Chapter 1080
The Strange Jade Carving
"Your Highness, everything has been arranged according to your instructions. Do you think we should take a step back a little further?"
On a remote, isolated island, an elderly man in black robes, exuding an air of composure, respectfully addressed a valiant man in a high position.
The man's appearance was quite similar to that of Kongsang Lifeng; he was Kongsang Qian, his eldest son.
"Retreat? Where do we retreat to?"
Our current position and communication with the front lines are already extremely difficult; if we retreat any further, we will be unable to continue the fight.
With internal strife currently raging in the border regions, if we collapse here, the Myriad Manifestations Palace can devote all its resources to quelling the unrest. Wouldn't that be too easy for them?
Blood debts must be repaid with blood; the blood they shed is far from enough!
Regardless of which demon lord they pledge allegiance to, they will all be purged by the human race after the war. Since that's the case, it's better to let them make the most of their remaining value." Kong Sangqian's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was somewhat hoarse.
He's now a gambler who's lost everything, and he has nothing left but his own life.
Since we have nothing, we have nothing to fear.
The struggles within the sea race are no less intense than those within the human race, and the competition within the merfolk is even more brutal. Kong Sang Li Feng's branch is nominally of royal blood.
In reality, after his father's death, no one of the Demon Emperor level experts ever appeared again.
This might not have been a big deal in the past, but now that the Holy Emperor's lifespan is coming to an end, the Imperial Court is facing a major reshuffle, and without the Demon Emperor in charge, there is a lack of voice.
Without a voice, one will gradually become marginalized.
For those with outstanding talents like Kongsang Lifeng and Kongsang Baijue, being sent to remote sea areas as feudal lords is already considered a preferential treatment.
Those with average talent can only hold mediocre positions in the imperial court, such as guards or stewards.
If the second-generation bloodline is treated this way, then the third-generation bloodline like Kong Sangqian is even less favored.
Fortunately, Kong Sang Li Feng died in battle. After returning to the imperial court, he was still treated well, but at most he was only appointed as a guard commander. He could never accumulate enough resources to break through to the fifth rank in his entire life.
That's definitely not what he wanted to see.
This is his last chance to hold back the main forces of the cultivation world in the southeast and let the demonic calamity in the borderlands continue to fester.
Once the demonic calamity has fully spread, the Myriad Manifestations Palace will inevitably rush to its aid, giving him a chance to catch his breath.
As long as the fiefdom remains under his control, he will be the new ruler, able to coordinate resources and power for his own use.
Even if those tribes did not submit to his rule, they could not really break ties with him, since he represented the imperial court after all.
Even if only a small portion of resources can be mobilized, it is still far more powerful than a mere nominal commander of the guards.
Upon hearing this, the old man in black robes frowned and said, "Young Master, according to the latest news, the great battle in the Qingcang cultivation world has ended. As for Third Master's fate, I don't need to tell you, you should already know."
"Now that Yi Tianzheng and Song Changsheng are most likely free, if they don't leave soon, their lives may be in danger."
As Kongsang Lifeng's top general, he had experienced too many storms in his life, and was far more rational than Kongsang Qian in this situation.
The Myriad Manifestations Palace is definitely eager to eliminate them. With two True Monarch-level experts attacking simultaneously, there's no need for this battle to continue.
"The place I chose to hide is so well concealed that even if Song Changsheng and Yi Tianzheng are strong, they don't have the Heavenly Eye and it's impossible for them to find this place in a short time."
"The results we've achieved so far are far from enough. It would be too easy for them to leave now," Kong Sangqian said stubbornly.
His attitude, a mixture of schadenfreude and disdain, made the old man in black robes frown. In his view, no one who could cultivate to the fifth level was a simple person.
No one knows how many tricks they are hiding behind the scenes.
Disregarding it will come at a bloody price.
However, he also knew that Kong Sangqian was blinded by hatred and anger.
He softened his tone and said, "Your Highness is right. However, there is an old saying among humans: 'A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall.'"
"I still suggest that Your Highness retreat. As for the upcoming battle, I will take command."
Kong Sangqian was about to refuse when he saw the old man in black robes kneel down in front of him and say in a deep voice, "Please step aside, Your Highness!"
Upon seeing this, Kong Sangqian was immediately shocked and quickly reached out to help the old man up, saying bitterly, "Uncle, why are you doing this?"
