Chapter 1845 to Chapter 1852

Chapter 1845: Partnership Proposal

"To be honest with you, Prime Puresmoke, I come from the human domain. I traveled to Myriad Abyss not only for my dao partner Yang Qinghuang, but also to track down the ancient Earth Bodhisattva Sect. It's serendipity that I chanced upon its heritage here."

"What?" Puresmoke paused. Jiang Chen's real identity was no secret in Eternal Divine Nation, but it was still news to the prime. She was surprised that he came from the human domain.

"I'm about eighty percent sure I can help the Martial Sacred Land eliminate the rebellion, but I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?" the prime asked in a low voice.

"I want information about the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement. You know as well as I that the formation played an important role in the ancient demonic war, which, unfortunately, didn't do that much damage to the demons.

"Over the years, the formation has lost its power. I'm looking for information about the formation's establishment, seeking ways to restore and reactivate it." Jiang Chen added seriously, "The formation is crucial to the human race."

Puresmoke stared at Jiang Chen blankly, like he was a monster and huffed wryly. "You have tremendous foresight, Sir Jiang Chen. However, given the human race's ability and wealth, do you really think we'll be able to activate the formation again?

"In the ancient times, there were the ten great sects. Only through the combined resources and effort of several factions was the formation activated - and with great difficulty. The formation is too large and involves too many aspects. Within the human race, no faction can afford to activate the formation on its own.

"Even if we manage to gather enough resources, we don't have the formation masters we need. Formation masters back then were more skilled and powerful than those of today. Even then, activating the formation was extremely taxing and the effort was almost in vain. If the three factions hadn't worked together, the attempt would've never been successful..."

Prime Puresmoke knew the heritage of the Earth Bodhisattva Sect well, including the details of this important formation.

"We'll find a way to gather the resources, and I can solve the problem of the formation masters," Jiang Chen responded seriously. "However, I have to first know every little detail about activating the formation, especially the parts the Earth Bodhisattva Sect was responsible for."

"The Earth Bodhisattva was the one in charge," the prime declared proudly. "Even the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect and the wandering formation master Pei Xing were only assistants."

That wasn't completely accurate. The three factions each had their parts. True, the Earth Bodhisattva Sect had taken on more difficult and large-scale tasks. It was understandable that its descendents would think of the sect as the leader.

"Prime Puresmoke, this is an urgent matter. I'm sure you want to get right down to business as well. I just have one question for you: is there room for negotiation about my request?"

Prime Puresmoke thought for a moment. "Our heritage, especially those from the ancient times, are carefully protected. This seat can't give you a promise now. You'll need our divine forefather's permission."

"So I can't get an answer without talking to the forefather?"

Prime Puresmoke sighed. She didn't want to turn Jiang Chen down. Deep down, she greatly appreciated the young man and wanted to fulfill his ambitions, but the sacred land had its own rules.

She couldn't just give outsiders access to their heritage, especially those only the sacred land possessed. The Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement was considered the top most secret within the sacred land.

Puresmoke had access to the information, but she wasn't authorized to show it to others.

"It looks like Prime Puresmoke doesn't have the final say, do you?"

"Sir Jiang Chen, vanquishing the rebellion is an urgent matter. In this state of emergency, I may be able to negotiate with you on behalf of the sacred land. In order to save the sacred land, this seat is willing to suffer the punishment if a problem arises in the future."

Jiang Chen's eyes lit up in pleasant surprise. "Oh? So you're agreed?"

"No, no, I only said that I can negotiate with you," the prime rushed to clarify.

"Is there a difference?" Jiang Chen paused. He was preoccupied with thoughts about the formation and hadn't considered anything else.

"Yes, there is. You've made your conditions clear. Now it's my turn to bargain with you." The prime's tone was mischievous.

"Please do elaborate." Jiang Chen was lost.

"The Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement is recorded in an ancient text in detail. This seat can help you get the information. However, I have one little request for you in addition to helping us stop the rebellion."

"What is it?" Jiang Chen asked faintly. If the prime got greedy and asked for more than the sacred land deserved, he'd be very disappointed. This was his test of the prime as well.

Noting the steel in his voice, Prime Puresmoke smiled. "It's a simple enough request. I only ask for you to agree to a collaboration regarding the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit."

Jiang Chen smiled back in understanding. "You want to increase the fruit's value through me."

"That's right. The fruit's value is limited before being refined as the Taiyi Skymender Pill. The Martial Sacred Land is willing to work with you. The split of the profit is negotiable."

"What do you propose?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile.

"I'd like to hear your thoughts."

Jiang Chen wasn't opposed to such a deal. He extended five fingers. "I'll be straight with you. How about half and half?"

That was reasonable. Jiang Chen was contributing his skills, which couldn't be replaced. It'd make sense for him to even ask for sixty percent of the profit. After all, Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit could be found elsewhere. Although the Martial Sacred Land produced the most, they didn't have a monopoly over the fruit.

Prime Puresmoke quietly considered the offer. Should she bargain with him and try to increase their share?

She decided against that when she saw Jiang Chen's expression and smiled. "Alright, half and half. That's very reasonable."

Jiang Chen clasped her hand to seal the deal.

Prime Puresmoke was pleased. "Sir Jiang Chen, I hope you'll consider the collaboration a friendly exchange rather than a calculated deal."

Jiang Chen shrugged. "That's not important. We each get what we want, don't we?"

Prime Puresmoke nodded slightly. She knew her decision was risky. If the divine forefather disapproved, she'd be in a world of trouble.

Of course, turning Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit into pills could bring the sacred land great profit in the long term. Her contribution should be able to make up for her wrongdoing.

After all, information about the great formation wasn't a secret they had to keep. When the demons invaded, they'd have no choice but to release all the information. They wouldn't even be compensated for their loss. Her deal with Jiang Chen was greatly beneficial for the sacred land.

A weight lifted from Jiang Chen's heart. He was going to get exactly what he'd been missing. He'd inherited knowledge from both the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect and Pei Xing, leaving only the Earth Bodhisattva Sect's part, which was also the most essential.

"Prime Puresmoke, may our collaboration create a new and brighter future for the human race." Jiang Chen cupped his hands.

"Good. You're decisive, young genius. This seat is impressed. However, the text is stored in our headquarters. I won't be able to give it to you while we're here."

"That's quite alright. I just ask for the text to be handed to me once the headquarters are liberated."

Jiang Chen's conviction was infectious. Prime Puresmoke declared, "This seat will take this leap with you even though my future is on the line."

"Alright, we don't have time to waste. Let's come up with a solution to the sacred land's problem." Jiang Chen was driven.

The Martial Sacred Land was in a worse state than the Eternal Sacred Land had been. With the formation heritage from the Earth Bodhisattva Sect, Martial's defenses were stronger, but it suffered a greater shortage of talents than Eternal.

The Martial Sacred Land had lost its dominance over the nation in terms of absolute power. It wasn't capable of launching a counter-attack against the rebels.

"The divine experts are locked in a battle. We may disregard them at the moment. That leaves these people as our biggest threats. Forefather Goldenbell has fallen. Now we should go after the remaining three. Once a couple of them die, the rebels will fall apart on their own!"

Apart from the divine forefather, the rebels had four demigod forefathers on their side. The rebellion indeed possessed ridiculous power.

Unlike the rebellion alliance in Eternal Divine Nation, the rebels here only had one divine forefather. However, the four demigods were enough to overwhelm the Martial Sacred Land. After all, they didn't have as many elites as their counterparts in Eternal.

Chapter 1846: A New General Plan

The demise of Forefather Goldenbell gave Prime Puresmoke great confidence. She understood that the youth before her really had the ability to change the direction of the war. He wasn't all the way there yet, but no ordinary man would be able to command both a vermilion bird and a true dragon.

Nevertheless, she was assured that he would prevail. The success of the Eternal Sacred Land was plenty of evidence that this cooperation would potentially be a turn of good luck.

The sacred land would be rescued from danger, and their Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit would drastically increase value. It was two birds with one stone.

