Chapter 1447: Coming To A Firm Decision
Their reactions came as no surprise to Jiang Chen.
Anyone would've reacted the same way after hearing such earth-shattering news. Jiang Chen had been equally shocked when he heard Cloudbillow's name.
Resurrection wasn't unheard of in the martial dao world, but it could only be done if the soul was still intact.
Jiang Chen had slain Cloudbillow, Sublime Chord Temple's Venerated Weimo, and the Empyrean River Palace's vice sect head with the divine bow. It hadn't been a dream. Yet somehow, these men had mysteriously come to life and were sullying his reputation!
Han Qianzhan was wide-eyed with shock. "Young lord Jiang Chen, do you mean that you've slain the demon sympathizers?"
"I didn't do it alone. I had help from a few companions, the Primosanct Sect's terrain advantage, as well as the divine bow." Jiang Chen was open and frank. This wasn't the time to be sneaky and coy.
"The demon race…" Su Huanzhen murmured. "I've always thought of them as faraway beings whose paths would never cross with ours, but now I finally realize that they were always among us. Our ignorance and fear have led us to forgetting about the scars they've left behind. We lied to ourselves in hope that ignorance would make them go away!"
She'd hit the nail on the head.
Despite knowing how big of a threat the ancient demons posed, the entire human race had unconsciously decided to run away from their problems and live from day to day.
It was a very widespread issue. After all, nobody had ever experienced the gruesome ancient battles themselves. Only a few texts about the ancient massacre still remained. Information about the demonic cataclysm was mostly spread through the word of mouth.
However, most couldn't associate their present reality with something so distant and ancient. Thus, only a few remained cautious in times of peace.
Han Qianzhan abruptly shifted his gaze to Jiang Chen. "Young lord, if those men are imposters, perhaps the demons are the ones pulling the strings?"
Jiang Chen shook his head. "I can't be certain. Since everyone here is a figurehead of the human domain, do you know of any hidden factions in the human domain over the recent millennia?"
Hidden factions?
The crowd shook their heads. "It would be extremely difficult to keep themselves hidden for so long."
"It's very unlikely."
"I agree. The playing field in the Upper Eight Regions has long solidified. A hidden faction could never cause so much chaos."
Jiang Chen nodded. "I'm afraid there will no longer be a day's worth of peace in the human domain. Truth be told, I felt completely helpless when the demon lord was freed from his seal. Fortunately, he fled to Southern Celestial territory. The consequences would be dire if otherwise."
The crowd nodded in agreement. They could tell how frightening the demon lord was from Jiang Chen's descriptions alone.
Great emperor or not, no one had been able to break free from the demonic domain, even though the demon's true body had been sealed. And right after being released, he'd subdued three Southern Celestial empyrean experts without breaking a sweat, despite not being at peak condition.
The Southern Celestial experts were initial empyrean cultivators, but not even they could muster up a fight against a newly freed demon lord. One could only imagine how frightening he'd be at full strength.
The divine bow was incredibly heaven-defying, but the demon lord had only defeated by it because he'd let his guard down and his senses were dulled from disuse. Under any other circumstance, the arrows wouldn't have been enough to cause him much harm, let alone destroy his physical body.
"We've narrowly avoided the demon lord's wrath, but it's clear that the demons in the shadows are growing restless!" Jiang Chen warned after meeting Han Qianzhan and Su Huanzhen's complicated gazes.
Han Qianzhan sighed. "I used to think that the Upper Eight Regions was more than adequate in strength, but I now know that to be false. Before the demons, we're nothing but pigs waiting to be slaughtered!"
"Sectmaster Han, you need not belittle yourself. True, the demons are extremely powerful, but they are limited by the environment. Even if they free themselves of their restrictions, it's almost impossible for them to return to their peak condition."
The amount of resources and energy density in the human domain was no longer what it had been in the ancient era.
The destruction of countless spirit veins and the overconsumption of resources during the ancient demonic war was the main culprit of the human race's decline. A turnaround wasn't in sight even after two hundred thousand years.
To add insult to injury, many powerful experts had taken their heritage and resources with them to Myriad Abyss Island after the war.
Destruction of spirit veins, exhaustion of resources, loss of heritage and powerful experts…
These were all enormous disasters for the human race, but the same problems applied to the demons as well. In an environment as malnourished as the modern human domain, restoring themselves to peak condition was nigh impossible.
"Young lord, the human domain has declined greatly and is no longer as affluent as the ancient era. Perhaps the demons will no longer care to invade us and so we won't be the primary battleground again?" Coiling Dragon theorized. Due to the human race's decline, the proud demon race might no longer see the human domain a worthy target.
Perhaps this was actually a blessing in disguise?
Jiang Chen shook his head. "You're being overly optimistic. First of all, the human domain was the main battlefield during ancient times and so this is where many powerful demons are sealed. Once these experts awaken and free themselves from their seals, they'll surely wreak havoc upon our lands. Moreover, the Boundary Steles have isolated us from the other domains. Even demons would find it difficult to get past the barriers to seek other lands.
"There are already demons present in the other domains. They can't trespass upon another demon's territory. Also, you might've overlooked the fact that the demons didn't invade us merely for our resources. They actually set their targets on our population, our reproductive abilities! The demons are powerful, but their ability to reproduce is extremely weak. To build a sizable army, they have to take over the human race!"
Emperor Coiling Dragon laughed wryly at his own naivete after hearing Jiang Chen's detailed analysis.
Jiang Chen realized that he might've dealt an enormous blow to the group's morale, but this wasn't the time to be concerned over such matters. The figureheads of the human domain had grown too complacent. They'd been too careless and failed to see the demons as a real threat.
If this went on, the demons would surely exploit their fears and flatten them without breaking a sweat.
Jiang Chen had rung the alarm bells to wake everyone up from their stupor.
"The demons are frighteningly strong, but they can be defeated. The demon lord was extremely powerful, no? Yet in the end, he could only flee with his tail between his legs. We humans have survived since the primordial era. There were times where we were nearly wiped out, but we've always stubbornly clung onto life.
"Every race has their advantages and disadvantages. As long as we come up with good countermeasures and plans beforehand, the demons won't stand a chance!" Jiang Chen had to reassure the group to prevent inner demons from forming in their dao hearts.
He took out a bottle. "Here are a few Emperor Supremacy Pills. They are specially made for everyone here, the future pillars of the human race. With this, everyone's strength will improve by a notch. We'll need every set of hands and bit of strength we can muster."
The crowd's mood instantly took a turn for the better. They felt ashamed of themselves when they saw Jiang Chen's composure. Despite his youth, he'd already faced a demon lord head on and lived to tell the tale!
Moreover, he didn't seem to harbor any fear of the demons!
This crowd's confidence in him grew. Perhaps the unfathomable youth before them really could lead them to victory against the demons.
The Emperor Supremacy Pill!
Great emperors would unconditionally ascend by one level after taking it! The crowd's worries were washed away by this joy.
"Everyone here is a trusted aide of mine. Since we've on the same ship, I'll skip the high-falutin' words. Today, I bring to you the Emperor Supremacy Pill, but when the time is ripe, there will be many more opportunities to come!" Jiang Chen proclaimed upon distributing the pills to the crowd.
The crowd's eyes gleamed.
"It's time that we clean up the mess that is the Upper Eight Regions. I have no interest in gaining sovereignty over the region, but if we don't change the status quo, we'll be sitting ducks once the demon cataclysm occurs!" His voice was as thunderous as it was dominant.
The crowd turned their gazes to Jiang Chen out of surprise and saw the determination in his eyes. Was the stalemate in the Upper Eight Regions finally coming to an end?
Chapter 1448: Open Hostility
Han Tianzhan looked at Jiang Chen worshipfully. "Young lord Jiang Chen," he promised, "I've never been impressed much by anyone all my life, but you impress me a great deal! The stagnant waters of the Upper Eight Regions should be stirred up. They'll going to turn putrid otherwise!"
