Chapter 1957: The Magpie's Nest is Occupied By the Dove?
Cloud Camel Mountain wasn't that far from the capital. With Starfate's speed, Jiang Chen reached his destination in no time at all.
Things had changed greatly. Back then, the mountain had been House Yan's, and many of its experts had been stationed here. Now, there was no one from House Yan at all.
House Feng, who'd been fighting over the mountain with House Yan, had seized the opportunity to claim it.
Members of House Feng thronged in the area, obviously considering the place their territory.
Although they had been part of the rebellion organized by House Xiahou and the imperial family, they hadn't been that involved. They were thus able to cut their losses and save themselves.
Originally, it didn't make sense for House Feng to continue fighting over the mountain. Although House Yan had had a falling out with Jiang Chen, there remained a connection between them. Given those circumstances, House Feng didn't dare make House Yan their enemy.
However, things ended up taking an unexpected turn. House Yan was suddenly destroyed, throwing good fortune into House Feng's lap. They claimed the mountain as their own before House Yan's blood was even dry on the ground.
Jiang Chen frowned.
Long Xiaoxuan cackled. "Who are they? It seems the mountain has changed hands?"
Jiang Chen huffed. "Changed hands? No, they've looted a burning house and taken what isn't theirs. This is House Yan territory. Since when does House Feng have any right to it?"
"That's right," volunteered the Vermilion Bird. "This is House Yan territory and you're part of the family as a son-in-law. That makes the mountain yours. Young master Chen, shall I help you destroy all of them?"
After the rebellion, Eternal Divine Nation couldn't afford to lose more people. If the bird took the matter into its own hands, there would be no survivors.
"No, I'll do it."
Jiang Chen leapt out of Starfate. In a flash, his tempered body shone brightly, golden light streaking through the sky. His Evil Golden Eye cast downwards, covering the entire mountain with his consciousness.
"Whoever the House Feng overseer is, show yourself!" Jiang Chen's voice boomed at everyone's ear like cracks of thunder, all-powerful and intimidating.
Below, members of House Feng shuddered, their minds wobbling and blood boiling. The executives stationed at the mountain soared into the sky. Many with keener eyes spotted Jiang Chen and recognized him.
"It's young lord Jiang Chen!" someone called out in surprise.
"It's the young lord of the Eternal Sacred Land!"
The shrieks were fearful and timid. It was clear that they were scared of Jiang Chen.
One of them muttered, "What is he doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious? He's here to reclaim the mountain for House Yan. I hear that Yan Wanjun didn't die in the destruction of the house. Neither did his grandson Yan Qingsang and granddaughter Yan Qinghuang."
"So the young lord is going to take over the mountain?"
"But it belongs to House Feng."
"Ai. Not necessarily. Ownership has always been disputed, and House Yan used to be in control of the area. We… we'd better be prepared."
"That's right. If young lord Jiang Chen is here for the mountain, it'll be next to impossible for us to keep it."
A sixth level empyrean elder from House Feng soared into the sky and cupped his hands at Jiang Chen from a distance. "Are you the young lord of the sacred land, Jiang Chen?"
Jiang Chen glanced at him. "You're one of House Feng's elders. You should be able to make the decision here. I'll give you fifteen minutes to leave this mountain. Those who don't leave by then won't have to leave at all "
"Young lord, you..." The elder trailed off. He hadn't expected the forceful attitude. Jiang Chen didn't even give him a chance to make his case!
The elder had prepared a lot of arguments, planning to debate ownership with Jiang Chen. Having the wind taken out of his sails like this threw him for a loop that was hard to recover from.
The elder only reacted after a while. "Young lord Jiang Chen, the mountain has always been ours," he muttered. "House Yan forcefully took it from us. It's only right for us to take it back."
Jiang Chen scoffed. "It's always been yours? Do you think you can trick me just because I haven't been part of Eternal Divine Nation for long? You and House Yan have been fighting over the territory for more than a thousand years. And you say it's always been yours? Do you take me as a fool?"
His threatening tone sent a shudder down the elder's spine. He heard the young man's words loud and clear as the warning it was.
"Enough with the nonsense. I don't want to listen to any more hot air. What I know is this: the mountain used to be under House Yan's control, and I'm taking it back for House Yan. You have no claims over the mountain. If you don't take my offer and walk away, don't blame me for being merciless. The fifteen minute countdown starts now. If you want to waste your breath, go ahead and talk until your end arrives." Jiang Chen's tone was chilling.
The elder shuddered, his expression clouded. He carefully considered Jiang Chen and realized that the young lord was a hundred percent serious.
It'd be humiliating for them to leave without resisting, but if they stayed and fought back, the young man seemed to possess the power to kill all of them on his own.
The elder was also very puzzled. During the sword competition, Jiang Chen's cultivation on just been roughly on par with Xiahou Zong. How had he made such great progress in only a few years?
The circumstances forced them to capitulate. House Feng's forces started scattering the moment Jiang Chen increased the pressure on them with his consciousness. Those with weaker will had long since fled.
In an hour, there wasn't a shadow of a House Feng members. The elder had also left obediently.
He had neither the power or courage to go against Jiang Chen, let alone the entire sacred land. It'd be no different from suicide. He had no choice but to back down.
Jiang Chen expanded his consciousness further. He wasn't satisfied until he made sure that there was no one from House Feng within a hundred miles of the mountain.
"Members of House Feng, heed my words," he declared. "From now on, the mountain is a restricted area. No one, House Feng and other factions included, are allowed to enter under pain of death!"
Chapter 1958: The Source of the Five-Colored Crystals
"Young master Chen, your aura now is really very intimidating! Honestly, mine isn't much stronger than yours. If I didn't know you so well, I would think you're more than just a human," the Vermilion Bird remarked.