The only thing required as compensation was a copy of an ancient text, worthless in the hands of any other.

After the terms were discussed, the two parties drafted a strategy.

They came to an agreement that the enemy leaders needed to be dealt with first and foremost. If the three other demigod forefathers could be slain – or even just two! – the rebels would crumble and scatter.

The rebels didn't have any solidarity to speak of in the first place. They had come together merely temporarily against a common enemy for a common goal.

If their interests conflicted, or the circumstances changed, it would take no time at all for them to be scattered to the wind. There was nothing substantial at all holding them together.

They weren't connected by the camaraderie of a sect, bonds of blood, or a common belief in a higher truth. They fought together for the sake of profit alone.

The idea that had been used to lure and kill Forefather Goldenbell remained a pretty good one. However, it was unlikely to work a second time; the other three forefathers would be much more alert and attentive after hearing about their comrade's death. It would be difficult to assassinate them all… but certainly doable.

Jiang Chen had many other tricks up his sleeve. With the Vermilion Bird as his trump card, he was confident in his ability to take down one or two demigods. Especially amid an ambush, a forefather wasn't that hard to deal with.

The Vermilion Bird was about to break through to divinity anytime. It was already far stronger than demigods, rivaling a full-fledged one in strength.

In the end, multiple plans were formalized.

The details of each were studied in a methodical manner: execution, emergency procedures, and backups.

After doing so, Jiang Chen mentioned his departure. "Prime Puresmoke, my companions are still outside. I can't stay for too long. I'll be waiting out there, ready to leave at anytime."

Cupping his fist in farewell, he strode back into the outside world.

Prime Puresmoke had mixed feelings as she watched him go, persisting even after his figure completely disappeared from vision.

"How unexpected. The Eternal Sacred Land cultivated a genius like him without anyone knowing." Saddened, the prime glanced at Holy Girl Yu Ling.

Both Yu and Jiang were young geniuses, and the holy girl was already the cream of her generational crop in Myriad Abyss. Alas, she couldn't compare at all to Jiang Chen. They were practically a world apart. Was there no way to bridge that gap?

Puresmoke became mildly wistful.

"Master, is Sir Jiang unreliable?" Holy Girl Yu Ling asked when she saw her master's sorrow.

"No." The prime hastily shook her head. "Yu Ling, if you can build a good relationship with Sir Jiang, it may just be a blessing in the future."

Yu Ling reddened. "A good relationship? Why?"

"You're still young, Ling'er. I haven't allowed you to test your mettle in the wider world much, and though you're more than clever enough, you need to learn how to adapt. You still need practice in many things. Look at this Jiang Chen: he's far ahead of the pack when it comes to others in his generation. Among the Martial Sacred Land's younger generation, we don't have any geniuses who would be equal to the late Xiahou Zong, much less this Jiang Chen."

Prime Puresmoke's opinion was reasonably fair.

"Master, is he really as great as you say?" Yu Ling's competitive spirit was riled up again. She didn't believe that the young man they'd seen could be so far above her.

"Look at Forefather Goldenbell's fate," Puresmoke declared coolly. "Let's put it this way: if Jiang Chen wanted to harm the Martial Sacred Land, our formation here wouldn't be able to stop him. If he wanted to raid this place, we wouldn't be able to prevent him. Thankfully, he's not here to kick us while we're down."

As an experienced member of society, Prime Puresmoke had witnessed many a dark side of humanity in the past. She had brought a number of elites when meeting Jiang Chen outside the valley precisely for not letting down her guard.

After the fact, she could believe that Jiang Chen had been sent by the Eternal Sacred Land and was in fact sincerely helping the Martial Sacred Land get out of its bind. Though the young man had made a few requests, his forthrightness only highlighted that he was more than trustworthy.

"Master, do you really want to accompany him to the sacred land's headquarters to reinforce them?" Yu Ling asked curiously.

"Yu Ling, the base is safe for now. The rebels won't be able to marshal many more people to attack the place. As long as no demigod forefather appears, there should be no problems here," Puresmoke comforted her beloved disciple.

The holy girl fell silent. She knew that her master had always been concerned for the sacred land's safety. She wouldn't possibly pass up this golden opportunity.

"Master, can Ling'er come with you?"

"No! Your cultivation is insufficient to influence the direction of the war. You will only cause trouble! It's better for you to stay here. Your status as the holy girl will help you keep a good grasp on the defensive position. This is a test for you as well, Ling'er. You need to learn how to manage on your own eventually. Do you want to live in my shadow forever?"

Holy Girl Yu Ling hung her head. She understood that her master only meant the best.

The next day, Puresmoke made all the necessary arrangements before exiting the valley.

"You are quite efficient, Prime Puresmoke. You made your decision and preparations so quickly?" Jiang Chen praised.

"We are attempting to put out a furious blaze. The more we delay, the more risk the sacred land is exposed to." The prime was straightforward about her intentions.

"Come on, then," Jiang Chen nodded.

The female prime blinked, then scanned the empty space nearby the youth. The Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan were nowhere to be found. "Sir Jiang, where are your companions?"

"Don't worry, they're with me still. Their size has simply been reduced for the time being, which is obviously helpful to avoid mortal eyes. Quite frankly, catching sight of them is too astonishing in this day and age."

Sightings of the four sacred beasts would be a hot topic anywhere. Even in the heavenly planes, they would be hunted down with incredible voracity once a rumor was confirmed. Thankfully, there haven't been any organized efforts to round up the Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan yet.

They'd done a good job at lying low, and were abominably strong compared to their available competition.

Those who dared prey on them would first and foremost need to be wary of that.

Along the way, Jiang Chen learned from Prime Puresmoke a bit more about Martial Divine Nation's culture and society.

"Prime Puresmoke, the total obliteration of the regiment outside the spirit herb base must be common knowledge to the rest of the rebels by now. Perhaps they've dug a trap for us to jump into, and we're headed straight for it." Jiang Chen wasn't joking with the suggestion.

Puresmoke furrowed her brow. "What should we do then? Shall we simply watch as the sacred land is besieged and conquered?"

"We have backup plans, don't we? We can take an alternative route." Jiang Chen was much more optimistic.

However, the atmosphere became much more serious as they approached the sacred land's headquarters. There were blockades on every path.

But, Jiang Chen and company weren't planning on taking the straightest road to the headquarters. It wouldn't have been hard for them to disguise themselves and pass on by, but they turned to the southwest instead.

After about two hours, they came to a much quieter place. Evidently, this was the mountainous base of some sect.

"This is the place," Puresmoke intoned in a low voice.

"The mists here have an almost dreamlike quality. The Dreamhaze Sect is true to its name. Alas, why must a beautiful sect like this become a criminal?" Jiang Chen joked.

"Shall we go in right now?" asked Puresmoke.

"No need to hurry. Let's ask around first. We want to hit the three demigod forefathers where it hurts, yes? For that, we need to know what their weaknesses are. How else will we be able to force their hand?"

"How do we ask around?" Puresmoke found this baffling. Were they supposed to ask the Dreamhaze Sect's people themselves?

Jiang Chen snapped a finger, summoning the king of the Goldbiter Rats.

"Young master Chen, what is it?"

"The Dreamhaze Sect of Martial Divine Nation is before us. Their main force is out against the sacred land right now and their base should be largely empty. I hear the sect head has a grandson who has been tested with prodigious talent. Apparently the Dreamhaze Sect is investing a lot into him. Go investigate, and let me know anything you find out as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir!" The rat king was very pleased to be of service.

Prime Puresmoke tasted wryness on the roof of her mouth. She was the first prime of a sacred land, and yet her treasures and other methods weren't comparable to a young man's.

Chapter 1847: Slipping Into the Dreamhaze Sect

Elites of the Dreamhaze Sect had joined the rebels in attacking the Martial Sacred Land, leaving their home base vulnerable.

The Goldbiter Rats were a slippery bunch. They came back with the information Jiang Chen needed not long after.

