Chapter 991: Today, They All Stand for Him
Near the sea in the Southisle Region, a deafening sound could be heard in midair, accompanied by an immense gale force wind. Everything shook.
Shockingly, two figures were visible within the tempestuous wind, screaming along at high speed. They left behind two streaks in the canopy of heaven as they pierced through the air. Nothing seemed capable of slowing them down.
There were powerful organizations in Southisle, as well as godly entities, hidden gods, and living beings in all parts of the land, who, as long as they had the power to see, made sure they did nothing to block Xu Qing’s path. They just watched him pass by.
The waves made by Xu Qing’s disappearance had spread very far, and as a result, his name was known just about everywhere. He was the Grand Darkheaven of the Firemoons. He was also the imperial tutor of humankind. In the east of Revered Ancient, he was about as important as it was possible to get!
Because of him, all of the east of Revered Ancient had been thrown into a big commotion. The empress of humankind and the three gods of the Firemoons had offered an incredible opportunity. This went to show what both species really wanted, and also revealed who was in charge of the east!
And thus, although the Southisle Region was sparsely inhabited... it was located in the east, and therefore, even people there had heard of the dharmic decrees issued by humankind and the Firemoon Darkheaven people. All sorts of organizations were paying very close attention as Xu Qing and Erniu left the desert and headed... toward the Forbidden Sea.
As they made progress, word began to spread that Xu Qing was free. However, even as the news began to spread through the various regions, Xu Qing himself issued a dharmic decree in the Holytide and Nightspirit Regions!
“Holytide and Nightspirit hereby declare war on the Vivifiends!”
It was a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering decree. In Sea-Sealing County, which formed the core of both Holytide and Nightspirit, the decree caused an instant stir. Teleportation portals were activated on a large scale. Squads of elite cultivator veterans poured into the portals to carry out the orders of their region lord. And thus... an army gathered outside the Vivifiend holy land. War was about to break out!
At the same time, Flame Phoenix issued a dharmic decree in the continent of South Phoenix.
“The continent of South Phoenix hereby declares war on the Vivifiends!” Godly entities from Forbidden by the Phoenix took action, causing shocking fluctuations to flow out into heaven and earth.
“Seven Blood Eyes hereby declares war on the Vivifiends!” On islands throughout the Forbidden Sea, countless declarations echoed that made by Seven Blood Eyes, and killing intent began to converge on the Vivifiend holy land.
“The Moonrite Region hereby declares war on the Vivifiends!” The Heir Apparent and his siblings had not left the Forbidden Sea. Upon hearing that Xu Qing was free, and after hearing about the declarations of war, they added their voices to the mix.
In the shortest of moments, all of Xu Qing’s allies took action. Spell formations were activated, and forces converged on the sealed Vivifiend holy land.
This was what happened when Xu Qing went on the hunt. And the first step in taking out Floating Fiend was to rip up his holy land by the roots!
Xu Qing was definitely the type of person who held grudges. That was how he had been since he was young. If someone treated him with hostility, he would take their life, even if it was before they could actually take action against him. Given that, there was little need to mention Floating Fiend, who had very nearly killed him.
And since Floating Fiend was an Imperial Sovereign from the Vivifiend holy land, there was no way that the holy land would get off without repercussions. The grudge had been established, and there was no way to simply make it go away.
What was more... killing Floating Fiend wasn’t going to be enough. If killing was to be done, there needed to be a lot of killing. And if extermination was going to happen, it would be a holy land that ended up exterminated. That was the way to prevent any future calamities from occurring.
“In addition, track down Floating Fiend. His people must pay with their blood!”
Up in the dome of heaven, Xu Qing’s eyes overflowed with killing intent.
Next to him, Erniu licked his lips, and his eyes seemed to glow with the color of blood. “You’re not thinking straight, little Ah Qing. There are some things in which one shouldn't expect to be spoon-fed. It might taste good, but then you don’t gain the experience of peeling the food yourself.