He had seen many great human cultivators, but none of them were as incredible as Jiang Chen. The ancient human leaders had been strong because of their cultivation, but Jiang Chen's strength came from something more.
He was only recently seventh level empyrean, but the pressure and area of effect of his consciousness rivaled the Vermilion Bird, who was now a bonafide god. It was difficult not to applaud the human for it.
"Alright, enough small talk. I'll take you to the vein." Jiang Chen hadn't been by for several years, but he was still familiar with the terrain. It took no time at all for them to reach the quarry's periphery.
"An intense killing aura lingers in the air." This was the Vermilion Bird's first impression. "No plants grow here, nor do I sense other life. Why is this?"
"It's as you perceive," Jiang Chen smiled and nodded. "I will summon Little White."
He used the secret method to contact the tiger, as they'd agreed upon a few years back.
The earth immediately began to tremble. Suddenly, a white shadow darted out from the earth.
"Huh? Is this Little White?" The Vermilion Bird blinked. Long Xiaoxuan felt like he was seeing things as well.
The beast before them was humongous and majestic. Its birthmark of heritage was more prominent than ever. The wings upon its back could now be extended and retracted at will.
"Haha? Young master Chen, Brother Dragon, Old Brother Vermilion Bird?" The Astral White Tiger was very glad to see its three old acquaintances.
Long Xiaoxuan came forward to scrutinize the tiger more closely. "Is that really you, Little White?" he clucked.
"I changed a lot, huh? I bet you don't even recognize me. Yes, I am the Astral White Tiger you all know and love – Little White!"
The tiger was quite excited. It was obvious that it had benefited a great deal from its time cultivating here. Its personality had grown alongside its size: it was no longer nearly as shy as it had once been. It was perfectly relaxed alongside its sacred beast peers.
However, it was a little disappointed when it saw Long Xiaoxuan's cultivation. "I worked hard, but it looks like there's still a gap between us."
Long Xiaoxuan was advanced empyrean, nearly ninth level. Though Little White had broken through to empyrean here and repeatedly ascended, it was only fifth level empyrean.
But considering its starting point, this was already progress at a perverse speed.
Long Xiaoxuan had begun to cultivate several years before it. The level disparity was hard to overcome all at once.
Jiang Chen knew that the three sacred beasts would only slowly be on the same level once all of them reached godhood.
Right now, the Vermilion Bird was stronger than Long Xiaoxuan, who was in turn stronger than the tiger. This was entirely due to how long they'd cultivated for and their personal fortunes.
The bird had cultivated for significantly longer than Long Xiaoxuan and the Astral White Tiger. Because it hadn't spent much of that time with Jiang Chen, its development had comparatively been hindered. Its fortunes had completely turned after meeting its young human friend.
After exchanging greetings, Little White was depressed to find that it was still the weakest of the trio.
"Don't be so upset, Little White," Jiang Chen laughed. "You and Brother Dragon will attain godhood sooner or later. When you do, you'll become Old Brother Vermilion's equal. Your bloodlines and potentials are not so different, and your futures will converge."
"Ah well, it's all because I'm the youngest of the bunch," Little White laughed. "Fine, fine."
"If you know you're younger, then be humbler. Don't call me 'Brother Dragon'. Call me 'big brother', got it?" Long Xiaoxuan declared.
Little White pouted and pulled a face.
Jiang Chen was pleased to see the sacred beasts coexisting in harmony. Without him, they would definitely engage in a much fiercer rivalry against each other.
"Enough joking around. Little White, your cultivation has advanced very quickly. Have you scoped out the vein as well?"
"I think I have a good shot at taking it with me, Brother Chen," the tiger responded seriously.
"How sure are you of doing so?"
"Maybe forty or fifty percent. With your help? Sixty or seventy," guessed Little White.
"Okay. Let's do it then. These crystals can't be used to set up a formation, but they are valuable cultivation resources nevertheless. Why should we leave them for another when Myriad Abyss is on the brink of chaos?"
Jiang Chen had no intention of waiting any more.
Perhaps these crystals were related to the five-colored stones used to repair the sky in the primordial times. They had formed the basis of each and every world's elements once upon a time.
Because these crystals similarly came in a myriad of colors and functions, Jiang Chen supposed that he wasn't far off from the truth. They were evidently not the originals though, otherwise he'd be sitting on a gold mine.
A single primordial thing – especially something as rare as a five-colored stone – was sufficient to gain authority over a new world.
It was impossible for such a relic to remain on Divine Abyss.
Nevertheless, these crystals would be extraordinary if they'd managed to inherit a hundredth of that strength. That would be more than profit enough.
The young man and his three bestial friends got to work instantly.
Little White spoke about some of the rules they had to follow, especially when it came to the vein's dangers.
"Don't worry! The killing intent is pretty strong, but Old Brother Vermilion's divine constitution means that you essentially can't be hurt. Brother Dragon and young master Chen are too capable to be affected by the more typical perils. No need to be too tense. I'll tell you about things to avoid ahead of time." The tiger's speech marked his growth. He could finally take the lead.
Chapter 1959: A Bandit Halfway Through
"Little White, this vein is the perfect place for you to cultivate. Do you think it's unfair for us to take it away?" Jiang Chen asked.
The tiger flashed a toothy grin. "I like the atmosphere here, but I need the crystals much more. As long as you give me plenty of those, there's no problem going anywhere else.
Jiang Chen thought about it for a moment before deciding to go ahead.
He knew that the powerful experts who'd escaped from the Boundless Prison wouldn't rest idle. Right now, they were already traveling the world and surely looking for resources to plunder.
If one of them took an interest in this place, the vein wouldn't be spared. Moreover, his furry friend would be caught up in the trouble. An Astral White Tiger was an ideal beast for these experts to subjugate or enslave.