Since Uncle insists on this, then…
Before the words were finished, a vast pressure suddenly descended, and both of them, being top-tier demon kings, were suppressed to the point of being unable to move.
"Boom!"
With a loud bang, the entire deserted island began to tremble violently, and rubble fell from above as a blinding beam of light shone in.
The two then realized that the mountain peak they were on had somehow broken in two, with the upper part collapsing and being smashed to pieces.
A towering figure, surrounded by black and white energies, strode through the void, exuding an invisible pressure that, like a heavy mountain, bent the backs of the two figures.
"Song Changsheng!" The old man in black robes recognized the newcomer at a glance. His blood seemed to freeze at that moment, and his hands and feet turned ice cold.
He knew it was over, everything was over.
As Song Changsheng drew ever closer, Kong Sangqian's eyes held no fear, only boundless anger and hatred.
He clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and despite the immense pressure, he slowly stood up, his bones cracking under the strain.
"Kongsangqian?"
Song Changsheng looked down at him, his extremely calm tone resonating with the heavens and earth.
“It is indeed I, the Crown Prince!” Kong Sangqian met his gaze without fear, his eyes bloodshot, like a bloodthirsty beast.
"Ha, you're quite good at hiding things."
Song Changsheng chuckled softly and slowly extended his right hand.
"Great Divine Power [World in the Palm of Your Hand]"
"boom--"
A deafening roar erupted, waves surged, and dust billowed.
The desolate island, which was more than ten miles in diameter, was instantly torn to pieces. The old man in black robes and Kong Sangqian did not even have time to scream before they were turned into minced meat.
In a world where strength reigns supreme, things are cruel. No matter how precious your identity is or how strong your will is, it's all in vain in the face of an absolute gap in strength.
Kong Sangqian didn't even have time to use many of the life-saving items left behind by Kong Sang Lifeng before her death.
Two golden inner cores flew out from the ruins, along with two storage rings.
Song Changsheng casually wiped away the remaining restrictions on it, and after just one glance, a smile immediately bloomed on his face.
As he expected, Kong Sang Li Feng would not take all her belongings to the battlefield; she would either have moved away in advance or hidden them away.
He was initially somewhat disappointed, but unexpectedly, all these things ended up in Kong Sangqian's hands, which was a pleasant surprise.
Kong Sang Li Feng was, after all, a feudal lord, whose resources far surpassed those of the Song family. A cursory glance revealed many treasures that piqued his interest. In comparison, he found the other storage ring rather unappealing.
However, compared to other top-tier demon kings, his wealth is quite substantial.
"Hmm, what is this?"
Song Changsheng had only casually flipped through the items, hoping to find any treasures he might need, but he was unexpectedly drawn to one of the statues.
The statue is less than ten feet tall, and the material used for carving it is an unknown type of red jade.
Judging from its appearance, the sculpture depicts a somewhat androgynous merman.
This jade carving looks ordinary, and some parts are even a bit rough.
Even the worst human craftsmen's work is far better than this.
Based solely on the jade carving itself, if placed in the human market for more than a hundred low-grade spirit stones, probably no one would even give it a second glance.
However, Song Changsheng could clearly feel that this jade carving contained an indescribable and strange power, and he had a vague feeling that he had found a treasure.
He set up a barrier to envelop the merman jade carving, carefully stored it, and then tore through the void with his spoils.
Whether it's a treasure or not, there will be plenty of time to study it later. Right now, with Kong Sangqian killed and the sea tribe army at the front line leaderless, it's the perfect opportunity to annihilate them in one fell swoop.
Despite his concerns about the situation in the Twin Islands, he still chose the Vientiane Islands as his first destination.
This battlefield can be considered the main battlefield, with both sides deploying a large number of troops across a vast sea area spanning thousands of miles, engaging in fierce battles around each island.
By focusing on one point to break through the rest, once this route is defeated, the remaining sea tribe army will not receive Kong Sangqian's orders and will soon collapse.
The sea tribe army was very scattered, attacking randomly and aimlessly. The disciples of the Myriad Manifestations Palace were forced to defend passively. Although they had the advantage, they were unable to achieve a decisive victory for a long time and could only react to each move as it came, making the fight very frustrating.
Because the sea creatures are not aiming to "win" now, but only to stall them, their tactics are naturally as disgusting as possible.
But as the saying goes, in the face of absolute power, everything is in vain.
Song Changsheng's arrival was a pure example of overwhelming force, unleashing a bloodbath on the battlefield.
