Chapter 1916: Terrified and Fearful
Imperial Prince Huo unrelentingly revealed the identity of these mysterious enemies.
The middle-aged man turned absolutely furious. If the imperial prince had done this before, he wouldn't have been embarrassed at all. Rather, he would have enjoyed it quite a bit.
He had held the an advantage at the time and saw Imperial Prince Huo as only prey. He enjoyed seeing the terror of others.
But now, Azure Ox and Azure Tiger had died for seemingly no reason at all. The middle-aged man began to suspect whether these people were even from Rejuvenation. Since when had it become this strong?
He glared at Imperial Prince Huo angrily, his alert eyes roving for something.
The imperial prince knew that the man opposite him was filled with terror right now. This was especially true because Jiang Chen and his draconic friend had fought in an inscrutable way. Not understanding what one's opponents were doing was the most frightening blow to one's morale.
"Master Han, was it? Heavenlight is used to being presumptuous on its own land, no doubt. However, this isn't your territory." Imperial Prince Huo was emboldened by the young lord's support.
The middle-aged man had evidently come amply prepared. Though his guards' fate had cast a shadow over his heart, he was here for the spirit stone veins. There was no way he would fail against the likes of Rejuvenation!
Fire spewed from his eyes as he fixed them upon the imperial prince. "If you've done all this knowing the great name of the Heavenlight Isles, that means Rejuvenation isn't scared of trouble, yes?"
"Rejuvenation doesn't make trouble for others, but we can handle any trouble that comes our way!" Imperial Prince Huo sneered. "Are the fates of Azure Ox and Azure Tiger not enough to make you repent?"
"Tsk tsk, Master Han, is he threatening us? Didn't you say that Rejuvenation was no better than an ant?" The seductive woman rubbed coyly against the middle-aged man's arm.
The man tossed her aside with a light flourish. "Women shouldn't interfere in the matters of men."
His cold anger cowed the woman into submission, though her resentment found a different outlet.
"Rejuvenation is really in for it this time!" she glared viciously at Imperial Prince Huo. "You can't possibly bear the consequences of angering Heavenlight."
"Windbag!" the imperial prince retorted. "I don't understand why you've brought a loudmouth like her with you. She's worse than useless and will only hold you back. Heavenlight's name doesn't seem to hold much water, does it?"
The middle-aged man ignited at these words. "You're trying to provoke me, are you?"
The prince shrugged. "So what if I am?"
"Congratulations, you've succeeded! Succeeded in bringing disaster to the Rejuvenation Isles, that is! I'm going to make this very clear: before, I was just going to take all of the spirit stones here. Now, I'm going to conquer the entirety of Rejuvenation. I will crush your homes and annex your territory!"
Imperial Prince Huo laughed heartily. "An impressive boast! If I didn't know any better, I would think a senior from the Ten Sacred Lands was here."
The middle-aged man scanned the air with viper-like eyes.
"Hmph! I confess I did underestimate Rejuvenation. Still, do you think that killing two guards will spare you from catastrophe? Don't be naïve! We investigated every detail about you before we came. If you know what's good for yourself, don't resist. Otherwise, I guarantee that there will be mountains of corpses and rivers of blood!"
The imperial prince scoffing. "Your bragging is truly one of the history books. Didn't you ask around before you came here, Han?"
"About what?" the middle-aged man replied proudly.
"Alright. Even if you didn't, aren't you the least bit worried after your two guards died for no reason?" Imperial Prince Huo continued, snickering.
The middle-aged man's heart sank. He was still filled with determination, but the repeated questions from Imperial Prince Huo in a strange tone tipped him off that something was wrong.
Was he still dealing with Rejuvenation? If so, what were they so sure about? They should be terrified and listless instead.
Wasn't this imperial prince far too calm for the situation?
Why was that?
The middle-aged man didn't care all that much about Rejuvenation. He thought their forces too insignificant compared to Heavenlight's.
However, reality was overruling instinct. Everything about this was strange.
"What are you trying to say?" his voice became a little strained.
In comparison, Imperial Prince Huo was very relaxed. "Didn't your woman say that I was blind just now?" he shrugged. "Actually, I think you're the one who needs to get your eyes checked."
"Hahaha!" the middle-aged man roared with laughter. "Are you telling me that Heavenlight is ignorant about Rejuvenation's supposed strength?"
"Who told you that these islands belonged solely to Rejuvenation?" the imperial prince declared seriously. "Don't you know that someone else owns this place as well?"
This news stunned the man from Heavenlight.
This revelation hadn't been in their report. The only thing they knew was that the Tritalent Isles had been fighting over these with Rejuvenation.
Tritalent was hardly a major faction either though. Certainly nothing worth being concerned over for Heavenlight.
Now that the middle-aged man's origin was plain, Imperial Prince Huo no longer needed to hide who Jiang Chen was, either. The young lord chose this moment to rematerialize.
He swept his eyes across the islands below coldly. "I don't know how strong the Heavenlight Isles are, but I own half these islands. You came without notice, which means you are trespassing invaders. Tell me, is there anything you believe will save yourselves from my wrath?"
He was truly upset by Heavenlight's actions here. If they continued in their foolish ways, he didn't mind killing them all.
Before that, though, he was content to press for spirit stones. He needed resources, not grudges.
If the Heavenlight Isles was willing to pay a substantial fine, he would consider giving them a chance at life. If the middle-aged man insisted on resisting, he would no longer worry about mercy.
The aura the young man exuded as he emerged from thin air clearly distinguished himself from Imperial Prince Huo.
