The moon rises over the sea, sharing this moment across the ends of the earth.
At this time, the flood is rampant. Though there is no moon on the sea, the endless expanse of the flood creates a certain atmosphere.
Moreover, with the full moon shining like a wheel, the scenery becomes even more charming.
Just as Zhang Chen mused that human emotions were like a spider’s web, Xie Xuan’s eyes turned to Zhang Chen, and he said, "If you have the ability, try to submerge the navy of Prince Pingbian. By then, if the large ships of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion are dismantled and the people who fall into the water get hold of the ship planks, they might have a chance to survive. Even if only a few lives are saved, it could be considered a great merit."
"I hadn’t thought of that. If we can destroy the navy of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, wouldn’t thousands of large ships be able to save countless people?" Zhang Chen’s eyes brightened. "To destroy Prince Pingbian’s navy, there’s no need to smash the ships. I naturally have a way to send the naval army to the belly of fish and shrimp."
The three of them talked a little more, and Zhang Chen returned to the cabin to rest, waiting for the arrival of Prince Pingbian’s navy.
Time passed bit by bit. By day, Zhang Chen used the Heaven and Earth Treasure Mirror to reflect the old eunuch’s traces. By night, he collected moonlight and then ran wildly in the Spiritual World, trying to gather Divine Power, wondering if he could assemble another whole.
If he could gather thirty-three strands of Divine Power to form a complete one, even against a master who has proven their fruition, Zhang Chen would dare to compete.
Thus, time swiftly flew by.
On this night, just as Zhang Chen was about to meditate, Xie Xuan appeared outside his door. "Zhang, bad news! The aquatic army has arrived! I received word that in about one hour, the aquatic army will reach the battlefield."
"It seems I won’t get any sleep tonight." Zhang Chen slowly stood up, a glint of killing intent in his eyes. "Leader Xie, please be patient. Let me prepare, and then we will battle that Demon Race."
Hearing this, Xie Xuan turned and left. Zhang Chen looked towards a corner of the cabin and saw a red light flickering. Gong Bai appeared in the shadows.
"From today on, the Blood Saber has no restraints. Whether they are the Demon Race army from the Northern Land or powerful figures of the Human Race, feel free to slaughter them as you wish," Zhang Chen said to Gong Bai.
At his words, Gong Bai’s figure flashed and disappeared from the cabin.
Further away, on Prince Pingbian’s warship, Prince Pingbian and a young boy of four or five sat on the deck drinking wine.
The young boy was Hu Li the Immortal. His eyes were on the rippling water and the Inspection and Supervision Department’s large ships bobbing within it, a hint of dread in his gaze.
"Ancestor, with your skills, if you make just a slight move and have my subordinates coordinate with the Divine Spirits, we could eradicate Xie Xuan and the Inspection and Supervision Department’s army in the blink of an eye. So why wait for the aquatic army to arrive?" Prince Pingbian’s voice was full of confusion. Hu Li the Immortal was a Tier Twelve Divine Being. Even if the other side had the Great Victory Dynasty’s Dragon Qi protection, was it worth Hu Li the Immortal’s dread?
Hu Li the Immortal withdrew his gaze from the Inspection and Supervision Department’s navy ships. He was not afraid of the five thousand troops of the Inspection and Supervision Department or the Great Victory Court’s navy. What he feared was a person on that ship.
Hu Li the Immortal sniffed. He clearly sensed that certain familiar, unforgettable scent in the air.
He was too familiar with Zhang Chen! That scent was imprinted into his very bones.
Of course, Hu Li the Immortal had ways to kill Zhang Chen. For example, he could attack from afar, secretly move a mountain to crush the boy. But with Xie Xuan on board, he would never allow a mountain to crash onto the ship. As long as Xie Xuan blocked his attack for a moment, the boy would have a chance to react, and then he would be in trouble.
Therefore, Hu Li the Immortal thought it best not to show himself if possible. If things went wrong, he might get himself involved, or worse, lose face in front of his subordinates. How would he ever maintain his authority over the Demon Race then?
He didn’t want to lose face!
Faced with Prince Pingbian’s question, Hu Li the Immortal replied impatiently, "Just a mere Ninth Tier expert. If I fail to kill him once, why should I attack a second time? Wouldn’t that damage my reputation as the Ancestor? Rest assured, my aquatic experts have arrived and will surely sink the Inspection and Supervision Department’s five thousand troops to feed the fish and shrimp."
Hu Li the Immortal’s voice was dismissive, leaving Prince Pingbian grumbling in his heart: "You’re a damn coward, you worthless piece of trash, a Tier Twelve Divine Being scared away by mere mortals, can’t even kill Xie Xuan, yet you still act so smug."
While grumbling, Prince Pingbian turned to look at the three Celestial Masters of the Yellow Heaven Dao not far away, secretly thinking: "Thankfully, I didn’t pin all my hopes on that beast; otherwise, who knows what kind of fate I would face."
Hu Li the Immortal then looked at Chen Sanliang, who was attending them, "I’ve heard that Zhang Chen is your disciple?"
Chen Sanliang hurriedly said, "Reporting to the Patriarch, this person is not my disciple, but my wife’s disciple."
Hu Li the Immortal’s eyes revealed a playful glint: "So, you are all family then?"
Chen Sanliang smiled bitterly: "Family is a bit of a stretch, but we do have some ties."