Jiang Chen didn't want to lose both the crystals and a friend.
Under Little White's guidance, the quartet began to execute the vein harvesting plan.
In about half a month, it was completely ransacked. No crystals were left where the vein once was.
The Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan were equally excited. Quite a few of the crystals were appropriate for their cultivation as well. The red ones, for example, were perfect for the bird. Similarly, the green ones particularly suited Long Xiaoxuan.
Jiang Chen was delighted at the tremendous yield. "Let's split up the loot later. This isn't a good place to stay. Our commotion might very well have alerted others to our presence. Thankfully, all the crystals are stowed away. Even if someone came now, they wouldn't know it was us."
The three sacred beasts nodded cheerily.
Jiang Chen and company arrived on the surface. As they were about to leave, a powerful consciousness from the distance blasted in his general direction.
He braced himself. "So there was someone!"
He had a feeling that his lengthy delay would garner undesirable attention. It was just as he'd expected.
A strange chariot broke through the northern clouds. Instead of horses, eight exotic beasts drove it. They were ferocious and imposing in their own right.
The chariot was lavishly decorated with gold and jewels. Its body was brilliantly etched, its design classical and ostentatious.
A man sat upon the chariot, his visage as handsome as an emperor. His very appearance gave off the impression of wealth. Five servants flanked the vehicle, all of them every bit First Wind and his comrades' equal.
This was obviously another divine expert. These servants of his were demigods.
It was no longer a good time for Jiang Chen to leave.
He wasn't planning on sticking around for long though. A single glance was enough to spur his departure.
"Halt." A voice full of authority sounded from the chariot.
Jiang Chen's footsteps tarried. "Are you talking to me?" he shot back coolly.
"Who else is there but you?" The god upon the chariot spoke with a slow, measured gait. It was almost enchanting to listen to.
Even someone as capable as Jiang Chen felt his grip on reality slip a little. He shook it off in an instant though, and laughed.
"I don't recall making your acquaintance. There's no reason for me to stop."
The wealthy god smiled faintly. "Young man, I am more experienced than you could possibly hope to comprehend. Do you think it wise to try to trick me?"
"Why do you say that?" Jiang Chen replied evenly.
"Don't play the fool. Hand over the goods you found here. After that, I promise I will allow you to leave peacefully."
A highwayman, as expected.
The young man shrugged, returning an equally detached smile.
"I did acquire a few spirit stones. However, this territory belongs to me. I don't believe you have the right to interfere in my affairs. Why should I give what is rightfully mine to you?" Though his tone was lighthearted, his response was rather serious.
"Heh…" the divine cultivator broke into booming laughter. "Interesting, interesting. I've always thought that pathetic excuses for cultivators abounded in Myriad Abyss. I didn't expect a youth with your spine to be in such a remote place. Regardless… you're too naïve. Do you think I'm reasoning with you?"
"What does that matter?" Jiang Chen frowned slightly.
"Alright. Tell me, young man, what faction do you belong to?"
"I've told you already that I see no reason to give you anything. That includes my identity." Jiang Chen wasn't scared of this adversary.
The Vermilion Bird was more than capable of putting up a real fight.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen, Long Xiaoxuan, and the Astral White Tiger could handle the god's servants. Slaying one or two of them in the process wasn't out of the question.
The divine cultivator furrowed his brow. He could no longer maintain his dignified veneer.
One of his servants was a bushy-browed man. He took this opportunity to step forward, raging. "My master is a supreme god, kid. The fact he's talking to you is a blessing unto itself. What reason do you have for your rudeness? You clearly have no interest in living any longer."
"A god, is he?" Jiang Chen chuckled. "Gods are remarkable beings, but they're hardly supreme."
He had seen countless of them in his previous life. Many had bowed down and offered him their simpering smiles. In fact, some had served as his house guards. Thus, his attitude was different from everyone else's. He didn't have an innate fear of gods.
Jiang Chen's retort enraged the demigod servant.
He cupped a fist toward his master. "Sir, please allow me to take down this imbecile kid. You may do what you like with him."
"Go. Myriad Abyss Island is such a stale place. Young people these days don't know what's good for them. Bah, humbug," responded the god, as if lamenting the state of the world.
Jiang Chen snapped his fingers. The Vermilion Bird erupted from the void of space, its maw opening to release a scorching fireball.
Its flames seemed to burn the very air, filling the sky with a terrifying crimson.
The hellish blaze spread like wildfire.
The bushy-browed demigod was blasted in the face by a powerful heat wave. His breathing was stifled from the lack of air, and his eyebrows were instantly singed.
The fire was so powerful! The demigod didn't dare rush headlong into danger. The fire before him was far more fearsome than anything he knew. Only death awaited him ahead.
The divine cultivator sitting within the chariot glowered. He looked warily at the Vermilion Bird. He could see that the bird was a god as well!
Chapter 1960: Great Wariness
"Stand down!" the divine cultivator in the carriage shouted at the bushy-browed servant. Even all his servants combined wouldn't rival a god. The Vermilion Bird could kill them without lifting a feather.
A fight between two gods had no clear winner.
The divine cultivator weighed his options. He'd clearly underestimated his enemy. He'd thought the young man was a regular cultivator he could easily extort.
But this was no easy prey! There was a god protecting him. The would-be bandit forced himself to calmly face this development.
He wasn't confident that he'd be able to defeat the Vermilion Bird. After all, a divine beast could easily overpower a human cultivator of the same level. Their bloodline gave them an immense edge over their human counterparts.
Realization dawned.
A young man affiliated with Eternal Divine Nation being followed by a vermilion bird… Could this young man be Jiang Chen?? The genius everyone was talking about in Myriad Abyss?