The middle-aged man was shaken by his appearance and felt mildly uneasy.
Chapter 1918: Complete Capitulation
Jiang Chen's strong presence immediately raised the hackles of the middle-aged man from Heavenlight. He looked at the young man with guarded eyes. He had a bad feeling about this. There must be a reason why Imperial Prince Huo had been so brazen, and the young man was very likely to be it.
Was he someone very important? Most who called themselves young lord had the influence to back that up.
Master Han cautiously toned down his arrogance.
"Who might you be?" He stared at Jiang Chen carefully.
Jiang Chen scoffed. "Why do you ask? Are you trying to see if I'm someone you can afford to offend?"
Jiang Chen's mocking expression angered Master Han greatly. For the longest time, it had been him looking down on others. When was the last time someone from Heavenlight had been subjected to such scorn?
An elder looking bodyguard transmitted with a solemn expression, "Master, from the way he holds himself, it's obvious he's no small fish. The deaths of Azure Tiger and Azure Ox are very likely his doing as well."
Master Han managed to contain his anger and swallowed a curse. "If you're someone I can't afford to offend, I'll get out of your hair. In Myriad Abyss, strength is law."
"Get out?" Jiang Chen huffed out a laugh. "That's easy for you to say. You've trespassed into my property and tried to steal what's rightfully mine. Do you think I'll just let you off the hook?"
"What else do you want?" The middle-aged man believed he'd made enough compromises. If the young man refused to back down, he would tolerate things no further.
"You don't have the right to know. You better pray that you haven't laid a finger on the spirit vein or extracted any stones. Otherwise, none of you will be leaving here alive." Jiang Chen's forceful tone allowed no room for argument.
The air thickened with tension.
Imperial Prince Huo silently praised Jiang Chen for his assertion of dominance. Heavenlight was nothing compared to the Eternal Sacred Land!
Master Han boiled with rage. He'd met his share of arrogant men before, but none as arrogant as this young man. None of them will be leaving here alive? Did the young man honestly think he'd be able to capture all of them with so small a force?
How ludicrous!
Jiang Chen clapped his hands, ignoring the man's reaction. "Brother Vermilion, let's give them a show."
Without missing a beat, the Vermilion Bird shrieked and emerged from the void. It expanded its wings, its body growing in the howling wind until it was a hundred times bigger. The sun was obscured by its wings and the airspace shrouded by its enormous body. Fire spread and dyed the firmament red.
The bird exerted its power over the area like it had capped a lid on the skies. The surrounding space was sealed off, making everyone from Heavenlight feel infinitely stifled and sick. Blood boiled and they almost collapsed.
Even the bodyguards, the most powerful of them all, felt a bone-deep terror they couldn't describe. Fear turned all of their faces ashen.
Shocked, the old bodyguard turned to the middle-aged man, "Master, this is the power of a god!"
Master Han was already trembling under the bird's might. His mind went blank with explosive shock when he heard the old man's words.
A god!
He never expected to run into a god in Rejuvenation's territory! How was this even possible? The middle-aged man broke into a cold sweat.
"From this moment on, none of you are allowed to move," Jiang Chen said faintly. "Whoever takes even a single step will be killed without prejudice!"
His tone wasn't particularly vicious, but there was an undeniable killing intent to it. Those from Heavenlight cowered and lowered their heads reflexively, too afraid to meet his gaze.
"Imperial Prince Huo, take your men and look for Rejuvenation's members stationed here," said Jiang Chen. "Find out what's happened."
Imperial Prince Huo sighed softly. "I'm afraid there may not be any survivors."
Jiang Chen nodded. "An eye for an eye. If all of them were killed, Heavenlight will pay for it in kind."
Imperial Prince Huo's eyes lit up with gleeful delight.
Without Jiang Chen's support, it'd be impossible for them to kill those from Heavenlight to avenge their people. With the young lord here, Heavenlight wouldn't dare resist at all.
If they angered Jiang Chen, their own deaths would be the least of their worries. The entirety of Heavenlight Isles would be in danger.
The middle-aged man rushed out, "Gentlemen, gentlemen, please listen to me. The ones stationed here are still alive..."
"Where are they?" Jiang Chen asked sharply.
"They… they..." stammered the middle-aged man. He gritted his teeth and admitted, "We made them our slaves and planned on having them excavate the mines."
Imperial Prince Huo flew into a rage. "How dare you! This is ridiculous!"
The middle-aged man had lost all his air of superiority. There was no place for pride when faced with a god. He had no power to back his arrogance up.
Although he hadn't guessed the young man's identity, it was unquestionable the young man must be from a faction at least ten times more powerful than Heavenlight.
A god could easily destroy Heavenlight ten times over!
The old bodyguard's expression changed when realization dawned on him. He leaned closer to his master and transmitted, "This subordinate has figured it out, master. The young man… is young lord Jiang Chen from the Eternal Sacred Land!"
"The Eternal Sacred Land?" A shiver ran down the middle-aged man's spine. He'd made the connection too. He looked at Jiang Chen's proud stance, then at the enormous Vermilion Bird blotting out the sky.
That was Jiang Chen, whose reputation was far-reaching and growing exponentially.
He couldn't believe his eyes; his mind swirled with a mass of unanswered questions. Young lord Jiang Chen was a prominent figure from the Eternal Sacred Land. Why would he have anything to do with a third-tier faction like Rejuvenation?
What had Rejuvenation done to deserve Jiang Chen's support?
Or did the young lord truly own half of the spirit stones here?
Seized by panic, Master Han finally realized what an enemy he'd made for himself.
