Chapter 142: Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land Appears, The Frightening Zhang Bairen
Chapter 142 – Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land Appears, The Frightening Zhang Bairen
Following Su Tian’s command, the two-hundred-man vanguard sprang into action.
The Zifu disciples, whose mortal flesh had endured ruthless tempering, stepped forward to absorb the brunt of the Formation’s wrath.
Inner sect disciples with profound cultivation clashed against the Elders of Mad Dragon Fort, ensuring these old monsters could not slaughter the outer sect Zifu disciples and sunder their ranks.
As for the disciples versed in esoteric arts, they lingered in the rear, unleashing a frantic barrage of lethal strikes.
They commanded venomous miasmas, drove savage spirit beasts, ignited talismans, and wove deceitful illusions…
A true heritage did not merely forge supreme prodigies; it cultivated endless disciples treading myriad paths of the Dao.
Whether forging artifacts in spirit-fire, concocting pills of primordial Qi, or breeding vicious beasts…
Their cultivation realms might be ordinary, but they had walked deeply down their chosen fated paths.
Once the chaos of grand warfare descended, their presence birthed terrifying, unforeseen consequences.
…
At the boundary stele of the Yaoguang Holy Land.
“Hahaha!”
“I knew you would survive. Barely a few months have passed, and you have already ascended as the Yaoguang Holy Master. Truly, a cause for celebration!”
Chen Changsheng greeted Fu Yao with overwhelming enthusiasm.
The former Yaoguang Holy Son now stood as the sovereign of the Yaoguang Holy Land.
Gazing upon the “Chen Changsheng” before him, Fu Yao’s eyes swam with profound admiration.
“Is this the path of cultivation you forged?”
“It is extraordinary indeed.”
Hearing this, Chen Changsheng chuckled and waved his hand. “Ah, it is nothing worth mentioning. I am simply destined to toil as a laborer.”
“Meeting Brother Fu Yao again today, why don’t we sit and share a drink?”
Faced with Chen Changsheng’s invitation, Fu Yao remained rooted in the distance, utterly unmoved.
For at this very moment, Chen Changsheng gripped a massive, ghastly bone in his right hand, while a fiercely hideous, bloated silkworm remained coiled upon his shoulder.
His aura churned at an absolute, extreme condensation. If Fu Yao dared to take even half a step forward, this predator would instantly strike with lethal, merciless intent.
“I will not stop you from sweeping through Mad Dragon Fort, but why do your military formations edge toward Gale Inn?”
“Gale Inn is a vassal nurtured by the Yaoguang Holy Land. Do not play the fool; you know this.”
Hearing Fu Yao’s interrogation, Chen Changsheng vigorously shook his head in denial.
“Slander! This is naked slander!”
“I, Chen Changsheng, swear to the heavens, I never possessed even a shred of intent to target Gale Inn.”
“If I speak half a lie, may the young master of Mad Dragon Fort, Wan Tong, die a miserable, gruesome death!”
Fu Yao: “…”
You are as shameless as ever.
Shaking his head at Chen Changsheng’s brazen words, Fu Yao smiled faintly. “If you desire Gale Inn, then take it.”
“You have won this lifetime. But next time, the heavens will not grant you such luck.”
Hearing this, a flicker of confusion passed through Chen Changsheng’s cold eyes.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The meaning is quite simple. He is praising you!”
Before the echo of those words faded, a silhouette strolled out from the distant void.
Sweeping the figure with his spiritual sense, Chen Changsheng instinctively retreated two steps.
He did this, for the man radiated the primordial, oppressive aura of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.
Observing Chen Changsheng’s heightened vigilance, the man smiled. “There is no need for such tension. Had we wished to slaughter you, you would not have drawn breath until today.”
“In the past, certain entities deduced you were the bearer of the Heaven’s Mandate, choosing to invest heavily in your fate.”
“Alas, they shrewdly weighed the fated paths but miscalculated a single step. It is somewhat regrettable.”
Hearing the man’s words, Chen Changsheng cemented his judgment of the stranger’s identity.
“Tsk, tsk!”