In less than half a day, they hunted down twelve demon kings, and the sea tribe army collapsed instantly.
He didn't linger long before moving on to the Tenglong Islands.
The battle here was equally fierce. Warships were crisscrossing the skies and seas, their menacing cannons mercilessly reaping the lives of the sea monsters.
The most dazzling of them all is the first and currently only Tier 4 Sky Ship that Tiangongtang built at great expense.
Unlike the indiscriminate firepower of other warships, it focuses more on precisely targeting and eliminating high-threat targets.
Each shot can take down at least one powerful demon, and it can even put up a fight against opponents at the level of a demon king.
He scanned the area with his divine sense and found Song Yuqing, Li Chengming, and the others, but he did not sense Zhuang Yuechan's presence.
He casually killed the several demon kings who were fighting with them, and then asked bluntly, "Where is Yuechan?"
One moment they were locked in a fierce battle, and the next their opponent was a cold corpse. The visual impact was extraordinary.
Song Yuqing was the first to react and quickly replied, "Reporting to the clan leader, after the demonic calamity broke out, the matriarch dispatched some elites to return to the clan via the space teleportation array to provide support. Now, we are responsible for clearing out the remaining sea creatures here."
"Are all the sea creatures here? What's the situation on the Twin Islands?"
"The fighting in the Twin Islands has ended, and we are currently cleaning up the battlefield and assessing the damage."
"Now that the war is over, why haven't we seen Fellow Daoist Lingxiao?"
"The Lingxiao Protector of the Myriad Manifestations Palace has gone to track the Blood Soul Demon Sect's fleet."
"Just him?" Song Changsheng frowned slightly.
He always felt that the Blood Soul Demon Sect's true nature was not as simple as it appeared. Although Ling Xiao was strong, it was probably a bit presumptuous for him to go alone.
"And there's also the Donghua Protector who was previously in charge of overseeing the Hanhai Islands."
Hearing this, Song Changsheng felt somewhat relieved. The protectors of the Myriad Manifestations Palace were all powerful experts at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm. If the two of them went together, they should be able to escape unscathed unless they encountered a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
Therefore, he no longer needed to go to meet them; he was more worried about his family.
"I have already killed all the demon kings among the sea creatures. You should annihilate the remaining sea creatures as soon as possible, and then gather all the weapon refiners and talisman masters to work together to produce these two items."
This is a refining method provided by the Myriad Manifestations Palace, which can effectively block demonic energy.
All cultivators returning to the southwest to provide support, especially those below the Foundation Establishment stage, must wear it; there can be no negligence.
Song Yuqing quickly replied, "I received a notification from Wanxiang Palace earlier and have already started working on it."
"Very good, I'll go first, you all hurry up and catch up."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Changsheng casually tore through the void and rushed to the southwest at top speed.
At his current speed, it would only take him less than two hours, which is much faster than a space teleportation array.
Although there are signs of demonic calamities in the cultivation world of Southeast China, they have been effectively contained.
The overall strength of the various factions in the southeast is stronger than that in the southwest and central regions, and the cohesion among these factions is also very strong, making them relatively easy to control.
The central region was completely different; it could only be described as a living hell. Along the way, Song Changsheng discovered many demon slaves corrupted by demonic energy, who attacked cities and sects in droves.
The situation in the central region is quite unique. The southwest has formed the Southwest Alliance, and the southeast has the Vientiane Palace as its leader. Only the central region is a disorganized mess.
Having just experienced two upheavals, all cultivation communities suffered heavy losses, and when the demonic calamity broke out, they were completely unaware of the severity of the situation.
Even when they realized this later, they acted independently, leaving the defenses leaky everywhere, making it impossible to effectively contain the demonic calamity.
Its level of chaos was even greater than that of the Nine Realms in the Southwest, which is truly unimaginable.
Although Song Changsheng dealt with many demon slaves along the way, in terms of quantity, it was a drop in the ocean.
We've just dealt with one group, and another one will soon invade. This is much more troublesome than dealing with the sea creatures.
For him, annihilating all those cultivators would be easier than extinguishing this demonic calamity.
It's equally frustrating to have the ability but not be able to use it.
He had no choice but to contact Ji Shinian and Yi Tianzheng to discuss the next steps, but unexpectedly received a bombshell from them.
"What? Shen Qing and Wang Jie have been found?"
...(End of this chapter)