Chapter 1829: Fifth Level Empyrean
Jiang Chen didn't have Elder Shun depart immediately. Instead, he checked on the elder's crippled meridians. They still had a chance to be restored. He decided to keep the elder here for a while to fix the latter's meridians and restore his power. Strength in martial dao was crucial to survival in Myriad Abyss.
Hope sparked up in Elder Shun's ashen heart upon hearing that he could be treated.
Through perseverance, Jiang Chen ended up achieving the improbable feat of repairing Elder Shun's meridians. Although he couldn't restore the elder's cultivation instantaneously, the elder would be able to find his way back to his peak in a year or two.
"Elder Shun, this is a Crowning Empyrean Pill. It can unconditionally advance an empyrean cultivator up a level."
"Crowning Empyrean Pill?" Elder Shun started. "Didn't the sacred land say it's still in development?'
Jiang Chen smiled. "I can refine it anytime."
"You're a miracle maker, young man. I'm curious what's going on with you. I don't believe there's anyone who's qualified enough to be your teacher."
Jiang Chen sighed softly. There were many qualified to mentor him, but they were all from his past life. No such person existed on the Divine Abyss Continent.
Elder Shun accepted the pill readily. There was no way he could turn it down at this stage. It'd been years since he last cultivated. He had to catch up quickly. The pill could save him decades or even centuries of hard work.
Jiang Chen brought up the fact that Yan Wanjun was on Winterdraw Island.
"Alright, I'll go search for Chu Xinghan. As soon as I find him, I'll take him to Winterdraw and see if we can teleport to the human domain to meet up with Huang'er."
"Good! That'll be ideal." Jiang Chen approved of his plan. There was no love left to lose between Elder Shun and House Yan. It wasn't a bad idea for the elder to move to the human domain.
The elder looked at Jiang Chen with a smile, his gaze filled with appreciation. "Shao Yuan, did you restore Winterdraw island to make it your territory?"
"I did. There's a portal leading to the human domain there, which makes the island a valuable strategic node. Besides, the great formation there is under my control. Not even Rejuvenation Isles will be able to break in."
"Right, the human domain is threatened by the demons. It's bound to become a main battlefield sooner or later. It's smart of you to build your own force and establish a hub for both offensive and defensive purposes." Elder Shun admired Jiang Chen for his strategic thinking. "When do you plan on returning to the human domain?"
"I'll return after I finish with my business in the sacred land. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything useful about the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement, which is crucial to human domain's effort in deterring the demons."
Elder Shun thought for a moment before responding. "You are a rare once every ten thousand years genius for the human race, Jiang Chen. There must be a reason for your appearance. I admire you for what you've done for the human domain. However, the formation can only stop humans from being attacked by demons, through directing the enemies elsewhere.
"The demons will filter into other races' territories through other channels. Once they conquer those places, they'll keep attacking and invade the human domain through different entrances. As long as the demons exist, there will be no peace on this continent. Not even in Myriad Abyss."
Jiang Chen smiled ruefully. "Myriad Abyss Island was never a peaceful land."
Elder Shun paused. "What do you mean?"
"The illusion of peace is only maintained through the sacrifice that the ten sacred lands have been secretly making. It's said that the nightmare plaguing the continent started from Myriad Abyss in the ancient times..."
Jiang Chen explained how Myriad Abyss had been keeping the plane's coordinates a secret and defending the realm from outside invaders.
Elder Shun gaped. "Does this mean the ten sacred lands have been protecting the island since eld? That they have been and still are risking their lives to fend off foreign invaders?"
"That's right. We're fortunate that there hasn't been a large-scale invasion like the demons launched in the ancient times. Otherwise, the ten sacred lands won't be able to keep everything under control. I speculate that they've only been met with adventurers passing through the plane since then. Or Myriad Abyss would've been ravaged by war already."
Elder Shun fell silent with a grave expression.
"Now it all makes sense, Jiang Chen. I used to think the sacred land was too pushy, but now it seems it hasn't been forceful enough. All of them have done so much for Myriad Abyss. It's only reasonable for them to claim most of the resources and rule over the nations."
He was speaking from the bottom of his heart. Many factions here were composed of descendents of deserters from the ancient demonic war, but that didn't mean the island was populated with only cowards. There were still some hot-blooded individuals, such as Elder Shun, Huang'er, and Yan Qingsang.
"Elder Shun, this is a serious matter. Please keep the information to yourself before the sacred lands make the collective announcement. There could be serious repercussions if this is leaked beforehand. The sacred land keep it a secret because they fear it'll bring instability and further undermine the sacred lands. Since the uprising has been squashed, I believe they will soon expose the secret they've been keeping."
Elder Shun was puzzled. "Jiang Chen, if the sacred lands always intended to let the public know the truth, why haven't they done so to this day?"
"The ten sacred lands could stand against the incursions in the ancient times. It wasn't until a few hundred years ago that they started having troubles. The fight outside the realm took too heavy a toll and depleted their resources and manpower, which led to their decline. They weren't going downhill for no reason. The sacrifice they've made is simply too great."
"I understand now. I understand everything. With that said, those usupers are indeed sick bastards. The sacred lands were forced to shed blood both on the inside and outside."
Elder Shun always admired those who were both competent and responsible. The burden that the sacred lands impressed and won him over.
He clapped Jiang Chen's shoulder. "I can tell the Eternal Sacred Land has high hopes for you. You're irreplaceable to the human domain now, and you're going to be irreplaceable to Myriad Abyss one day. Perhaps you're here to save the Divine Abyss Continent. I look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the future!"
Elder Shun left the sacred land once he'd mostly recovered. His conversation with Jiang Chen gave him hope and a sense of duty. He had to persist and pick himself up.
Jiang Chen started cultivating after the elder's departure. He'd accumulated a great deal of energy from the countless battles he'd fought in the uprising. He was close to reaching fifth level empyrean.
As long as nothing in the sacred land required his attention after his breakthrough, he'd return to the human domain and visit the Six Palaces of Heritage. They topped the list of locations he wanted to visit.
Every palace had brought Jiang Chen a great many surprises, and each was more exciting than the previous. The palaces had obviously been established for the heir of Veluriyam Capital. Jiang Chen had every right to the heritage since he'd inherited Veluriyam's dao.
Jiang Chen had killed many empyrean experts during the uprising, each of whom possessed an empyrean decree, which was of great value. The decrees could greatly strengthen the human domain.
His biggest gain was the divine decree he acquired from the Xiahou forefather.
Its value would've been unimaginable even in the ancient times. Every divine cultivator had overcome countless challenges in order to reach godhood. Every one of their deaths meant a great loss.
After three months, Jiang Chen entered the next stage of martial dao and ascended to fifth level empyrean. Long Xiaoxuan made a breakthrough as well not long after, ascending to sixth level empyrean, still keeping one level ahead of Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen wasn't surprised by the dragon's diligence in cultivation. He knew it'd been driven by the Astral White Tiger. He missed the tiger a little. It'd stayed in Cloud Camel mountain for a long time. What progress has it made, I wonder?
But the tiger had started out late. No matter how quickly it improved its cultivation, it'd be hard pressed to catch up with the dragon anytime soon.
Of course, Jiang Chen couldn't rival any of the four beasts in cultivation efficiency. The bloodlines of the divine beasts were formidable. Although he had incorporated some divine bloodline in him as well, he was no match to direct descendents like them.
Still, he was satisfied with the speed at which he progressed.
It was a miracle in itself for someone his age to reach fifth level empyrean. If he hadn't possessed memories from his past life and had grown up like all other geniuses, the best he could've done was reaching great emperor, and even that wasn't a guarantee.
Chapter 1830: A New Mission
The Vermilion Bird was still in closed door cultivation. It was determined to ascend to godhood. Jiang Chen speculated that it wouldn't end its cultivation until then.
To his surprise, the bird emerged on the second day after Jiang Chen's breakthrough. It hadn't reached divinity yet.