The divine cultivator hesitated. If the young man before him was Jiang Chen, he'd have to think twice before antagonizing this potential victim.
Jiang Chen was a member of the Eternal Sacred Land. What was more, everyone knew about his relationship with Divine Kasyapa.
The divine cultivator had just escaped from the Boundless Prison as well. There weren't a lot of people he was wary of, but Divine Kasyapa was one of them.
It wouldn't be worthwhile for him to offend Kasyapa for Jiang Chen. He couldn't afford to have both Kasyapa and the Eternal Sacred Land retaliate against him. Besides, the fact that Jiang Chen was protected by a sacred beast god made things even worse.
The worst case scenario was one of him facing three divines. Even someone as confident as he knew that was suicide. He wasn't sure if he could defeat Divine Kasyapa in a duel, let alone with two other divines.
Those who had survived the Boundless Prison knew when to cut their losses. They were very observant and easily adapted to different situations. The divine cultivator was no exception.
He smiled and clucked his tongue appreciatively. "I didn't expect to run into a god descended from the four divine beasts in the middle of nowhere. How marvelous! If I'm not mistaken, you must be young lord Jiang Chen from the Eternal Sacred Land, are you not?"
Jiang Chen tensed. The man had changed his tune in the blink of an eye, unusual for someone of his status. That made the young lord very wary.
He smiled slightly. "Since the senior knows this is the territory of Eternal Divine Nation. It's not that difficult to guess at my identity."
"Haha, I've mistaken a friend for a foe! Brother Kasyapa and I go way back. We're old friends from the Boundless Prison. I didn't expect to run into his junior here. How fascinating."
The man had been saying everything was boring, but now suddenly found things fascinating. He'd also changed the way he addressed Jiang Chen from young man to young friend.
Jiang Chen couldn't not be wary of men like him.
"Brother Kasyapa and I are very close, young friend. It's all been a misunderstanding. This seat is curious though. What treasure lies hidden in a remote mountain like this?" The divine cultivator hadn't fully given up and was trying to get an answer from Jiang Chen in a roundabout fashion.
Jiang Chen didn't call him out for trying to establish rapport. He smiled. "To tell you the truth, I've just acquired some spirit stones - quite a lot of them. I happened to need the spirit stones for something. I hope you'll let me off the hook, senior."
"Just spirit stones?" the divine cultivator couldn't help but ask. "Why then did this seat see a flash of heavenly light and a stunning myriad of colors? It was tremendous. If I hadn't passed through the area, I would've missed it."
Jiang Chen snapped to inward attention, but he didn't let it show. He smiled. "That was me brandishing my sword in a fit of excitement after acquiring the spirit stones."
He manifested his Pentecolor Divine Swords and infused it with his spirit energy. Beams of heavenly light soared into the sky, stunningly magnificent.
It was a remarkable display of quick thinking. The explanation did make sense. At least the divine cultivator couldn't find any fault in it.
Of course, it didn't mean he believed Jiang Chen.
The divine cultivator smiled slightly. "Ah, so this seat has jumped to the wrong conclusion?"
Jiang Chen smiled in lieu of an answer.
"The sacred land isn't far from here, senior. If you're interested, we can have a drink there."
Jiang Chen didn't want to stay any longer.
Having a drink in the sacred land wasn't appealing to someone who'd just escaped the Boundless Prison. They'd sooner destroy the sacred land than visit it.
Jiang Chen didn't expect the man to accept his offer either. He was ready to leave as soon as he was finished exchanging pleasantries.
"I have urgent business to attend to, senior. Please excuse me."
Jiang Chen left without hesitation. Although the man had seemed eager to befriend him, he knew it was merely a facade. The two-faced divine would never actually let anyone get close to him.
Men like him would do anything for profit. Friendship was but a cover story for him. He couldn't be trusted.
Once Jiang Chen vanished in thin air, the five demigod servants cursed after him.
The bushy-browed servant couldn't contain his frustration. "Are we just going to let him go, master? Isn't that a pity? He sounds so suspicious. He must have gotten something good."
"Do you think we would've been able to keep him?" asked the divine cultivator.
"There are six of us, but only one of him and a divine beast."
"How naive of you. He has other companions." The divine cultivator smiled darkly. "Besides, do you think we'll be able to go against the sacred land's forefather, the Vermilion Bird, and Divine Kasyapa altogether?"
The bushy-browed man slumped. No matter how powerful his master was, the master would still be in grave trouble if the three formed a united front.
"Then what do we do, master?" a hook-nosed servant asked frustratedly. "Are we just going to let the boy get off free and dandy? That's humiliating."
"Don't do anything reckless at the moment. Besides, this is his territory. Whatever he got, we have no right to intervene. Of course, that's the official reason. What's more important is that I don't want to make three powerful enemies just yet. We can get our resources elsewhere. We'll let him win today! If there's a next time, we'll get it all back from him, with intereste=!"
The divine cultivator knew when to back down. He gave up as soon as he realized that he didn't stand a chance.
Chapter 1961: Competition of Geniuses, Suggestion of Alliance
Jiang Chen was still reeling from the chance meeting with the divine cultivator after leaving.
Their conversation had seemed civil, but in truth, they had been one step away from erupting in a fight. Both had been testing the other's ability.
If the Vermilion Bird hadn't been with him, Long Xiaoxuan and the Astral White Tiger wouldn't have been enough for him to deter the divine cultivator. Thankfully, it'd just been an empty scare.
Jiang Chen sighed. It was certainly true that many powerful cultivators had escaped from the Boundless Prison, if he had run into one so easily. Nevertheless, he had been in high spirits since acquiring the pentacolor crystals.
The crystals were more valuable than the spirit stones he had received from Rejuvenation. The latter had been more important to him at the moment because he needed them for the Great Formation. In terms of cultivation, the crystals would serve him far better.