Han Tianzhan was a leader with reasonable ambitions. The Great Yu Skysword Sect was one of the strongest first rank sects in the Upper Eight Regions. However, despite its strength, it couldn't compare in strength or resources to the urban giants that were Veluriyam Capital and Pillfire City.
That, combined with Jiang Chen's unique charisma and plethora of methods, made Han Tianzhan enamored with the young lord's abilities. His heroism was completely ignited by what Jiang Chen had said.
As for Su Huanzhen, she had always been on good terms with Veluriyam Capital. To this day, she pined after Emperor Peafowl. Her care for Veluriyam Capital was second only to her care for the Celestial Cicada Court.
"Young lord Jiang Chen, the Celestial Cicada Court will stand firmly by Veluriyam Capital's side, wherever and whenever!" This was her promise.
"Alright! Adversity is the toughest trial for friendship. I won't let either of you down for making this difficult choice in such a trying time." Jiang Chen didn't resort to over-the-top language, but the things he spoke sounded quite credible to Han Qianzhan and Su Huanzhen nevertheless. Receiving the Emperor Supremacy Pill had made the two sect heads' trip worthwhile.
Jiang Chen was in a muted mood after sending his guests off. The things that had taken place within the human domain over the past few days could not be ignored.
"Young lord, Pillfire City seems to be dispensing with all civilities. How shall we deal with them?" Coiling Dragon couldn't resist asking.
"We'll deal with them as they come," Jiang Chen replied coolly. "There's no need to panic. Things are absolutely not as simple as they seem. The biggest threat to the human domain now is no longer Pillfire, but the faction pulling the strings behind the scenes."
The faction's secrecy unsettled Jiang Chen.
"We shall maintain steady fortitude in the face of change." This was the strategy that the young lord settled on.
Though Veluriyam was missing Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers, the eight stone golem brothers were here to pick up the slack. In terms of total strength, the city had seen only an increase. Moreover, Pillzenith's son was still in Jiang Chen's hands. Even if the great emperor dared pull some trick or three, he wouldn't do anything particularly dastardly. Otherwise, his dearest son would come to a tragic end.
Jiang Chen still felt somewhat suffocated after he returned to the young lord residence. He found the Vermilion Bird and retold everything that had happened today. The bird was as surprised as he had been when it heard the news. The demise of Cloudbillow and the rest had been witnessed by the divine creature as well.
"You say that they've all come alive again, and they're in the human domain right now? Are you sure?" The Vermilion Bird's tone was nothing short of astonished.
"It sounds incredible, but it's true." Jiang Chen shook his head, uncertain of what more to say. He couldn't make heads nor tails of it either.
There must be some terrifying faction behind all this. Exactly how they'd pulled it off though, he had no clue. He didn't even know who the culprit actually was.
The bird was silent for a long while before it asked another question. "What do you plan to do then?"
"I plan to use inaction to counter their action. I'll let them hop around for a bit, and when they're out of ideas and strategies, I'll deliver a lethal blow. No matter who the mastermind is, I'll drag him out from behind the curtain," Jiang Chen promised grimly.
"A wise choice," nodded the bird. "Stay calm! You can't be thrown off by their antics at this stage. Do whatever you need to do."
Jiang Chen inclined his head as well. "That's right, senior. You've come to the young lord residence for a while. I totally forgot that I have a small present to give you."
"Present?" The Vermilion Bird blinked.
"I can't extend your life yet, but I do have a wood spirit spring that can help you purify your constitution and blood. It may improve your vitality somewhat. It won't actually help you live any longer, but I think it'll alleviate many of your current symptoms."
"A wood spirit spring?" The Vermilion Bird's eyes lit up. "I've heard of it before. A marvel of nature, able to purify blood and enhance many forms of life."
Jiang Chen led the Vermilion Bird to the spring at the back of the mountain.
The divine creature was overjoyed at the overwhelming power the spring radiated. It was certain that the water could do exactly Jiang Chen had advertised. Though it couldn't give the bird new life, it would certainly delay the deterioration of its bodily functions.
...
Ten days later, the Vermilion Bird emerged from the wood spirit spring looking completely different. The depressed air that'd clung to it was largely gone.
"I didn't expect your home to have so many treasures hidden around it, Jiang Chen. There's more to you than meets the eye." The bird was in a very good mood. The brief respite it had received wiped away its former dejection.
"I can only do this much for you, senior. The baptism of the wood spirit spring may not put off the inevitable, but it will prolong your time until then. From what I know of rebirth from fire however, your opportunities don't lie within the human domain."
The human domain of present day was no longer the bustling one of the ancient era. This place could no longer sustain the demands of a divine creature's tribulation.
The Vermilion Bird looked intently. "Where do you think my opportunities will be?"
"I think the best place for you will be Myriad Abyss Island." Jiang Chen had little understanding of the other races' territories, but those places were unlikely to be the core of the continent. Only Myriad Abyss Island had the requisite strength and prestige to take that title.
"Myriad Abyss Island… Myriad Abyss Island…" The Vermilion Bird repeated those words to itself several times, clearly moved by them.
After a few moments, it nodded. "Jiang Chen, it is only thanks to you that I was freed from the Primosanct Sect. My rejuvenation in the waters of your wood spirit spring is similar. The human race is going through a troubled time at present, so I've decided to stay here to help you whenever you need it!" As a proud spirit creature, it was intent on repaying Jiang Chen's grace.
Jiang Chen blinked. "Does your vitality allow you to delay like this?"
"Don't worry!" The bird said. "I know my body better than you do. Without the wood spirit spring, I may not have had three decades left. After its purifying waters, my vitals have temporarily improved. My estimates give me at least two hundred years left."
"Senior, you may wish to reconsider." Jiang Chen was happy to receive the Vermilion Bird's promise. However, considering the bird's condition, he didn't want to unduly hold it up from its own plans.
As they conversed, someone ran in hurriedly from outside.
"Young lord, we just received news that Pillfire has gathered thirty-some sects in a crusade against Veluriyam Capital. Their goal is you, young lord!" It was Jiang Chen's confidante and cousin, Xue Tong. The young man was quite anxious, evidently scared by the news.
"Thirty-some sects?" Jiang Chen smiled faintly, his expression almost mocking. "Pillfire was able to mobilize quite a number, hrmm!"
Xue Tong was very surprised at his reaction.
"Young lord, the alliance will be within the city in ten days. I fear the worst!" The young lord's cousin was far more worried than the youth himself.
Jiang Chen was perfectly at ease. "How many first rank sects are there?" He asked coolly.
"Four. The Heavenly Dragon Sect, the Sublime Chord Temple, the Empyrean River Palace, and the Eternal Celestial Capital! I hear that the Ninesuns Sky Sect's executives are bickering among themselves. Some of Newsun's supporters chose to stand with Pillfire… but the sect's Emperor Clearsky has clearly expressed his nonparticipation in these pointless crusades. He's also stated publicly that he has faith in the type of person you are, and that the Boundary Steles aren't so easily broken!"
Another sect in such internal strife was the Moon God Sect. However, the division there wasn't quite so significant. Because of the marriage between the two factions, that sect would never publicly support Pillfire. That would hold true no matter the extent of the threats levied against them.
Jiang Chen laughed when he heard all this. "Those four first rank sects again, eh? When I came back from the Moon God Sect, they were the ones who ambushed me. The same villains are now back with the same recipe. I wasn't scared of them while in their territory and there's nothing to fear in our home base!"
His comfort and ease was infectious. Xue Tong calmed down a great deal.
"On the contrary, I'm more worried they won't come." Jiang Chen was referring to Cloudbillow and company. Cloudbillow in particular had been slain by the young lord's hand – or arrow, to be more precise. How could a person return from beyond the pale like that?
Unfurling a map, Jiang Chen studied the terrain around Veluriyam Capital carefully.
A few moments perusing the map was enough for him to circle a few key spots.
"We'll hold them back at these three choke points. We can't let external forces enter Veluriyam proper! How will I live up to Emperor Peafowl otherwise?"
Though Jiang Chen had advocated inaction, his opponent had dealt a potent hand. He wasn't about to remain a sitting duck.