"If you can win that kid over to our Demon Race, I, the Patriarch, can promise you this: I will personally help you battle with those old fellows from Confucianism. Or perhaps..." Hu Li the Immortal took out a small bell and handed it to Chen Sanliang: "Use this object to kill him, it will also rid our Demon Race of a great bane, and I can also help you exact revenge."
"This bell...?" Chen Sanliang looked at the bell, his eyes curious.
"This bell is special and mysterious. Once activated, it can capture a soul, drawing it into the bell. Even if a mortal uses it and sacrifices their lifespan, a Tenth Tier expert can fall unsuspectingly. If it lands in the hands of a cultivator, the Yin Spirit can shake the existence of a Tier Twelve Divine Being. This Secret Treasure was my accidental gain years ago and is also my Lifebound Magical Treasure. My awakening of intelligence back in the day relied entirely on this bell," Hu Li the Immortal said, "Even overcoming the Three Calamities years ago depended entirely on this treasure."
His rise from ignorance to becoming a patriarch of the Demon Race naturally involved some secret means.
"You have a close relationship with Zhang Chen, so why not pretend to be close with him and then secretly activate this treasure to capture his soul? At that time, I can even find a way to resurrect your wife," Hu Li the Immortal said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Chen Sanliang’s pupils shrank. He gripped the bell tightly and looked at Hu Li the Immortal in disbelief: "My wife is already dead, how can she be resurrected? Is the Patriarch joking?"
"What do you know? This treasure has the power to extinguish souls and also the power to gather souls to bring the dead back to life. However, one must die for another to live," Hu Li the Immortal said, "If you can kill Zhang Chen, I naturally have ways to resurrect your wife."
Beside him, Prince Pingbian’s breaths became rapid, and his eyes fixed upon the bell in Chen Sanliang’s hand. This was a treasure that could bring the dead back to life, and for a mortal to kill a Great Cultivator—who wouldn’t be envious? If he had control of this treasure, would he still have to suffer such indignation?
And the three Yellow Heaven Dao cultivators beside him were also staring wide-eyed, having never heard of such an incredible treasure.
Chen Sanliang steadied his breath upon hearing this, gripped the bell tightly, said nothing more, and tucked the bell into his sleeve, then bowed to Hu Li the Immortal.
His actions spoke louder than words.
Seeing Chen Sanliang’s actions, Hu Li the Immortal’s lips curved into a meaningful smile. He found it hard to believe that Zhang Chen, that small ant, could escape this time.
Zhang Chen’s cultivation might be able to fool others, but it couldn’t fool him. He was a Tier Twelve expert, and the gap between him and Zhang Chen was too large; he could see Zhang Chen’s foundation with just one glance.
With the power of his Desolate Bell, as long as Zhang Chen was struck, that kid was destined to die.
Meanwhile, Prince Pingbian watched Hu Li the Immortal’s actions, thoughts flickering in his mind: "Something’s not right. Hu Li the Immortal’s Divine Techniques are said to reach the heavens and earth. Since he wants to deal with Zhang Chen, why not do it himself, but instead lend his treasure out for Chen Sanliang to act? This is clearly illogical."
Prince Pingbian was a cunning old fox and sensed something amiss. Recalling that Hu Li the Immortal had failed when besieging Leader Xie, and Zhang Chen seemed to be involved, right?
"Could Zhang Chen have a means to counter Hu Li the Immortal?" Prince Pingbian had an unbelievable flash of thought: "Why would Zhang Chen make Hu Li the Immortal wary?"
Even Prince Pingbian could think of these intricacies, let alone the three Ninth Tier Divine Beings of Yellow Heaven Dao nearby. Three Celestial Masters exchanged glances, and one of the twelve Grand Celestial Masters, Zuo Lianying, secretly transmitted a message to Gu Mingyue asking: "Who is this Zhang Chen to make that beast so cautious?"
Gu Mingyue frowned: "This person belongs to Yellow Heaven Dao. He is the disciple of that old fellow Wu Changming."
Zuo Lianying was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Since this person belongs to Yellow Heaven Dao, that’s great. If we can leverage him against Hu Li the Immortal, won’t the Demon Race fall into our hands? We have hopes of spreading the Dao among the Demon Race. If we can win over the Demon Race’s believers, Yellow Heaven Dao also has an extra retreat."
Gu Mingyue smiled bitterly: "But Zhang Chen has a great enmity with Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, and... I’ve already sold him out!"
"What’s going on?" another Celestial Master, Zhou Shenzhu, asked.
Hearing Zhou Shenzhu’s inquiry, Gu Mingyue realized he couldn’t hide the matter and reluctantly narrated the whole story. Upon hearing this, Zhou Shenzhu said: "You muddled fool! Such talent, even if it means offending Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, should be protected. Although we’ve allied with Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, we are partners, not dependents. Such bottomless pandering contradicts Yellow Heaven Dao’s righteous paths."
"Don’t blame him anymore. He didn’t know Zhang Chen’s capabilities, and who could have anticipated he’d have means to counter Hu Li the Immortal? Now we must do everything to salvage the situation. Fortunately, faces have not completely been torn yet, so we can use an excuse to smooth over the situation with Prince Pingbian’s Mansion. Have someone contact Wu Changming, and can naturally straighten things out," Zuo Lianying said.
Upon hearing this, the other two nodded, as at this point, this was the only choice.