Amidst the elation of an unprecedented victory, a shadow of melancholy lingered over everyone. Furthermore, the sheer ferocity of the alien armies, especially their unwavering resolve to fight to the death, weighed heavily on their hearts.
There was no need to speak of it; if such alien forces were ever truly to penetrate the continent’s interior, no nation’s regular troops, not even their so-called elites, could possibly stand against them.
When facing the common soldiers of the continent, they would inevitably cause the same, perhaps even more devastating, effect that Can Tian Shi Hun had wrought upon their own ranks.
It was a chasm between heaven and earth, utterly unbridgeable!
Given the estimated size of the alien host—at least over a million strong—the potential disaster such a fierce army could inflict was incalculable!
The only truly targeted action now was to halt them permanently right here, preventing a single step forward!
But how could they be intercepted?
The only genuinely effective means was to kill them—slaughter them all, wipe them out completely!
That night, the mournful sound of horns echoed throughout the darkness. The massive alien army, numbering in the millions, advanced simultaneously, halting their march only a hundred li shy of the collapsed remnants of Tian Zhu Mountain.
“Their numbers give them an absolute advantage, and their fighting spirit is so tenacious—why haven’t they attacked yet?” Gu Han stared at the dense, limitless sea of alien troops, his breath catching in a gasp that made the hairs on his scalp prickle.
Yet, a new confusion simultaneously bloomed in his mind.
With this many soldiers and this level of morale, why the stillness? Why no declaration of war?
What purpose did it serve merely to stand arrayed like this?
In the main tent, everyone was utterly bewildered. Even Young Master Jun was scratching his head, completely unable to fathom the enemy’s strategy.
Little did he know that the root of this strange situation lay entirely with him.
It was precisely because Jun Mo Xie had shown off his immense power just once before—his peerless, potent divine sense—that Chuang Shang Bei Dao had been thoroughly frightened, losing every shred of his prior certainty of victory.
Chuang Shang Bei Dao had now firmly re-established a clear verdict: to completely conquer the Profound Profound Continent, that peerless powerhouse must be slain as soon as possible. So long as this person lived, the continent would never know peace!
Though this thought was settled, its execution was fraught with immense difficulty!
With Chuang Shang Bei Dao’s own strength, he possessed no means of dealing with Jun Mo Xie; more crucially, he had long since lost the confidence required to overcome and kill him.
In duels between masters, confidence is the key to victory. Lacking even the most basic confidence, Chuang Shang Bei Dao was naturally at a loss!
If even the foremost master of the alien race, Chuang Shang Bei Dao, lacked the certainty to confront Jun Mo Xie, did the aliens still possess the capability to deal with Young Master Jun?
The answer was yes!
Chuang Shang Bei Dao was not currently garrisoned at the main camp; he was flying south at full speed, seeking reinforcements.
Seeking aid capable of handling that “peerless powerhouse!”
With Chuang Shang Bei Dao’s speed, traveling at full exertion, he moved like a hurricane. In just two hours, he reached the base of a mountain thousands of li from the battle site.
This mountain was wreathed in mist and clouds—a remarkably rare spectacle of clear waters and green peaks within the territory of the Shen Ri Clan.
Yet, this peak was unnervingly quiet. Such an exquisite and hard-to-find dwelling place, and yet no alien had chosen to settle here?
Chuang Shang Bei Dao followed a winding path and rapidly ascended the mountain.
He had barely reached the halfway point when a voice drifted down, “Bei Dao, I have told you repeatedly before? The three of us are absolutely forbidden from participating in the Battle of Seizing Heaven. Why have you come again today?”
Hearing the voice, Chuang Shang Bei Dao immediately prostrated himself, not just with his hands on the ground, but with his forehead pressed firmly against the earth, responding with utmost reverence: “If there were no grave change concerning the future of our clan, how would Bei Dao dare to disturb the meditation of the three great powers? The current situation truly involves a peerless powerhouse whom our kind is utterly incapable of handling. This visit, I assure you, is born of necessity. I beg the three great powers to forgive my intrusion.”
“An enemy you cannot handle?” The voice was calm. “How powerful is he? Has Gu Han, heralded as the number one on the Profound Profound Continent, broken through to the fourth level of Saint Monarch?”
Though his tone was indifferent, it carried a trace of gravity. Within the entire Shen Ri Clan, apart from the three of them, Chuang Shang Bei Dao was recognized as the foremost master. For even he to speak this way suggested his confidence was shattered, that he held no certainty of dealing with the opponent. It seemed the foe he encountered was indeed a uniquely formidable entity.
And the expert who could completely dismantle Chuang Shang Bei Dao’s confidence must be a master above the Saint Monarch level. While the Profound Profound side possessed such experts, their numbers were few: only Gu Han, the foremost figure of the Holy Land, and the two Second-Level Saint Monarchs, Xia Chang Tian and Ji Bowen.
Of these, Gu Han was the strongest. It was plausible that he might have ascended to an even higher realm over the last five hundred years. As for anyone else besides these three, even if they managed to ascend to the Saint Monarch realm, they would never pose a threat to an established Saint Monarch like Chuang Shang Bei Dao!