He preferred to counterattack on the outskirts of the city. The fires of battle could not be allowed to burn within Veluriyam's heart.
"Bring young master Tian Lin to me," commanded Jiang Chen.
He had warned Pillzenith that any wrong move would be met with the execution of his son on the field of battle. Pillzenith's repeated provocations had worn his patience thin. Without a doubt, the correct solution was decisively root out the foundation of all trouble!
Chapter 1449: Discussion on the Eve of Battle
All Veluriyam's great emperors were gathered together once more.
Unfurling the map a second time, Jiang Chen pointed to and fro. "Friends, Pillfire is at its wit's end. It's preparing a final assault on us to find victory or death. We should rise to the challenge in meeting them on the battlefield!"
He had refrained from formally making a break with Pillfire all this time because of his regard for the bigger picture in the human domain. A clash between two powerful forces was sure to result in civil unrest in the domain for a long while, reducing humanity's already meager strength even further.
Alas, Pillfire had seemingly cast Jiang Chen's efforts to the dogs. They'd perceived Jiang Chen's self-control and restraint as cowardice and timidness. This infuriated Veluriyam's young lord. If continual restraint couldn't bring peace, then the alternative was a thunderous strike to excise the festering boil of Pillfire from the world!
It wasn't just the great emperors in the city who were called. Emperor Vastsea, who had been maintaining affairs in Great Scarlet and Myriad, was recalled as well.
Emperor Wellspring was summoned too, alongside a few of his wandering cultivator compatriots. These great emperors had all answered the titan's charismatic appeal and were completely on Jiang Chen's side.
Unfortunately, without Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers, Jiang Chen felt like he was still missing something.
He wasn't lacking in strength of arms, but he did worry about his friend and subordinates. Those three had done a lot for him since the beginning. He wanted to know what had happened to them to rest his own heart, if nothing else.
One question remained, though. If the faction behind the scenes really can disguise people as Cloudbillow and Castveil, why haven't they disguised themselves as Old Brother Mo and the Jiao brothers to dump more dirty water on me?
This perplexed Jiang Chen a great deal.
'Emperor Cloudbillow' and 'Emperor Castveil' were able to mount a convincing propaganda campaign, but its effect was nevertheless diminished due to their erstwhile status as his enemies.
If the mastermind had sent people disguised as Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers, the effect of Jiang Chen's allies turning on him would be much superior, perhaps to an explosive and destructive degree.
However, that kind of worrisome situation hadn't happened.
Jiang Chen was both grateful and thoughtful. Maybe Old Brother Mo and the Jiao brothers were in danger, but the mastermind hadn't discovered their real identities yet. Or were they being treated as ordinary captives?
That was a more optimistic view of things.
Emperor Peerless and the Jiao brothers had hid their identities and pretended to be wandering cultivators from the onset. If they kept this on the down-low and went with the flow, perhaps they were safe still.
The thought of this relieved Jiang Chen's tension somewhat.
The great emperors gathered here were studying the young lord's battle plan. Their blood pumped and spirits were high at the prospect of battle ahead.
Among Veluriyam's own, Coiling Dragon and Void staunchly supported Jiang Chen. Petalpluck's attitude on the other hand, was a bit more uncertain. Not that he wavered in his support of the city's present leader, but the emperor wasn't confident about their chances of victory.
"Young lord, Pillfire is out in force this time. It's gathered thirty-some factions in a fierce alliance. That kind of group can sweep the entire human domain. Veluriyam is alone in its war effort right now, so we would have a lot of trouble resisting their attacks. If we use the city's defenses to maneuver against them, then maybe we can pull it off in the end. Fighting them on the outskirts… may not be wise."
Petalpluck knew that Jiang Chen was capable, but Pillfire and its allies outnumbered Veluriyam several-to-one. The outskirts offered no tactical advantage in terms of terrain. If they were weaker in terms of raw manpower too, how were they going to win?
Petalpluck's concerns did have some basis in fact. Skysplitter also felt the same way.
The latter voiced his worries respectfully. "Young lord Jiang Chen, my Skysplitter faction respects and admires your leadership completely. Only you are fit for the reins of Veluriyam. However, this coming battle will decide the city's survival. I venture that we can't brashly walk into a decision. We have no advantage in terms of men or terrain if we take this to the outskirts."
On a basic level, Veluriyam Capital was precarious in all three dimensions: circumstantial, territorial, and manpower.
Mountaincrush sighed as well. "Young lord Jiang Chen, I won't bat an eyelash in fighting for Veluriyam to the death. Fighting on the outskirts though… it's like throwing an egg at a rock with what little we have remaining."
These three great emperors were all quite rational in their rationales. They weren't opposing simply for the reason of opposing.
"Oi, you three," Vastsea interjected disdainfully. "You've known the young lord for so long, but you still don't know him well enough yet. When has the young lord done anything that he was unsure about? Pillzenith is strong, but have you forgotten? He brought a very large group to ambush the young lord on Eternal Celestial territory, but that ended in shambles nonetheless."
Vastsea was a serial flatterer, but he did have the advantage of steadfastly supporting anyone he threw in his lot with.
Just like when he'd joined Emperor Shura all those years ago; at that time, Shura had no advantages whatsoever over Emperor Peafowl. Despite that, Vastsea had fought his instincts and raised the banner of revolution alongside Shura. Whether openly or covertly, he sang a counter-tune against Peafowl.
Now that Jiang Chen had his loyalty and recognition, he stood beside Jiang Chen to the bitter end.
The benevolent Emperor Coiling Dragon spoke up as well. "I very much agree with the young lord's proposition. If we defend only Veluriyam's heart, Pillzenith's armies would rampage through the countryside and the peoples under our rule. When Emperor Peafowl reigned, he never abandoned a single one of his subjects. Are we supposed to toss aside our principles simply because of our enemy's apparent strength? Shall we hide within the city's walls and ignore the plight of our people? What right do we have to their help and support then?"
There was mass concurrence at his speech. It was right for a leader to personally defend the gates to his nation.
As the leader of Veluriyam Capital, Jiang Chen ruled over countless miles of land and people, vassals as many as the stars in the sky.
If they disregarded border defense and allowed Pillzenith's forces to invade openly, it would be a swarm of locusts romping across the countryside. The only result would be a massive loss of life!
Even if Veluriyam's core remained intact after a long, hard defense, they would be a general without an army.
The prominence of a faction was fueled by its innumerable subjects and subordinates. Existing without these foundations was a tree without roots: living on borrowed time.
Emperor Void nodded. "If Emperor Peafowl were here, he wouldn't hide himself within Veluriyam's walls either. Veluriyam may fall, but we can't let it fall in such a dastardly way. We great emperors should die before the commoners in defense of our country. What opposition can there be to this? Moreover, the young lord's decision to meet our foes on the outskirts must have a reason behind it. Why not hear him out before we decide?"
As Jiang Chen's confidants, Void and Coiling Dragon were closer to him than the rest. There was an element of blind worship in their relationship to him. Plus, they had been Emperor Peafowl's confidants in the past as well. Their perspective was similar in many respects to their former master's.
Therefore, both great emperors were much more firm on this particular topic of contention than the others.
Wellspring chuckled. "Friends, let me put myself forward for a second."
The wandering great emperor held immense seniority in the world of martial dao. After all, he was one of the wandering cultivator world's six titans. If he was less prominent than Emperor Peafowl, that was only by a hair's margin.
In the Veluriyam of today, even Petalpluck wasn't necessarily comparable to Wellspring. Decorum-wise, it was necessary and obligatory to listen to what he had to say.
"Young lord Jiang Chen and I are of one mind and spirit, so I won't offer my opinion on that part overmuch. I do think though, that Pillzenith's thirty-odd coalition is less fierce than it may seem. The very fact that he is at Veluriyam's doors means that he cannot wait any longer. Why? Because he's afraid of the young lord.
"They may look strong at first glance, but have you considered on what is their cooperation basis in the first place?"
Almost all of the other great emperors couldn't say that they had. Most sank into thought. Yes, why had these thirty-odd factions come together in the first place? What was the glue that held them together?