Once he returned to the Eternal Sacred Land, Jiang Chen gave some of the crystals to his three sacred beast companions. They were all thrilled by the offer. They wouldn't have to worry about resources for their cultivation for the next few decades!
Jiang Chen wanted to ask Divine Kasyapa about the divine cultivator he'd just encountered, but decided against doing so. He didn't want to waste any time when he couldn't afford the luxury.
"Young master Chen, the venerated forefather decided to return to the sacred land to see you after hearing that you've returned," said Ziju Min. "You should be prepared."
Jiang Chen paused. Could the elder have guessed right? Was the forefather going to take him to the offworld battlefield sooner than they'd agreed upon?
In truth, Jiang Chen wasn't ready to go. He had unfinished business in the human domain.
"Oh, young master, have you collected enough spirit stones?" asked Ziju Min.
"Not yet." Jiang Chen jokingly asked, "Are you going to chip in, Elder Ziju?"
Ziju Min laughed heartily. "If you're just going to use the stones to cultivate, I can help, but the amount of stones you need is too big. What I can give you is far from enough."
That was true. Ziju Min had some spirit stones in his possession, but not enough to make a difference.
Jiang Chen frowned, worried about how he should gather more stones.
"The ten divine nations is holding a genius competition this year, Young Master Chen," offered Ziju Min. "It's our tradition. The competition has been postponed due to the rebellions. At first, we were discouraged from holding the competition at all, but someone with foresight argued that the loss we suffered is exactly the reason why we must uncover new geniuses. We need new blood. Therefore, the genius competition..."
"You aren't telling me to partake in the competition, are you?"
That didn't appeal to Jiang Chen at all. He'd only participated in the sword competition because he had no other way to take care of House Xiahou. The genius competition held by the ten nations seemed like a pissing contest with no purpose.
He wasn't the least bit interested.
He couldn't be considered a young genius given his status and power. It didn't make sense for him to go against a group of youths.
"The competition may be beneath you, but it's an opportunity for you to get to know others in the ten nations and gain influence. It's also a chance to build connections. There are many prosperous lands in the ten nations… I believe you'll be able to collect the spirit stones you need then."
Jiang Chen finally understand what Ziju Min was implying. "Is this the forefather's idea, or the first prime's?"
"Haha, neither. It's my suggestion to you. Of course, both the forefather and the first prime will support you. The first prime has mentioned many times that you should get to know the geniuses from the other nations and become their unquestionable leader, establishing your position. It'll be crucial for laying down the foundation of an alliance between the ten nations..."
Jiang Chen was puzzled. "An alliance? Aren't the ten nations working together already?"
Ziju Min sighed. "That's only when we're facing outside threats, and being on the same side doesn't make us allies. There aren't really any true friends between the ten nations."
Now, Jiang Chen understood. The ten nations had been established to eliminate the offworld invaders. However, it was every man for themselves on the offworld battlefields. Each nation focused only on protecting their homeland.
Under the circumstances, there was a lack of communication and coordination despite being on the same side.
"So you're serious about forming an alliance this time?" Jiang Chen asked curiously.
"We should be." Ziju Min sighed. "The ten nations are beginning to realize that a big threat is looming over Myriad Abyss Island. Things are becoming more and more delicate. If we don't put aside our selfish needs and work together, Myriad Abyss and even the entirety of Divine Abyss may fall. Then it'll truly be the doom of all races on the continent."
Jiang Chen wasn't sure what to say.
An alliance had to be formed, but would it be enough? If people couldn't overcome their selfish desires, forming an alliance wouldn't help.
Who should be the head of the alliance? Who should be in charge?
Those were the most basic of questions that needed answers. The ten nations were at equal footing in terms of foundation and their level of power. It was impossible to pick a leader to whom everyone deferred to.
Jiang Chen didn't voice his doubts. Perhaps the circumstances would be enough to change human nature. Even the most selfish of people might make compromises under the pressure of reality.
They had a few more drinks as they chatted about the Ten Divine Nations. Jiang Chen listened with great interest as Ziju Min was a great storyteller. He gave the young man a detailed and fascinating rundown of events, current and old.
That reminded Jiang Chen. "By the way, Elder Ziju, how's Shi Xuan from Flora Divine Nation doing?"
He hadn't had the time to take care of the man since he'd become Jiang Chen's pill slave. Ziju Min had been in charge of taming him.
Ziju Min chuckled. "The same old. We haven't brought him over to our side yet and he doesn't respect us yet. Since you're here, young master Chen, you should take some time to teach him a lesson."
They drank as they talked.
Suddenly, Jiang Chen's consciousness detected something. He shot to his feet. "Greetings to the venerated forefather."
Ziju Min jumped up and stood on the side respectfully.
"Elder Ziju is here as well?" The forefather grinned at Jiang Chen. "I've heard a lot of things about you these days, young man. Good, you've met my expectations."
Jiang Chen pursed his lips without a word. He worried that the forefather would order him to go to the offworld battlefield as soon as he opened his mouth.
Chapter 1962: A Much Suffering Venerated Forefather
The venerated forefather smiled wryly when he noted Jiang Chen's glum mood.
He knew the young man wasn't terribly happy. Jiang Chen had made great contributions to the Eternal Sacred Land, but in return, the sacred land hadn't offered much to him.
There were the resources in the vault, but the forefather had only let Jiang Chen take whatever he wanted because the most valuable hadn't been stored there. What had been available for selection was far from the best treasures.
Moreover, rewards had been promised to Jiang Chen for aiding the Martial Sacred Land, but the promised payout had yet to materialize. He'd been too busy to even meet with Jiang Chen until now.
"Jiang Chen," the forefather said with a smile. "It's not like you to be so quiet."