"Young Master Chen, I've improved myself in all aspects to the best of my ability. Now I just need the final push. The sacred land is a great cultivation ground with abundant spirit energy, but it doesn't suit my purpose. I want to return to Hell King Island, which will be most conducive to my ascension."
Jiang Chen readily agreed. "Attaining godhood is a crucial matter. I wholeheartedly support any decisions you make."
The more powerful the bird was, the better. After all, the divine beasts were his closest and mightest companions. Their strength was his asset.
"The sacred land is about done with tying up loose ends, isn't it?"
"It is. Lately, they've devoted themselves to restoring Eternal Divine Nation. While things have settled down here, the other nations in Myriad Abyss are still unstable. The uprising was pre-planned. Factions from each nation conspired to launch an attack simultaneously. However, due to issues in coordination of manpower, rebels in some nations were subdued before they could stage a proper uprising. Meanwhile, some nations are still trying to eliminate the uprisers. The Ten Divine Nations have suffered a great blow."
The Vermilion Bird wasn't at all surprised. It smiled faintly. "If the human race could remain united, you'd be able to gain a foothold even among the heavenly planes. However, it seems to be human nature to fight among yourselves no matter the occasion, as if the short-term gain of an individual always outweighs the greater good."
Jiang Chen couldn't argue with that. The bird was right about their biggest weakness.
"Sir Jiang Chen, the venerated forefather requires your presence," a voice called out, interrupting the conversation.
The venerated forefather?
Jiang Chen didn't expect to hear from the old man. The forefather had been recovering lately. He'd been tricked and trapped in a formation by the two forefathers from the rebel alliance, which had taken a great toll on and weakened him. Thus, he'd entered closed door cultivation to restore his power. Why had he emerged so quickly?
Jiang Chen didn't waste any time before visiting the forefather. He respected the old man who had been quietly, selflessly defending Myriad Abyss and Eternal Divine Nation in battles outside the plane. Jiang Chen would have made the same sacrifice, but he might not have been able to persist as long as the forefather had.
The forefather seemed close to making a full recovery.
"Jiang Chen, I hear that you've progressed another level in cultivation? You're breaking the sacred land's record with your efficiency! Who would've thought a super genius like you would grace the sacred land! You won't be upset with us for not officially commending your deeds this time, will you?"
Jiang Chen snorted. "Why would I be?"
"Haha, I feared that you would think too much. It's natural for young people to let their pride get the better of them. However, you don't seem at all like most of your peers."
"Haha, if the sacred land wants to award me, I'll be happy with actual resources. I don't care much about rank and status. That's all window dressing. What I need are practical rewards."
They'd met once already, so Jiang Chen wasn't as formal as he'd been before.
"Go to the first prime for resources you need, kid. She won't turn you down." The forefather chuckled. "The sacred land is a home to you now. Whatever you want, you'll receive. You don't need me to give you the permission."
Jiang Chen shrugged, changing the subject. "Venerated Forefather, what is the situation in Myriad Abyss like now?"
"Difficult. Very difficult! Among the ten nations, seven were hit by an uprising, while the other three managed to suppress unrest before anything could really happen. Out of the seven nations, we eliminated the usurpers the fastest and therefore suffered the least damage. Three of the other six are close to vanquishing the rebels, while the other three are still in the heat of civil war with no end in sight. There's no telling if they'll emerge victorious. They've issued a request for aid, which we received as well." The forefather gave Jiang Chen a meaningful look.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly and rubbed his nose. "What are you looking at me for, Venerated Forefather?"
"What do you think?" The forefather quirked his lips into a half smile. "It's too harsh for you to go to the offworld battlefield for now. It suits you more to take on a mission to help."
"Where to?" A jolt of curiosity hit Jiang Chen.
"Radiance Divine Nation, Martial Divine Nation, and Sunrise Divine Nation. The rebels are unstoppable and dominate the sacred lands in these three nations. Without outside help, it's unlikely to the rebellion will be resolved successfully." The forefather threw an expectant glance at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen scratched his head. "Venerated Forefather, it's a stroke of luck that I was able to help the Eternal Sacred Land win the civil war. You don't really believe that I can easily do the same for other nations, do you? That's beyond my ability."
Truthfully, he wasn't that interested in the task. He was the sacred land's disciple, but he didn't want to be its pawn and be sent to wherever it needed him to be. "Oh, I forgot to mention that Martial Divine Nation produces an abundance of Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit," the forefather added out of the blue.
Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit was the main ingredient for the Taiyi Skymender Pill, and was rare even in the Ten Divine Nations.
"Ah, the holy girl of Radiance Divine Nation is the famous Yao Guang from the sixteen golden hairpins."
Jiang Chen shrugged. "What does that have to do with me?"
Beautiful women didn't appeal to Jiang Chen. He cared more about material resources. Therefore, the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit alone wasn't enough to change his mind.
The forefather clapped his own forehead with a coy smile. "I forgot you're a loyal one who loves only one. Alright, I don't want Miss Huang'er to come after me. How about this. I'll let you choose between Martial and Sunrise."
"Sunrise Divine Nation has nothing but resources. If you can help them put down the rebellion, you can ask for anything you want. They'll gladly satisfy your requests."
Jiang Chen shook his head. "Venerated Forefather, can I not go?"
The forefather shook his head. "No, you can't. Actually, I suggest you pick Martial Divine Nation. Formations are very popular there. Maybe you'll be able to find the clues you've been looking for!"
The old man shamelessly hit Jiang Chen over the head with repeated incentives, clearly trying to lure him into taking on the task.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. "Venerated Forefather, it's all part of your plan, isn't it? Do you really trust me to take on this task? Any divine realm forefathers will be able to easily kill me."
"There aren't that many divine realm experts. Besides, don't you have the Vermilion Bird acting as your bodyguard? Don't fret, I'll compensate you for your troubles and give you the means to protect yourself. This is an easy mission that will win you great glory. You aren't going to encounter much difficulty. I'm not sending you to your death knowing you won't be able to succeed," the forefather spoke earnestly.
Jiang Chen watched him questioningly. "Really?"
"Boy, if you don't trust even me, who are you going to trust? Besides, you're the future leader of the sacred land. It'll help you build connections in the future to make appearances now."
That Jiang Chen had to admit, but it still wasn't a good enough reason for him to take the risk.
"Fine, you aren't going to move without any benefits, are you? You may take anything you want from the spirit herbs vault, until your arms are sore. Happy now?" The forefather pulled a face at him like someone had taken an enormous bite out of him.
Jiang Chen snickered. "I'll think about it. However, can you guarantee that they'll reward me for helping them put down the rebellion?"
"Don't worry. If they dare refuse to reward you, I'll personally teach them a lesson. Besides, they're the ones seeking help. They won't disobey our will. You're a smart one. You don't need me to teach you how to 'bargain', do you?" The forefather smirked.
Jiang Chen looked at the forefather thoughtfully, his lips quirked up.
The more he talked to the forefather, the more he realized how mischievous the old man was. He had an interesting personality. The old man was his kind of people.
The forefather handed him a written order. "This is special permission from me. You may take anything you want from the vault, anytime."
"Anything I want?"
"Yes." The forefather's facial muscles twitched.
Jiang Chen grinned. "Alright, I'll have a good look at the wares."
"Wait, when do you plan on departing?" The forefather wasn't going to let him slip away without a concrete answer.
"In three to five days," Jiang Chen said agreeably. "Does that work?"
Chapter 1831: Signs of Internal Demons
Having received a clean answer from Jiang Chen, the venerated forefather willingly handed him the written order.
The young man put it away into his belongings without much ceremony. He hadn't seen the spirit herb vault here yet; it was sure to be one of the best in Myriad Abyss, with a commensurately rich store of materials. Jiang Chen rather looked forward to it.
Returning to his residence, he beckoned to his companions excitedly. "Old Brother Vermilion, Brother Dragon, are you interested in raiding some supplies?"
"Raiding what supplies, exactly?" the Vermilion Bird asked lazily.
