Chapter 1006
Nipped in the Bud
With the conclusion of the first alliance meeting, the behemoth that was the Southwest Alliance officially began to come into the view of the major cultivation circles on the border.
The nine major cultivation circles in the southwest united as one, and the leader of the alliance was still the rising star, Master Zixu, Song Changsheng.
It is said that a tall tree catches the wind, but the Song family's tree is now almost reaching the sky, and it has not been broken off. On the contrary, it has grown stronger.
After the news spread, it quickly became a hot topic of discussion.
"It's really hard to predict things like luck and fortune. Our Master Zixu became famous at a young age, and even after a hundred years, he's still incredibly popular. He's slapped countless people in the face."
At his current age, if he manages to overcome that hurdle and break through to the Nascent Soul stage, he'll probably make history.
When True Monarch Yu Shu broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, she was over three hundred years old, wasn't she? She was the youngest Nascent Soul True Monarch in our borderlands for ten thousand years. I don't think that record will last long.”
Inside a tavern in a remote border town in the cultivation world of Lu Kingdom, a middle-aged cultivator, reeking of alcohol, spoke animatedly to his tablemates, spitting as he spoke.
Perhaps because he had been drinking, he opened his mouth wide, and his voice quickly attracted the attention of all the drinkers in the hall.
At a table near the window, a man and a woman stood out from their surroundings.
The man was dressed in black, with a sword with its edge concealed resting on the table in the most convenient place. He had thick eyebrows and sharp eyes.
The woman wore a plain dress covered with a thin veil, and a veil on her head, obscuring her face. She was serene and tranquil.
They appeared to be drinking, but their attention was constantly focused on the view outside the window, which was bustling with people and offered no particularly interesting scenery.
"Husband, is war about to break out?" The woman asked the man in front of her with some concern as she heard the conversation among the cultivators around her.
"That makes sense. Changsheng never does anything meaningless. This alliance must be in preparation for war with the demon race. It seems that the borderlands have not been peaceful during the years we were away." The man finished his slightly sour wine in one gulp.
The woman grew anxious and quickly said, "An alliance means a full-scale war. Won't that affect Miaoyin? Should we..."
The man reached out and grasped the woman's slightly pale hand, saying, "My lady, don't worry. Even if we have to go to war with the demons, Miaoyin is much safer with Changsheng and Yuechan than with us. They will definitely take good care of Yin'er."
I know you miss Yin'er, and so do I, but now is not the time for us to meet.
"Once we retrieve that thing from the abyss and repay the master for saving our lives, we'll choose a place in Daqi to settle down, bring Miaoyin back, and the three of us can live a peaceful life together."
“That’s the abyss… Legend has it that no survivors have ever come from it. Can we really break this curse?” The woman’s voice was filled with worry about the future.
The terror of the abyss has been passed down by word of mouth and has long been ingrained in people's minds.
Even though they have survived many dangerous situations over the years, they still cannot overcome their fear of the unknown.
After a moment of silence, the man said, "We have no other choice."
"I know, but I just want to see Miaoyin again, even if it's just a glimpse from afar."
She must have grown taller and bigger by now.
Upon hearing this, the man was about to offer words of comfort when the sword beside him suddenly trembled slightly. His eyes sharpened abruptly, and his gaze swept rapidly across everyone in sight, instantly spotting several suspicious figures, some visible and some hidden.
"They're catching up! Let's go!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed the woman and drove away through the window.
In an instant, several figures hidden in the shadows followed silently like ghosts...
The affairs of the Southwest Alliance were common knowledge in the border regions, and even Hun Sha, who was secretly recuperating from his injuries, had heard about them.
Although the specific details of the alliance meeting were not made public, there were quite a few people attending that day. With so many people talking at once, a lot of information was leaked. Most of it was unintentional, but it cannot be ruled out that some people did it on purpose.
According to insiders, Song Changsheng's abnormal combat power became well known to the world. Three Golden Core cultivators at the Great Perfection stage were defeated in less than a quarter of an hour, and he only used less than three moves. Anyone who heard it for the first time would think it was an exaggeration.
There's a saying that goes, "Man cannot imagine things beyond his own comprehension." This is something that most people in the world cannot imagine.
However, when the footage recording the entire battle was circulated, those who had initially raised doubts immediately fell silent, and all their words of doubt turned into praise and amazement at Song Changsheng's monstrous strength.