He'd offended the most well-known young genius in Myriad Abyss, and the Eternal Sacred Land behind him! If he did nothing to control the damage, their heads would roll, and Heavenlight was doomed to total destruction.
Chapter 1919: Enacting Punishment
Imperial Prince Huo soon returned with the cultivators originally stationed on the islands. They'd been turned into mindless slaves.
The imperial prince shot Master Han a glare. "You certainly stretched your hands out far! The islands are hundreds of thousands of miles away from your isles. You have no business being here! How dare you barge in and claim it as yours? Do you consider Myriad Abyss a lawless land?"
Normally, the middle-aged man would've killed Imperial Prince Huo ten times over for talking like that. The prince was inferior to him in both status and cultivation. Now however, he kept averting his eyes.
"Imperial Prince Huo, we can restore their minds," he stammered. "Also… we didn't know the islands are the young lord's. If we'd known, we wouldn't have had been bold enough to stir up trouble here, even with all our courage combined."
That was the most honest thing he'd said so far.
He carefully didn't address Jiang Chen by name before introductions were made. He'd be in a world of trouble if If he got the wrong person.
His blunt remark jabbed the imperial prince where it hurt the most. "So Heavenlight set out to walk all over Rejuvenation, didn't it?"
Such was the truth, but the middle-aged man couldn't possibly acknowledge it. He knew that Rejuvenation had gained a powerful patron. Although Rejuvenation itself was nothing in his eyes, it'd be unwise of him to offend them while this young lord was here.
He bowed timidly to Jiang Chen. "Your achievement is great despite your youth, venerated young lord. Very few possess such cultivation and might at your age even in Myriad Abyss. If I'm not mistaken, you must be young lord Jiang Chen, aren't you?"
He had exceedingly thick skin and knew when to change his tune. One moment before he'd been an arrogant bully, but he quickly set aside his pride and spouted off flattery as easily as breathing when the situation called for it.
Jiang Chen had met many like him. Without proper punishment, the man would soon forget about his lesson and repeat his mistakes. If shown too much mercy, the man would consider the young lord a pushover.
He ignored the man's words and turned to Imperial Prince Huo with a cold expression. "Have you checked the mines yet? Have the spirit veins been touched?"
Imperial Prince Huo had surveyed the area. "They're still at the planning stage and haven't really put their plans into motion yet."
Master Han responded in a servile tone, "We haven't done a thing. Although we've sketched out a development plan, we weren't going to get started until the day after tomorrow. That's the most auspicious time."
Jiang Chen snorted. "Consider yourselves lucky."
"Yes yes, we are." Master Han was a professional brown-noser through and through. There was no trace of pride left in him.
"But I'm not done with you."
"We foolishly offended young lord Jiang Chen," the middle-aged man rushed out. "Naturally we should pay for it. We'll willingly accept any punishment. I only hope you'll give us a chance to atone for our crimes. Whatever Heavenlight is capable of, we'll do it."
Tritalent had realized they couldn't defy Jiang Chen after knowing his true identity. The same was true for Heavenlight. They didn't dare play tricks nor were they bold enough to stand their ground. Compromise was the only way for survival!
It didn't take long for the cultivators from Rejuvenation to recover their mental faculties. They were shocked to see Imperial Prince Huo and their peers. Their jaw dropped even further when they noticed how much deference the middle-aged man was showing to the imperial prince. What was going on here?
They knew the man was from the Heavenlight Isles. Why would he be so respectful to Rejuvenation?
Their questions were answered when they were told about young lord Jiang Chen
When asked, they told Imperial Prince Huo and Jiang Chen that Heavenlight had arrived two days ago. They'd come prepared, bringing craftsman so they could claim all the spirit stones in a short period of time.
These fellows certainly had a healthy appetite.
Jiang Chen mused and quickly came up with an idea after learning everything. Since Heavenlight had brought their craftsman, he might as well use them. He could spare them their lives, but they weren't going to escape punishment.
"You should've been killed for coveting my property, but I'm a merciful man. I'm not going to kill you. However, it's up to you to atone for your crimes."
Master Han immediately bleated, "I'm willing to do anything!"
"First, none of you are leaving the islands until the excavation is complete. If it takes a year, you'll stay for a year. If ten, then you're staying for ten years. Whoever tries to escape will run only to their death!"
Master Han shuddered. He knew Jiang Chen was serious.
"Second, all of you will work as miners to extract the spirit stones, employing labor to make amends."
Master Han pulled a long face at the prospect of being a miner, but he didn't dare voice his dissents. Not even all of Heavenlight's top experts combined would be able to save him now. Manual labor was a small price to pay for his life.
Young lord Jiang Chen had been merciful enough to spare him.
"Third, you're my captives from now on. Even after your work here is done, you must buy your freedom with spirit stones. These are my three conditions. Any objections?"
Jiang Chen didn't intend to list too many requirements. He was already essentially milking their value twice.
Master Han bobbed his head earnestly. "No objection! Young lord Jiang Chen is admirable for your magnanimity!"
He didn't dare object. Jiang Chen could kill him with a thought. Although he had a lot of guards protecting him, they were nothing when facing a god.
The Vermilion Bird could easily take out all of them with a single mental strike.
It was good enough he was offered a way out. Of course he wasn't going to argue.
Besides, It was just hard work. According to their previous estimations, it'd take less than a year for them to deplete the spirit veins if they were quick.
Afterwards, they'd have a chance to buy their freedom with spirit stones. It wasn't that bad a deal. Better than fighting Jiang Chen head-on, at least, which was just courting death!