"The spirit herb vault here in the Eternal Sacred Land. How about it? Are you interested?" Jiang Chen tossed the order into the air, his tone enticing like he was luring little children.
Long Xiaoxuan's eyes lit up. "The spirit herb vault? The one here? I want to go. Why would I not?"
The Vermilion Bird chuckled. It glanced at Long Xiaoxuan with a look that belied its opinion: the dragon was still too young and simple.
Long Xiaoxuan voiced its mild displeasure. "Just tell me what you're thinking, Old Brother Vermilion. Why look like you're constipated?"
The Vermilion Bird clucked as it shook its head. "Where has your grace gone, Xiaolong? You are a member of a noble lineage, yet your behavior is so crude."
Long Xiaoxuan shrugged. "You two are a bad influence."
"Not I," the Vermilion Bird chuckled. "I am the most elegant of birds."
"What do you mean by that, eh?" Jiang Chen interjected in a huff. "Are you implying it's my fault? I see you're not interested. Alright, I'll go get rich on my own. Why're you throwing away my goodwill like that, huh?"
The Vermilion Bird chuckled. "Gifts are often accompanied by difficult requests. Young master Chen, the Eternal Sacred Land's generosity is no doubt coupled with a mission."
"Very perceptive. I'm not getting the herbs for free, no." Jiang Chen repeated the gist of what the venerated forefather had said to him. "Old brother, look. I have to go on the missions the sacred land sends me on anyway. This way, I can extract something extra to sweeten the deal. This is a rare opportunity for acquisitions – I wouldn't miss it if I were you."
"Normally, I'd go even without anything to get out of it," the Vermilion Bird snapped, "but breaking through to divine realm is my top priority right now. Don't you know how long I've waited for this day? Can you bear to see me stew like this?"
"You'll break through sooner or later," Jiang Chen grinned. "That you haven't yet just means the timing hasn't arrived. Maybe a few more fights or experts eaten will get you there without any work at all. Brother Long needs to increase his strength just as much as you need to break through, no? Xiaoxuan needs chances to fight in practical combat. It'll be a waste of the dragon bloodline otherwise!"
Long Xiaoxuan nodded several times in succession. "Yes, yes, of course I'll go. There's food and fighting to be had. No reason for me to refuse!"
The dragon never passed up chances to improve its cultivation.
"Brother Vermilion, what difference will a few months make for your trip to Hell King Island? Plus, you can't just sit around to cultivate all day and expect to get anywhere fast."
"Ah, kid!" the Vermilion Bird was vexed. "Alright, fine. I'll go on another of your wild escapades. But this is the last one! After that, I'm definitely going back to Hell King Island."
"Don't worry. You may break through to divine realm already by then. You won't want to go there anymore."
"I hope so."
Man and beasts were eager to raid the spirit herb vault when another visitor was announced. House Yan's Yan Zhenhuai, apparently.
"Yan Zhenhuai?" Jiang Chen blinked, then nodded to himself. That young man was worth seeing. He had a pretty good impression of the young genius. House Yan was wising up at last.
"Show him in," he waved a hand.
Yan Zhenhuai was quickly escorted in. He was reasonably at ease as he came in. "I still instinctively want to call you Shao Yuan, but I reminded myself to call you 'Brother Jiang Chen' from now on," he smiled wryly.
"Haha, you can use whichever name you like. Did you have something to tell me, Brother Zhenhuai?" Jiang Chen cut straight to the chase. He had raiding to do!
"It's like this. The house has sent a group of experts into the Boundless Prison. However, they've encountered a bit of a problem."
Jiang Chen furrowed his brow. "The three months your house promised are up, aren't they? I haven't gone to House Yan because I was waiting for you to finish the task. Now you tell me there's a bit of a problem? House Yan's failed, then?"
Yan Zhenhuai was somewhat helpless. "The Boundless Prison is a complicated place. The house made a promise it couldn't necessarily fulfill because it was pressed at the time. It's very difficult to find two people and bring them out from the Boundless Prison in three months. Even the experts themselves might not be able to return in that time."
"So there's no need to save Huang'er's parents, is that what you mean?" Jiang Chen's tone turned icy.
"Not at all. The house is trying its best. I came for two reasons: first, at the behest of the patriarch, to request a small extension. Second, to privately request you to forgive House Yan for this small misstep. I'm sure Huang'er is kind enough to hope that you give House Yan some leniency, even though she's broken with the house already."
"You're certainly right on that count," Jiang Chen nodded. "If I wasn't taking Huang'er's feelings into account, House Yan would not deserve mercy. I don't mean to offend you, Brother Zhenhuai, but that's the truth."
Yan Zhenhuai's expression was wry. "Indeed," he sighed. "House Yan bears almost all of the blame. A single mistake has blossomed into a chain of blunders. Several opportunities were offered and missed. Not just the patriarch, but all of the other members are culpable as well."
"Huang'er included?" Jiang Chen frowned.
"Oh, no! Huang'er did nothing wrong. Meeting you was the first step towards normality."
Jiang Chen smiled a little. "Never mind all that. An extension is reasonable enough, but how long should it be? I can't just let House Yan's efforts go on indefinitely. If the house can't even do this much to redeem itself, that proves it doesn't have the right to remain in the capital. There are many other factions stronger and more loyal, aren't there? They wait for the sacred land's support."
Yan Zhenhuai had nothing to say. Yes, there were many houses stronger than House Yan right now. If the sacred land was unsatisfied with the house's attempt at atonement, it was quite possible it would be pushed aside for another.
There was nothing he could really do, given his position. He gestured toward the door. At his signal, several burly men brought in several chests.
"Brother Jiang Chen, these are a token of House Yan's contrition. There are three chests in total for your records." Yan Zhenhuai was just straight up offering gifts.
Jiang Chen perused them through a half-smile, but didn't move. Was House Yan resorting to bribery?
Seeing his host's impassivity, Yan Zhenhuai clapped. "Open them up for Sir Jiang to see."
The chests were opened to reveal empyrean spirit stones, resources, spirit herbs, and other valuables.
"Is House Yan willing to pay such an expensive cost?" Jiang Chen was mildly astonished.
"Brother Jiang Chen, the patriarch means to ask for three more months. Each month of additional delay after that will mean another chest owed… as compensation for your frustration."
Jiang Chen swept his gaze across the three chests. "I'll accept these gifts," he stated coolly, "but these three extra months are final. Do not test my patience. I'm only giving this one chance."
Though it was rude to answer a smile with a slap, Jiang Chen did feel rather annoyed. How could he not? Despite taking three months, House Yan had completely failed in their task.
He liked the gifts objectively, but couldn't forget himself because of them.
After the verbal warning, Jiang Chen sent Yan Zhenhuai off.
He knew that his own strength was somewhat insufficient to venture into the Boundless Prison just yet. If House Yan couldn't pull it off in the end, though, he would have to head in himself.
"I hope House Yan won't disappoint me too much." Jiang Chen wanted to forgive House Yan. That was why he'd given it the chance to redeem itself. If the house couldn't grasp that chance, though, there was nothing he could do.
Yan Zhenhuai's visit had dampened his cheery mood.
The three boxes of goods had involved a reasonable amount of effort. Jiang Chen toyed with their contents for a few moments, then smiled faintly. "Take whatever you want, Brother Dragon. Don't be too modest."
The dragon snickered. "Oh, I won't."
The Vermilion Bird lacked interest in items of this caliber. "Young master Chen," it asked, "the Taiyi Skymender Pill exists for ascension from great emperor to empyrean. Is there something for empyrean to divine?"
Jiang Chen glanced toward the bird. "What're you trying to ask, Old Brother Vermilion?"
"Haha, I just wanted to know whether something like that exists."
"It does," the young man nodded readily. "However, I don't think Divine Abyss has the requisite materials."
"What materials? Tell me. I might've heard of them." The Vermilion Bird's eyes lit up.