"Master, Song Changsheng's strength has already surpassed that of ordinary Golden Core cultivators, and he is probably only half a step away from the Nascent Soul stage. Without the Demon Lord personally taking action, even the Guardian Envoy, once awakened, would probably not be his match before fully recovering his strength."
If the Golden-Eyed Demon Lord cannot personally intervene, the demon race probably cannot withstand such a great loss.
Knowing Song Changsheng's strength, yet still launching a forceful attack on the Great Qi cultivation world, they would have to be prepared to exchange the lives of a dozen or even dozens of demon kings for Song Changsheng's life. Could they truly bring themselves to make such a deal?
Hun Sha calmly shook his head and said, "Whether we have the determination or not will only be known after we finish talking. You have already experienced how terrifying Song Changsheng is. If he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, how will we have any chance of revenge? At that time, we probably won't have a place to stay in the entire border region."
For the demon race, he was also a major threat. If they didn't take this opportunity to eliminate him, they wouldn't have another chance once he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage.
Although the Nascent Soul and Golden Core stages seem to differ by only one realm, their status is worlds apart.
The Golden Core merely grants you the confidence and lifespan to go anywhere, while Nascent Soul cultivators are always honored guests wherever they go, and can thrive even after leaving remote border regions.
Most importantly, Song Changsheng's abnormal strength, which is unmatched among his peers, would pose a huge threat to the demon race once he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage.
The best opportunity to deal with Song Changsheng is before he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, which gives Hun Sha room to negotiate with the demon race.
"There's no time to lose, let's head to the Golden-Eyed Demon Kingdom now."
"The Golden-Eyed Demon King is unpredictable; will he really give us another chance to negotiate?"
Soul Shake shook his head and said firmly, "Anything is possible. How can we know if we don't try? The fact that the sacred artifact has not been destroyed is the best proof."
This time I will go myself. You will remain in the cultivation world of Lu to prepare for the awakening of the Protectorate Envoy. Those [Mibodharalan] are hard to come by, so use them with caution.
"As ordered."
……
The turbulent Canglan River divides this vast continent into two distinct parts, forming a natural dividing line.
This great river has witnessed countless conflicts between the human and demon races; it is a war with no end in sight.
From ancient times to the present, after years of recuperation, the strength of the demon race has once again reached its peak.
They once dominated every corner of the continent—land, sky, and sea—and humans were merely their prey. Now, a single oath and a great river separate them.
They were unwilling to accept this outcome, so they had been waiting for the right opportunity to tear apart the human defenses in one fell swoop. The previous beast tides were merely a means for them to wear down their ever-growing population, because they knew very well that the time was not yet ripe.
Now, the opportunity they've been waiting for seems to be finally here.
Although the large-scale infiltration plan was thwarted, they still managed to gather enough intelligence and identify weaknesses in the human defenses.
With coordinated attacks from both inside and outside, and a targeted breakthrough, they estimated that it would only take them as little as twenty hours to tear through the defenses.
Everything was ready, but the person above was delaying issuing the order for the final assault, simply telling them to wait.
Their patience was wearing thin after the endless wait.
As the Golden-Eyed Demon Lord looked at the latest intelligence he had gathered, his agitation intensified. The powerful pressure emanating from him made the demon servants in the palace afraid to even breathe.
Just then, a demon servant timidly came forward to report: "Your Majesty, a human is requesting an audience outside the palace. He claims to be the leader of the Blood Demon Cult and an ally of the Demon Kingdom. He has now been captured by the Vajra Demon King and awaits your judgment."
The Golden-Eyed Demon Lord was initially somewhat irritated, but upon hearing the identity of the visitor, he was somewhat surprised and nodded, saying, "Bring him in."
"As ordered."
The demon slave retreated tremblingly.
Before long, a tall figure slowly walked in, and Hun Sha was picked up like a chick and casually thrown on the ground. He rolled several times before finally stopping in a sorry state.
"You're still alive? Wasn't the Blood Demon Sect wiped out by Song Changsheng?"
The Golden-Eyed Demon Lord spoke calmly, his words revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Cough cough cough, the Blood Demon Sect has indeed been destroyed, but our foundation remains. Soul Fiend's trip here is both to apologize to the Demon Lord and to fulfill the promise we made back then."