Chapter 1920: The Most Radical Plan
Imperial Prince Huo approved of Jiang Chen's plan. He knew that killing these people would be enjoyable, but it would also create a permanent grudge between Rejuvenation and Heavenlight.
Once that happened, Rejuvenation wouldn't be able to stand unscathed against the hot vengeance of a faction much stronger than them.
Yes, Jiang Chen was their patron, but what if he wasn't around? Or rather, if he was too far away in the Eternal Sacred Land to take care of them?
Heavenlight couldn't openly deal with them, but it could easily make them suffer under the table.
It was better to avoid making enemies. A solution that was both peaceful and mutually satisfactory was optimal.
However, a little warning was necessary regardless. "I must remind you of one thing: you are now miners. If you harbor selfish desires, or worse, try to smuggle out any spirit stones, death will be the only result upon discovery.
"Don't consider yourself lucky enough to get away. A single spirit stone is enough to warrant my wrath!" Jiang Chen warned ferociously.
Theft wasn't necessarily actually going to occur, but it was best to pre-empt any problems before they arose. He didn't want to end up benefiting these people after all his hard work.
Calling together all the craftsmen, Jiang Chen learned the general details about the spirit stone veins on the islands. Alongside those was a rudimentary excavational plan.
He wasn't happy with their proposition. It was too conservative and slow, and he didn't have that time to waste.
The craftsmen wanted to take two to three years to mine out the entire island, but Jiang Chen wanted everything to be done in that many months. Time was of the essence, and he didn't want to spend too much time here.
"Young lord Jiang Chen, it'll be impossible to excavate all of the stones within two or three months! Even the best masters in Myriad Abyss wouldn't be able to accomplish such a feat. All that work needs time. Plus, we don't have nearly enough people either."
"What do you mean?"
"To excavate the spirit stones from the veins here requires a lot of manpower deployed in an organized manner. Unless you can get your hands on several million practiced miners and keep all of them in line, it simply cannot be done."
"Other than the manpower problem, is there anything else?"
"Some parts are especially difficult to dig up. We need people to prospect and separate the usable from the unusable as well. It's fine manipulation."
"Back to the manpower problem, is it?" Jiang Chen laughed.
"Indeed, but that's the hardest problem to solve, isn't it?" the craftsman remarked.
The young man nodded. "Do as I command. Don't worry about the requisite manpower; I'll take care of it."
"How many people can you get together, young lord Jiang Chen?" the craftsman looked rather astonished. "The mineshaft won't be able to hold nearly that many. Chaos isn't conducive to productivity."
"I don't intend on employing human hands."
"No human hands? What kind of hands are you using, then?" the craftsman was utterly bewildered. How else were they going to get the stones out of the ground? They weren't just going to separate themselves from the surrounding rock.
The Vermilion Bird was a powerful being, but it couldn't take the place of thousands of workers in excavation.
Jiang Chen smiled mysteriously. "I have my ways. Just do your job and revise the plan to be as fast as possible."
Off to the side, Imperial Prince Huo was as doubtful as the craftsmen.
The people from Heavenlight on the other hand, were relatively calm. They were here to dig, so the efficacy of the method used didn't really matter to them.
Without further ado, Jiang Chen summoned the king of the Goldbiter Rats.
"Ole Gold, how many rats are there in your tribe now?"
The rat king chuckled. "We passed the hundred million mark a long time ago. What, young lord? Is there work for us to do?"
"Some community service," Jiang Chen smiled. "I need about just one million of you. Can you handle it?"
"What're you asking me that for? Since when have I been unable to handle anything you've thrown at me? One million is nothing. I can do ten or a hundred, easy."
"I don't need that many. Also, they need to be able to listen to orders," Jiang Chen said.
"Don't worry. My first, second, and third generations of descendants have awakened their intellects very nicely and they've received the most from you as well. They are absolutely loyal. All of the Goldbiter Rats are extremely grateful to you, young master Chen. They'd leap at the chance to help you."
Jiang Chen didn't suspect the veracity of this statement.
He personally felt that he'd treated the rats very well indeed. However, he was worried that their love of gnawing on spirit stones would win out. What if they couldn't resist eating the things they were supposed to excavate?
"Ole Gold, I don't doubt the Goldbiter Rats' abilities one bit. This job is a bit more special, though. I'd like to hear what you think about it."
The rat king blinked. "What is it, young master Chen?"
Jiang Chen laid out his situation.
The king of the Goldbiter Rats stroked his whiskers, then laughed squeakily. "A reasonable worry, yes. I can see newborn rats doing that. I'm sure the mature ones will be able to overcome their hunger though. If they know that these stones are important to you, they will make every effort to resist their desires."
Jiang Chen nodded. "These spirit stones are sorely needed. I'll give you other compensation and rewards at a later date."
"Don't worry about that, young master Chen. You wouldn't forget about us if you had something good anyways." The Goldbiter Rat king knew the youth's temperament from the time it'd already spent with him. It would actually earn the young man's disliking if the rat king haggled endlessly with him.
The young man was relieved by the certainty in Ole Gold's voice.
"Go prepare your children then. Tell them the importance behind this operation. Any rat that can't handle temptation should stay home."
"Yes, of course." The rat king nodded.
No one else present understood a word of this conversation since the two of them had spoken in ancient beast language. They were utterly confused when they saw Jiang Chen talking with a big golden rat at length.
"Everyone, this giant rat is descended from the ancient race of Goldbiter Kingrats. The species is characterized by its incredible chomping ability. Back then, even the bloodlines closely related to the four sacred beasts didn't like to antagonize them."