"What's keeping them as one? Is it profit? Pillzenith's threats and blackmail? Or a common fear and hatred of young lord Jiang Chen?" Emperor Wellspring posed a few more questions, more detailed this time.
"What do you think is the reason, Daoist Wellspring?" Coiling Dragon asked.
"I've come up with a couple possibilities. Firstly, young lord Jiang Chen's youthful heroism has elicited envy and fear of his potential rise into blinding prominence. It may affect these factions' bottom line one way or another. Secondly, Pillzenith has always had remarkable influence and prestige among many factions. Those particular ones may have been intimidated or coerced into supporting his war effort. Thirdly, they may have come solely for the sake of potential profit – chief among that, division of Veluriyam's treasures!"
Chapter 1450: To Crush Utterly
Jiang Chen's lips curved in appreciation. He couldn't help but admire Emperor Wellspring's keen insight and unique understanding of the situation. None of the great emperors from Veluriyam could compare, not even Peerless or the Jiao brothers.
With an encouraging look from the young lord, Wellspring continued, "The human domain stands at a crossroad. Either Veluriyam or Pillfire will become its leader. There can be only one.
"You might cower, or you might rejoice. War will come in any case. Pillfire's viewed us as their greatest threat ever since Emperor Peafowl's reign. However, perhaps you don't know why the young lord's avoided open hostilities until now?"
The great emperors looked at each other. Wasn't it because Veluriyam was weaker and didn't have as many allies? What other reasons could there be?
All eyes fell on Jiang Chen. The young lord's smile was as cool and serene as ever, as if undaunted by the enemy's grand army. Such equanimity in one so young was worthy of praise.
Wellspring explained after a brief pause, "You're probably accustomed to thinking that it's because Pillfire is too strong, while Veluriyam keeps to itself and lacks vassals? Wrong! The young lord has never considered Pillfire the greatest threat.
"In fact, they're no threat at all!" Wellspring's voice resounded like thunder.
Other than Emperor Coiling Dragon and Emperor Void, the great emperors were at a loss for words. No threat at all?
"Everyone's heard Emperor Wellspring," Jiang Chen suddenly interjected. "As he said, Pillfire is an annoying fly and not the real danger. I lacked strength before and didn't test their limits. But after several run-ins, I've roughly plumbed their depths. They're inconsequential clowns, despite their airs. I might have left them in peace, but they keep getting in the way. Since they have a death wish, we might as well indulge them."
His words seemed absurd, but his confidence made the crowd sit up and listen. He might have been the only one in the human domain able to command such respect. Anyone else would have been called deranged. After all, Pillfire was widely acknowledged as the number one faction.
"Gentlemen, we can no longer afford to hesitate. I hope you can see that we cannot create without first destroying. The greatest threat looming over us all is demons!"
Demons!
This word had been a recurring nightmare haunting mankind throughout its long history.
"Let all witness what happens when Veluriyam flexes its muscles! Let them know the Heavenly Dragon Sect isn't mankind's leader, nor is Pillfire. We are the only ones qualified! Let us be off!" Jiang Chen had bided his time for far too long to waste more time on pointless debates.
After some reflection, he decided to leave Guo Ran's palace in the young lord residence. With the Vermillion Bird and the eight golem brothers at his side, the palace was best left behind to guard against future dangers.
In fact, he'd long planned on refining it and fuse it with the residence's formation. With the palace at the center and the restriction in its core, the young lord residence would become an impregnable fortress.
In the Great Yu Skysword Sect, Han Qianzhan's eyes shone when he received Jiang Chen's secret missive. "Is war finally upon us? It seems the status quo will soon crumble."
Upon receiving the same secret missive, the Celestial Cicada Court's Su Huanzhen murmured, "The student might have surpassed the master. Perhaps this war will propel Veluriyam to even greater heights."
The two great sects summoned all of their elites, ready to meet up with their ally.
The border of Bluesky Nation had always been a strategic location for Veluriyam. The kingdom's king and his crown prince had both submitted to Jiang Chen. So after careful deliberation, the young man decided that was the best place to confront the northern alliance.
"Senior, you don't need to spearhead the frontlines. I simply need you to look menacing." He smiled at the bird's volunteering.
The ancient beast persisted, "I must take the field. Those great emperors are all mine. My vital functions are rather weak, so I need to replenish my energy."
Many ancient divine beasts swallowed the life essence of other creatures to supplement their own.
"Hehe, you gotta leave some of them for us brothers." Big Stone laughed, brimming with eagerness. Golems couldn't absorb someone else's life essence, but they enjoyed fighting. They didn't want to miss out on the action.
Jiang Chen couldn't be bothered with setting up formations. There were no intricate plans, no defensive arrangements, no nothing. He would resort to the most primitive of brute force, crushing his enemies so hard that they wouldn't even be able to recover from the attack.
He summoned the entire Goldbiter Rat clan. The excited rat king knew how big a chance it was. As the main vanguard, they would suffer heavy casualties, but that was of no importance.
They had to fight and swallow their prey to grow stronger. Many would die, but the survivors would become fiercer and more powerful. Such was the survival of the fittest.
Goldbiter Rats reproduced very fast in any case. Rather than numbers, the rat king was only concerned about his clan's overall fighting potential.
"Ole Gold, remember, your clan will be our main force this time. Teach these fellows a lesson they'll never forget!"
"Hehe, don't worry young lord. They'll have nightmares for the rest of their lives!"
Everything was in order. The young man stood there, hands clasped behind his back, while his great emperors observed him, extremely conflicted. They weren't fully aware of all of his trump cards yet, so they couldn't help being apprehensive.
"Young lord, our scouts have spotted the northern alliance's troops three hundred miles away. They'll soon cross the border!"
Jiang Chen waved his hand. "Keep watching." He also told the rat king, "Ole Gold, stay inside the Millionditch Stonenest for now and keep your descendants in check. Don't alert the enemy and ruin the surprise effect!"
The rat king cackled. "Hehe, understood!"
Jiang Chen nodded, suddenly looking back. "Here they are!"
The elites from the Skysword Sect and the Celestial Cicada Court had also arrived as agreed upon. The young lord welcomed them with a smile. "Sectmaster Han, Courtmaster Su, you're indeed people of your word."
Han Qianzhan laughed. "Haha, it's an honor for us to fight alongside you!"
Jiang Chen smiled easily. "Sectmaster Han, how's the Emperor Supremacy Pill? It might not work immediately for someone of your level."
Han Qianzhan hurried to say, "It's definitely effective. I haven't broken through yet, but I can tangibly feel my cultivation increase. I might soon break free of the shackles that've held me back for so long!"
The pill worked slower on advanced or peak great emperors. But even if they couldn't break through immediately, it would nudge their progress forward.
Jiang Chen nodded. "Everyone, don't be nervous. It might be enough for your presence to add to our momentum. You might not need to fight."
Han Qianzhan frowned. "That won't do. We're allies, so we rise and fall together. How can we sit by and watch? Are you looking down on us? The Skysword Sect fears no battle."
"Right, we are fearless and dauntless!"
The sect had brought along brave and unyielding elites on this campaign. Not a single coward was to be found.
Su Huanzhen also remarked, "Young lord, you can't make an omelette without cracking eggs. We are one and shall face whatever difficulties the heavens throw our way as one. We don't fight for Veluriyam, but for ourselves and for the sake of the human domain."
Touched, Jiang Chen nodded. "Please don't misunderstand. I won't hesitate if your sects are needed, but let's watch the show first… Here they are, right on time!"
He looked into the distance, his tone suddenly strange.
Like an ominous black cloud, a formidable aura inched ever closer, seeming to dim the sun and darken the heavens. Over thirty factions comprised of thousands upon thousands of elites encroached on the border.
The young lord shot into the sky like an air current, his Evil Golden Eye firing forward as a rainbow.
"Pillzenith, I see you really can't teach new tricks to old dogs! My warning seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Since you're so eager to push your son into the abyss, let me help you!"
With a wave of the hand, he pushed Sir Tian Lin forward.