"Young master Chen, the head of the Dreamhaze Sect has a direct grandson. The boy is in the sect, but has two eighth level empyrean personal guards at his side. They seem to be the sect head's deathsworn, and have been tasked to keep his grandson safe."

Jiang Chen smiled slightly and asked, "Do you have an exact location?"

"Yes," the rat king responded with confidence. "I've planted a few rats around the area. As soon as you draw close, you'll notice."

Jiang Chen turned to Prime Puresmoke. "Will you join us, Prime Puresmoke, or leave it to us?"

The rebellion was Martial's own responsibility. It'd be unbecoming of her to let outsiders do their job. She responded without hesitation, "Take me there. This seat will take the matter in my own hands."

Two eighth level empyrean guards were nothing in Prime Puresmoke's eyes. She had a myriad of ways to take them out. After all, she was a prominent figure in the sacred land and was close to being a demigod.

"Let's go." Jiang Chen entered the sect's territory in a flash. Although it was guarded with restrictions and defensive formations, they were nothing when it came to formation masters like Prime Puresmoke and Jiang Chen.

They easily snuck through the restrictions at the mouth of the mountain.

They were powerful enough to break in without much difficulty, but they opted for stealth just to be on the safe side. If the sect head's grandson got wind of their arrival and escaped, that would be far from ideal. Neither Jiang Chen nor the prime wanted to alert their enemies.

The Dreamhaze Sect turned out to be deserving of their reputation as a first tier faction. Its grounds were a world of its own, evident of a solid foundation.

However, with most of their elites deployed, the place was vulnerable. Although their defenses were strong, the lack of manpower would be a problem.

It didn't take long for Jiang Chen and the prime to locate the sect head's grandson. They locked onto him with both their consciousness.

The sect head was a demigod and ruled over the sect for more than seven thousand years. This grandson was the one he favored the most out of all his descendants. The boy was the handpicked heir and being groomed to take over the sect.

As one of the four demigods among the rebels, sect head Meng Qianqiu wielded strong influence. If something happened to him, more troubles would beset the rebels.

Inside a secret realm, a boy with a complexion as clear as jade was practicing martial techniques in a monotonous manner on a training field. There were defense posts scattered throughout the field, and two eighth level empyrean guards stayed close to the boy.

This was Meng Qianqiu's grandson, Meng Tianxing.

After completing a set of sword techniques, Meng Tianxing angrily propelled his long sword through a wall and into the lake outside.

He huffed and dropped onto a stool, fuming. It was clear he wasn't in the mood for practicing.

The two personal guards exchanged a look. They could tell their young master was upset, but they didn't know how to cheer him up.

"Young master..."

Meng Tianxing's fair face reddened in anger. "Don't call me that. I'm not your master."

"Young master, the sect head has assigned us to serve you. That makes us your servants. If you're angry, please take it out on us!"

Meng Tianxing scoffed. "What good is that going to do? If you truly consider me your master, take me to the Martial Sacred Land. I want to join the war and earn my glory!"

The two guards didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They knew the source of the boy's anger, but the sect head had ordered them not to let the boy leave. If anything happened to him, they would be held accountable.

Thus, they couldn't give Meng Tianxing what he wanted. Anyone would follow the sect head's order in this case. They could only try to pacify the boy's anger.

"What? You were assigned to protect me, but you don't even have the courage to fight? Don't you want to follow me to earn glory?"

"That's not our job, young master. Our duty is to protect you. If anything happens to you, the sect head will skin us alive and pull out our tendons."

"Cowards!" Meng Tianxing yelled angrily. "If you're not willing, I'll go myself one day when you're not looking!"

"You mustn't, young master," one of the guards tried. "There will be a time when you can prove yourself. You're still learning and should use this time to improve. You'll get a chance to kill enemies in the future."

"Hmph, in the future? That's going to be years later. I hear that Miss Yu Ling, one of the sixteen golden hairpins, is in the sacred land. Many young men in the nation pant after her like dogs. If I miss this opportunity, who knows which of those bastards is going to get the girl?"

So that was what the matter was about.

The two guards shared a look. They finally understood why their young master wanted so much to fight in the sacred land.

"Young master, it's said that Miss Yu Ling isn't even in the sacred land," the other guard spoke up. "You don't have to worry about her being taken."

"Nonsense. She's the holy girl. Why wouldn't she be in the sacred land?"

"This subordinate hears that she and her master Prime Puresmoke are at the sacred land's spirit herb base rather than its headquarters."

"Oh? The spirit herb base?" Meng Tianxing's eyes darted around as he plotted. His eyes lit up suddenly. "Then let's go to the base!"

"We can't."

Meng Tianxing snickered. "You're such cowards when it comes to my grandfather. Relax, I'll take responsibility if anything happens. Happy?"

The two guards didn't waver. If something did go wrong, not even the young master would be able to save them from the sect head's ire. Besides, if something happened to the young master, how would he going to shoulder the blame?

"Please give up those thoughts, young master. If the girl is captured, we'll do everything we can to deliver her to you."

"No, it'll be too late when you hear the news. Countless young men from the numerous factions are all trying to get her."

"Elder Liang, I hear that years have been kind to Prime Puresmoke and that she's still one of the most beautiful and graceful women in the nation. Don't you want a piece of her as well?"

One of the guards, Elder Liang, smiled wryly. "Young master, Puresmoke is beautiful, but she's not someone people like us should covet."

"How do you know without trying? Don't you want to pin her down and have your way with her?" Meng Tianxing was young, but he was born a lecherous man.

Elder Liang cackled, the look in his gaze obscene.

"This subordinate wouldn't dare." Elder Liang smirked. "But you, young master, you'll have a good time sleeping with both of them. It would be gracious you to let me have a taste afterwards."

Suddenly, the atmosphere around them changed. It felt like an invisible mountain was bearing down on them with great power.

Elder Liang's eyes widened with fear when he turned to the side. A tremor ran through his body.

The other guard was staring at them with wide eyes, blood streaming out of his eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth. He'd been killed without any of them noticing!

Bam!

The guard keeled over like a wall, kicking up dust into the air.

"This is bad! Run, young master!" Elder Liang rushed to Meng Tianxing after he recovered from his shock, intending to escort him out. However, before he could reach the boy, Meng Tianxing vanished.

When the elder saw the boy again, he was held up high in the sky by numerous vines. The vines writhed in the air, wrapping around the boy tightly like he was a rice dumpling.

Scared witless, Meng Tianxing howled, "Elder Liang, help! Help me!"

He was a genius, but he was young. His cultivation was about the level of Eternal's Five Great Gentlemen, and the lower tier ones at that. He was no match for Jiang Chen or Xiahou Zong. He might not even be able to defeat Holy Girl Yu Ling.

The sudden turn of events completely panicked the boy.

It was Elder Liang's duty to protect his young master. He flashed into the sky to cut the vines, but he was stopped by the appearance of a beautiful woman.

It was Prime Puresmoke, and her icy gaze was fixed on the elder.

"You..." Elder Liang stared at her in shock like he'd seen a ghost. Why would the prime appear in the Dreamhaze Sect?

He thought back to the obscene remarks he'd made. Bedding both the prime and her disciple? He should really kill himself right now!

"Hm? Don't you recognize this seat?" Prime Puresmoke asked frigidly.

Chapter 1848: Toying with Meng Tianxing

Elder Liang shivered with fear. He'd heard the rumors of Prime Puresmoke's strength, but the pressure from the woman before him was ten times more intimidating.

Face to face, she was plainly far above him.

"H-honored Prime, I… I…" the old man's lips trembled. "I…"

"You what? You were talking a pretty talk now, weren't you? What were you going to do with my disciple and me? Well, I'm here now, aren't I? Show me."

The elder was positively ashen. He slapped himself harshly. "Madam Prime, I was a fool. A real fool! I had eyes but did not see Mt. Tai. Please don't stoop to my level, and have mercy on the young master."

"Mercy on your young master?" Above, Jiang Chen laughed. "His appetite is pretty incredible for one so young. He has such malicious delusions, yet you're begging on his behalf? First Prime, the Dreamhaze Sect's sect head Meng Qianqiu must be an old bastard. How else does one explain his grandson's awful behavior?"