“This person is not Gu Han, nor is he either of the Xia Chang Tian or Ji Bowen. Ah, it shames me, but Bei Dao still does not know the specific identity of this powerful figure. Previously, we engaged only in a battle of divine sense spanning fifty li of space. We merely exchanged glances, and Bei Dao was routed. I have shamed the three great powers…” Chuang Shang Bei Dao mumbled shamefully.
“Not Gu Han? Does such a powerhouse still exist on the Profound Profound Continent? In that battle of divine sense, you only exchanged a single glance?” Another voice inquired, astonished. “And across a distance of fifty li? You were utterly defeated just like that?”
“It was indeed not Gu Han. Bei Dao has met Gu Han before. For some unknown reason, Gu Han’s cultivation has regressed instead of advancing; he is only at the level of a Third-Level Saint Monarch now. If we fought head-on, Bei Dao is confident I could defeat him without exerting any effort, like…”
Chuang Shang Bei Dao confessed with shame, “That person’s mental power has reached an almost unbelievable degree. After that single glance, Bei Dao felt his spirit wildly disturbed, nauseous to the point of vomiting, his mind nearly overwhelmed. Gao Qiao Jun was swept by his gaze and collapsed instantly, falling from his mastery of the void winds…”
“Just one look? Truly just one look…” This time, all three voices spoke simultaneously, each laced with deep caution.
Across a distance of fifty li, a mere glance was enough to destabilize the spirit of a Saint Monarch master, and nearly cause a Saint Venerable to fall… Such terrifying spiritual power—even the three of them felt inferior. Truly formidable!
No wonder Chuang Shang Bei Dao admitted he was no match for this person. It seemed he spoke the truth; for Chuang Shang Bei Dao to have encountered such an expert and managed to escape with his life was already exceedingly fortunate…
“That this person possesses such terrifying mental power, it is not entirely surprising that you were defeated by him this time,” one voice sighed languidly. “I did not expect such a powerhouse still existed in this world. To have a battle with this individual would not be without great pleasure. It is a pity, however, that such an annoyance has manifested north of Tian Zhu Mountain.”
The other two echoed the sentiment with a sigh.
Chuang Shang Bei Dao pressed, “Three great powers, can it be that simply because this person resides north of Tian Zhu Mountain, you cannot offer your aid?” This point greatly perplexed him. Why? If one has the power, where can one not go? Were the three seniors merely content to hide within the Shen Ri Clan’s territory, enjoying tranquility, while carrying the prestigious mantle of Great Powers? Did they refuse to venture into the Profound Profound Continent to forge infinite glory for their own race? What kind of logic was that?
Faced with Chuang Shang Bei Dao’s questioning, the three fell silent for a moment. One of them finally spoke, “It is not that we are unwilling to serve our clan. If that person were to enter the territory of the Shen Ri Clan, we would naturally act against him; we would not hesitate to join forces to kill him! Conversely, if he remains north of Tian Zhu Mountain, we absolutely cannot intervene. Everything is due to powerlessness.”
“Why is that?” Chuang Shang Bei Dao exclaimed, “But Tian Zhu Mountain is clearly gone now!”
“The tangible Tian Zhu Mountain has indeed collapsed; we are aware of that, of course. But the intangible barrier of Tian Zhu Mountain still exists. Our refusal to act is not due to unwillingness, but inability!” Another voice responded with extreme seriousness, laced with an indescribable sense of frustration and anger, suggesting an explanation that could not be easily recounted due to some unavoidable predicament.
“I beg the great powers to enlighten me,” Chuang Shang Bei Dao requested respectfully.
“The ins and outs of this matter… it may not be inappropriate to tell you. Your strength is approaching that bottleneck; once you break through, you will learn anyway. There is no great harm in knowing it sooner,” a heavy voice stated slowly.
“Ten thousand years ago, the foremost man of that age, the First Young Master of the Nine Hells, unified the entire Profound Profound Continent with overwhelming might. All beings under heaven practiced the techniques of the First Young Master of the Nine Hells. Yet, the First Young Master of the Nine Hells was not satisfied, intending to rule over all the lands beneath this sky. In doing so, he inadvertently discovered our clan’s existence and attacked.”
“What? The First Young Master of the Nine Hells actually came to our side before? Then what happened?” Chuang Shang Bei Dao was profoundly shocked.
Why was this event completely unrecorded in all historical texts? Not even a whisper in the legends of the martial world? How could such a seismic historical event leave no trace whatsoever?
“At that time, our Shen Ri Clan was still in its nascent stage, living like beasts, clad in rags. The original intent of the First Young Master of the Nine Hells was to bring our Shen Ri Clan under his dominion, but upon seeing our clansmen, he became furious.” The ancient voice narrated slowly.
“Furious? What exactly enraged him?” Chuang Shang Bei Dao wondered.
“Because… the first sight the First Young Master of the Nine Hells had of us was to declare us disgusting…” The voice betrayed a flicker of its own long-held anger, causing an inexplicable turbulence in the silent atmosphere. “At that time, the First Young Master of the Nine Hells declared that such a disgusting race was unworthy of being ruled by him! Moreover, that villain was utterly ruthless and actually intended to exterminate our Shen Ri Clan…”