"Old Brother Vermilion, you don't need pills to help you break through to divine realm. Trust me, don't overthink things. You've been stuck on your breakthrough for awhile now. The act of doing so has become an inner demon. If you keep on going like this, it will only be harmful to your cultivation," Jiang Chen gently reminded.
He had felt the sacred fowl's clear restlessness as of late. Perhaps godhood was too great of an attraction, a fixation for countless millennia. Now that the bird had the chance to get there, it thought about it every waking moment. As time went on, an inner demon began to form.
This was not a good sign.
The Vermilion Bird's expression froze in thought.
"Young master Chen, do you really think I can break through to divine realm with no problem?" it asked once more out of concern.
"If you let your inner demon get the best of you, you can forget about achieving divinity for the rest of your life. A shadow of it is already beginning to appear. You must control yourself and destroy it, lest it trouble you in the future," Jiang Chen warned.
The Vermilion Bird had indeed changed somewhat over the past few days. It had become a little harder to understand. Jiang Chen hadn't paid it much mind at first, but the bird seemed to be developing an inner demon.
Chapter 1832: Extraordinary Gains
The Vermilion Bird would've scoffed at another human youth, but Jiang Chen's words rang in its ears. The bird couldn't help but take them seriously.
"I agree with young master Chen, Old Brother Vermilion," Long Xiaoxuan observed from the side. "I also think your behavior's been a bit abnormal lately."
The divine spirit creature broke out in a cold sweat. "I have been too hasty, then," it nodded.
Jiang Chen chuckled, then snapped a finger. "Don't let that get you down, friend. We have a vault to raid. Come on, let's see what goodies there are for us to take."
The Eternal Sacred Land's vaults were incredibly well stocked. Their splendor was almost dizzying to the eye.
Having seen spirit herb vaults ten times richer in his previous life, Jiang Chen was the calmest of the trio. Conversely, Long Xiaoxuan was the most excited. The dragon's eyes lit up. "Young master Chen, can we really take anything here?"
Dragons were naturally inclined to hoard treasure. It was an instinct down to their bones. Long Xiaoxuan was no different: his blood told him to take everything he saw.
"Brother Long, I know you're a true dragon, but you can't just indiscriminately grab everything."
The Vermilion Bird laughed. "You dragons really do get fixated on treasure, huh!"
Long Xiaoxuan snorted softly, but didn't answer. The bright glint in his eyes signified his significant interest in the cache before him.
Jiang Chen was much pickier than that. Though he was in the best vault in Eternal Divine Nation, not everything was enough to catch his eye. Some was worthy enough to be in his collection, but he didn't move to take them. His one rule was to be not greedy; he would grab only what he needed the most.
Things of only ordinary usefulness were ignored.
A stroll through the vault found Long Xiaoxuan burdened with a plethora of miscellaneous valuables. The Vermilion Bird took advantage as well, but Jiang Chen hadn't taken a single thing just yet. None of the items he'd seen were particularly necessary.
However, when he came to another area, a pile of a certain substance piqued his interest. It was a kind of sand.
Jiang Chen knew of it from his previous life: Moon Lake Silversand, and a premium material for etching formations. It unconditionally increased the strength of any formation it was used in by thirty percent. If the formation in question was perfectly drawn and infused, it would be amplified by as much as a hundred percent.
Moon Lake Silversand was a wonderful substance, something he had dreamed of getting his hands on.
The True Spirit Post that Jiang Chen had acquired from the Primosanct Sect had lain unused all this time. The brush was one of the best tools in the world for drawing up formations.
Combined, the True Spirit Post and the Moon Lake Silversand could improve the power of the most ordinary of formations by a minimum of eighty percent. Used effectively, they could multiply a formation's strength several times over.
Jiang Chen was a bit surprised at the sheer volume of the sand in the vault. The glistening grains piled up into small hills. He unceremoniously filled several flasks with the thing. When it came to real treasures, there was no such thing as too much of them.
However, the young man was far from insatiable. He took less than a hundredth of the hills of silvery sand. The Moon Lake Silversand itself made his entire trip worthwhile.
Jiang Chen didn't leave just yet, though. The venerated forefather had personally promised him free access to anything in the vault. Technically, he could take as much as he wished.
Though he wasn't haphazard about his acquisitions, he'd only been through half the vault.
Jiang Chen picked several more items up in the latter half of the vault, most of them cultivation related. He also pulled a set of talismans which were rather practical for combat usage. Everything else, he left untouched.
Under several pointed suggestions from his human friend, Long Xiaoxuan finally managed to repress his desire to thoroughly plunder the vault. He returned with a vast pile of treasure, but most were cultivation related and non-unique. The Eternal Sacred Land wouldn't see much of a real loss.
The Vermilion Bird's standards were much higher. Even the stores of the Eternal Sacred Land were largely uninteresting to it. The items it took away were extremely limited by their excellence.
All in all, each raider was pleased with his hefty haul.
Not long after Jiang Chen and company left, the venerated forefather came to visit the vault. The guard there reported the details of the youth's visit to him.
The venerated forefather smiled. "I thought that kid would ransack the place, but he has much more restraint than I expected. A young man who is both courteous and adroit, I see. Interesting young people like him are becoming harder and harder to find."
"Forefather, Sir Jiang Chen didn't take much, but he brought two companions with him. One of them took quite a few spirit herbs for cultivation."
The forefather smiled faintly. "If you knew who they were, perhaps you wouldn't mention that. Anyway, the things they took won't hurt us."
The forefather had much more vision than his underlings. He knew that Jiang Chen had with him a vermilion bird and a true dragon.
A combination like that was impossible to find anywhere, even if one searched high and low. The Eternal Sacred Land was fortunate to be graced with their presences.
Were they supposed to be faulted with taking too much in light of that? Rather, the forefather hoped they would take even more.
The more the sacred beasts received, the more they would remember the favor owed. The help they offered in the future would far outweigh what they had taken.
Even if the true dragon and the vermilion bird weren't grateful to the Eternal Sacred Land, they would be grateful to Jiang Chen. Would they refuse a request for help from the youth?
It was a worthwhile investment in the end.
The venerated forefather was all the more impressed with the young man.
After returning to his residence, he decided to make for Martial Divine Nation after only a brief respite. The trip was necessary; he'd given his promise.
He didn't expect the venerated forefather to make such a visit so soon, though.
"Jiang Chen, it seems you're planning to leave soon?"
"Tomorrow, I think," Jiang Chen answered briskly.
"Alright. I haven't forgotten my part of the bargain. Here are a few talismans that may be useful in saving your life. These are offensive and defensive talismans, as well as escape glyphs. The offensive talismans will allow you to use attacks that are seventy to eighty percent of my strength for a short time, and the defensive ones will help you deal with many unforeseen circumstances."
The venerated forefather was banking a lot on this venture.
Jiang Chen accepted every gift that was given. What the forefather saw worthy to give was undoubtedly valuable. He didn't want to waste the goodwill.
"Jiang Chen, I haven't had such high hopes for a young man in a very long time. I look forward to hearing the reports of your success," the venerated forefather encouraged.
"Venerated forefather, I can only promise to give it my all. If the task seems impossible, I won't place myself into extreme danger. After all, I owe my allegiance to the Eternal Sacred Land. It would be irresponsible for me to put my life on the line for the Martial one."
The venerated forefather waved a hand. "I've never cared for empty words of courtesy. I want to mention only one thing. If your trip succeeds, you will have won the goodwill of the Martial Sacred Land. That sacred land is known for its great generosity."
"I see. I'll take that to heart," Jiang Chen smiled.
He rested in his own residence that night. The second morning, he sought out his disciple, Hua Ming. The boy had been established in the capital, and Jiang Chen had always had precious little time to teach him.
Thankfully, Hua Ming was talented enough to understand the essence of Jiang Chen's tutelage with only a little guiding. He was a natural for cultivation, and had improved at incredible speed.