Pillzenith charged ahead of his men. "Jiang Chen, if you dare kill my son, I'll make your sister hate you for life!"
He also pushed someone forward. The young lord froze, instantly recognizing the Moon God Sect's second sectmaster!
Chapter 1451: A Trade of Hostages
Jiang Chen hadn't expected this particular tactic from Emperor Pillzenith. It was patently ridiculous that the great emperor was threatening him with the second sectmaster of the Moon God Sect.
The young lord burst into exasperated laughter. "Are you telling me that you want to trade for your son with the Moon God Sect's second sectmaster, Pillzenith?"
"I'm only repaying you in spades, brat!" Pillfire's leader retorted coldly.
"Hahaha!" Jiang Chen roared with mirth. "You're truly shameless, Pillzenith. I thought the Moon God Sect was one of your more distant allies. Weren't you quite close for a time? Aren't you worried that your other allies will get cold feet from your actions?"
Jiang Chen looked meaningfully at the other sects flanking the emperor.
"There's no need for your provocation, Jiang Chen. Your destruction of the Boundary Stele and intention to cavort with alien races makes you a criminal to humanity itself! If you know what's good for you, surrender now and wash away Veluriyam's sins with your own blood to preserve the lives of your people. Otherwise, our armies will make your rivers run red wherever they go!"
The speaker was the head of the Empyrean River Palace, one of Pillfire's most loyal dogs. Jiang Chen wasn't surprised that he'd stepped up to protect his master.
Jiang Chen looked at the palace head with a half-smile. "The Empyrean River Palace is still considered a first rank sect, but you're willing to stoop to being Pillzenith's pet. But it's fine too if you like being a dog. We all make different choices in life. Your gravest mistake lies in your horrendous choice for a master. Do you think that Pillzenith will most assuredly triumph over Veluriyam Capital given your numbers?"
The Empyrean River palace head was supposed to be an important character in the Upper Eight Regions, given the stature of the faction he led. In Jiang Chen's eyes, however, the man wasn't worthy of any respect. Showing the palace head any courtesy would be doing himself a disservice.
The palace's head was red in the face with fury. Killing intent radiated from his eyes. Pillzenith waved a hand, signaling for the palace head to back off.
"Jiang Chen." Pillzenith remarked coolly. "You've always branded yourself a chivalrous boy. Don't think for a minute that I don't know the hidden dealings between Veluriyam and the Moon God Sect. This old woman is the master of your dear sister, Xu Qingxuan. She raised your sister from childhood, didn't she? She's like a second mother to your sister. If you're willing to let her die, then why can't I sacrifice my son for the sake of mankind?"
Though Jiang Chen held Pillzenith in great contempt, he had to admit the thickness of the other man's skin. Even the most ferocious of carnivores didn't eat its own children.
Pillzenith wasn't eating his own son outright, but he was using his son's life as part of a gamble. If Jiang Chen was incited to anger and refused to make the hostage swap, Pillzenith would be indirectly responsible for his son's death.
The young lord's first thought was to refuse Pillzenith's offer. As soon as he considered that, his sister's face rose unbidden to the top of his mind.
"If I simply leave my sister's master to die, our relationship will fracture for sure. Jiang Chen weighed things up. He would always have more chances to kill young master Tian Lin, but a crack in his relationship with his sister was generally irreparable.
"Never mind. The old woman has such a loathsome temper that I even wanted to kill her at one point, but she is sis' master at the end of the day. I'm sure Qingxuan thinks her of a second mother."
Jiang Chen could anger everyone in the world but his family. He could bear any shame on his family's behalf.
What was the life of a young master Tian Lin worth?
He was suddenly no longer fixated on killing the youth. Raising an eyebrow, he responded impassively, "I underestimated your shamelessness, Pillzenith. Very well, we can make the exchange if you so desire."
His Evil Golden Eye opened wide, glaring at the emperor. "You must swear however, that you haven't used any methods on the second sectmaster or left her with some hidden deficiency. Otherwise, I won't agree to the trade even if my sister blames me for the rest of her life."
Pillzenith was taken aback. He had done precisely that. Once the trade went through, he could use said methods to torture the second sectmaster so that she would wish for death for the rest of her life.
He was a villain through and through. It was just as well that Jiang Chen had his guard up against his enemy's poor morals. This demand destroyed Pillzenith's contemptible plans.
Jiang Chen wasn't in any hurry. "Your son can go back to you whenever you give me a second sectmaster that's perfectly healthy."
Suppressing his anger, Pillzenith called out, "Jiang Chen, you want me to swear an oath, but can you guarantee that you haven't done anything to my son?"
The paranoia was mutual. Pillzenith was as wary as Jiang Chen just as Jiang Chen was of him.
After some preparation, the great emperor was forced to remove his tricks from the second sectmaster. A conspiracy found out is no longer fit to be called one.
After about fifteen minutes, Pillzenith returned with the second sectmaster. "The second sectmaster here is perfectly healthy, Jiang Chen. I can swear an oath that she will not suffer any ill after effects from her captivity."
"You'd better think hard on whether you have anyone else from the Moon God Sect in your hands, hmm?" Jiang Chen replied.
Pillzenith harrumphed. "That's none of your business."
Jiang Chen was perfectly calm and unwavering. "I'm making the exchange, so it is my business. No matter how you pretend to not care, you clearly still want to rescue your son. Before he comes back to you, you should stay as honest and cooperative as possible."
He was using Pillzenith's care and hope to rescue his son against him.
Pillzenith harrumphed again. "I swear that I only have one hostage from the Moon God Sect. One is enough, anyway."
Truthfully, there had been quite a bit of pressure on Pillzenith for doing something so shameless. The Moon God Sect was a first rank sect that formerly had been on very good relations with Pillfire City. The despicable deed he'd been forced into doing just to fight Jiang Chen was exceedingly shameful.
That was why he had captured only the second sectmaster through covert operations rather than kidnapping her in broad daylight from the Moon God Sect.
As for the others, the great emperor didn't think that they would be worthy of being hostages in the first place. Only Xu Qingxuan's master had the weight to strongarm Jiang Chen into capitulating.
The great emperor was reasonably astute at reading people's hearts.
After a round of back-and-forth, both parties settled on strict and stringent terms to ensure that the exchange could go through uneventfully.
"The trade, then." Jiang Chen waved an arm to release young master Tian Lin.
The young man was ecstatic to regain his freedom. He rushed before Pillzenith. "Father, this brat has made me suffer a great deal. Please strike him down on my behalf!"
The second sectmaster was free as well. She swallowed her typical pride to return despondently to the side of Jiang Chen's forces, unsure of how to handle herself.
She was the second-in-command of a first rank sect and usually commanded significant respect in the world of martial dao. Her loss at Pillfire City's hands had been quite painful and depressing in light of that.
"Thanks for the help, Jiang Chen." The second sectmaster's thanks was extremely quiet.
Regardless of her stubborn nature, she knew that she would have met a grim fate without Jiang Chen's graciousness. A proud person could only think normally when her pride was shattered.
"You can thank Qingxuan," Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "If you feel particularly grateful towards me, I would be happy if you could be a bit more lenient on my sister in the future. Alright, now that this little interlude is over, the curtain is about to be pulled back on a grander spectacle. If you are interested in watching, do stand back and enjoy the show."
"Stand back?" The second sectmaster gritted her teeth, her eyebrows upturned. "Pillzenith has gone too far. The Moon God Sect will not ignore his evil deeds. Today, I represent our sect in making a formal alliance with Veluriyam Capital against the malevolent Pillfire City!"
The second sectmaster had ever been single-track minded. She'd sung the multifarious praises of Pillfire City before, even hinting to Xu Qingxuan to make more contact with the city's Pill King Ji Lang. Her worship of absolute power at that time was evident.
The harsh lesson she'd been taught today had opened her eyes. The Pillfire City and Emperor Pillzenith she'd formerly respected were completely different from what she had expected. Their impressions had been utterly destroyed in her heart.