Chapter 1921: A Crazy Efficiency
These people had never heard of the Goldbiter Kingrats before. They didn't know what this species meant in the heavenly planes. However, the addendum that even the four sacred beasts' kindred didn't like crossing them gave them an inkling of what these rats were like.
In the world of martial dao, the bloodline of rats in general was grossly discounted by the vast majority. The fact that these rats could be so strong surprised Imperial Prince Huo and the others.
"I can summon a million of these rats, gentlemen. Moreover, I can guarantee their cooperation in the mining effort. Can the timespan be shortened to three months now?" Jiang Chen asked the craftsmen probingly.
His audience was rapt with astonishment and awe. They'd heard of many absurd plans before, but using rats to dig up spirit stones was surely a first in its class.
A million was a lot of rats.
But now, here was another question.
After some consideration, one of the craftsmen spoke up furtively. "Young lord Jiang Chen, we do not doubt your ability. However, these rats aren't exactly human. Are they reliable? What if they snack on your spirit stones?"
"I will be supervising them," Jiang Chen laughed. "Plus, I can all but guarantee that they won't do what you said. They wouldn't dare!"
"If you can ensure that's the case, then I see no problem with it. Will they listen to what we tell them to do?"
"Don't worry about that either. Goldbiter Rats are very clever. They understand the human language. Moreover, since I'll be overseeing them the entire time, they'll follow orders to the letter."
All the craftsmen nodded in understanding. The young lord had said more than enough, and they weren't exactly about to oppose him.
It would be incredibly unwise of them to do so. After all, the young lord had come up with all the solutions already. If they refused to execute, that was on them.
"As long as these rats are obedient and diligent, I think we can manage three months," one of the craftsmen affirmed. "Provided, of course, that they're orderly enough not to make a mess."
The rats' advantages were clear as well. Their incredible biting ability was very good at getting rid of the waste ore around the spirit stones. The product didn't need much more processing before it was ready to use.
They were also small rodents, which meant they didn't occupy nearly as much space as human miners would.
The king of the Goldbiter Rats summoned up a swarm of his descendents immediately.
Everyone who saw the teeming sea of rats felt their scalps tingle. Even the advanced empyrean experts' hairs stood on end when they saw the density of the furry creatures.
The rats were almost too terrifying to behold. If a large enough group rushed at them, even they could do little more than flee.
The rat king began to his speech. "Without young master Chen, we Goldbiter Rats wouldn't be where we are today. Only by following in his footsteps will we have a brighter future, and a hope of a world of our own. Young master Chen's business is our business. We must obey his orders to the letter. I have only called descendents here today whom I deem trustworthy. Tell me, will you sneak a bite of the spirit stones?"
The Goldbiter Rats in attendance were generally of the more awakened variety. They squeaked in unison in a show of loyalty, solidly affirming that no, they would not misbehave by eating the spirit stones.
The rat king became more serious still. "The young lord may be kind enough not to do much to you, but I'm making this very clear right now: if I discover that one of you have infringed, I won't show the same mercy!"
Having received much from the young master, he wanted to put his own devotion on display - hence the enthusiastic performance.
Jiang Chen clapped. "You've a lot of work ahead of you, my friends," he said in ancient beast language. "Know that I am watching. When the opportunity arises to do so in the future, I will surely compensate you in other ways. These spirit stones are vitally important to me. Even eating a single one is measurably detrimental to my work."
The rats squeaked again to insist their resolution.
Smiling, Jiang Chen waved a hand to the craftsmen. "You can get to work now."
The rats were surprisingly docile and organized. They worked with an efficiency far exceeding that of human cultivators.
Since rats were social animals, they communicated among each other with relative ease. It was actually easier to direct them than humans. Humans could only offer basic limited assistance where they were able and couldn't keep up with the actual mining.
The work of many rats was accompanied with incredible chatter. The Goldbiter Rats dug out and carried away the spirit stones with shocking speed.
Even Jiang Chen thought the sight was rather impressive, never mind Imperial Prince Huo and the rest. He'd merely wanted to make a bold experiment at first. He hadn't anticipated at all that his foray would produce results far beyond expectations.
Those from Heavenlight were utterly convinced.
They had to admit that this heir of a sacred land lived up to his name. They had never heard of the preposterous things he was doing, much less seen them before.
Still, they were pleased to find that they didn't need to do any hard labor. They'd already resigned themselves to that fate, given Jiang Chen's demotion of them to their current status, but there wasn't much room for them to do much. The frenzied rats were taking care of practically everything.
The rats' incredible productivity was simply astounding. Many places that would have required a miner's trained hand, such as drilling, chipping, and smashing, were reduced to trivial operations by the Goldbiter Rats' sharp teeth.
These rats were certainly natural-born experts in this field.
All this was an eye-opening experience for Imperial Prince Huo. "Young lord Jiang Chen," he joked, "with these rats helping you, you could very well be considered one of the very best prospectors in Myriad Abyss. These Goldbiter Rats'll make practically everything easy!"
This gave Jiang Chen an idea. He remembered Mount Cloud Camel back in Eternal Divine Nation. His buddy the Astral White Tiger had discovered a vein of ore there a while ago.
Chapter 1922: One's Only Crime Was Their Wealth
Once the Goldbiter Rats were deployed, efficiency was boosted significantly. No one, not even Jiang Chen, had anticipated this result. They'd thought it'd take the rats three months to completely excavate the large mine, but it ended up being depleted in one and a half months.
Mountains of spirit stones shone with a seductive sheen, taking all bystander breath away.