Jiang Chen shrugged and responded with a hint of displeasure, "You made a lot of promises before you sent me to the Martial Sacred Land, Forefather. You haven't fulfilled any of them."
Feeling guilty, the forefather smiled coyly. "It's all my fault. The sacred land is running a little low on resources. But… for those who have contributed to our cause, the sacred land won't be stingy. Tell me what you want. I'll make it happen."
"I don't want to make things difficult for the sacred land," Jiang Chen replied faintly. "I only want spirit stones."
If he'd asked for anything else, the sacred land might've been able to weasel out of it, claiming that the times were too tight to give him what he wanted. However, spirit stones were something the sacred land must be able to afford.
"Spirit stones?" The forefather smiled. "How many? I know you want to reactivate the Great Formation, but that will consume a considerable amount of stones. Even we may not be able to afford to do so. You know, Jiang Chen, the sacred land can't even keep everyone fed now..."
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. He hadn't even gotten started and the forefather was already claiming to be poor..
"I'm not asking for much," Jiang Chen said with a smile. "How about the sacred land contributing ten percent of the stones I need?"
The forefather considered the proposal, rubbing his chin. He slapped his thighs. "As long as you agree to partake in the genius competition, we'll try our best to get you the stones!"
"Try your best?" Jiang Chen's voice was tinged with annoyance.
"We… we will get you the stones," the forefather promised through gritted teeth.
He hadn't been lying when he said the sacred land was poor. If they hadn't raided a few families after putting down the rebellion, they'd have been even poorer. The offworld battlefield was an endless maw of consumption. No matter how wealthy one was, the wealth would be depleted sooner or later.
More importantly, the invaders had grown a lot more active these days. The sacred land was finding it very difficult to fight them off, which was why the forefather barely had any time to stay in the sacred land.
Noting Jiang Chen's disinterested mood, the forefather couldn't help but ask, "How many more stones do you need, Jiang Chen?"
"Many. The more the merrier." Jiang Chen had realized that he needed to keep some secrets from the forefather. If he admitted he only had to collect twenty percent of the total he needed, the forefather wouldn't take his request seriously and might even complain even more loudly about how poor he was.
The venerated forefather tried to bring Jiang Chen to his side. "The genius competition this year is different from what it was before. It's being jointly hosted by all ten sacred lands. Every genius, no matter where you come from or what cultivation level you're at, will be given priority.
"It's going to be a very exciting event. Many rewards are being offered. It'll be a great opportunity for you to make a fortune! Don't you know how to refine the Taiyi Skymender Pill and the Crowning Empyrean Pill? At the competition, you can exchange the pills for a good amount of spirit stones."
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. "Has the sacred land stooped so low that you need me to sell pills for money?"
"To be honest with you, the sacred land isn't in decline. It's just that we're really very poor. The offworld battles are sucking up all of our resources. You don't know how difficult it is to maintain the faction!" The venerated forefather was determined to play up his suffering.
Jiang Chen shrugged. "I can sell pills for the stones, but I'll need the sacred land to provide the ingredients. How else am I going to find all the rare ingredients otherwise?"
The forefather pulled a reluctant face. He responded after a moment, "You're our most promising young genius. Of course we'll do our best to fulfill your request. Ah yes, the offworld battlefield is seeing a lot of action lately. Are you interested in checking it out?"
Jiang Chen shook his head without hesitation. "No, not for now."
The forefather cackled but didn't insist. He'd promised Jiang Chen that the young man wouldn't have to go until the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement was activated, ensuring that the human domain was fully protected. The domain was their back door, and securing it was of utmost importance.
So seeing how resolute the young genius was, he didn't try to convince otherwise.
The young man was no longer someone whom the sacred land could order around. Instead, they had to cater to the young man's needs. For one, Jiang Chen had the Vermilion Bird on his side. In addition, his personality, ability, and potential alone warranted the sacred land's special treatment.
If they failed to keep Jiang Chen happy, other factions would immediately make a move to steal him away.
Sensing the forefather's single-minded focus on the offworld battlefield, Jiang Chen asked, "What do the ten sacred lands think about the inmates escaping from the Boundless Prison, Forefather?"
"The Boundless Prison? Quite a lot have escaped, but they haven't gained a foothold in Myriad Abyss yet. I don't think they're going to cause that much trouble anytime soon." But the forefather wasn't entirely sure of his answer.
Jiang Chen frowned. "Forefather, the ten sacred lands will suffer greatly if you underestimate them." This wasn't him being an alarmist.
"What do you mean?" the forefather asked with a grave expression.
"My instinct tells me that those fugitives will try to topple the ten sacred lands' rule over Myriad Abyss."
Jiang Chen had already met two groups of fugitives: Divine Kasyapa and his men, and the group at Cloud Camel Mountain. Neither were easy prey. If allowed to settle down, they were bound to stir up trouble and plunge Myriad Abyss into chaos.
The forefather looked a little lost. He sighed. "If they have even a lick of conscience, they won't do anything now. Myriad Abyss can't afford another civil war. If conflict breaks out again and we run out of people and resources to sustain the war against the offworld invaders, Myriad Abyss will meet its doom..."
Everyone understood that logic.
Jiang Chen reminded him, "Forefather, don't forget that not all of the inmates are from Myriad Abyss."
Chapter 1963: A Grand Competition of Geniuses
Jiang Chen's focus was on the Great Formation. He did care about Myriad Abyss Island, but it didn't warrant as much of his attention at the moment.
After all, he hadn't been in Myriad Abyss for long and wasn't that attached to it. Moreover, although the sacred land had treated him well since he joined, it still didn't feel like home.
Therefore, this warning was all he was going to issue. The rest was up to the senior executives. He wasn't going to make it his own concern. Even if he chose to intervene, it'd be after he reactivated the Great Formation.