The Jiang Chen that she hadn't thought much of before on the other hand, had surprised her time and time again to the point of embarrassment. This was the young lord of Veluriyam Capital indeed!
Her reaction changed Jiang Chen's own opinion of what kind of person she was. The fact that she had such a one-track mind was endearing in her own way; perhaps she wasn't really that vicious after all.
However, he had no need of her intervention.
"Emperor Wellspring, please escort the second sectmaster to the back. I think she needs some rest." He didn't feel like explaining anything.
He asked Wellspring to just take her away. Only a top-level expert like Wellspring could calm a hysteric woman like the second sectmaster.
As expected, she caved under the emperor's gentle firmness and was compelled to retreat to the rear.
By this time, Pillzenith had completed an overview of his son as well. He had no concerns remaining.
"Jiang Chen!" The emperor's voice rumbled like thunder. "I'm putting aside my private grudges with you for now. The only reason my armies are here today is to punish you for the matter of the Boundary Stele! Your unauthorized attack against it has destroyed its protective boundary. Your betrayal of humanity in favor of alien races is unforgivable!"
"What next?" Jiang Chen smirked. "Are you going to get Emperors Cloudbillow, Castveil, and the rest to accuse me?"
Pillzenith blinked. What was he getting at? Was that kid's gall solid stone? Did he not know the meaning of fear?
Jiang Chen's nonchalant reaction displeased and surprised him.
Chapter 1452: Unbounded Tide of Rats
Denial, refutation, or outright attack were within Pillzenith's expectations. But Jiang Chen being so casual about everything took the great emperor wholly off guard.
"It seems that you won't give up until you're at the end of your rope, Jiang Chen. I don't see the need to waste words given your admission. You have two choices today."
Jiang Chen maintained his half-smile. Pillzenith belaboring his performance was infinitely amusing to the young lord.
"One, your immediate surrender on the spot. I guarantee the innocents will be spared if you do so. And the alternative!" Cackling, Pillzenith swept his gaze across Veluriyam's other emperors. "The alternative is that the entirety of Veluriyam is buried with you."
"Take your pick." The emperor proclaimed the two outcomes with the finality of a haughty judge.
"Why waste time talking to him, Your Majesty Pillzenith? He's the scum of humanity. He has no right to choose anything!"
"That's right, we must crush him to pieces. To do otherwise is to disappoint our ancestors!" Pillfire's dogs clamored in agreement.
Jiang Chen squinted at his enemies. He hadn't yet erupted because he wanted to see the extent of their repulsiveness.
"Did you hear that, Jiang Chen?" Pillzenith snickered. "Do you still imagine you'll be allowed to live after betraying the human race?"
"Are you done now?" Jiang Chen retorted with a faint smile.
Pillzenith had dealt with his young opponent multiple times before. He knew how difficult the youth was to contend with. That was why he had tried to dismantle Jiang Chen psychologically.
From the reactions he was getting though, it seemed that Jiang Chen had experienced minimal disturbance. The calmness of his response was a perfect illustration of that.
"So you want to flail to the bitter end, eh, Jiang Chen?" Pillzenith was greatly displeased. Wasn't the great emperor already in a position to sentence the criminal before him? And yet, the convicted had no appreciation or awareness that his fate was being decided by another!
Jiang Chen glanced at Pillzenith ponderously.
"It must be tiring for you to dance around like this for this long, Pillzenith. You've certainly mounted a respectable effort in opposing me these years.
"I know that you came in high spirits, intent on consuming Veluriyam whole. You've thirsted for my genius pill recipes for a long time. Maybe you've discussed how to divide the spoils, hmm?
"And you." Jiang Chen turned to the other factions' leaders. "Your self-righteous declarations only reveal your deep-seated hypocrisy. Are you not tired by your pretenses?
"You envy me and yearn for my treasures. It's normal to feel that, really, and I'd respect your honesty if you'd made your intent clear from the start. However, the fact that you put yourselves forward as the arbiters of justice for humanity is utterly revolting."
Jiang Chen spoke with incredible speed, as quick as a series of popping firecrackers. Within a single breath, he insulted everyone once over.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not insulting you. Before, I occasionally wanted to do so to inspire you to become better. Now, it seems that you don't even deserve that. As leading factions of humanity, you don't seem to care the slightest bit about the differences between good and evil. Any criticism I make fall only on deaf ears!"
Jiang Chen's face darkened. "I don't care why you came here today. I'm going to teach you a valuable lesson on some very personal terms. We'll see who lives and who dies very shortly!"
As he finished his sentence, his consciousness passed a message to the king of the Goldbiter Rats.
Having received the command, the rat king passed it along to his descendants. The entire colony of rats swarmed out, causing the earth to roil for dozens of miles around.
Countless golden shadows shimmered, their glares as bright as the convergence of a dozen suns. The witnesses could barely open their eyes, so blinding was the radiance. Those with trypophobia felt their hairs stand on end and goosebumps rise everywhere on their skin.
After the past few years of reproductive time, the Goldbiter Rats had increased in numbers yet again. Furthermore, evidence of their evolution was very striking. Currently, the species was at least ten times its former strength.
Rats teemed everywhere the eye could see. No individual rat was particularly large, but the existence of so many of them side by side filled the space from their line of sight to the horizon. There seemed to be no gaps in their formation, with rats oftentimes stacking upon one another. This kind of density was nothing short of nightmarish!
Jiang Chen's gaze was cold and inhumane. He looked impassively at Pillzenith.
"Pillzenith, you've spent every day and night scheming against Veluriyam and me. However, I consider you nothing more than a clown, a pathetic failure of a man. You only know the joy of civil conflict. In my eyes, your ambitions are an absolute joke! Experience well how small you are before me!" He gave further instructions to the Goldbiter Rats to accelerate as he spoke.
A tremendous golden tide surging towards the northern alliance was the obliging result.
Everyone – Pillzenith included – could do little more than watch, their mouths agape.
There had been rumors about Veluriyam's young lord using a rat tide to besiege Great Scarlet Capital. At the time, Jiang Chen had kept a lid on the rats' momentum in order to make sure the innocents remained unscathed.
There was no need to do that here today. None of his enemies gathered here were innocent. The only thing left for Jiang Chen to do was teach these ignorant fools a painful lesson.
"Your Majesty, has… has Jiang Chen allied with a beast tribe?" Someone shuddered even as he offered this comment, his face pale.
"This doesn't look good, Daoist Pillzenith."
"What shall we do, Daoist?" Others could no longer remain calm.
The surging tide of golden rats that rapidly approached caused the weaker cultivators' very consciousnesses to shiver uncontrollably. Even Pillzenith, someone who had lived for several thousand years, felt his scalp tingle.
One Goldbiter Rat by itself was quite weak. Most cultivators here could easily crush a few dozen or hundred. When millions or billions of them came together however, the offensive momentum they brought forth was terrifyingly unrivaled. It was catastrophic, especially for the weak-minded among them.
The rats were imposing in their own way. When faced with this many living things at once, even an expert among experts would still be affected by their momentum. After all, these Goldbiter Rats weren't common animals. They were heirs of an ancient bloodline in their own way, and possessed their own kind of grandeur.
Distrust, fear, and other negative emotions began to unstoppably spread through the northern coalition. Besides the very few staunch enemies of Jiang Chen or the best of experts, most were unsettled enough to want to retreat.
"Your Majesty, this rat tide is quite fearsome. Maybe we should steer clear for now. There's no way these rats know how to fly, so we…" One person offered some helpful advice.
Displeasure was plain on Pillzenith's face. He could see very well the delicacy of the situation. Still, was he going to give up his plans on the day of their fruition? Were these golden vermin going to ruin everything? He simply couldn't accept such a turnaround.
Jiang Chen's derision towards him had also built up a lot of pent-up anger to boot.
Pillzenith had experienced only success for several thousand years. Everyone everywhere gave him the respect he deserved. Who dared openly oppose him in the Upper Eight Regions – nay, the human domain in general?? No one!
That a young man so much his junior had the gall to do so… wasn't a junior like him supposed to show respect and humility to his elders?