"Heh, interesting. Don't you know that what I hate most is waiting?"
"I can crush you as easily as crushing an ant. Aren't you afraid of death?" The Golden-Eyed Demon Lord exuded a heavy pressure, almost making Hun Sha unable to breathe.
"I have already crossed the abyss, so what is there to fear in death? I have come here to apologize to the Demon Lord. Do with me as you please."
"You ventured into the abyss?" The Golden-Eyed Demon Lord's gaze suddenly turned sharp.
"Back then, to escape the pursuit, we fled into the abyss. Not only did we survive by chance, but we also managed to collect the [Mipadara] used to awaken the Dharma Protector."
Both of our sect's guardian envoys were Nascent Soul True Monarchs at their peak. Although they have been asleep for a long time, as long as the resources provided are sufficient, it is only a matter of time before they regain their strength.
We are not bound by the ancient covenants.
Since the Demon Lord dislikes waiting, why not listen to my suggestion first?
"What, is it that same old scheme of collusion from the inside and outside again? You've already broken your promise once, how can I trust you again?"
"Besides, we've made thorough preparations. Whether you're here or not, the outcome won't make any difference," the Golden-Eyed Demon Lord said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Hun Sha remained calm and said in a deep voice, "May I ask, Demon Lord, are you aware of the alliance formed by the Nine Realms in the Southwest?"
Upon hearing this, the Golden-Eyed Demon Lord's gaze suddenly darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "Just a bunch of rabble."
"I cannot agree with the Demon Lord's viewpoint. They may have been like that before, but things are different now."
I wonder if the Demon Lord has ever seen this photograph.
As she spoke, Hun Sha displayed the footage she had purchased at great expense, which recorded Song Changsheng's two actions at the alliance meeting.
Upon witnessing Song Changsheng defeat three Golden Core cultivators at the Great Perfection stage with unparalleled skill, the Golden-Eyed Demon Lord narrowed his eyes, and the aura emanating from his body became increasingly dangerous.
He wouldn't be surprised if a Nascent Soul True Monarch had done this, but the other party was just a Golden Core cultivator.
The appearance of such a person on the Golden Core battlefield is simply a matter of subverting the norm.
Hun Sha said decisively, "I'm sure Song Changsheng didn't use his full strength in this battle, because he didn't use any of his special abilities or magical artifacts. He's only a little over two hundred years old; if he were your descendant, he would only be just coming of age at that age."
Once such a person eradicates his inner demons and breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, how could the Heavenly Tribulation of the Deity Transformation stage possibly stop him?
No matter how strong the demon race is, it's impossible for them to remain indifferent to a genius who might become a supreme being, especially since he is so young and so powerful.
The reason he formed the alliance was to buy himself time to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. If the Demon Lord waited any longer, it would be exactly what he wanted.
As long as the Demon Lord can return the sacred artifact, and I awaken the two guardian envoys, even if I only recover to the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm, with the sacred artifact in hand, we will surely be able to kill Song Changsheng with the help of both inside and outside!
Without Song Changsheng, the Nine Realms of the Southwest will surely suffer a complete defeat!
"The Demon Lord may not believe me, but this information is true. Right now, we only need to consider how many Demon Kings' lives we should sacrifice to eliminate him; later, we'll have to consider how many Demon Lords' lives we should sacrifice."
"presumptuous!"
The Vajra Demon King behind him flew into a rage, causing the palace to tremble.
The Golden-Eyed Demon Lord reached out to stop his anger, remaining silent for a long time, as if deep in thought.
He was no stranger to Song Changsheng; in fact, he was quite familiar with him.
This is a monster that cannot be viewed with ordinary eyes.
Even though he had seen countless geniuses in his life, there was a clear gap between them and Song Changsheng. Among those of the same realm, it was estimated that only the pure-blooded descendants of ancient times or even prehistoric times could rival him.
If they start a war now, they will definitely suffer heavy losses.
However, if the opponent breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, it will be impossible to stop him, and he will become a major threat to him and even the entire demon race!
Thinking of this, he stood up from the cold throne and said in a deep voice, "Take her away. I am going to see the Emperor."
……
P.S.: Chapter 2 is underway and will be updated around midnight. Please wait patiently, fellow cultivators. (End of Chapter)