“A chaotic era is truly a chaotic era. All manner of ancient ghosts and hidden demons crawl from the woodwork.”
“Since you have chosen to manifest, is it not improper to hide your true name?”
“I believe you have already divined my identity.”
“My surname is Zhang, my given name Bairen. I hail from the domain you call the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.”
“Furthermore, I am the eldest disciple of the Hundred Defeats Immortal Venerable. By the laws of lineage, you ought to address me as Senior Brother.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Changsheng’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
It seemed he had inadvertently stumbled upon yet another heaven-shaking secret.
“Hehehe!”
“So the floodwaters have merely washed over the Dragon King’s temple! A misunderstanding, it is all a vast misunderstanding!”
Even as Chen Changsheng’s lips spilled honeyed words of ‘misunderstanding,’ his feet silently glided backward.
Confronting Fu Yao alone was already a heavy burden upon his True Self. Now, he faced Zhang Bairen, a monster wielding a terrifying, ancient background.
If he did not flee this very instant, the only outcome would be a savage, merciless beating.
Perceiving Chen Changsheng’s subtle evasion, Zhang Bairen offered a faint smile.
“Do not waste your effort on escape. If your mortal vessel had arrived in person, we might truly fail to detain you.”
“But restricting a mere incarnation? That is hardly a challenge.”
Realizing his avenues of retreat were utterly severed, Chen Changsheng simply dropped the act.
“Fine, I cannot escape. State your purpose plainly. Spare me the winding riddles.”
“If you covet this domain, I will order my vanguard to retreat.”
“I possess no interest in this mortal dirt, nor does it enter my eyes. If you desire it, claim it.”
“Forget this insignificant expanse; we would even yield the Heaven’s Mandate.”
“The Heaven’s Mandate may already be destined, but if the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land wishes to sever and reshape fate, it remains within our power.”
“Reshape it?” Chen Changsheng furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? Once the Heaven’s Mandate is borne, can it still be altered?”
“There are no absolutes in this world. There is only the question of whether one can pay the blood price.”
“The bearer of the Heaven’s Mandate may be invincible beneath the heavens, but they are not immune to death.”
Under the weight of Zhang Bairen’s naked threat, a chilling pressure wrapped around Chen Changsheng’s spine for the first time.
Although he had seized a path to longevity through heaven-defying means, his foundation remained tragically shallow when measured against these primordial existences.
“You have threatened me enough times. I admit, your words carry a terrifying weight.”
“So now, will you state your exact demands?”
Zhang Bairen spoke with cold tranquility. “The demand of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land is simple. Once the sovereign ascends and bears the Heaven’s Mandate, they must make a pilgrimage to our domain.”
“It is likely not as simple as a mere ‘pilgrimage,’ is it? You intend for the bearer of the Heaven’s Mandate to stay their hand against the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.”
“From what I know, before fully grasping the Heaven’s Mandate, every candidate carves a bloody path through the forbidden lands.”
“I doubt these conquerors march into your home merely to share tea and pleasantries.”
“Your deduction of the Dao’s fated paths is not wrong. So, are you willing to forge this pact?”
Meeting Zhang Bairen’s placid gaze, Chen Changsheng shrewdly weighed his options.
“What do I, and the bearer of the Heaven’s Mandate, reap in return?”
“The absolute backing of the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.”
“The Heaven’s Mandate shattered and has now gathered anew. The primordial Qi of this era’s Mandate is utterly unprecedented.”
“To truly shoulder the Heaven’s Mandate is no simple feat. Many ancient monsters will reach out from the dark to intervene.”
“The Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land can serve as your shield. In return, the sovereign must acknowledge this karmic debt.”
“So long as they wield the Heaven’s Mandate, they are forbidden from unleashing their wrath upon the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land.”
After drinking in the proposal, Chen Changsheng pursed his lips. “A fiercely tempting wager.”
“Suddenly, I feel we are perfectly suited to sit down and converse.”
“With utmost pleasure!”
As he spoke, Zhang Bairen swept his sleeve, and a pristine jade table materialized from the void before Chen Changsheng.