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen's own allies were hypnotized by the display of force.
They were deeply impressed and thankful that they were on Jiang Chen's side rather than the reverse. The despair experienced by someone stuck in an inch of space in the midst of the boundless rat tide was unnerving just to imagine.
Great astonishment also radiated from the imperious eyes of the proud second sectmaster of the Moon God Sect. Her perception of the young lord had suddenly became much more complicated.
"Ah, it seems I've underestimated young lord Jiang Chen in the past as well. Qingxuan is lucky to have an older brother like him. Alas, I was too ignorant enough to perceive his value back then. If…" The second sectmaster didn't dare think on.
If Jiang Chen had brought these Goldbiter Rats to the Moon God Sect, would the sect have had the room to choose their response to him in the first place?
From this day forward, it was safe to say that the second sectmaster had no ground to stand on before Jiang Chen.
After all the things she had done and attitude she'd given, especially to Jiang Chen's mother Xu Meng... what had Jiang Chen done in return? He had repaid her with gratitude, and his willingness to redeem her using his enemy's son was illustration of that in spades.
Though Jiang Chen hadn't done it for her sake, obviously. It had been for his sister Qingxuan.
Still, the lengths he'd gone to nevertheless had an impact on the second sectmaster's opinion. She'd been taught a lesson of her own today: there is always another peak higher.
Presently, her eyes were filled with surprise as she beheld the endless tide of vermin. She felt nothing but shock at what she was watching. The sheer awe had almost made her forget about hating Pillzenith because she could tell that it was a very good question whether he would even survive the day!
Chapter 1453: Despair Permeates
Han Qianzhan of the Great Yu Skysword Sect and Su Huanzhen of the Celestial Cicada Court had witnessed Jiang Chen's remarkable methods many times before. That still didn't lessen their awe at the magnificence before them.
They were veterans of the world, and it was precisely their experience that made them aware of how remarkable this sight was. It was astounding that the endless tide of rats was being controlled by young lord Jiang Chen!
The human domain had experienced bestial tides since ancient times. Historically, they'd been long and bloody affairs. However, such tides typically had their roots in the clashes between races – usually the breaking point of long built-up tensions. Other external factors could cause them from time to time as well.
Yet this tide of rats had clearly been started by Jiang Chen. This was the most surprising. Was the young lord truly capable of commanding so many beasts on his own?
This tide was completely different from the one seen in Great Scarlet. Not necessarily in size alone, but in the rats' bearing. The animals seemed tenfold fiercer than they had been previously.
The Goldbiter Rats were euphoric. Their eyes were red with killing intent and bloodlust. When every rat was in the same state, the resulting momentum was immensely fearsome and impactful.
It was akin to countless deathsworn charging at their target in a frenzy, a change of direction not even possible in their minds –
These rats were behaving very much the same way. This behavior alone was enough to crush some of the cultivators' spirits.
The tide of vermin pushed forward with unstoppable speed. They were already only a few hundred meters away. The golden torrent ate away more and more at the space before the creatures, filling their targets with depressed hopelessness.
The legs of a few of the weakest cultivators had already turned to jelly.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The rats in the very front turned into aureate arrows, plunging madly into the northern coalition's forces. When the Goldbiter Rats' bloodthirst was riled up, they could achieve a sufficiently bone-chilling level of mania.
One, two, three…
One by one, rats swarmed into the temporary line of defense set up by the northern coalition.
Coming from the largest of factions, none of these cultivators were inept. When they realized that confronting the tide of rats was unavoidable, they steeled themselves in order to weather the storm.
"All great emperors should rally the defenses! Don't worry. What is there to worry about when I'm with you?" Pillzenith scolded his men when he saw his own camp start to panic. He clapped once as he did so, creating a stream of intangible, silver blades of air. They rolled about like flying carps.
In terms of cultivation, Pillzenith was definitely one of the best that the human domain could offer. His air blades rent all the Goldbiter Rats within thirty meters of himself to shreds of flesh.
"Wake up, you lot! These rats aren't individually strong. They're only relying on strength of numbers!" The emperor called out even as he mowed them down in swathes, attempting to raise his troops' morale.
Just as he said, these rats were weak by themselves. Weak enough to not even a threat, in fact. When they were amassed however, these useless rats showed their true advantage. No matter how strong Pillzenith was, could he kill a hundred thousand rats? What about a million?
There was no end to the teeming tide. More rats welled up as soon as their predecessors were cut down, resulting in an unbroken line once more within seconds. No matter how much Pillzenith prevailed, he couldn't make a dent in the Goldbiter Rats' numbers, much less stem their advance altogether.
The normally arrogant great emperor was in a panic now.
He'd seen bestial tides before, but one of this size was the first. More importantly, there were no signs of it stopping anytime soon.
The more he killed, the crazier the replacements were. The Goldbiter Rats were completely fearless in their reckless charge.
"Damn it, is there no end to this rat tide? When is this going to be over?" Someone couldn't help complain.
"We were too rash! Are we going to die here?"
"I said this before already. If Veluriyam wants to parade about, then let them. The southern part of the Upper Eight Regions needs a ruler of some sort. They…" He'd yet to finish when Pillzenith's figure suddenly alighted near him, the great emperor's palm pressing down on the man with great imperial force.
The man didn't even have a chance to scream before being reduced to dust.
Everyone else looked at each other askance when they saw this. Why was Pillzenith killing so mercilessly on the basis of a stray comment?
"Daoist Pillzenith, what… what do you mean by this?!" It was an expert from the Heavenly Dragon Sect who'd just died. The sect's executives were instantly put out at the loss of one of their own.
"Hmph, he was confessing his own evil by speaking ill of us and well of our enemies. How will the army remain steadfast if he's not killed?" The emperor had a good explanation for what he did, or so he thought.
He glared coldly at the rest, proclaiming loudly. "Stand your ground, everyone. The rat tide is vicious, but we great emperors will see you through. Anyone who creates any more fear, uncertainty, and doubt will personally be given a ticket to the afterlife by me."
Emperor Pillzenith knew that now was not the time to ease up. Once the army lost their will to fight, catastrophic loss was sure to follow. When defeatism was in full swing, his personal skills would no longer matter.
Therefore, he preferred to commit murder at this stage rather than risk his troops' morale.
His swift response was effective to a degree. The encroaching uncertainty was wiped completely clean.
"Kill, kill all of these animals!" One of the cultivators screeched.
"Yes, we must kill them all! Restore a bright future to humanity!" The cultivators clamored one after another to pump themselves up.
Jiang Chen was completely relaxed. He was enjoying the despicable state being revealed when the northern coalition struggled. It was a superb feeling indeed!
Pillzenith's powerlessness and anxiety, coupled with the infighting, had helped Jiang Chen finally complete a picture of the man.
The emperor was ambitious, but also utterly useless.
The threat of death was an effective morale boost in the short term though. The continual approach of the rat tide meant that the battle raged on. Because the northern coalition's defenses were still relatively intact, loss of life was mostly restricted to the rats.
Each charge meant the death of tens of thousands of the critters. However, that was nothing when one considered the race as a whole. The situation never seemed to change despite the theoretically diminishing number of rats.
In fact, the Goldbiter Rats became fiercer by the minute. Any gap in the tide was filled up almost instantly on instinct.
"Your Majesty, there's no end to this rat tide. I think we need to plan a route of retreat. I spot more powerful rats at the end of the tide, readying themselves to charge!"
"Your Majesty, we should flee to fight another day."
The speakers had learned proper behavior this time. They messaged Pillzenith privately rather than publicly shout about it. In this way, they were able to express their attitude without affecting the others and creating a panic.
Pillzenith was bothered and disconcerted. He hadn't expected men from his own faction to want to abandon ship, even if it was only mentally speaking at present.
"Ole Gold, what's up? Are you still warming up after all this time?" Jiang Chen frowned when he saw what was happening. The Goldbiter Rat offensive didn't seem ferocious enough.