“If you want experience, then after you sacrifice the Vivifiend holy land, I can personally use the blood of that species to use my Grand Five Ox Essence-Tracing Grand Merciless Dao! That way, we can figure out exactly where that shithead is, and go put him to death!”[1]
Erniu’s words echoed about as the sound of their passage pierced the clouds. Shortly after, they flew out into the sky over the Forbidden Sea. Without a moment of pause, they shot down through the waves into the water and moved in the direction of the Vivifiend holy land.
Along the way, countless sea beasts burst into motion, becoming a swelling wave that shot toward the Vivifiends. Godly entities rose up from the seafloor and joined them.
When the two of them finally arrived on the periphery of the Vivifiend holy land, Xu Qing was met with a soul-shocking majestic scene.
Countless banners flapped vigorously in the wind. Innumerable cultivators were arrayed in ranks, pulsing with baleful auras that caused the wind and clouds to change colors dramatically. The cultivators present included the legions from the Holytide Region, the priests from the Nightspirit Region, a massive armed force from the imperial capital, as well as Seven Blood Eyes forces and allies from species all over the Forbidden Sea. There were also cultivators from the Moonrebel Congregation in the Moonrite Region! There seemed to be no end to the armed forces surrounding the Vivifiend holy land.
Hovering up above were many familiar faces that caused warmth to rise up in Xu Qing’s heart.
The Heir Apparent. Princess Brightblossom. Grandma Fifth. Eighth Sib. Ninth Sib. Ling’er was there. Also present was King Firecrusher, as well as the patriarch of Seven Blood Eyes, Sir Bloodsmelter. Powerful experts were present from the regions of Holytide and Nightspirit.
High above everything else was Flame Phoenix, who blotted out the sky and sun, and was surrounded by a never-ending sea of flames that immolated the sky. At Flame Phoenix’s side was Second Elder Sister.
Everyone present was ready to unleash every bit of might they could muster. And they were waiting for Xu Qing.
When Xu Qing strode over the horizon, his footfalls created rumbling sounds, and his presence created a surging momentum.
“Greetings, Region Lord!”
“Our respects, Imperial Tutor!”
“Well met, Dao Child!”
“Archbishop of Moonrebel!”
Various forms of address could be heard coming from different parts of the enormous army. Though the words spoken were different, the respect and fervor were exactly the same.
He was the region lord of Holytide and Nightspirit. He was the imperial tutor of humankind. He was a dao child of Seven Blood Eyes. He was one of the archbishops of the Moonrebel Congregation! As he journeyed through time, he had accumulated these titles one by one, based on his own merit!
Back during the days when he was tempering himself, he had held back from revealing his various identities publicly. As his Master had demanded, he focused on bettering himself. But in the course of his training, Floating Fiend had come along and tried to kill him. And thus, he arrived today in this manner.
He was unleashing everything he had. When he arrived, ear-splitting rumbling sounds spread out, like heavenly thunder.
He was only about 50 kilometers away from the holy land at this point.
As for the Vivifiend holy land, its spell formation had already collapsed, and the Vivifiends inside trembled in despair. Thanks to the pressure weighing down from all sides, their souls and bodies were experiencing intense pain, and most of them had blood oozing out of the corners of their mouths.
Patriarch Vivifiend’s facial expression was grim. Over the past few days, he had prepared in every way he could manage. But when he saw Xu Qing coming over the horizon, his heart started pounding. The worst case scenario he had imagined was becoming a reality.
Floating Fiend... failed....
Patriarch Vivifiend felt immeasurable bitterness within himself as he watched Xu Qing approach. Therefore, it was without the slightest hesitation that he shifted his gaze to King Firecrusher.
“King Firecrusher,” he said loudly. “Please notify Empress Summer Departure that the Vivifiend holy land is willing to surrender as a species, and become subsidiaries of humankind! This is a species oath backed by the destiny of our species. If humankind agrees, then from generation to generation after this day, we will abide by the agreement!”