"Hua Ming, the entire divine nation knows who I am now. There's no need to hide our relationship anymore. I am now a disciple of the sacred land, with a personal residence there. I'd like to take you in as well. You can cultivate inside my residence to break through that much quicker."
Hua Ming was bizarrely ecstatic. He rarely saw his master, and knew even less about his master's identity. However, he had witnessed Jiang Chen's incredible performance in the rebellion. He was proud that he had such a great master from the bottom of his heart – the greatest, in fact!
Because of this, he was very anxious of this all turning out to be a dream.
Only when Jiang Chen brought him back to his own residence did Hua Ming feel relieved once more. His master was as pleased with his behavior as ever.
"Where are you going now, master?"
"My destination is a secret, don't ask. If someone comes to look for trouble or pick a fight, go find Elder Ziju… or the three primes themselves, if you prefer. Our residence will not suffer the misbehavior of another!"
"Yes, master!" Hua Ming's eyes brightened. The uncertainty in his heart mostly faded away.
After settling Hua Ming in, Jiang Chen departed the Eternal Sacred Land quietly. His destination: Martial Divine Nation.
There was an ongoing rebellion there as well. The nation was still being ravaged by the fires of war. It had faced the worst of the ten sacred lands' respective rebellions.
Chapter 1833: A Base of Spirit Herbs
Taking Starfate, it took roughly three days for Jiang Chen to arrive at Martial Divine Nation. According to the venerated forefather, Martial Divine Nation was on friendly terms with Eternal Divine Nation. The two sacred lands often held exchanges or even arranged marriages with each other.
Martial Divine Nation respected Eternal Divine Nation like an older brother. That was why the forefather had suggested Jiang Chen pick it as his destination.
The political order in Martial Divine Nation was similar to that of Eternal Divine Nation. The sacred land held the reigns of power, and there were many subordinate sects and aristocratic families.
There was a divine realm forefather in the Martial Sacred Land, but the same went for the rebellion. The two forefathers were neck and neck, and their duel was gridlocked.
However, things were different on the lower levels. The rebellion army was quite formidable and dominated the sacred land, putting them in a more difficult place than the Eternal Sacred Land had been in.
Jiang Chen didn't announce his arrival upon entering a completely foreign land. Tens of thousands of miles from Martial territory, he and his companions alighted from the airboat and flew on their own.
The forefather had said his first mission was to aid the sacred land's spirit herb mountain, their secret base for cultivating spirit herbs.
They'd excavated a spirit vein, which enabled them to cultivate a great variety of herbs and make the mountain a general garden. Its development was the sacred land's greatest achievement over the past few decades and crucial to the sacred land. Its loss would be a serious blow to them.
For the time being, the rebels hadn't seem to have discovered the base yet and therefore hadn't sent their most powerful force to it. But information had somehow been leaked. No one knew if that was because the rebels were adept at gathering intel, or if there was a mole inside the sacred land.
Whatever the truth was, the spirit herb base was close to being exposed. Fortunately, the sacred land had set up a great number of disorienting, trapping, and defensive formations around the base. When activated, they were enough to keep the place safe.
Jiang Chen's first mission was to help the base overcome its current challenges. It was even better if he could destroy the rebel army that aimed to take the mountain.
The base was led by the only female prime of the sacred land - Prime Purplestar, a prominent cultivator in the Ten Divine Nations. Other than the divine forefather, she was one of the most important leading figures of the sacred land.
"What do you plan to do, young master Chen?" asked the Vermilion Bird.
Jiang Chen thought for a moment. "This is Martial Divine Nation. We can't do much of what we did in Eternal Divine Nation."
"Naturally. I'll follow your lead." The Vermilion Bird had spent some time thinking on their way here, which gave it a newfound respect for Jiang Chen. Over the past couple of days, it'd suppressed its inner demons and all intrusive thoughts, which calmed its mind and slowly eliminated its obsession.
With the knot in its heart resolved, the bird recovered its noble spirit as well. Moreover, the recent series of battles and breakthroughs had pushed its strength further. It'd made great progress since its fight with the Xiahou forefather.
"First, we need a map of the area. Then we can figure out how much defense the base has relative to the rebels. Only then do we formulate strategies and come up with a battle plan. Again, patience is a virtue. We either vanquish the enemies in one attempt, or we stay put, waiting for the opportunity to present itself."
He didn't have a concrete plan yet, but he had a general idea of what he'd do. In a fight at such a level and scale, a swift, fatal strike was the only solution. Prolonging the battle would only made things worse since the rebels greatly outnumbered the sacred land.
The sacred land couldn't afford the toll that would take, while the rebels simply numbered too many. They could keep replenishing their forces, making it seem as if the rebels had an unlimited number of supporters. If they all came to the same conclusion, they'd become much more strong-willed and hit harder.
A soldier's will and power was often determined by the impetus driving their side.
That was what happened at the beginning of the uprising in Eternal Divine Nation. The rebels had been in high spirits and managed to keep the sacred land pinned down, making it a difficult fight.
In the final assault, the alliance had fallen apart and never recovered their original momentum. The Vermilion Bird's attack was the last straw that broke them. Their failure could be partly attributed to their infighting, but also to the general trend of the war.
Therefore, Jiang Chen didn't think it'd be worthwhile to just kill a few enemies or launch a few ambushes. Instead, the sacred land had to make a move that would determine the direction of the war, or even straight-up turn things around.
Such opportunities didn't come by often, but he believed that was the right path to pursue.
Skirmishes raged near the spirit herbs base, taking him back to the days of war ravaging the Eternal Sacred Land. The fight in the Martial Sacred Land was much more intense by comparison.
The uprising against the Eternal Sacred Land had been kept a secret in the beginning. Thus, the rebels had been the only force surrounding the sacred land. The war in Martial Divine Nation was much more devastating and covered a significantly larger area.
Scouting wouldn't pose much of a challenge to Jiang Chen since he had the Goldbiter Rats. Nonetheless, in order to keep them safe, he didn't send a big group and deployed a smaller team of the most clever that were adept at gathering information.
The operation was risky, but the higher the risk, the greater the return.
Many intense conflicts had broken out around the base. Since the battlefield hadn't been cleaned up yet, the rats would be able to acquire some loot.
Through observing the rebels on the outskirts, Jiang Chen came to some deductions.
The rebels were gathering their troops, but their elites hadn't found the right way to break into the base. Therefore, attacks hadn't been launched in recent days.
The rebellion was led by a demigod forefather, under whom were a group of ninth level empyrean figureheads from major sects and aristocratic families.
The importance they placed on the base after its exposure was evident. They clearly had decided to conquer and gain control of the spirit herb base. They would then be essentially holding the sacred land's lifeline in their grip, severely undermining the sacred land's war effort.
"Young master Chen, the sacred land's defense army is less than one fifth of the rebels," reported the Goldbiter Kingrat. "They wouldn't have been able to defend the base if not for the terrain and their formations and restrictions. My estimation is a conservative one. The ratio of their number may even be as high as one to six."
The rat didn't give an accurate figure, but he was confident in his estimate.
Jiang Chen frowned. "Which means it's only a matter of time before the rebels break in."
"That's right," the Goldbiter King agreed without hesitation. "The sacred land is even secretly planning on destroying the base if they fail to deter the rebels. They'd rather do that than to let the spirit herbs fall into rebel hands."
"They have backbone," Jiang Chen praised. "How about the rebels? Any recent movement?"
"They've been studying and trying to break the formations outside the base. Once they succeed, they'll be able to enter without much resistance. Without the formations, the sacred land can only rely on the terrain, but that won't be of much help. After all, this is a battle between cultivators, not mortals."
In the mortal world, terrain gave army a significant advantage. In a fight between cultivators who could soar into the sky and go underground though, it was all too easy to destroy such advantages.
In other words, the only thing keeping the base safe was the formations outside, which were also the sacred land's strong suit.
"Brother Chen, there's a simple enough solution," said Long Xiaoxuan. "The three of us can just charge into the rebellion army and kill the demigod forefather. Then the enemies will fall apart. Why make things so complicated?"