Elder Liang's voice quavered. "W-who… who are you? How did you intrude in here?"

"Haha, the Dreamhaze Sect's puny defenses are only good against three-year-olds. They're practically for show. I can come and leave as I want."

Despite being captured, Meng Tianxing disagreed. "What are you bragging about? You ambushed us. If you have the stones to, fight me one on one!"

Jiang Chen sneered. Such a crude application of reverse psychology was fit only to be ignored.

He slapped Meng Tianxing's handsome face in an insulting fashion. "Are you still dreaming, kid? Fight you one on one? You're not nearly strong enough to try that trick. If your grandfather was suggesting that, I might've considered it.

"You're totally worthless though! I don't see a point to wasting my time. You have a pretty face, true, but your ugly heart means that it's a huge waste."

Meng Tianxing shrieked, agonized by Jiang Chen's torment. "Don't hit my face! Don't hit my face!"

He'd always been confident in his looks to the point of narcissism. Naturally, he was worried they'd be ruined by his captor.

Jiang Chen burst out into laughter. "Are you trying to rely on your looks alone, kid?"

"What, am I not handsome enough to do that? If you're not jealous of me, then stop hitting my face!" Meng Tianxing was an odd one.

In the heat of the moment, Jiang Chen couldn't think up of a good enough response.

Were there people this weird in the world? A prisoner that cared more about his looks than his safety? Did this kid believe he would be able to escape alive?

"Meng Tianxing, do you want to die a handsome man?" he quipped snidely. "Or do you want me to ruin your face and let you live?"

"You would dare kill me?!" Meng Tianxing spasmed.

"Give me a reason why I wouldn't." Jiang Chen chuckled in reply.

"My… my grandfather is Meng Qianqiu. If you kill me, you won't have anywhere to hide from his retribution in Martial Divine Nation!"

Jiang Chen roared with laughter, then shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not from here. Your threat isn't very useful."

"What? You're not a native of this nation? Why're you sticking your nose in our business then?"

Jiang Chen shrugged. "You traitors should be gotten rid of as a public service. I like sticking my nose in others' business. What's it to you?"

Meng Tianxing cackled. "You've really done it now, kid! Our allied army has already surrounded the Martial Sacred Land and it's about to fall any moment. When that happens, the sacred land will be done for. The entire nation will be under the alliance's control.

"If you let me go now, we can still negotiate. Otherwise, you will be declared an enemy of the Dreamhaze Sect. My grandfather definitely wouldn't spare you. He's one of the four demigods in the allied army!"

As a foppish dandy, Meng Tianxing was self-centered, insolent, and experienced with using his elders' influence as a bludgeon. It wasn't going to work on Jiang Chen though.

"Four demigods? Is that supposed to impress me?"

"You're pretty smug, kid! The four demigods are only inches away from divinity! Don't think too highly of yourself just because you're empyrean realm. Before a demigod, your cultivation is worthless. Now be a good boy and let me go, and you'll…"

"Sorry to say, but I think I accidentally killed a demigod before I came here. He had a golden bell that was pretty interesting, so I picked it up as a toy. Do you recognize it?" Jiang Chen took out the bell and shook it in front of his captive, grinning.

Prime Puresmoke found Meng Tianxing's frightened idiocy rather amusing. Jiang Chen was definitely a youngster, alright. Even in these moments, he didn't forget to inject a few antics.

Meng Tianxing's mouth opened very wide. "This… this golden bell belonged to Forefather Goldenbell?" he paled.

"You're pretty sharp. Oh, yeah, what treasure does Meng Qianqiu like to use? I want to collect a toy from him after taking his head." Jiang Chen licked his lips.

The young dandy was even more scared when he heard this.

"You… you… you only know how to brag! Forefather Goldenbell is an amazing cultivator. You haven't even grown your hair out. You think you can kill him? You're dreaming!" He floundered for an explanation that was barely passable. However, he couldn't actually convince himself. The golden bell looked completely authentic.

Elder Liang looked at Jiang Chen, then at Prime Puresmoke, then at the golden bell. Suddenly, infinite terror consumed him.

Forefather Goldenbell had been responsible for attacking the spirit herb base. The one in charge of defense there was Prime Puresmoke. If she was here rather than back there, what did that mean?

There were two possibilities. One was that the spirit herb base had fallen and Puresmoke had escaped.

Two, that the spirit herb base had been freed from the rebels' encirclement and defeated Forefather Goldenbell's men.

It seemed now that the second possibility was more likely. The golden bell was explanation enough. If it were the first case, Prime Puresmoke wouldn't be standing here unscathed. She even looked like she was on vacation.

Elder Liang's last shred of hope vanished.

"Young master, please speak less," he pleaded. At the same time, the old man raised both arms high. "First Prime," he turned to Puresmoke, "we didn't participate in the rebellion. We offer our full cooperation in deference to you."

He was certainly more than fickle with his loyalties.

"What do you mean by this?" Puresmoke sneered.

"I surrender." Elder Liang knew that death was assured if he resisted. Surrender was better; even if Meng Qianqiu pressed him after the fact, he could claim he falsely surrendered for the young master's sake.

If the rebels lost in the end, he could maintain that his surrender was real all along. In this way, he would be able to preserve his options.

Prime Puresmoke didn't expect the old man's wiliness. She sank into silence for a moment.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chen chuckled. He was no stranger to this kind of person and act.

"Elder Liang is wise and aboveboard, First Prime. Let's give him a chance. But if he wants to surrender, he should show his sincerity, right? Here, kill Meng Tianxing right now and we'll accept. Otherwise, your surrender is insincere and false."

Surprise flickered across the prime's eye. She applauded Jiang Chen's versatility. He'd pointed out the key point before she'd thought up a response.

Elder Liang panicked. He had wanted to preserve his options, but killing Meng Tianxing ran counter to that intention.

Jiang Chen cackled himself. "Master and servant have far too strong a relationship, it seems. Meng Tianxing, I offer you the same chance. If you kill Elder Liang here, I'll let you live. Are you willing?"

Meng Tianxing shook uncontrollably. "I don't want to. I don't believe you'll actually kill me!" he shouted. "My grandfather…"

"Your grandfather nothing," Jiang Chen rebuked harshly. "If you don't value the chance, I'll send you to hell!"

Seeing that his captor meant to act on his words, Meng Tianxing yelped, "Hold on, hold on! We can talk it over. What do you actually want?"

"What do you think?"

"How would I know?" Meng Tianxing said helplessly.

"Get rid of this old man first. Then you get the right of discussion."

The young man shuddered. His eyes glanced icily at Elder Liang. The elder felt a chill as his young master perused him. He could see that Meng Tianxing would really follow through.

Nobody wanted to die. Even if one's master willed it, it was impossible for anyone to sit still in the face of death.

"I accept your conditions! I accept!" Elder Liang shouted frantically.

"Exactly what do you accept?" Jiang Chen replied coldly.

"I'm willing to kill Meng Tianxing and join the Martial Sacred Land. I will fight for the sacred land and for justice," the old man stated without reservation.

Jiang Chen smirked. "First Prime," he cocked his head toward Puresmoke, "do you trust someone like him? Will you take him in?"

Prime Puresmoke scoffed. "He's just grass that bends every way the wind blows. The sacred land doesn't need soft-spined folks like him. What good will he do for anyone?"

Jiang Chen shrugged. "Look, Elder Liang. You didn't value your chance when you had it. Well, it's too late now! You're worth less than Meng Tianxing, sorry. One of you has to die, and it looks like you're the one."

Elder Liang paled. "That's unfair!"

Jiang Chen's face darkened. "Unfair? Do conspirators and turncoats have the right to claim such a thing? You were prepared to sell out your master. What fairness do you deserve?"

"But you were the ones that forced my hand!" Elder Liang protested.

"Hmph. If you surrender when we force you today, who knows what you'll do when another faction does so in the future? Remember, don't be so opportunistic in your next life!"