"By the way, when is this grand competition?" asked Jiang Chen.
"In less than four months."
Jiang Chen nodded. "Alright, I'll go."
The venerated forefather was overjoyed. "That's wonderful! You'll be able to take the top spot easily. It's an opportunity to make a name for yourself, Jiang Chen, and it'll be your first step in becoming a legend in Myriad Abyss. Remember not to be too arrogant or unapproachable. It'll do you good to seize the opportunity to befriend talented cultivators from different factions."
Elder Ziju had said the same thing.
To put it simply, there was an alliance forming, and the Eternal Sacred Land wanted to be its head. Jiang Chen's performance was a crucial part of that. It'd be ideal if he could help the sacred land become the alliance head.
That was why the sacred land kept urging Jiang Chen to participate in the competition. At the end of the day, it too harbored ambitious about the alliance.
Jiang Chen nodded after a bemused pause. "I'll do my best, but I hope the venerated forefather will think hard about the stones I need."
That was his priority. He couldn't possibly extort the stones from someone now, could he? If he could have, he would have, and he'd need the right target to boot.
The forefather pounded his chest. "Worry not, I'll get you your ten percent of stones and the ingredients for refining the Crowning Empyrean and Taiyi Skymender Pill."
The negotiation left the forefather in a good mood. He hadn't expected to convince Jiang Chen with only ten percent of the stones.
He'd been worried that the young man would ask the sacred land to gather all of the stones, which was why he'd started out wailing about their poverty and refusing to give a clear answer.
This outcome was a great relief.
Once he'd left, Ziju Min excused himself as well. He could tell Jiang Chen was unhappy, so he didn't stay to be a bother.
Only after that did the Vermilion Bird and the other divine beasts emerged from the shadows.
The bird shook its head. "Aren't the ten sacred lands the rulers of Myriad Abyss Island? How can the forefather be so stingy? You've fallen for his tricks, Jiang Chen."
"Tricks?" asked Jiang Chen.
"He appealed to your sympathy on purpose so that he could give you the least amount of reward in exchange for your cooperation. I believe the sacred land can afford to give you a lot more spirit stones. He simply doesn't want to offer more to aid the human domain."
As an ancient divine beast, the bird had seen it all. It was thus more insightful in many cases.
Jiang Chen laughed wryly. Upon consideration, he had to admit the bird was right. The Eternal Sacred Land had deep foundations to begin with, and they had gained quite a lot of wealth after resolving the rebellion. They couldn't be that poor. The offworld battles took a lot to sustain, true, but more in terms of human resources. Material costs might be high as well, but not so high that the sacred land couldn't keep its members fed.
Nevertheless, Jiang Chen didn't have too many complaints.
The sacred land had its own set of problems. From its standpoint, it was only natural that it would be reluctant to shoulder too big a part of the spirit stones needed for the great formation.
However, Jiang Chen couldn't help but feel bitter towards the sacred land for their manipulation. The place felt a lot less like home now. If they considered him part of the family, they wouldn't have gone that far in manipulating him.
"We'll focus on cultivating for now. A chaotic world is inevitable. Only strength can ensure our safety when it comes." Jiang Chen never forgot the importance of strength.
"You're right." The Vermilion Bird nodded. "Strength ensures that you have a voice. The forefather is a good example. He can no longer order you around and instead has to buy your cooperation."
There were still roughly four months until the competition arrived.
Jiang Chen planned to gather the rest of the stones before the end of the competition. After that, he'd set out for the human domain immediately and do all he could to reactivate the Great Formation.
As for House Yan, they had been putting a lot of effort into rebuilding. Jiang Chen couldn't possibly rain on their parade. They were free to put their efforts into the wrong thing.
If the world did fall into chaos, House Yan's reconstruction wouldn't mean much.
The family only had a few talented members left, which wasn't enough for them to achieve much. While Yan Qianfan was under Divine Kasyapa's protection, the divine master wasn't necessarily going to provide House Yan with much help.
After all, he was the one who'd destroyed House Yan. It'd be slapping his own face to help rebuild it. Besides, what if House Yan decided to take revenge against him after its rise? He'd have dug his own grave.
Given Jiang Chen's understanding of Divine Kasyapa, he wasn't someone who would do such a thing.
Nevertheless, Jiang Chen wasn't interested in interrupting when the Yan family was in such high spirits. Whatever they did, it wouldn't matter all that much.
Huang'er was observant enough to guess his thoughts. Noticing that Jiang Chen didn't offer much opinions about House Yan's rebuilding, she realized that he wasn't that optimistic about it.
"Brother Chen, grandfather and the others are focusing solely on rebuilding House Yan. Do you not approve?" Huang'er asked gently. "Don't worry. I won't tell them."
Jiang Chen sighed faintly. "Troubled times of chaos are upon us, Huang'er. Even the sacred land may fall. How is House Yan going to recover its peak? Survival is key in an age of conflict. One can only rebuild when the world is stable. If not, a single incident will be enough to destroy what you've worked for no matter how many times you've started over."
Huang'er nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, Brother Chen. I'll try to persuade them."
"Tell Qingsang to focus on cultivating. Let your grandfather, father, and uncle do what they're doing. They're in the heat of the moment. They may not listen to reason."
Huang'er shook her head. "I have to try. You know as well how painful it is fall when you feel the most hope. The sudden change is difficult to accept."
Chapter 1964: Secrets of the Four Sacred Beasts
The venerated forefather was efficient this time. In less than half a month, he delivered to Jiang Chen the ten percent of spirit stones. "I swallowed all of my pride this time and begged for the spirit stones everywhere, Jiang Chen. I hope you won't dismiss it as too little."
Jiang Chen smiled. "Thank you for your efforts, Forefather."