The Vermilion Bird shook its head. "Xiaolong, there will always be someone better than you somewhere. Your solution may work once, but it can end up making things worse in the long term."
Without the obsession plaguing its mind, the bird was much more clear-headed than it'd been. Once it had a good grasp of the situation, it recognized that they'd be vulnerable to ambushes if they launched a frontal attack.
The rebels had a demigod and a group of peak ninth level empyrean experts after all. If they formed a battle formation and lured the bird in, it was possible for them to trap the bird, or even kill it.
Hubris would be a cultivator's downfall. There were plenty of such examples in the martial dao world.
Chapter 1834: Jiang Chen's Plan
Long Xiaoxuan was a bit upset to hear his idea struck down. His strength had increased again recently and he thirsted for battle. The heat of battle was the perfect environment for him to take in nutrition and insight to stimulate new breakthroughs.
Though Long Xiaoxuan was only sixth level empyrean realm, he could hold his own against even ninth level cultivators. The higher level a true dragon was, the more of an advantage in battle he gained over other experts.
The gradual awakening of his heritage only sped up that process. His understanding of martial dao deepened more and more. This was accompanied by an evolution of his physical body.
Since entering empyrean realm, Long Xiaoxuan could clearly feel the elements within his flesh changing with time. There was a new discovery almost every day; he wanted to tangibly test the exact amount of his advancement.
Jiang Chen noticed Long Xiaoxuan's expression. "Brother Long," he smiled suddenly, "I've come up with a different idea for your keenness to fight."
"What is it? Hurry up and tell me. I don't want to be held up," Long Xiaoxuan was beyond curious.
"It involves you as bait. Because of that, it's pretty dangerous."
"What danger would I be scared of? True dragons like me aren't easy to handle. You might think of something risky, but it'll hardly threaten me." The dragon sounded very proud.
"Old Brother Vermilion, I need your help for the plan, too. It's pointless otherwise," Jiang Chen flattered the sacred bird.
"Young master Chen, please lay out whatever new plan you have. I'm here to work with you as best I can." The Vermilion Bird was easy to talk to.
"It's like this…" Jiang Chen detailed. "The matter of the Eternal Sacred Land should be public knowledge now. You and I are no longer secret weapons, but only a few sacred land executives know about Brother Long. Just think: if a true dragon appears in the vicinity, would the rebel leaders be lured by the sighting?"
Long attracted understood immediately.
"True dragons are definitely the most desirable of the four sacred beasts," the Vermilion Bird affirmed. "I think it'll work."
The sacred bird wasn't unduly putting itself down. The sacred beasts' bloodlines were unique to each other. However, the true dragon one was definitely the most potent and therefore attractive.
"Tell me what you'd like me to do, young master Chen. I'm in." The Vermilion Bird's interest was piqued as well; it wanted to fight as much as the dragon.
Improvement through battle was the most distinct kind. The Vermilion Bird was a sliver of progress from breaking through to divine realm. A thread of inspiration would be enough to trigger an eruption.
It awaited only natural progression from one realm to the other. How exactly it could trigger that was the bird's foremost concern right now. Looking for the inspiration in battle was probably the most practical idea.
Jiang Chen became more animated upon joint support from the Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan. Man and beasts engaged in heated conference.
In about an hour, an arrangement that all three parties were pleased with was formed.
"Let's make it tomorrow. Whether it works or not is up to your acting, Brother Long," Jiang Chen laughed.
That night, they set the trap. Jiang Chen's job was to lay down the foundations and formations.
The plan was hardly the cleverest, and generally wouldn't work in normal situations.
However, the hearts of men were restless at the moment. That made it more likely the plan would succeed. As long as the rebel leaders were ensnared by the trap, Jiang Chen was sure he would strike them down in a single blow.
Once the leaders were gone, the rebels would collapse under the weight of their lost commanders. He and the two beasts would be able to slaughter almost everything they saw.
...
The rays of morning sunlight scattered into the quiet, secluded valley, brightening it ever so slightly. However, the normally peaceful locale was disturbed by a strong aura of murder.
The rebel army's troops had gathered together to completely surround this place in a siege.
A demigod forefather was the highest on the rebels' chain of command. His name was Goldenbell, an old man who garnered considerable respect.
He ran a tight ship that kept all the different factions in the army under his control. No dissent was permitted. As a result, the army was much better organized than the anti-sacred-land alliance back in Eternal Divine Nation.
Eternal's alliance had been divided even in the best of times. Each faction refused to yield to the instructions of their peers. Though they feigned obeisance on the surface, their hands tended to be contrary and perverse. There had been nonstop conflict since day one.
The core reason was because no leader existed that commanded any modicum of respect or admiration. The man who led the anti-sacred-land alliance had been a self-interested man himself.
He had allowed politics to influence his delegation of tasks. Some factions incurred horrible losses, while others were kept largely unscathed. This kind of injustice meant that there was no basis for solidarity for the rebel alliance from the start.
Martial Divine Nation's rebel army, however, had no such problem – at least on the surface.
Forefather Goldenbell had ample authority over his men. He gathered the leaders of the army's various factions to discuss strategy and sound off ideas every day.
On the surface, the delegation of tasks was also candid and impartial. In a rebel army composed of so many factions, that was an amazing accomplishment.
This morning, the forefather was calling together the factions' leaders as usual for the debriefing before the battle.
There were seven factions among the rebel army that had come to the Martial Sacred Land's spirit herb base. Each was led by an important giant.
These giants were at minimum vice sect heads, venerated elders, or second-in-command of the houses. All in all, a remarkably high-profile lineup.
Forefather Goldenbell's eyes glinted with a keen light. "Friends," he swept his gaze across every man, "Our army has stagnated here for more than three days. That's not a long time, and it might not even affect the grand scheme of things, but we must consider a serious problem.
"The fighting spirits of people are cyclical. When we lose the high we currently have, the result may be drastically different. We need to launch an attack within the next three days. We must break through the defensive formation. If we do that, we can do whatever we like!"
"Forefather Goldenbell, the Martial Sacred Land has always been extremely proficient with formations. How powerful is the formation around its spirit herb base, really? Can't we launch a frontal assault and smash it open using brute force?"
"Quite so. From what I see, there's barely any forces here from the sacred land. Their so-called formations and restrictions are an empty threat."
"Forefather, why don't we organize an attack to test the setup here?"
Forefather Goldenbell was silent. He had thought of that before himself, but was concerned about the hit to morale if it failed.
That wasn't the biggest worry, though: if casualties were high, the participating factions would indubitably have second thoughts. The rebel army had never been a unified whole in the first place. It was quite possible it would crumble.
The forefather's extended silence made some anxious. "Forefather, we can't keep stalling like this. I don't trust those formation masters. How much will they be able to understand about the Martial Sacred Land's formation? If they had that ability, they would be inside already."
"Yes. It will take them years to figure out anything."
Forefather Goldenbell pushed down both hands when he saw the intense desire of those gathered to fight.
"I understand your feelings, my friends. Still, I must consider a great deal more as the commander. Any potential risks must be eliminated."
"Ah right, has the scouting out there revealed any changes?" the forefather asked suddenly.
"Not much," several of the leaders responsible for reconnaissance responded. "There's very little going on out there. The sacred land's own headquarters are being threatened right now. How could it have any reinforcements?"
Forefather Goldenbell shook his head coolly. "You will feel the pain of having thought that way sooner or later. The Martial Sacred Land doesn't have any of its own men available, but classified sources tell me that it has sent out a request for help to the other sacred lands."
"What? To the other sacred lands?"
"I thought the rebellions were started simultaneously in all ten divine nations? The other sacred lands should be busy themselves, shouldn't they?"
"No, no, no. Three of the divine nations' rebellions were quashed before they began. Two or three more have been quelled by now. Only a few of us are left in a slightly favorable position over our sacred lands. Martial Divine Nation is one such case. I should emphasize that we only have a slight edge."