"You!" Elder Liang had no time to finish that sentence. Steel flashed at his throat – Prime Puresmoke took his head in the next instant.

Chapter 1849: The Next Stop

Meng Tianxing trembled cowardly when he saw Elder Liang's decapitated body and the blood seeping from the cut. It finally dawned on him that his enemies weren't joking. They really could threaten his life.

He lost his previous bravado and his face turned ashen, timidly swallowing down his retorts.

Jiang Chen smirked at him. "You should be happy that it wasn't your head she cut down."

"Yes, you're right…" Meng Tianxing stammered. "Brother, what do you plan to do with me? Are you going to use me as leverage against my grandfather?"

"You're not as stupid as you look."

"You don't have to do anything," Meng Tianxing pleaded. "As long as you tell my grandfather that I'm in your hands and have him retreat, he will."

"Really? Are you sure Meng Qianqiu values you that much?"

"I'm sure. Grandfather has long made me his heir. I'm his only hope and his life's work. He'd never risk my life."

The boy knew his grandfather well. Jiang Chen looked at him with great derision. How disappointing it was that a genius from a first tier faction would cower under the slightest pressure! Meng Qianqiu was unworthy of his reputation.

Prime Puresmoke spoke up to warn Jiang Chen, "Don't be fooled by his appearance. People like him are much bigger threats. They know when to back down, and they may come back to bite you at a critical time. He'll do anything to strike back when given the opportunity."

Jiang Chen tensed and threw a meaningful glance at Meng Tianxing. There was indeed a cunning glint deep within his fearful eyes.

Jiang Chen chuckled. "Plot all you want, Meng Tianxing, but you better not do anything foolish. I change my mind easily. I plan to use you as a bargaining chip now, but there's no telling if I'll cut you down in a fit of anger. Don't try any tricks on me and test my patience. Understand?"

He patted Meng Tianxing's face, deliberately forceful.

Meng Tianxing had only pretended to care about his face in order to relax Jiang Chen's guard.

He'd thought the boy was truly a useless pretty face, but Prime Puresmoke's reminder made him realize that was merely a facade.

"Sir Jiang, we have Meng Tianxing. Do we leave now?" asked the prime.

Jiang Chen nodded. "Yes. Let's follow the plan."

Before they departed, Jiang Chen cracked a grin. "Actually, there's no rush. Since we're here already, we should take a little something to compensate ourselves for the trouble. Otherwise, little Meng Tianxing here would be disappointed."

He cackled. "Meng Tianxing, we'll have to trouble you to lead us to the sect vaults. You know the drill."

Meng Tianxing cursed under his breath. Before he could come up with a plan, Jiang Chen spoke again, "Oh, I know you're planning on how you can take us to a lesser vault instead, but you better not try anything. I'm impatient and hot-tempered. Don't give me a reason to kill you. It hasn't been easy for you to survive to this point. It'd be a shame for you to die before seeing your grandfather. You can always acquire more treasure, but no one can give you another chance at life."

Prime Puresmoke was impressed by how Jiang Chen kept Meng Tianxing under control.

No matter how reluctant the boy was, he prioritized staying alive. He Jiang Chen took him to the sect's most important vault to satisfy the intruders' raiding desire.

He wanted to die when he saw Jiang Chen having the time of his life pillaging their vault.

But the vermilion bird and the true dragon that Jiang Chen summoned was the real surprise. His curiosity was piqued despite his fear. Who was this young man? How could he summon two divine beasts?

"Brother Long, go ahead. This isn't the Eternal Sacred Land's vault. You may take whatever you want until you can't grab anything anymore. You too, Brother Vermilion."

The bird was more picky. Many of the items weren't worthy of its attention. Long Xiaoxuan's standards weren't as high. Still at empyrean realm, a good number of the items could be of use for him.

"Prime Puresmoke, come get your share as well. Forget your reservations and take anything you want. Seize the opportunity, it won't come around again."

She smiled politely. The young man was an interesting character.

She'd always played by the book and had rarely done anything adventurous. Her time with Jiang Chen was proving to be a fascinating one. His unpredictable way of doing things was novel and exciting, and went completely against her beliefs.

"Don't be shy, Prime Puresmoke," Jiang Chen prompted. "My two friends are both greedy buggers. There will be nothing left for you if you don't start now. Just pretend you aren't the prime of a sacred land, but a girl fighting with your childhood friends for snacks."

Prime Puresmoke's heart skipped giddily. She hadn't broken any rules since she became a prime. Jiang Chen's words brought out the youthful recklessness in her. There had once been a period of youth and rebellion in her life as well.

Jiang Chen chuckled. "It seems that you still have trouble letting yourself go. I'll start without you." He continued ransacking the vault.

Prime Puresmoke bit into her lip and threw her reservations out of the window. She flashed through the vault, taking whatever piqued her interest.

With her joining the raid, the items disappeared at an even higher pace. Meng Tianxing could barely contain pained screams. It didn't take long for them to almost empty the vault.

Jiang Chen glanced at the lingering excitement on the prime's face. "That wasn't enough, was it?"

She smiled slightly, dropping some of her bearing before the young man. "This seat hasn't taken as much as you have."

"Well, that's because this is your first. You haven't gotten into the groove yet. You'll get better at it after a few more times."

Meng Tianxing wanted to cry tears of blood. A few more times? The Dreamhaze Sect would be broke after this raid! These robbers had taken the majority of their treasure. He wanted to break down and cry. How was he going to face his grandfather after this?

The raid was a bonding experience for Jiang Chen and Prime Puresmoke. The strangers became unlikely friends, despite their age difference.

Fortunately, their operation was a secret. No one in the Dreamhaze Sect knew what they'd done. They didn't even know Meng Tianxing had gone missing and his two personal guards dead.

Two hours later, Jiang Chen and his companions arrived at the home base of an aristocratic family - House Yuchi. This was another demigod's faction. That family's territory could rival that of the Dreamhaze Sect in size, and the manor more extravagant than the sect's.

"There are a good number of powerful aristocratic families in Martial Divine Nation, the strongest one being House Yuchi due to their demigod forefather," explained Prime Puresmoke. "In our nation, having a demigod expert puts you ahead of the other first tier factions."

"How powerful is the family compared to the Dreamhaze Sect?"

"House Yuchi's forefather falls slightly short of the Dreamhaze Sect's, but there's not a substantial difference. House Yuchi is much better at doing business than the sect. It's probably the wealthiest among all first tier factions in the nation."

Jiang Chen cackled. "So we've come to the right place then?"

Prime Puresmoke could read between the lines. They were going to raid this aristocratic house as well. The idea excited her and brought her back to the passionate and reckless days of her childhood. She didn't know why, but she looked forward to robbing the house of their treasure.

House Yuchi's defenses were at the level of the Dreamhaze Sect's, which wasn't enough to stop Jiang Chen. However, the forefather didn't have any clear weaknesses.

He didn't favor any one of his numerous descendents. It wasn't viable for them to threaten the forefather the same way they had with Meng Tianxing. Jiang Chen decided to employ a different strategy.

"Prime Puresmoke, since this forefather doesn't care about anyone in particular, it won't be effective even if we capture a dozen of their members. We may as well raid their vault first and start a fire. That'll get a reaction out of him."

Prime Puresmoke's eyes lit up. A fire could do great damage to House Yuchi, and the forefather will feel the blow as well.

"Let's do that!" Prime Puresmoke now trusted Jiang Chen implicitly.

It wasn't difficult to sneak into House Yuchi, but it took some effort on their part to locate the vault. It was under great protection and proved to be difficult to enter without someone guiding them.

Prime Puresmoke let herself go completely this time. She ransacked the place with as much abandon as the others.

After that, Jiang Chen and his companions showed themselves and razed the manor. The Vermilion Bird's fire enveloped and devoured the entire complex. Long Xiaoxuan roared and wrecked havoc everywhere, unwilling to be outshone by the bird.

House Yuchi was completely destroyed before they could even begin to put up a resistance. Given the annihilation of their main fighting strength, their end was a foregone conclusion.