"Heh heh, don't be in such a rush, young master Chen! These dolts have killed at least a hundred thousand of my children, but that was an only initial investment. I'll make them pay it back now, with interest!" Cackling, the Goldbiter Rat King suddenly stood up. Its large, auric body howled into the heavens with incredible energy.
The howl called its children to mount a full-on offense according to its will. When the other rats received the command, they piled forth with increased ferocity. Their bloodlust was amplified multiple times over!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Goldbiter Rats rammed themselves into the line of defense one after another. No fear of death could be seen in the attack. Their lack of raw power was made up in blood sacrifice.
The rats were typically a cowardly race. Trading blood for blood was extremely uncommon for them. Yet in this moment, no rat recoiled from its orders.
Having received their liege's secret order, the rat king's word was life and law. The only thing they had to do was obey!
Emboldened once more, the Goldbiter Rats attacked the northern coalition's defenses with renewed vigor.
The great emperors manning the defenses were quite remarkable. They refrained from crumbling in the face of adversity and struggled against inevitability. But even so, the defense teetered on the brink of disintegration from the repeated impacts. It was going to do so any minute now.
At this point, the battle wasn't something a few great emperors alone could easily decide. Moreover, a natural fear of death had kicked in for most of the participants here.
Chapter 1454: The Defensive Line's Collapse
The sea of Goldbiter Rats spread as far as the eye could see. They perhaps numbered in the billions, compared to the tens of thousands of men in the northern alliance.
It hardly seemed fair. Whether in number or momentum, the gulf between both sides was overwhelming. If not for great emperors barely stabilizing the defensive perimeter, the northern alliance would have collapsed already.
But even so, they were backs against the wall, tottering on the brink of defeat. There was little suspense to what would happen if the rats could open a single gap in their ranks. Carnage would ensue, pure and simple.
Each warrior was an elite who'd experienced life and death on the battlefield. It was readily apparent the dire straits they were in. The northern alliance boasted of a considerable elite force, but they were entirely overshadowed and drowned by the endless waves of Goldbiter Rats.
True, the great emperors couldn't be underestimated. They flattened any rats within their range into a bloody mess. But those were paltry losses for the endless ocean of beasts. Attempting to kill them all would be futile.
As soon as a group died, another batch was ready to replace it. And further behind, even more rats awaited their turn, eager to enter the fray.
Like a deluge battering a creaky dam, the endless siege inexorably found an opening.
"Ah!" A cultivator shouted in anguish. As a slight weaknesses appeared in his defensive range, rats instantly swarmed the space, pouncing on him and gnawing until only bones were left.
This tiny gap soon became an enormous hole in the defensive system as more and more rats poured inside.
Two, three...
Physically and mentally exhausted, cultivators fell one after another, becoming rat food. Their miserable shrieks filled the air.
The smell of blood made the Goldbiter Rats even more frenetic. As if demented, the ones in the back surged forward like the flood crashing through broken dikes, gaining space bite after bite, swallowing any creature in their paths.
In the blink of an eye, they submerged several hundred cultivators as they pummelled the immediate defensive circle, then spread out to tear the defensive system to shreds.
Someone shouted at the top of his lungs, "We can't hold it any longer. Run for your lives!"
As if possessed, the majority of cultivators turned tail, melting into escape rays shooting into the air. The fastest among them barely reached the safety of the sky, but the rest suffered a much grimmer fate.
Propelling into the air like cannonballs, countless rats pounced on them, bringing them back down to earth. And then, only horror awaited them as teeth rent their flesh.
"Everyone, run together!"
"It's our only chance! We're dead meat otherwise!"
The so-called northern alliance wasn't a true, solid alliance. Rather, it was a simple mob unified by common interest. This impossible alliance crumbled under the threat of oncoming death. In fact, it'd only held on for so long thanks to wariness of Pillzenith and his show of strength when subduing those lacking resolve.
But when facing the rats' onslaught, the fear he inspired could no longer stop the disintegration of the defensive line. The once coordinated ranks had broken down into small isolated pockets.
Pillzenith couldn't attend to every area, but even if he could, he would be powerless to stop them from fleeing. It was human instinct to run from death.
More and more cultivators took to the skies.
Some Goldbiter Rats were particularly strong and could fly as well. Those who could charged back and forth in the air, forming multiple front lines to prevent the cultivators from fleeing. Only, most rats weren't at that level. Their concentration in the air was much lower than on land.
Hence, even as many were forced down, a few fortunate ones managed to slip away, deserting the battlefield without a glance back as soon as they left the combat zone.
On Veluriyam's side, Emperor Coiling Dragon brimmed with eagerness as he spectated from afar. "Young lord, quite a few fish have slipped through our net. It's time for Veluriyam's force to shine."
The number of escapees wasn't high, but it wasn't negligible, making him a little anxious. He would have charged ahead in his impatience to catch them all, but Jiang Chen shook his head with a small smile.
"Don't worry, it doesn't matter. We have bigger fish to fry. You can't slaughter all tens of thousands of them. It's fine if we leave some small fry a way out."
No cultivator involved in this battle could be called ordinary, but the escapees weren't his goal. There was no need to kill every last of them.
"Big Stone, wait for now. Only act when you see our real targets preparing to flee. Don't let any of them get away. Remember, I'm testing your ability in this battle. Understood?" he commanded.
"Relax, Savior. We brothers won't forget our mission." Big Stone seemed very excited, his lively eyes staring ahead at the battle.
Jiang Chen had already ordered them to keep track of the northern alliance's great emperors. They could let anyone else go if they pleased, but not a single big fish was allowed to leave.
That was an unequivocal order!
Leading Pillfire's warriors, Pillzenith exerted his full power as he killed the rats in an effort to resist the endless waves. Thanks to their bravery, Pillfire's blood-soaked men hadn't suffered grave casualties yet. However, the enemy had sliced through the northern alliance, splitting the various factions like a cake, destroying their coordination and making each pocket fight for themselves.
"Your Majesty, there's no end to the rats. Our losses will be too severe if we keep fighting. Why don't we…" a great emperor from Pillfire stammered.
Despite his frustration, Pillzenith hadn't been blinded by anger. No matter his power, the endless sea of rats was beyond what his personal strength could handle.
"Leave?" He seriously considered this issue for the first time.
But how could he be willing? Waste an entire year of painstaking planning? He had gone through many hoops to gather these troops. If he were to fail, Pillfire would lose its prestige and its credibility. Would anyone still have faith in him after a defeat?
"Your Majesty, it'll really be too late if we don't retreat now."
"Your Majesty…"
Pillfire clenched his teeth. Still blowing away rats left and right, he ordered decisively. "We leave! You go first, I'll cover you!"
No one could accuse him of cowardice. He knew that without him at the helm, Pillfire's defenses would crumble in no time. Bringing up the rear implied some risk, but he was confident in his own ability.
Blade in hand, he cut into the air, shouting, "Break, Aurora Slash!"
Countless blades of energy spun in all directions in a dazzling aurora, submerging all of the surrounding rats in white cyclones and eviscerating them, creating a window of opportunity for Pillfire's troops.
"Go!" Using the sole opportunity their lord could create for them, they turned into streaks of light fleeing into the sky.
But all of a sudden, a fearsome power appeared from the void, crushing them with the weight of a mountain. Their bodies no longer obeying them, they bounced back to the ground.
"What?"
"What the hell was that?" They wailed like ghosts, their eyes filled with disbelief at the failed attempt.
Pillzenith also froze. He'd used a powerful move to block all of the Goldbiter Rats in the vicinity and give his men every opportunity to survive. Why hadn't any of them escaped?
From his vantage point, they'd fallen back on their own accord, leaving him flabbergasted at the strange scene. He stared at the sky and spotted thick clouds rolling above his head. Powerful creatures seemed hidden inside, blocking the way out.
Who is it? As far as he knew, there shouldn't be such powerful creatures in Veluriyam.
"Pillzenith, you also have two choices today."
This time, Pillfire's master thoroughly froze as Jiang Chen's voice pierced his ears. The last time, he'd sentenced the young man like a judge in full control of the situation. But the roles were now reversed, and the young lord had thrown his own words right back into his face!