The simultaneous initiation of ten rebellions at once had been a calamitous event. The relative calm now belied how shortly in the past that momentous occurrence had been.
Some sacred lands had been dominant enough to nip their problems in the bud. Others had applied fortune and resource alike to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
"Forefather, even if some of the divine nations have put down their rebellions, civil strife like that does significant harm. They should be worrying about self-preservation rather than minding other people's business."
"Exactly. The ten sacred lands have all been injured to varying degrees. Why would they come to the support of an ally when their own house is on fire? Plus, the Martial Sacred Land doesn't necessarily have strong allies in the first place."
Chapter 1835: Forefather Goldenbell's Selfish Motives
The rebel leaders seemed to absolutely hate the Martial Sacred Land. There was no hint of fear or respect in their words. Forefather Goldenbell was all the more exasperated for it, however.
His sources had informed him over the past few days that the Martial Sacred Land had already sent out various requests for help.
Though the ten divine nations' sacred lands openly competed with each other in various ways, they were also intimately interconnected in some ways. The Martial Sacred Land, for example, was on very good terms with several other sacred lands: one of them the Eternal Sacred Land.
"If this is how all of you think," the forefather intoned in a low voice, "you'll be in for a big surprise."
"Come on, Forefather. I think we shouldn't worry so much about such unlikely events. Our army is obviously at an advantage, and the spirit herb fields will be ours before long. I don't believe a few formations will be enough to stop our iron march!"
"There haven't been any factions blind enough to oppose us from the outside, have there, Forefather?"
Forefather Goldenbell sighed. "Do you know that the Martial and Eternal Sacred Lands have an vow of brotherhood? If one is attacked, the other is obligated to help."
"A vow of brotherhood? Is something like that even reliable? It's been quite a while since we rebelled. I don't see any help from Eternal."
"That's because they had to fight their own rebels. The rebellions started at almost the same time. How could anyone have come from there? It had its own trouble to contend with."
"And what about now? The Eternal Sacred Land seems to have resolved its little situation, though everyone says it was lucky to do so. I don't believe that it would dare meddle in Martial Divine Nation's affairs after suffering such a serious injury."
"You're right. Eternal won't be able to interfere. They can't even fully mind their own business."
"Here's something you don't know. The quelling of the rebellion in Eternal Divine Nation didn't involve a significant loss in the sacred land's main force. Moreover, the sacred land commands much more authority than before as a result."
"So what? The fact stands that they need to get their own house in order. Are they brave enough to intrude on us?"
"I doubt the Eternal Sacred Land thinks the same. If its venerated forefather comes in person, he can dictate the tide of battle."
"Exactly. That's why we need to finish this quickly. We can't waste our strength here for no reason." Everyone was itching for a fight.
Forefather Goldenbell grew pensive. His ears suddenly twitched; he turned his eye towards the distant part of the valley. Terrifying energy signatures emanated from there. Everyone could sense the drastic change.
"What's happening?" It was a common observation now that ripples of natural energy had reached the earth underfoot. The assembled rebels could feel the trembling of the ground. Everyone looked in that direction together.
Ripple after fluid ripple disturbed the integrity of space, breathtaking in their spurring grandeur.
In the next moment, the surrounding wildlife fled as one. Birds, beasts, and all manner of other living things departed the area with panicked rapidity.
"What's this now?" Everyone was very confused.
Forefather Goldenbell was the only one who stayed calm. "Stay where you are, don't be alarmed. There must be a powerful spirit beast who's either wandered nearby or recently awakened. There's no cause for concern."
His consciousness was stronger than everyone else's, which allowed him to pick up just a little more information than the rest.
Amid the chaos, a shape rose out of the ripples and soared into the sky like a crowning halo.
A dragon in flight!
No one could believe their eyes. There was a wave of confused blinking and squinting. All attention was on the airborne creature. It had twin horns, limbs, talons, and scales…
These characteristics matched up exactly to the dragons of legend.
Forefather Goldenbell's breathing grew ragged. The appearance of a true dragon here was beyond his wildest dreams.
"This… is this a true dragon from the myths?" someone asked weakly.
"Definitely! Look, it has five talons on each of its four limbs. Only the purest of dragons, the true dragons, sport that unique identifier."
"Yes. The scales are pure as well. This is no cross-breed!"
Everyone knew how miraculous dragon blood was. A single drop could transform a cultivator's fate.
As long as a cultivator could assimilate a drop of dragon blood, he would be destined for eventual greatness. His fighting prowess and potential would both be improved beyond his natural peers' capabilities.
True dragon blood was extremely rare.
Everyone's breathing shortened. Their minds wandered through a variety of possibilities. Even Forefather Goldenbell couldn't control his unbridled joy.
He was observing the true dragon in question. It was clear that the dragon was of some ability; sixth or seventh level empyrean, to be exact. As a demigod himself, he could definitely tame such a creature.
The thought of taming a dragon and receiving its allegiance was a thought that couldn't be repressed. A rebellion and authority were much less worthwhile compared to getting his hands on a true dragon for the long term!
True dragon blood could very well propel him into divine realm straightaway, and would enhance his potential by leaps and bounds besides. If he could control this true dragon, he could even become the strongest cultivator in all Myriad Abyss.
What authority or position would be closed off to him then? What would the Martial Sacred Land mean in comparison?
He didn't stand to gain very much even if the sacred land were entirely crushed. After all, there was a divine forefather above him. Regardless of his own contributions, he would be forever second place. The opportunity before him was one that he could very well never see again in this lifetime.
Forefather Goldenbell waved a hand. "Don't go anywhere," he commanded, "Make sure to stop the people inside from trying to break through the encirclement. I'll go take a closer look!"
He didn't want to be accompanied by the others. His own abilities were more than sufficient for taming a sixth or seventh level empyrean true dragon. The additional people might've been able to help, but they would also make things more complicated, without question.
Most importantly, they would potentially want something for themselves out of the deal.
The various factions' leaders traded strange looks with each other as they watched the forefather disappear into the distance as a golden streak. What was going on here?
Before the true dragon had appeared, Forefather Goldenbell had instructed everyone to stay put and not overreact. Why had the forefather now ditched the rest of them and gone to investigate all on his own?
They were no fools. The old man's motives were sure to be selfish!
No one wanted to point that out outright, however.
There was a moment of awkwardness before someone couldn't resist breaking the silence. "This is unfair," he muttered. "Forefather Goldenbell is the commander. He should've stayed put here, but he's gone off on his own. What if there's an emergency? Who'll be responsible?"
"You're right. We shouldn't be without our leader for long."
"Forefather Goldenbell wants to go provoke that true dragon, eh? If he can't take it down shortly, he might just cause a lot of trouble for us in the future. I think we should go and help him."
"Yes, yes, we should help. The quicker it's dealt with, the better! Plus, we witnessed it too. We deserve a share! We won't get a share if we don't follow the forefather."
"Come on, let's go take a look."
"Hold on, if we go over there, what are we going to do about things here? What if…"
"The army is stationed here. We're only leaving for a short while. Nothing bad will happen. If you want to stay behind though, we don't mind."
"Absurd! I don't want to stay. I need a share of the spoils, too. If we're going, we're all going together!"
"Well, let's go then. Let's make this clear: one person from each faction should go, and the rest will stay behind to hold down the fort. Every faction has more than one leader here anyway. We'll decide who goes according to relative importance."
"It's decided, then!"
These people lusted after the true dragon bloodline with great keenness. Everyone knew a true dragon was a treasure, and no one wanted it to be an exclusive one.
They couldn't take on Forefather Goldenbell one on one, but six or seven ninth level empyrean experts added together would give them a good fighting chance, even if the forefather turned on them.
After all, Goldenbell was only a demigod, not a full-fledged one!
A demigod could take on three or four ninth level empyrean experts no problem, but six or seven required much more wariness and caution.
Forefather Goldenbell hadn't expected the others to be just as selfish as he. Moments after his departure, the others caught up. He was furious when he noticed the unwanted, surreptitious sidekicks at his back.