Chapter 1850: According to the Plan

They'd raided two major factions by now, each backed by a demigod forefather.

Prime Puresmoke was in very high spirits. She was no longer her cold, demure self. This unorthodox method of doing things was an exhilarating way to vent her feelings. She'd never experienced this thrill before.

The plan they'd settled on didn't involve attacking the rebels directly. Even counting the Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan, two humans and two beasts couldn't take on tens of thousands alone.

Instead, they sought to relieve the siege by attacking what the rebels held dear.

The factions that had demigod forefathers were prioritized to force their return. When they did, Jiang Chen and Prime Puresmoke would have a much wider range of options.

They could ambush Meng Qianqiu of the Dreamhaze Sect or House Yuchi's forefather. In fact, they could take on both. After all, they would be concealed while their enemy was out in the open. The terms of engagement would be entirely up to them.

A path a few hundred miles from House Yuchi's estate was chosen as a place for ambush. Despite her considerable faith in Jiang Chen now, Prime Puresmoke was nevertheless perplexed.

"Sir Jiang, this place is completely flat. There's no advantage to the terrain here for an ambush. Why don't we pick someplace more suitable for a sneak attack? I know of one just three hundred miles from here."

Jiang Chen waved a hand. "If I were the Yuchi forefather and I found out about an attack on my house, I would certainly come rushing back. At the same time though, I would wonder whether it was a conspiracy to lure me away from the main army. A surprise attack seems incredibly likely in this circumstance.

"If he considers all of that, he'll take exceptional caution when passing by dangerous terrain."

Prime Puresmoke considered this a few moments before understanding.

"You mean… he'll be on his guard in the places easy to set up an ambush, which makes it hard for us to act. Conversely, this place is a flat expanse, which means he won't pay much attention. Is that it?"

"Yes. I can't speak in absolutes, but I do believe it will be the case."

Puresmoke became thoughtful. "Why not ambush Meng Qianqiu then?" she asked suddenly. "We hit the Dreamhaze Sect first, didn't we?"

"We didn't slaughter the sect wholesale. Only their vaults were raided. Their people might not have even discovered that fact yet. The only thing of note is that we've kidnapped Meng Tianxing. However, the attack on House Yuchi will spread far and wide at the earliest possible opportunity.

"Plus, Meng Tianxing is in our hands. Meng Qianqiu is a puppet of our whims, forced to do wherever we wish."

Jiang Chen was confident that Meng Qianqiu would not be much of a threat. He would be far too concerned with the safety of his grandson to do anything rash.

With Forefather Goldenbell already dead, half of the demigods would be gone if they could put the Yuchi forefather out of commission as well.

With any luck, Meng Qianqiu would voluntarily withdraw from the rebel army if he knew what was good for him. Only one lone forefather would remain.

If that eventuality came to be, it would be a lethal blow to the rebels. It was quite possible the Martial Sacred Land would instantly be able to turn the war around.

Much of the rebels' momentum was maintained by the demigods. Without respected leaders to maintain control of the situation, they could very well crumble in an instant.

After experiencing the Eternal Sacred Land's rebellion, Jiang Chen knew the uniqueness of a rebel alliance. If they had the upper hand and the leadership of experts, they were a force to be reckoned with. As long as they picked solidarity over selfishness, of course.

When cracks formed or their advance was halted, it was extremely likely they would fall under their own weight. In fact, they dissolved with astonishing speed when coming under annihilating fire.

Therefore, Jiang Chen was making a gamble.

More ordinary methods would never be able to rout the rebel army. Even with the Vermilion Bird on his side, the three demigods would be quite safe alongside the momentum propelling their army.

To divide and conquer was the only way to go.

Prime Puresmoke was greatly restless. As the first prime of the Martial Sacred Land, she was much more attentive to the situation there.

Though she agreed with Jiang Chen's strategy, she nevertheless worried about the possibility that the rebel army would enter a decisive battle with the sacred land proper while they waited here.

What if the Yuchi forefather prioritized the bigger picture rather than returning after receiving the news? That wasn't entirely impossible. The apprehension in her heart was visible on her face.

Jiang Chen could see it plain as day from a mile away. "We've done all we can," he consoled. "There's no need to worry. House Yuchi has been uprooted. Its forefather won't possibly remain where he is."

He was far more assured of this than Prime Puresmoke.

Time stretched impossibly long on the eve of momentous events. Two days passed by with excruciating sluggishness.

Prime Puresmoke's anxiety intensified. Without her promise prior not to renege, she would've wanted to rush straight back to the Martial Sacred Land. Whether the rebel army had launched their penultimate assault or not, she wanted to fight alongside her comrades against their dastardly enemies.

However, the Eternal Sacred Land's success stayed her hand. Puresmoke decided to trust Jiang Chen – the youth who seemed to be adept at making miracles happen.

Their long wait was not in vain.

The morning of the third day, the Goldbiter Rats concealed along the way scouted the Yuchi forefather's return. Several elites accompanied him, making the journey with utmost swiftness.

By Jiang Chen's calculations, the time difference was about right. The Yuchi forefather had needed to hear of the news, decide, then travel.

"He's on his way," Jiang Chen muttered quietly to Prime Puresmoke.

"The Yuchi forefather?" Puresmoke's voice tensed.

"Yes."

"Finally, he's come." There was a flash of joy in the prime's eyes. The two days they'd spent waiting hadn't been wasted. Their strategy was materializing step by step.

House Yuchi's forefather was rushing back with due haste, accompanied by a few elites. Hearing such news had been a tremendous blow to morale for both forefather and the army.

If their foundations at home were destroyed, what would the rebels' victory mean? For House Yuchi at least, the loss far outweighed any gain.

Though he had brought the house's best elites out with him, the house's main estate was where its roots lay. There would be no future for them without it.

Even if the rebellion were successful, House Yuchi wouldn't be able to vie for supremacy in the ensuing power struggle. Their lack of strength at that point would make them non-competitive.

The Yuchi forefather's anxiety was thus quite understandable.

However, just as Jiang Chen had anticipated, the old man wasn't discomposed in his anxiety. He was careful the entire way back, especially in the parts where the terrain was rough.

The forefather's entourage now approached where Jiang Chen's ambush lay.

The forefather himself bored a grim expression. He looked in his house's direction, alternating between gritting his teeth and gnashing them in anger.

Upon House Yuchi's airboat, an elite tried to alleviate some of the tension. "Forefather, we're past Ghostsorrow Valley. We'll be back home in less than thirty minutes."

"Hmm. Don't let down your guard." Though the bulk of danger was past, the Yuchi forefather nevertheless maintained caution.

"Who exactly attacked our estate, forefather?"

"No news as of yet. The enemies came out of nowhere, for apparently no reason." The Yuchi forefather was somber. "Most concerningly, the news from the house was fuzzy about even their descriptions. That means they have no idea who was responsible."

If they had a target, everything would be easier. To be without that knowledge, despite the crimes against them, was sorrow in itself.

"Forefather, there's been no news from Forefather Goldenbell for the past two days. Many of the allied army are discussing this anomaly in private. There's a terrifying rumor that Goldenbell is already dead, and the army sent to attack the spirit herb base utterly crushed. Is that true?"

The Yuchi forefather was privy to this information, but also obligated to keep it a secret. Only the executives were allowed to know, not the common soldiers. The hit to morale would be far too big if this rumor were to spread.

However, secrecy had never been a good method to hide the truth. News about Forefather Goldenbell's demise had spread everywhere like wildfire.

When gossip began, dissemination of information became much faster. It was basically impossible to keep from the masses anymore.

"Who did you hear that from?" The Yuchi forefather remarked coldly.

"Ah, even the lowliest among the cultivators are talking about these problems. Forefather, there's something off about all this. Prime Puresmoke is the one defending the spirit herb base, and she's slightly inferior to Forefather Goldenbell. There should be no reason for her to smash the entire army alongside him. That's just too incredible to believe."

"Hmph, what are you trying to say?" The Yuchi forefather harrumphed.