Even though Master Han was no more than a miner now, envy couldn't help but creep in when he looked at the stones. Unfortunately, Heavenlight was fated to have absolutely nothing to do with them.
Jiang Chen could barely contain himself. The yield was about as big as he'd expected. Half of it would account for thirty percent of the stones he needed for the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement! Added to that the stones he'd collected before, that meant he was forty percent done!
He looked at the cultivators from Heavenlight. "All of you should be glad that you only had to be miners for one and a half months and barely did any hard work."
Master Han smiled awkwardly and nodded. "It's all thanks to the young lord's clever plan and fine execution."
"Alright, there's no need for flattery. Count your men and think about paying the ransom. You either serve me as slaves from now on or buy your freedom. Your choice."
"I'm willing to pay," the middle-aged man rushed out. "But how much is the ransom?"
"How much do you think you're worth?"
The middle-aged man's face fell. "Unlike the sacred land, Heavenlight doesn't have any large mines. It's difficult for us to bring froth that many spirit stones."
Jiang Chen pointed at the mountainous piles of stones. "I'm not asking for much. I'll let you go as long as you pay a tenth of the stones here."
The middle-aged man paled and pleaded, "Young lord Jiang Chen, it'll be impossible for us to buy our freedom if that's the case. There might be less than ten mines as big as this one in the entirety of Myriad Abyss, and this is the only one we've ever excavated. The others have either been claimed, depleted, or haven't been discovered yet. Heavenlight will never be able to gather that many stones. Even if we can, our peers will never agree to pay all of our reserves for our freedom."
Jiang Chen knew it was going to be difficult, but he wasn't going to listen to their whining.
With a slight smile, he remarked, "So you prefer being my slaves. That works too. Atoning for your crimes by serving me isn't too bad a bargain, is it?"
Han pulled a long face and begged, "Is there room for negotiation, young lord? Please allow us some leeway in the payment. We'll try our best to satisfy your needs."
"Alright, one twentieth of the stones extracted then. That's my bottom line. If you can't pay up, prepare to serve me as a slave."
One twentieth of the stones was still a large number, but Heavenlight could afford it, albeit with great difficulty. The fellows here were pretty important back home. Without them, Heavenlight would suffer a great loss in manpower.
And so, an agreement was reached. Jiang Chen let two minor characters go back and report to Heavenlight, telling them to collect the stones and find him on Winterdraw Island.
He wasn't going to take everyone back to Rejuvenation. Neither did Imperial Prince Huo want him to do that. Rejuvenation had no desire to become Heavenlight's enemy.
The imperial prince was grateful. He knew Jiang Chen could've completed the trade in Rejuvenation, but had instead picked Winterdraw. The young lord was being rather reasonable and considerate.
"We'll split the spirit stones here, Imperial Prince Huo. You witnessed the extraction of the stones. You should be able to tell that I haven't hidden anything for myself."
"Oh, you're a man of integrity, young lord Jiang Chen," Imperial Prince Huo responded hurriedly. "I'm very grateful and thoroughly impressed."
This was the honest truth. Imperial Prince Huo wouldn't be able to oppose Jiang Chen at all if the young lord forcefully claimed a bigger portion of the stones, or even all of them.
When it came down to things, Jiang Chen hadn't taken the islands from the imperial prince, but from Heavenlight. Rejuvenation had long lost their ownership over the islands.
Jiang Chen peered at Imperial Prince Huo, then at those from Heavenlight. An idea came to mind. He smiled. "There's something I hesitate to tell you, Imperial Prince Huo."
"Please do," the imperial prince replied earnestly.
"I'll be frank then, I'm fine with you taking half of the stones, but it may not end well for Rejuvenation. A great fortune can be its owner's death sentence. Have you considered that yet?"
That was right. Was Rejuvenation powerful enough to keep and protect the large number of stones?
If there hadn't been any witnesses from Heavenlight, they might be able to quietly ferry the stones back to their territory with no one the wiser. As it was now, the news would get out sooner or later. How many potential enemies would be coveting the stones then?
The sum was large enough to make even the first rate factions lose control. Not even the ten sacred lands could resist the temptation of such a great fortune.
The imperial prince threw the middle-aged Han a glance, who gave him a half smile.
Clearly, Heavenlight wouldn't be bold enough to rob them of the stones, but they had no qualms about spreading the word of Rejuvenation's recent acquisition.
The stones could very well be their downfall.
They had thrown themselves under Jiang Chen's banner and acquired his support, but that didn't mean the young lord was going to be their bodyguard and keep them safe at all times.
Other factions could easily take all the stones from them when the young lord wasn't around. There wouldn't be much he could do from the Eternal Sacred Land. The robbers would be long gone when he arrived.
Imperial Prince Huo's good mood evaporated. He was smart enough to recognize the truth to Jiang Chen's words. It was a problem they had to face seriously, and if they failed to solve it, great trouble would soon follow.
Chapter 1923: Promising Great Benefits
Imperial Prince Huo frowned deeply. He wanted to seek advice from his royal brother, but what if Jiang Chen upped and left them now?
Once they brought the stones back to Rejuvenation, the prince gave it anywhere from ten days to half a month before their enemies came knocking, or thieves and robbers targeted them. It was considerable wealth that would attract a lot of attention. No factions would let slip the opportunity to make a great profit.
"Young lord Jiang Chen, I can't figure out a solution," Imperial Prince Huo responded deferentially. "Do you have a good idea? Please enlighten me."
