. She pressed her lips, her eyes aglow with thoughtful animation. She was obviously raring to go.
The young nobleman suddenly glowered at the main sectmaster. "You, shut up!"
He turned to an old man nearby. "Gu Qi, if she talks any more, seize her and strip her, then hand her to the Gunuo warriors!" His prior affability had turned into a demonic countenance.
"Yes, Prince Gu Tianqing." The old man named Gu Qi replied with a cupped fist salute. He grinned devilishly at the Moon God Sect's head as he said this, emanating his aura into the air all around. Panicked, she felt a potent despair creep up on and control her. She was helpless before it.
This invisible aura filled her with hopelessness. "Empyrean, this must be an empyrean expert…"
The sectmaster felt like she had fallen into a frozen abyss. She'd had some delusions about putting everything behind her and hacking a way out before, but when the barbarian leader came onto the scene, she realized that it wasn't so easy to break free of the encirclement.
Gu Qi's display of power caused her spirits to plummet. The enemy clearly had people on their side with sufficient strength to overwhelm them. The Moon God Sect was outclassed here.
If they'd been limited to great emperors, the main sectmaster was confident enough to stand even against the likes of the late Emperor Pillzenith. But to her despair, an empyrean expert led their attack!
Such a cultivator wasn't someone she could stand against even if she threw away her own life. To put it bluntly, he stood on a completely different level than her. How could a great emperor compare to an empyrean expert? The difference was as vast as heaven and earth.
"Alright." The young man – the prince of the Gunuo Village of the Embittered Savage Tribe – spoke once again. His voice was back to its old, magnetic self. He beckoned at Holy Maiden Xi Yuan. "Come out and talk a bit more, little girl. I promise that no one will be allowed to get mad at or scold you."
The holy maiden was a bit hesitant at first, but the come-hither wave had an indescribable allure to it. She couldn't help herself. Her brain paths were fried. She walked with eyes glazed over towards the youth.
"What are you doing, Xi Yuan?" A young fellow disciple of hers instinctively reminded.
The prince of the Gunuo Clan glowered. He casually grasped at the air, sending an invisible force across space that elevated her into an invisible hand. A moderate rip was enough to tear all her garments clean off. Every inch of her body was exposed to the air.
This exciting scene ripped through the tens of thousands of other Savages. They yelled and shrieked with various strange sounds.
"You may have her. She's all yours." Prince Gu Tianqing tossed her nonchalantly into the crowd.
Her shrieks of suffering soon began to sound after the Savages swarmed in.
"You better not move. I don't mind sending more to join her. Our warriors are quite thirsty, I assure you." Gu Tianqing seemed to have two masks he could freely swap between.
The main sectmaster looked mournful, but she restrained her other disciples' impulses. She wasn't cold-blooded. Rather, she knew that any resistance at the present moment would only bring more pain to them.
"You can talk now, little girl." The savage prince was back to his previous tone and expression. A somehow mesmerizing sense of captivation seeped back into his speech.
The blush on Holy Maiden Xi Yuan's face extended all the way to the nape of her neck. Gu Tianqing was fatally attractive, enough to make her mind to lose focus and her heart tremble in desire.
With a light wave of the prince's hand, the holy maiden snuggled right up to his broad chest. His manly musk only plunged her deeper into the pit of passion.
"Tell me what you just said in more detail, little girl. What's with the Moon God Sect? How about humanity as a whole, hmm?" Gu Tianqing's sizable hands groped the holy maiden like it was the most natural thing in the world. Electricity sizzled through the girl's skin wherever he touched. She softened all over, ecstatic with pleasure.
Her eyes were as dazed as her mind. "We're all from the Moon God Sect. Those three are the sectmasters. I'm one of the sect's holy maidens, and there are a few others. The rest are the sect's elite disciples. The Moon God Sect is one of the strongest sects in the human domain, full of beautiful girls. The Upper Eight Regions form the core of the human domain, and it holds eight first rank sects. The Moon God Sect is one of them, but there's another one with similarly beautiful girls in the southeast… the Celestial Cicada Court…"
Holy Maiden Xi Yuan was paralyzed with bliss. Her heart was high in the clouds, and her inhibitions had been cast aside. Hints of a lustful nature was being summoned from her very bones. She desperately wanted Gu Tianqing to take her right now!