"I'm just worried that Goldenbell's murderer is from the outside. Reinforcements for the Martial Sacred Land, maybe?"

The Yuchi forefather's pupils contorted. Piercing light blasted forth from them.

Chapter 1851: A Perfect Ambush

In this world, there was a thing called soul lamps. Not every cultivator had the right to have one tailored to them, but most important cultivators possessed one.

When Forefather Goldenbell's lamp shattered, the rebel leaders knew of it immediately. However, the three demigods actively silenced the news after a covert discussion.

Alas, bad news from House Yuchi slammed into them right after. The rebels really felt the pain this time.

Meng Qianqiu and the other demigod forefather tried to plead with the Yuchi forefather to prioritize the bigger picture. Perhaps the news that House Yuchi had been assaulted was false.

But why would he listen to them? The house was where his roots lay. Without it, what did the bigger picture even mean?

He was adamant on departing.

Finally, they came to an agreement that the Yuchi forefather could return with a few elites in tow. The house's main force would remain outside the Martial Sacred Land.

Within his airboat, the forefather's eyelid twitched when he imagined a terrifying prospect. Could House Yuchi have been attacked by outside reinforcements?

This was something the rebels hadn't predicted. If said reinforcements existed, it would be quite bad for all of them. He grew even more restless.

It was at this time that their airboat suddenly slowed, as if it had collided with something.

"What is that, forefather?" someone yelped.

"Hmm? Are we in the wrong place? This isn't the way."

All the House Yuchi elites exclaimed in surprise. Their airboat had sailed into alien space. There seemed to be an infinite number of passages leading out of it, and they were connected to ever more passages in turn. There was no end to them.

The Yuchi forefather's heart sank. He was experienced enough to know that the airboat was in trouble. They had either unwittingly entered a secret realm or a manmade formation.

He judged the latter to be much more likely. "Calm down, everyone," he growled. "Don't panic."

"What's happening, forefather?"

The Yuchi forefather harrumphed. "Enemies ahead. Be on your guard. I'll go outside to take a look. You steer the airboat and follow me."

As the most skilled here by a long shot, the Yuchi forefather wasn't helpless despite his surprise.

He landed outside the airboat with a whoosh. Once outside, he realized that it was as he'd surmised – they were in a formation that was a dimensional maze.

The Yuchi forefather harrumphed once more. "A formation like this wants to trap the likes of me?"

He clapped his hands, creating a whirl of lightning runes. They rippled in the air, then exploded.

The passages in the air collapsed before their witnesses' eyes. The sight of it was rather grand.

House Yuchi's cultivators shouted and jumped with joy. The forefather's moves were really something else!

This formation had been created by Jiang Chen's Nine Labyrinth Formation, of course. He'd used it against many powerful experts in the past, but never once had it been destroyed so readily.

The Yuchi forefather had used overwhelming strength to overcome the ingenuity of the formation and smashed it to smithereens. Even Jiang Chen had to admire the sheer force the forefather had employed.

Still, only some pseudo-space that the Nine Labyrinth Formation had generated had been broken. Its defenses weren't particularly sturdy in the first place, nor was Jiang Chen put in any danger upon their collapse.

The Nine Labyrinth Formation was completely intact as well.

The Yuchi forefather cackled after the dimensional formation dispersed. "Come on!" he waved a hand.

He barely had time to revel before his eyelids twitched in fear when they registered what they saw.

A beautiful, familiar figure, stark against the bleak sky.

Prime Puresmoke!

Which cultivator in Martial Divine Nation didn't know who she was? Though the Yuchi forefather was a demigod, as well as much older than Puresmoke, he didn't dare underestimate such a representative character of the sacred land.

Wasn't this woman supposed to be back at the sacred land's spirit herb base? Her appearance here… was the attack on House Yuchi related to her?

Was Goldenbell's death related to her as well?

Prime Puresmoke's eyes were colder than the frostiest winter. She fluttered her sleeves, unleashing a cascade of rainbow ribbons that swept toward House Yuchi's airboat like a swarm of wyrms.

The Yuchi forefather harrumphed. "You dare be so presumptuous before me, Prime Puresmoke?"

He materialized a longsword in his hand that was as bright as an autumn river, swinging it ferociously at the ribbons.

The rainbow ribbons fluttered in the wind, transforming into an uncountable number of waterfalling threads that covered the air. They sailed through the air from every direction, almost reaching the surface of the airboat in the blink of an eye.

Forefather Yuchi's sword cut clean and fast, its beams arcing through the sky with incredible alacrity.

The prismatic torrent was forced away from the airboat, its tendrils sliced into willowy fragments that scattered every which way.

This brief exchange was enough to reveal the Yuchi forefather's cultivation as being superior to Prime Puresmoke's. It was a limited lead, but the stronger cultivator was clear.

Puresmoke was upset that the forefather had countered her ability. Still, she understood and was relieved that the Vermilion Bird was the main weapon against the forefather instead.

The Yuchi forefather saw an opportunity to press the verbal attack after his snippy victory. "Puresmoke," he cackled, "did you attack House Yuchi?"

"So what if it was me?" the prime retorted coldly. "House Yuchi has used its wealth for only evil. Over all these years, it's accumulated quite the princely sum thanks to its incredible greed. I was only executing heaven's will."

The Yuchi forefather felt his heart tense. "Then you should die too!" His eyes glared daggers.

A little enraged now, he hurtled toward Prime Puresmoke with electric velocity. The sword in his hand scythed with meteoric force toward her, its swing backed by its wielder's momentum.

Puresmoke was unwilling to clash with the Yuchi forefather head on. Her graceful figure disappeared into the clouds as a streak of light.

"Where do you think you're going!" The Yuchi forefather tossed his sword airborne, navigating a path for the weapon with his consciousness directly to the prime's back. It stormed towards her as a radiant comet.

Suddenly, a huge talon reached out from within the dense cloud cover. It grabbed the golden light with a viciously accurate swipe.

The Yuchi forefather's his eyelids jumped. Was he hallucinating? His sword was no ordinary weapon. It was a divine blade, blessed by creation itself. Could it really be grabbed like that in such a mind-boggling way?

The forefather was beyond amazed. He gazed into the clouded sky uncertainly, activating a series of hand seals to summon his weapon back to him.

Unfortunately, nothing he did showed any signs of working.

"How can this be?" Apprehension flickered through the forefather's heart. He stared at the huge claw warily. The vapors around it slowly began to disperse.

The sky cleared to reveal a bird colossal enough to blot out the sun. It hovered above the Yuchi forefather, stealing the brilliance of the heavenly bodies. The scene darkened in front of the forefather.

"What… what kind of monster is this?" He was too close to recognize what he saw.

It didn't take long for him to recover from his astonishment and take better stock of his foe. The monster had vermilion feathers all over and a striking familiar shape. A horrendous thought leaped out from his memory.

It was a vermilion bird, one of the four sacred beasts of legend!

The Yuchi forefather felt his own body heat up as he viewed the flame-bathed fowl. His blood began to boil, the rising temperatures scorching his soul. The very notion of a vermilion bird brought many bad premonitions and rumors to the fore of his mind.

Were the Eternal Sacred Land's reinforcements here?

The thought prompted the Yuchi forefather to make an expeditious retreat. The opponent before him had slain actual gods! He was only a demigod – what hope did he have of winning?

Escape was his top and only priority. The loss of his sword didn't faze him. He needed to get out of here!

He landed on House Yuchi's airboat, then called out, "Take off, take off, now!"

It was a nightmare to meet a vermilion bird right now. He had no intentions of resisting.

But the Vermilion Bird was hardly going to allow him to flee successfully. That would let down its status as one of the four sacred beasts. The sacred fowl swooped down like a fireball, spontaneously expanding its body once more. It was so enormous that it seized the entire airboat in a single claw.

The vessel was of considerable size and could seat up to several hundred. The vastness of the claw was perfect for it. Their craft forcibly commandeered, the House Yuchi cultivators scampered out all at once.