"Let's move the stones to Winterdraw first." Jiang Chen waved a hand. "And I mean all the stones, yours and mine. The stones will only be your downfall if you take them to Rejuvenation."
Imperial Prince Huo hesitated. What if he didn't get the stones back afterwards?
However, if the young lord wanted to take their half of the stones for himself, he didn't have to do so in such a roundabout way. He could simply just take them. After all, he was the one who'd reclaimed the spirit vein from Heavenlight. Rejuvenation had no say in the matter.
"We will do as you say, young lord," Imperial Prince Huo agreed hurriedly. "If you're so inclined, Rejuvenation is willing to give you all of the stones."
The imperial prince wasn't a shortsighted man. Further thought had enlightened him that the stones would be more trouble than they were worth. If he gave them to Jiang Chen, Rejuvenation would be losing only the stones. If the prince took them home instead, Rejuvenation's very fortunes might be in danger.
Jiang Chen smiled. "Your kind offer is appreciated. The stones will be of great help to me. Let's settle things like that then. We'll take them back to Winterdraw first."
Imperial Prince Huo had simply been testing the waters. He hadn't expected Jiang Chen to just accept the offer without a word of protest. His heart was bleeding, but he maintained a bright smile. "Alright, let's do that."
Jiang Chen was surprised and secretly impressed by the imperial prince's self-control.
One after another, airboats made their way to Winterdraw.
Lu Che and the others were delighted to see Jiang Chen return. They were surprised that the young lord had brought back a large group of captives, and ones that Lu Che recognized to boot.
The middle-aged man from Heavenlight was equally surprised to see Lu Che and his companions. "Venerated Elder Lu? Aren't you law enforcement elders from Warmspring? What are you..."
Lu Che pulled a serious face. "Warmspring is a crock of shit compared to young lord Jiang Chen. We've chosen to follow him."
The middle-aged man made a dejected sound of understanding. It was true that Warmspring paled in comparison to the young lord of the Eternal Sacred Land. There was absolutely no competition.
"Watch them closely, Lu Che, and wait for their people to pay their ransom," Jiang Chen ordered coolly. "If no one comes around in a month, they'll be Winterdraw's slaves from then on. You'll be free to order them as you will."
"Great!" Lu Che responded excitedly.
Jiang Chen summoned Imperial Prince Huo and Chief Warden Ding after taking care of those from Heavenlight.
"You must be resentful, thinking that I'm greedy for taking your share of the stones."
"Not at all!" Imperial Prince Huo protested hurriedly. "Honestly, Rejuvenation can't really claim to have any ownership over the spirit stones. You took the mines back from Heavenlight. It's in your right to not give us anything. In fact, we owe you the stones."
Jiang Chen waved a hand. "That's not how things go. I told you to give me the stones for your own good."
"What?" Imperial Prince Huo was befuddled, but realization then dawned on him.
"You'd be the cause of your own doom by taking the stones with you," explained Jiang Chen. "That's the truth even if you don't want to admit to it."
"Honestly, you're right, young lord. Rejuvenation isn't powerful enough to keep the stones for ourselves."
"That's why I asked you to come here, to listen to your opinions," Jiang Chen said with great conviction. "If you insist on taking the stones, I won't force you to surrender them. You can keep your share.
"But I'd greatly appreciate if you'd be willing to exchange for other compensation. I need the stones and I'll pay you back with things of the same value. The compensation won't be in terms of material resources, but heritage you can pass down for many generations."
"Oh?" Imperial Prince Huo's eyes lit up. Jiang Chen was indeed a man of integrity. He was offering them a fair trade! That would be the best outcome for Rejuvenation. He was both excited and curious about what the young lord might offer them.
Jiang Chen did have pressing need for the stones. If Rejuvenation gave him their half, he'd have gathered fifty to sixty percent of what he needed for the great formation. Sixty to seventy if taken into consideration the stones he'd accumulated beforehand.
He'd be halfway there.
With some hard work, it'd be possible for him to gather the remaining thirty to forty percent in three to five years.
It'd require some luck to locate more mines, but there must be a wealth of untapped spirit veins on the vast land of Myriad Abyss. He was most confident he could achieve his goal.
"What do you think it is that Rejuvenation lacks the most, Imperial Prince Huo?"
Imperial Prince Huo paused and gave the question some thought. "We lack a solid foundation and heritage, without which we have difficulty raising top cultivators. There aren't any peak empyrean cultivators in Rejuvenation. If we did, factions such as Heavenlight would at least think twice before invading us."
"That's right, you lack a solid foundation." Jiang Chen nodded. "How is a foundation laid down for traditionally powerful factions? Heritage. It may not be material resources either. A wealth of collection can often be more important, such as martial dao methods, divine treasures, and other heritage."
Imperial Prince Huo sighed. That was something Rejuvenation didn't dare even dream of.
"The spirit stones are quite valuable. I'm not going to take you for a ride. If you're willing to give me the stones, I'll grant you three things.
"First, if you can find the ingredients for the Crowning Empyrean Pill, I'll refine you a cauldron of them for free. The pills can advance empyrean cultivators a level at no cost.
"Second, I'll give you a martial dao method. It'll be at demigod level, if not divine level.
"Third, if you encounter trouble you can't resolve, I'll unconditionally come to your aid once!"
Chapter 1924: Enormous Gains
Jiang Chen's offer was generous. In fact, in certain ways, what he promised in return was more valuable than the stones themselves.
Therefore, Imperial Prince Huo could scarcely believe his ears. He exchanged a glance with Chief Warden Ding, silently confirming that the other had heard the same thing before falling into deep thought.