Patriarch Vivifiend was the leader of the Vivifiend holy land, and as such, he had his own plans and ideas. From the moment he decided to protect Floating Fiend, he had already analyzed the situation as a whole. But since the worst-case scenario was playing out in front of him, he didn’t have a lot of options to pick from. On the one hand... it was true that the almighty entity from the Emptystar holy land had a towering cultivation base, and betraying that individual would be very dangerous. However... he had no options left. Therefore, he kept speaking.
“As for me, I’m willing to receive a soul-branding mark from the empress, and will even switch cultivation paths. I will change from the cultivator path to that of the gods. I will ignite my own godfire! In other words, I’m willing to completely part ways with the holy lands!”
In response to his words, countless eyes outside of the holy land shifted to look at King Firecrusher.
King Firecrusher said nothing in response.
Xu Qing didn’t stop moving. He was now only about 15 kilometers away from the Vivifiend holy land.
Seeing that, Patriarch Vivifiend continued speaking. “If I become a god, then I should be able to reach the Altar God level. If that happens, I can be of immense assistance to either humankind or the Firemoons. And that means that when the more powerful holy lands arrive, you’ll have more options to pick from!”
He feared that almighty individual from the Emptystar holy land, but if he could ignite godfire, then he wouldn’t be a cultivator anymore. He would be listed among the gods. And he was fully aware that the plans of that almighty individual were contingent on avoiding conflict with the gods. Although it wasn’t a complete guarantee, considering the immense potential danger, it was the best option he could think of.
And thus, he said what he did to King Firecrusher. He knew full well that the only hope he had right now was to appeal to the empress. The empress.... was a god. The god of humankind. And that ensured that hēr actions were for the benefit of hēr species.
The empress obviously could have tracked down Floating Fiend, but instead, shē used it as an opportunity to reveal hēr intentions. From that, I can deduce that my previous speculations were correct. The empress believes that absorbing my species will strengthen humankind. And that means that it doesn’t matter what Xu Qing thinks or feels.
And yet, despite the fact that he was convinced of his own line of reasoning, the fact remained that King Firecrusher wasn’t saying a thing.
As Xu Qing continued his approach, everyone parted to make way for him, leaving a path that led right to the Vivifiend holy land.
Patriarch Vivifiend ignored that. “Empress Summer Departure,” he said loudly, “I know many secrets of the various holy lands. I know the real reason why the holy lands came here. And even more importantly, I know where the next set of holy lands will arrive! Revered Ancient is about to be engulfed in the flames of war. It’s unavoidable. But with my information, humankind can gain a huge advantage!
“Xu Qing is sound and in good health. Floating Fiend presumably already paid the price for his actions. Therefore, Empress, I request that you drop this matter. Let the blame fall squarely on Floating Fiend, and allow his punishment to be the benefit gained by humankind. Isn’t that a good way to resolve this situation?”
Patriarch Vivifiend looked up into the canopy of heaven. He could sense that the empress... was there. He still hadn’t even cast a glance in Xu Qing’s direction, and was instead just waiting for a response from the empress. He was convinced that he and his species, plus the information he had, were valuable enough that they could make up for Floating Fiend’s actions. Clasping hands, he bowed to the canopy of heaven.
At that point, King Firecrusher finally reacted. He frowned.
The surrounding armed forces, be they from Moonrite, Seven Blood Eyes, South Phoenix, Holytide, or Nightspirit, all remained in place, neither speaking nor acting. As far as they were concerned, the person who was going to make the decision here wasn’t the empress, but rather, Xu Qing.
And finally, Xu Qing arrived in front of the Vivifiend holy land. He looked it over calmly, then looked up at the canopy of heaven. He was also interested in the empress’ response.
Next to him, Erniu’s eyes were narrowed, but glinted with a terrifying light.
Finally, the empress responded in a cold voice.
“It might seem like a reasonable choice to let one person be humiliated in order to gain an advantage for the entire species.
“But years ago when Sea-Sealing County was in a deadly situation, this person, with a mere Core Formation cultivation base, did something that seemed like the act of a fool. He stood up for the people of Sea-Sealing County even though there seemed no hope of achieving success.
“The Moonrite Region used to be a grazing land for Crimson Mother. But this person, with only a Nascent Soul cultivation base, stood up for the people of the region and saved them.