The hints of a self-satisfied smile played at Gu Tianqing's lips when he saw the holy maiden's cooperation. He was quite happy with his abilities of conquest.
Chapter 1502: A Precarious Situation
Holy Maiden Xi Yuan was one of the Moon God Sect's weakest-willed disciples. Prince Gu Tianqing on the other hand, evidently practiced some sort of seductive art. It was unlikely that the main sectmaster herself would be able to resist his wiles, much less the irresolute young holy maiden.
Moreover, the prince had a sharp eye for people. He could see from a single glance that Holy Maiden Xi Yuan had the most indecisive dao heart of her peers. Even better was the fact that she was ruinously pretty. That was the primary motivator for Gu Tianqing's choice.
It was as he'd expected. A little bit of trickery was enough to make her completely loyal to him. Holy Maiden Xi Yuan's continuous disclosures about the human domain were passed onto the barbarous prince. The several experts beside him shifted from surprised to joyful to brimming with cheer.
They'd never dreamed that the human domain of their ancestors' dreams was so weak. Their strongest experts were only peak great emperors? Empyrean experts were essentially legendary?
This caused a great deal of excitement. Though their tribe didn't have it easy in their daily lives, cultivation was nevertheless one of their favorite pastimes. The Embittered Savage Tribe didn't have a ton of empyrean experts, but it did have a few. In comparison, the human race was virtually useless!
They'd never thought that this would be the case. The sole reason for their attack on the Boundary Stele and invasion was because their ancestors had yearned for this territory so much. The picture they had painted of it had simply been too enticing.
The sheer amount of resources, spirit veins, pretty women, method tomes, weapons, pills… the list went on and on. The Embittered Savages couldn't match a tenth of that wealth. In the description of their ancestors, the human domain was like heaven. It was a place where all of their dreams would all be fulfilled!
Alas, the Boundary Stele realm had stopped them ever since ancient times. Even the strongest of Savages had no way of breaking through.
Until…
The Stele loosened itself with the passage of time! The strongest of seals and the most sturdy of fortresses couldn't last against the inexorable march of time and the turning of the seasons.
Thus, the Gunuo Village that lived closest to the border was the first to discover this fact. This was why they had managed to enter ahead of their competition; they'd been the closest to this superbly attractive paradise.
Gu Tianqing was no simple brute. Though he enjoyed fondling Holy Maiden Xi Yuan's body, he also paid a lot of attention to the content of her words, gleaning whatever useful information he could out of them.
"Aah!" The holy maiden yelped in pain. Gu Tianqing had squeezed her with too much force just now, almost enough to make her flesh burst.
"You said that the human race has someplace called Veluriyam Capital. That's the leading faction here? There's a kid named Jiang Chen who's hard to deal with?" The prince had overreacted because he'd heard something important.
Holy Maiden Xi Yuan's face was pale at the sensation. She could only muster up the energy to nod after a while. "Yes. Jiang Chen is both wily and annoying. If you want to deal with him, Your Highness… I have an idea."
"What's your idea?" Gu Tianqing was back to his charismatic self. He caressed the holy maiden lightly, apparently quite tender.
The holy maiden was lost in the depths of passion. "If I tell you, you have to promise to protect me all of my life. You can't let other people be mean to me!"
"Haha, of course. Do you take me for some unkind buffoon? Tell me your idea. As long as it's good, you will be handsomely rewarded."
Holy Maiden Xi Yuan giggled, having made up her mind. She pointed at the second sectmaster. "This old woman is Jiang Chen's sister's master. Last time, one of Jiang Chen's enemies captured her and threatened him with her. A hostage swap was made to save that old woman. If you want to deal with Jiang Chen, you can do the same thing. I'm sure Jiang Chen will have trouble with this!"
The holy maiden's words stunned everyone from the sect. They'd never thought Xi Yuan to be so shameless as to publicly betray the Moon God Sect and plunge the second sectmaster into trouble!
The second sectmaster glowered. "Despicable bitch! Absolutely despicable!" she couldn't resist cursing. "If I knew you were going to do something so shameful, I would've killed you myself. The Moon God Sect wouldn't have suffered your indignity then!"
The main sectmaster's face was bloodless. "The only thing we can do is to destroy ourselves. I hope that the remnants of the sect will not forget their heritage, and there will eventually be descendants of our inheritance."