It was an offer they couldn't resist.
Spirit stones were consumables. Once used, they were gone. There was no heritage to speak of, and they contributed nothing to Rejuvenation's foundations.
They would either make Rejuvenation nouveau riche, or bring doom to their home. A double-edged sword, so to speak.
On the flip side, what the young lord promised would benefit Rejuvenation in the long term. Any of his three offers was too good to turn down.
"Take your time to consider my words. Give me an answer in a month." With that, Jiang Chen waved a dismissive hand and walked away.
Imperial Prince Huo glanced at Chief Warden Ding. "What do you think, Old Ding?"
The chief warden sighed. "We'd have to be remarkably short-sighted to turn down such an offer. There's no telling what the spirit stones will do to us, but what the young lord offers will surely do us good."
"I agree. However, I worry that those who lack foresight may assume we're giving away the spirit stones to get on the young lord's good side."
"That can't be avoided no matter what we do. It's impossible to make everyone happy." Chief Warden Ding chuckled. "Besides, His Majesty will be the one making the final decision. As long as we convince His Majesty, there's nothing the others will be able to do. One cannot achieve greatness without making a leap of faith. This decision will determine Rejuvenation's future. You shouldn't be overly concerned with things, Your Highness."
Chief Warden Ding was a worldly man. He knew what the right thing to do was.
"Old Ding, stay here while I return to Rejuvenation and brief my royal brother so that he can make a decision. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Chief Warden Ding nodded without hesitation. "Understood."
The imperial prince was efficient. It took only eight days to make a round trip from Rejuvenation.
When he came back, he sought out Jiang Chen.
"Have you made a decision yet, Imperial Prince Huo?"
"My royal brother has the final say in all things for Rejuvenation," Imperial Prince Huo responded seriously. "This minor prince wanted to make the deal happen. Therefore I reported back about it and detailed the factors involved. Being the wise man my brother is, he approved of my judgement. However, he's been so bold as to make a few trivial requests of his own."
"Let's hear them." Jiang Chen could fulfill a few reasonable requests.
"First, he said the young lord could have all the spirit stones, but it should be announced to the public."
Jiang Chen smiled. "That's fair. It's the only way to ensure Rejuvenation isn't targeted. You'll never be safe if people don't know you've given the stones away."
"Exactly." Imperial Prince nodded. "Second, we hope you might announce that Rejuvenation is under your protection from now on. Targeting us will be equivalent to challenging your authority."
That was also fair.
It wasn't unreasonable for Rejuvenation to use Jiang Chen's name to deter potentially hostile factions.
Jiang Chen nodded. "I can grant you that wish, but remember, if I find out you've been using my name to commit atrocities and hurt people, there will be consequences. You better think before you act."
"Rest assured, young lord, we aren't bold enough to do anything untowards on your behalf." Imperial Prince Huo had no doubt about that. After the time he'd spent with the young lord, he was aware that Jiang Chen cared about his image. If they dared damage his reputation, they would have no one to blame for their doom.
"Anything else?"
Imperial Prince Huo shook his head. "No, just these two."
"Good. It's good that Rejuvenation didn't let greed get the better of you and stayed within the boundaries." Jiang Chen had thought they would make a lot more requests, but there were only two, and both were in good faith.
"Since you haven't requested for anything unreasonable, we have a deal. Among the three offers, I can fulfil the second now. Do you need a cultivation method or a tangible martial method? Or perhaps you have other needs?"
"Cultivation method," Imperial Prince Huo said without hesitation.
Cultivation methods were the basis of martial dao. It could improve one's level and bring about the most comprehensive progress. Specific martial dao methods were too limited.
Jiang Chen browsed through the wealth of cultivation methods in his head and picked one to share.
"Imperial Prince Huo, any empyrean cultivator can learn this method. How effective it is will vary depending on each person's fate. Those who aren't as fortunate may stop at advanced empyrean, while the more fortunate may reach peak ninth level empyrean, or demigod. Those who are particularly compatible stand a chance to ascend to divinity. In other words, the method, if used well, can be your heritage for generations to come."
That was no exaggeration. The cultivation method was considered a demigod method, but in reality it was as good as any divine method.
Imperial Prince Huo didn't doubt the young lord's words at all. There was an air of integrity about Jiang Chen that demanded trust. The thought that the young lord might be lying to him didn't even cross his mind. He gingerly accepted the method and cupped like the precious treasure it was.
The imperial prince knew his place well. Jiang Chen added after a bemused pause, "Since you're being so cognizant of the situation, it'd be remiss of me to give you only a cultivation method and not a martial one. I'll give you a hand-to-hand combat method as well to go with the cultivation method. However, you mustn't let anyone outside Rejuvenation learn about the method. Otherwise I have ways to take it back from you!"
Imperial Prince Huo could barely contain his excitement. He hadn't expected the additional boon! He hurriedly promised, "We'll be sure to keep it from outsiders!"
Jiang Chen handed both methods to Imperial Prince Huo. "And here's the list of ingredients needed for refining the Crowning Empyrean Pill. You must keep this confidential as well. In addition, don't try to study and refine the pill yourself. Once you gather all the ingredients, contact me."
It'd be difficult to gather all the ingredients. If Rejuvenation managed to do it, Jiang Chen wasn't opposed to refining a cauldron of the pills for them.
Noting the bemused look on the imperial prince's face, Jiang Chen added faintly, "It's for your good. It's difficult enough to gather the ingredients. If you recklessly try to refine the pill yourself, all of the ingredients will go to waste. You won't be able to get any results even after a hundred thousand years."