They weren't going anywhere! A small flap of the Vermilion Bird's wings was sufficient to launch a hail of vermilion feathers at the runaways.

Chapter 1852: Fall of House Yuchi

These cultivators were House Yuchi's elites. Most of them were at sixth or seventh level empyrean. However, they were completely helpless against the Vermilion Bird. Its feathers easily shot through them, leaving only a few lucky survivors.

Long Xiaoxuan and Prime Puresmoke stayed on the fringes of the conflict, cleaning up the stragglers. Jiang Chen was on standby, ready to strike at any moment. They weren't going to let anyone escape.

They swatted out the family's elites as easily as they would with flies. Forefather Yuchi only belatedly realized that the house was in trouble. Worse, they were in danger of complete destruction!

This was no time for the forefather to think about his reputation. He tried to escape through the least guarded area, which unfortunately, was still within the coverage of Vermilion Bird's consciousness. The bird wasn't going to let the forefather get away.

They were close in distance. With a whip of its giant claws, the bird sent the airboat ramming towards the forefather from the back.

Never had he anticipated the family airboat would be used as a weapon against him. The tremendous weight came at him from behind. He soared several hundred meters higher to dodge it.

He succeeded, but his attempt to escape was also cut short.

The Vermilion Bird brandished its other foot, the sharp claws trapping the forefather like a barbed cage.

Clink!

The forefather was still a hair too slow.

Torrents of air closed in on him. The claw caught him in a vise-like grip. He struggled against the grip, but no matter how hard he tried, the claw wouldn't budge.

Fear took hold of his body and paralyzed him. He went out the same way as Forefather Goldenbell.

Jiang Chen and the others had taken out the last of the others and made their way back to the bird. Long Xiaoxuan exclaimed, "Leave one for me, Brother Vermilion!"

Prime Puresmoke looked around and asked with disappointment, "Where is he? Has the old bastard escaped?"

Jiang Chen guffawed. "It'd be weird if he did."

"Then..." Prime Puresmoke stopped herself when she glanced at the bird. She'd figured out what it'd done.

The bird cocked its head and flapped its wings leisurely.

Jiang Chen smiled. "Brother Vermilion, I believe you're truly half a step from the divine realm now. Perhaps you'll break through soon."

Another ascension? Prime Puresmoke was doubtful. The bird already possessed terrifying might. She heard that even divine cultivators had died at its hands. How ridiculously powerful would it become if it broke through again?

House Yuchi was unfortunate prey. They were swiftly destroyed before they could even attempt to resist.

After sweeping through the battlefield, Jiang Chen smiled. "The plan went more smoothly than I expected. Next, let's take care of Meng Qianqiu!"

Prime Puresmoke nodded. "Meng Qianqiu is the more respected one among the four demigods. His death will have a significant impact on the rebels. It will be even better if we can get him to change sides!"

Jiang Chen smirked. "Let's see if he'll do the smart thing and obey us. If he insists on being stubborn, we'll have no choice but to kill him to prevent future trouble."

"Well, with Meng Tianxing in our hands, he most likely won't dare make a move," concluded Prime Puresmoke.

The Vermilion Bird approached them and presented a stunning sword to Jiang Chen with a wave of its wing. "I have no use for this, young master Chen. Take it."

Jiang Chen accepted the sword readily. It was Forefather Yuchi's signature treasure, just like Forefather Goldenbell's bell. Since Forefather Yuchi had been devoured by the bird, the sword belonged to no one. He certainly wasn't going to turn it down.

After cleaning up the mess they left, the four of them went back to the route the Dreamhaze Sect would be certain to pass through.

Once the seal on Meng Tianxing's consciousness was removed, the boy piped up, "Brother, I can tell you how to use me against my grandfather. If you do as I suggest, I promise that the Dreamhaze Sect will do the right thing.

"We weren't particularly enthusiastic about the rebellion to begin with. We only joined the rebels out of coercion and the profit they promised us. Why else would we have been dragged in? I'm an innocent victim as well. I've never done anything harmful to the Martial Sacred Land."

He tried to appeal to their empathy by exaggerating his plight.

Jiang Chen snorted. "Meng Tianxing, if you're able to turn your grandfather to our side, I can spare your life."

Meng Tianxing's eyes lit up. "For real?"

"Use your brain and you'll know," Jiang Chen responded coolly.

It didn't take long for Meng Tianxing to figure out what the prime and Jiang Chen were trying to do. They'd destroyed House Yuchi, but not the Dreamhaze Sect. The difference in their approaches told him that they had intended to give the sect a chance to do the right thing from the start.

If he was right, the odds of him surviving wasn't as slim as he'd thought. He'd assumed there was no way he could survive after being captured, but he was wrong. If his grandfather abandoned the rebel alliance and pledged his loyalty to the sacred land, they'd be pardoned for their wrongdoings!

They had a chance to survive.

His captors wanted to leverage his grandfather's influence. They weren't going to kill him as long as his grandfather played along.

He brightened visibly. "I'll do all I can to convince my grandfather to return to the sacred land's side, brother. It's finally dawned on me that the rebels are a disparate bunch who won't achieve anything substantial despite their numbers. Although the sacred land was in decline, fortune is still on their side. The rebels aren't meant to take over the nation."

Jiang Chen had underestimated Meng Tianxing. He was a clever and observant one.

As Jiang Chen predicted, it wasn't until a couple days later that the state of the Dreamhaze Sect's vault and Meng Tianxing's disappearance were discovered. The news then reached Meng Qianqiu.

He had been on edge since House Yuchi's destruction. The Dreamhaze Sect was a first tier faction as well. He worried that their enemies would go after his sect next.

He'd considered sending a group of elites back first, but bad news arrived before he could make a decision.

Meng Qianqiu was much more decisive than Forefather Yuchi. He'd suggested his peer keep the greater picture in mind when the house was attacked, but when it was his sect that was targeted, he wasn't that selfless.

He explained himself to the other remaining demigod forefather and left despite the forefather's attempts to keep him.

Meng Qianqiu asked anxiously about the situation. The Dreamhaze Sect still stood, but Meng Tianxing had disappeared, and his grandson's two personal guards killed. In addition, their vault had been raided, leaving nothing of value behind.

Hearing that pulled the rug out from under Meng Qianqiu, but at least his sect was at least more fortunate than House Yuchi. He'd made up his mind to depart when new information came.

"What? Forefather Yuchi's soul lamp went out as well? Are you sure?" Meng Qianqiu was shocked. Forefather Yuchi was about as powerful as he was. They were both demigods, and they each had their strengths.

But Forefather Yuchi had died in the two days since his departure! Had he encountered some powerful foe like Forefather Goldenbell?

Those who knew about the forefather's death could no longer ignore what was happening. Even Meng Qianqiu was getting paranoid. Two of the four demigod forefathers had been killed over the past few days. Their enemies were terrifyingly efficient.

What had happened to House Yuchi was especially telling. Their home base was first destroyed, resulting in Forefather Yuchi's return with their elites, which had ended with the forefather's death.

It was clear from the series of events that everything that had happened was related. Their enemies had planned their moves meticulously. It was laughable that no one on their side had connected the dots.

Now they knew, but Forefather Yuchi was already died. They only had two demigods left. The rebels had been weakened significantly.

"Fellow daoist Qianqiu, please look at the big picture. If you leave as well, we will fall apart." The other demigod forefather earnestly tried to persuade Meng Qianqiu. "Apart from the hits to our morale, our enemies are clearly picking us off one by one. They divide us because they aren't confident enough to take us on together. I can guarantee you that as soon as you leave for your sect, you'll get ambushed. We can't fall into this obvious trap again."

Meng Tianxing had to admit the other forefather had a point, but he scoffed in response.

"Even though we know what they're trying to do, my friend, would you be able to ignore death threats to your family if you were in my place? Will you be able to stay put knowing your descendents might be killed?"

The forefather sighed. "If you go, brother, we'll surely be taken out and die. If we stick together, we still have a chance of living. They separate us because they fear that we'll work together! They've already succeeded in taking out half of us by splitting us up!"