"What are you all doing here? Are you shirking your duties?" he reprimanded sullenly.
One of them chuckled. "We just wanted to see if we could help."
"I don't need your help. I can deal with it myself. Go back quickly!" the forefather bristled with anger.
"Heheh, Forefather, there's strength in numbers."
"Exactly. Forefather, did you take an interest in the true dragon? We're not as strong as you, but we can help block its path, can't we?"
"Shouldn't we be entitled to a finder's portion as well, Forefather?"
Chapter 1836: Prey Approaches
"How dare you!" Forefather Goldenbell raged, glaring hotly and aiming his demigod aura at the cultivators coming his way.
He was no pushover. He wouldn't allow anyone to lay a finger on or get a share of what he'd set his eyes on. The dragon was his, and his alone!
The others had come to an understanding beforehand. It infuriated them that the forefather would threaten them with his aura. They shouldered the force between themselves without missing a beat and quietly persevered.
The forefather was caught off guard. He'd thought they'd lose their composure and scatter once he struck, getting some of them to flee and leaving the others behind, but they'd already formed a united front, aiming to challenge his authority!
The forefather levelled them with a cool stare. "What is this? Are you openly defying me?"
"Don't say that, forefather. We followed you out of goodwill. We're in the same boat and should work together."
"That's right. If we get selfish, we'll repeat the mistakes of the rebels in Eternal Divine Nation. We have to be a team. You said so yourself."
The forefather fumed. He really had just said that. He couldn't come up with a counter-argument when they used his own words against him.
He managed to keep a level head despite his fury. They'd come prepared with an understanding and were determined to stick their fingers in the pie.
Forefather Goldenbell wasn't a reckless man. After some deliberation, he concluded that it'd be too difficult for him to deal with them on his own. What was more, as soon as a fight broke out, his plans would be rendered obsolete.
He'd cooled down after a moment. Brute force wasn't the answer here. He had to be smart about things.
"How wonderful of you all to offer your help," he said with a faint smile. "Let us have an open conversation. We must capture the dragon alive. If you help me subdue it, you will be rewarded in the future."
"Future reward is a little too nebulous, forefather. I think it'll be better for us to kill it and split the gain immediately."
"Bullshit!" snapped the forefather, infuriated. "Don't you know a living true dragon is more than ten times the value of a dead one?!"
"Haha, then how are we going to split the gains, Forefather?"
"That's right. It isn't right for you to have a living dragon while we get nothing." They were becoming increasingly forward.
The forefather scoffed. "Then what do you suggest?"
"We'll defer to you, Forefather. We'll accept any reasonable arrangement."
"Reasonable?" The forefather huffed and paused for a thoughtful moment. "How about I promise each of you three drops of the dragon's blood? I'll give it to you in batches. In addition, we'll negotiate an additional deal on stones and spirit herbs. The total value will be no less than a billion stones. What do you say?"
That was a generous offer; a billion stones was a considerable sum. However, it wasn't that appealing to figureheads from major sects and families like them.
Noting their disinterest, the forefather growled, "Don't get too greedy. I can deal with the dragon without you."
"Haha, your offer is generous, I guess, but it's not enough compared to a true dragon's bloodline."
"Then what do you want?" The forefather could barely contain his rage.
"If we help you capture the dragon and you ascend to godhood, you owe us three favors. You have to help whether we or our descendents seek you out."
"Three favors for each of you?" the forefather asked incredulously.
"Yes."
"There are seven of you. That makes it twenty-one favors. Am I to be your slave in the future?'
"That's nothing compared to the true dragon, right?"
"What if you make some unreasonable requests?" asked the forefather in a cool voice. "Am I to fulfill them as well? That's not how the world works."
"Don't worry. Our requests won't hurt your interests or violate fundamental morality."
The forefather thought pensively, weighing his options.
These bastards are clearly trying to take advantage. I can't possibly let them! I might as well agree first. I'll deal with them one by one later.
With his mind made up, the forefather accepted with feign reluctance, "Alright, I agree to your conditions. However, you better not play tricks on me. No unreasonable requests are allowed or I'll turn you away!"
"Don't worry, we won't cross a line," they promised.
"But you have to swear an oath, forefather. How can we trust you to honor the deal otherwise?"
The forefather gritted his teeth. They sure were being careful.
"Fine, I'll do as you say. But if anyone has any ideas otherwise, don't blame me for turning on you!" He went on to make an oath. "If the seven of you help me tame the dragon, I promise to give you three drops of dragon blood, three favors, and a billion worth of fortunes. If I go back on my word, may heaven smite me with destruction!"
The oath had serious consequences, but he'd left some wiggle room. You have to be alive to enjoy what I give you. If you die, it doesn't count as me breaking my oath.
However, the forefather had underestimated the figureheads' intelligence.
After he made the oath, someone cackled and piped up, "There's something missing still. We've offended you today. What if you get us back in the future? All seven of us together are able to shoulder your ire, but divided, it'll be easy for you to kill us."
"Right, right, right. We don't want to end up dead without getting what we're promised."
"Forefather, please swear another oath that you won't get back at us or instigate or hire other experts to come after us."
There were seven of them. Not even the smallest detail escaped their attention.
The forefather wanted nothing but to turn on them right then and there. He didn't expect them to be so thorough, leaving him with no room to get out of the deal. However, there was nothing he could do now. If he wanted the true dragon, he had to make compromises.
He nodded. "I, Forefather Goldenbell, hereby swear to…"
They listened carefully to every word out of the forefather's mouth. Only after they made sure nothing was amiss did they nod contently.
"Brothers, let's work together to help the forefather tame this dragon and enjoy the benefits together."
"Agreed. The forefather has been open and honest with us. We mustn't disappoint him."
"Come on. Let's go."
The forefather was furious, but he didn't lose his calm. Once he weighed the pros and cons, he concluded that it was still a worthwhile deal despite the trickery. As long as he acquired the dragon, the promised rewards would be trivial in comparison.
He waved a hand. "I've accepted your requests. We're now truly on the same boat and should work as a team. Listen to my orders and split up to attack from different directions. You must trap it so that I can subdue it."
It'd be helpful to have these seven men obstruct the dragon's escape route. He wouldn't have to worry about it rampaging wildly then.
If he was alone and the dragon determined to run away, he wasn't a hundred percent certain that he'd be able to capture it. With seven helpers though, he was confident in his success.
"Take a look at this map. We have to guard the locations where anyone exiting would have to pass through. You each take a spot and form a circle."
"There are five locations and seven of us, forefather."
"That's right. The remaining two can be on standby. Go wherever requires help and be on your guard. You have an important responsibility. You will be the glue that maintains the concerted effort and responds to any unforeseen events."
"Yes, we have to be cautious."
"Don't worry. I won't hesitate to help if a problem arises. As long as you keep watch at these locations, I'll tame the dragon as quickly as I can."
The demigod forefather was at least confident enough to promise that.
After they'd divided their work, the forefather motioned at them to get going. "Alright, go to your posts. Remember not to push yourself or take unnecessary risks. I'm here. You only have to fulfill your duty. Don't do anything else without my order."
The forefather worried that someone might get reckless out of greed and disrupt his plan.
...
While the eight men were plotting to seize the dragon, Jiang Chen and the Vermilion Bird exchanged a knowing smile from a short distance. As they expected, these men couldn't resist such a prize.
"Senior Vermilion, in what order should we take out these eight?" The bird was still their main attacker.
"Are you sure the Soulless Powder of Wind and Cloud will come into effect as soon as you activate the formation?"
"The powder may not be able to debilitate cultivators at their level, but they'll be weakened to some degree. However, it'll have no effect on the demigod."
"That's fine. I can trap even the divine forefather from House Xiahou. The demigod is only a third as strong as the divine forefather. With me striking from the dark, I'm seventy to eighty percent sure I'll be able to take him down with one hit!" The bird brimmed with confidence