Her tone was filled with pessimism. She knew that it was impossible to escape misfortune today. Her greatest wish was that those still at headquarters could distinguish themselves through this troubling time, creating a new, stronger Moon God Sect in the future that ensured the continuation of their heritage.
Gu Tianqing saw the other women of the Moon God Sect color at the suggestion. It seemed that this Holy Maiden Xi Yuan had hit the mark. He tilted the holy maiden's chin upwards and gave a hearty pat to her rear. "Not bad, not bad. I like you quite a bit. I will certainly grace you with my splendor later. You may look forward to it. Hahaha…"
His tone darkened as he said this. "Gu Qi, I must bother you with this next task. These women are too pretty to be wasted in death. If you and the other experts can work together, you should be able to take most of them alive. Remember, your prime objective is to prevent them from committing suicide!"
Now that he knew the human domain's strength, there were no inhibitions to his lust.
If the Gunuo Village didn't take advantage of the weakness of these humans by raiding their lands in advance of everyone else, that would have been a real shame. They wouldn't be able to prevent the other village from doing the same, once they noticed the human domain being open to the Savages.
They say that the early bird deserves the worm, and the late receives the dredges.
As the earliest bird on the scene, the Gunuo Village had an insurmountable advantage. The prince would be a fool if he didn't use that to the fullest. These women were undoubtedly the biggest spoils of their first foray into the human domain.
They were even more expectant of what this place held now. If there were women like this everywhere – slightly lower quality was acceptable too! – that was more than enough to drive them all into a renewed frenzy.
These savage warriors of the Gunuo Village were incredible fighters. Their primal needs were as developed as their muscles. Therefore, they were extremely enthusiastic about the prospect of pretty women.
Old Gu Qi nodded, chuckling as he perused the sectmasters and others. "A piece of advice: you'd best forget about resisting. With your beauty and charm, I guarantee you won't be passed around or discarded. You'll be given appropriate roles. But if you do foolishly resist and the prince gets angry… then it's harder to say where you'll end up. Best take to mind what happened to that little girl, hmm?"
The young disciple had been carried off by several dozen warriors. There was not a peep from her now. It was obvious how miserable of a fate she'd suffered.
Everyone from the Moon God Sect was terrified. The aura that old man Gu Qi invisibly exuded was simply too potent. Its strength was overwhelming.
The second sectmaster suddenly shouted. She produced a blue, frosted blade in her hand. "Don't listen to their lies! The Embittered Savage Tribe is a race of uncivilized barbarians. They haven't evolved much further than mindless beasts. Their promises are untrustworthy!
"How can the holy cultivators of the Moon God Sect be tainted by these savage animals? I swear on my position as a sectmaster that we will only fight to the death today. I would rather die than let myself be sullied!" She swept her weapon at the Savages near her as she said this.
This unexpected attack from a great emperor cultivator produced formidable results. Four Savages were decapitated in a single flash, having not reacted in time.
The second sectmaster's act kindled the hot-bloodedness of the other female cultivators. The main and third sectmasters drew their weapons as well. "Disciples of the Moon God Sect, hear our command. Today, we fight to the death for our dignity! Whoever turns tail and run is a traitor to the sect and eternally damned!"
"To hell with them!"
"We won't let savages dirty our purity!" Indeed, they would've preferred to marry completely ordinary human male cultivators than be violated by these uncultured brutes. Dirty and base gestures as well as immensely ugly appearances had elicited a psychological disgust on the subconscious level.
Their zeal angered Gu Tianqing. As the prince of the Gunuo Village, he naturally didn't want anyone to defame his tribe. "Gu Qi, take down these tramps. I'd like to see how much resistance remains when they're all moaning beneath me!"
The old man nodded, creating a stream of spatial fissures via a series of overhead grabs.
Radiant brilliance swirled in the fissures, creating tornados of dimensional chaos that stirred up the fabric of space. They whirled towards the Moon God Sect's contingent, sowing immediate disarray among their ranks.
The weaker female cultivators were instantly incapacitated when touched by the attack. They had no strength left to commit suicide, much less fight back.
Thankfully, the three sectmasters staunchly held on. They formed a triangular defense matrix, protecting the majority of their disciples from the invaders. However, that Gu Qi's first strike had been enough to force them into a precarious situation. They were candles in a storm, liable to be snuffed out at any moment!