"Well, you're our most valued genius, and it's very likely that you'll become the new leader of the sacred land. We must show you the level of respect you deserve! Oh, as for the ingredients for refining pills, we've collected most of them. They'll be delivered to you in a few days."
Although the forefather had been manipulative, he had truly gone to some efforts for Jiang Chen. The young man could feel the sincerity shining through.
I suppose at the end of the day, it makes sense from the Eternal Sacred Land's perspective that they're reluctant to give away too much for the human domain.
Jiang Chen received the pill ingredients a few days later.
He went into closed door cultivation and refined them into the Crowning Empyrean and Taiyi Skymender Pills. He knew how rare the ingredients were, so he was particularly careful during this process.
The sacred land had been more generous in this regard, giving him ingredients for free so that he could exchange the pills for spirit stones.
Of course, Jiang Chen knew the sacred land had something to gain as well. If he sold the pills for spirit stones, he'd naturally befriend many people and leave them with a good impression for the sacred land.
They might even end up asking favors from the sacred land. Then when it came to rallying behind candidates for alliance head, they would be more inclined to pick the Eternal Sacred Land.
Jiang Chen didn't want to waste too much time dwelling on politics. The pills would earn him the spirit stones he needed. That was what mattered to him.
There was quite a lot of ingredients. It took him close to a month to refine them all into pills. He thus had a considerable number of Taiyi Skymender Pills and Crowning Empyrean Pills in his possession, which left him in high spirits.
Both Long Xiaoxuan and the Astral White Tiger were given a Crowning Empyrean Pill. The tiger was especially excited. It'd heard about how effective the pill was in boosting cultivation.
"Haha, I'll use it once I reach sixth level empyrean in order to ascend to seventh." The tiger's intelligence had continued to develop, which allowed it to make better decisions.
Long Xiaoxuan had gotten a pill before. He played with the one Jiang Chen gave him now and put it in his inventory.
As for the Vermilion Bird, the Crowning Empyrean Pill was of no use to it. Glumly, it asked, "Young master Chen, it would be an amazing achievement if you could refine a pill to help divine cultivators advance a level. Is there such a pill in the world?"
"There is!" admitted Jiang Chen.
The Vermilion Bird's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"However, I don't know how to refine it, and it's impossible to collect the ingredients needed. There's no chance anyone would be able to refine it on Divine Abyss Continent." Jiang Chen shook his head. It was a task too difficult even for him.
Even in the heavenly planes, there might be at most one or two pill dao masters who could refine the pills.
"There is a pill like that?" The bird's voice was tinted with complicated emotions. "You're so knowledgeable, young master. I wonder whose memory you've inherited."
They all knew that Jiang Chen was a god incarnate, but given his wealth of knowledge and experience, he couldn't have been a regular god. He might not even have been a god on this plane.
Jiang Chen smiled and changed the subject instead of giving an answer. "If the opportunity presents itself, I'll refine a pill like that for each of you."
"Wonderful!" The Vermilion Bird was ecstatic.
On the contrary, Long Xiaoxuan and the white tiger didn't react that strongly. They were at empyrean realm still and didn't have a deep understanding about the divine realm. Thus, they weren't as eager as the bird was.
Jiang Chen nodded. "I hope that day will come."
An idea struck him suddenly. He asked, "As descendents of the divine beasts, have you heard of the black tortoise bloodline?"
"The black tortoise bloodline? Of course. It's one of the four divine beasts." The Vermilion Bird nodded. "In the ancient times, there were rumors about a black tortoise."
"Truly?" Jiang Chen's eyes lit up.
"I've heard of one. However, none of the four divine beasts ran into each other in the ancient times. Moreover..." With some embarrassment, the bird continued, "Usually when we meet, it means war. We tend to fight to our deaths."
"True." Long Xiaoxuan tilted his head and threw the white tiger a glance.
The tiger huffed. "Brother Long, don't bully me because I'm young. I'll fight you once I grow up. We astral white tigers are known for our fighting ability in the heavenly planes!"
"Hmph, I'll wait for you to grow up! I hope you won't run to young master Chen crying like a baby."
Dragons and tigers were natural rivals. Although Long Xiaoxuan and the white tiger had become brothers, it was inevitable for them to get into fights now and then.
Jiang Chen chuckled. "You've gone off topic again. I asked about the black tortoise for a reason."
The three divine beasts paused. "What is it?"
"It's a secret from the ancient times. It's said that once the four divine beasts come together, one would be able to enact the heavenly law, refine the five elements, and eventually create a heavenly plane."
"Oh? That's unbelievable!"
"Yes! All heavenly planes are refined from items that embody fate. Thus, every world needs such an item, which always dates back to the genesis of all, and can only be stumbled upon rather than sought out."
The three spirits blinked at Jiang Chen, impressed despite their lack of understanding. They couldn't grasp his words fully. However, mentions of heavenly planes, items that embodied fate, and the genesis of all sounded very impressive.
The Vermilion Bird sucked in a breath. "Do you mean that we'll be able to refine a heavenly plane after gathering all four divine beasts?"
"It's possible, but it requires a secret method." Jiang Chen sighed. "Very few know about it."
"Do you know how to do it, young master?" asked the bird curiously.
There was no need for Jiang Chen to hide anything from his three divine beast friends. "I remember reading about the method in my past life, but I haven't tried it myself. I don't know if it'll work."
It had been difficult enough to gather all four divine beasts in his past life. They were considered the top most nobles even in a heavenly plane. Not even the Celestial Emperor would approach them without good reason.
Moreover, Jiang Chen hadn't been able to use the method in his past life. He hadn't been able to cultivate martial dao, without which he couldn't enact the heavenly law and refine a heavenly plane. All he knew was the theory. It was a castle in the air that he'd built only in his head!