“Before I ignited godfire, back when our species was in conflict with the Firemoons, he single-handedly went to their territory and became the Grand Darkheaven. And then, in front of all of the Firemoons, he demanded a ceasefire.
“He bears The Emperor’s Sword. He earned a 30,000-meter pillar of light in the assessment of the heart. And he has the same heart now as he did back then.
“Therefore, let me ask you a question. If I turned a blind eye while he suffered humiliation, then what exactly would be the point of being human? What about the next time a human got humiliated? What about the time after that? If I let one of my people be humiliated just to earn an advantage for the species, well, maybe you would think something like that might be worth it. But in my eyes, there is no advantage in doing such a thing.
“Maybe I am a god. But I’m a human god. I’m not the kind of god people just think about. I’m not the kind of god who lurks in the shadows. I’m a human of Revered Ancient! And I stand with my people!
“Xu Qing stood up for everyone. And today, we’re standing up for him. Therefore, I hereby reject your offer of surrender!”
As the words left hēr mouth, heaven and earth rumbled as if with thunder.
The Vivifiends looked on in despair. Their patriarch’s face was ashen. Never could he have imagined that the response to his offer would be something like this.
All humans present felt their hearts pounding with pride. The iciness in Erniu’s eyes eased a bit, and he snorted coldly in his heart. The violent irritation he had felt earlier toward the empress was starting to fade.
Xu Qing looked back to the Vivifiend holy land.
“Today, the Vivifiends are to be exterminated,” he said calmly.
“Yes, sir!” the armed forces replied. Baleful auras flared, becoming a majestic and furious wave that surged toward the Vivifiend holy land.
At the same time, the mountain erupted with corpse energy. The door from Forbidden by the Zombie that Patriarch Vivifiend had taken was being opened.
Taking advantage of the chaos that ensued, Patriarch Vivifiend vanished. When he reappeared, he was on the horizon. Without a backward glance, he fled. He knew that there was no hope for the Vivifiend holy land, and thus, there was no point in him staying behind. If he could escape, then there would be hope for the future.
But then the empress appeared in midair and took a step toward him. When hēr foot landed, ripples spread through the canopy of heaven. It wasn’t just in that location. Ripples appeared in the sky over all the regions of Revered Ancient.
The empress’s footfall affected daytime throughout Revered Ancient. Areas throughout the mainland that were brightly lit experienced something like the extinguishing of a lamp, as all daytime turned into the black of night. All regions were now dark. A god had blown out a lamp, causing all light to temporarily leave Revered Ancient.
The only light now existed in the eyes of the empress as shē hovered in the air above the Vivifiend holy land. This was the empress’ godly authority. The concept of departing light converged in hēr eyes, making them the source of all light. And then, the concept of light flowed from all regions in Revered Ancient, converging into the darkness to make the glow of dawn light. Where that light went, heaven and earth became bright.
Patriarch Vivifiend shivered as the light swept over him. As he blurred from head to toe, he reached out with his right hand as if to grab something. He opened his mouth to speak. But then, within that light, he became nothing. The only thing that remained behind was a helpless sigh echoing out in all directions. It became the end of everything.
Next, all heaven and earth returned to normal. Then Flame Phoenix let loose a cry that could shake the heart and mind, and a massive sea of flames descended. The fire burned the sky, burned the air, and burned the mountain that made up the holy land. It continued down into the sea, making everything a world of fire.
However, it only targeted the Vivifiends.
Within that sea of fire were cultivators from all over, and they were on the warpath. Rumbling sounds echoed out, accompanied by the din of slaughter. The sounds weaved together into an energetic song being played in heaven and earth.
Xu Qing merged into that sound. His slaughter came with the sound!
***
In the depths of the Forbidden Sea, the fleeing Floating Fiend shivered as a sensation of unspeakable sorrow filled him. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of the Vivifiend holy land.
The patriarch... just perished....
1. The Grand Five Ox Essence-Tracing Grand Merciless Dao was first mentioned in chapter 832, and also came up in 862. ☜