Chapter 563: Hesitation Leads to Defeat
The storyteller’s eyes lit up. He hid the copper bowl in his sleeve, and when he brought it back out, the gold coin was gone.
The young man who had given the gold coin smiled slightly and leaned back. His Battle Qi actually formed a cushion of air, allowing him to recline comfortably.
The surrounding people were greatly shocked, all realizing this was a major figure. Someone capable of externally manifesting Battle Qi and casually shaping it was at least a powerhouse at the Qi King level or above.
The storyteller also lost his previous casualness. He bowed very cautiously and then continued: “This Demon Venerable Great Sun is indeed formidable. We all know the Qi Continent is divided into five regions: the North is ultimate Water, the South is ultimate Fire, the East is ultimate Wood, the West is ultimate Metal, and the Center is ultimate Earth.
“Demon Venerable Great Sun dominates the entire North, truly a regional overlord. He is no longer someone ordinary Qi Ancestors can compare to. If we compare him to history, I’m afraid he can rival a Supreme of Qi before their enlightenment.”
The major figure who had just given the money said in a cold voice: “How do you know he can rival a Supreme of Qi before enlightenment?”
The storyteller’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately bowed in action, not acting stubborn at all: “I indeed do not know. It’s just that this Demon Venerable has already dominated the entire North. All famous Qi Ancestors have died. Even using the technique of Battle Qi Transforming into a Horse to flee, not a single one survived. I feel that perhaps his strength indeed overwhelms the group of Qi Ancestors.”
The white-robed young man snorted coldly and suddenly shot straight into the sky, leaving a sentence echoing in everyone’s ears: “I am Jin Jiuyao (Golden Nine Brilliance) under the seat of the Primogenitor Supreme of Qi. I am off to take the head of the so-called Demon Venerable. The content of your storytelling can be changed.”
The storyteller frowned tightly, murmuring: “Jin Jiuyao, what a familiar name.”
He hurriedly flipped through his pile of books, and after a long while shouted: “Jin Jiuyao, the legendary formidable enemy who once vied with the Primogenitor Supreme of Qi for the Supreme position! A Half-Step Supreme! After the Primogenitor Supreme attained enlightenment, he surrendered to the Supreme. How could a figure like him live to the present day? Could it be the Supremes truly have a secret art that allows those not in the Supreme realm to live forever?”
In the imperial capital of the Maka Empire, the emperors of the five great empires of the North met for the first time. They were all summoned by Ace. Although they very much didn’t want to come, they had to.
Ace was simply too domineering. The last person who tried to maintain imperial dignity in front of Him had already been turned to ashes.
Ace hovered quietly in mid-air. He had already gone this far, yet the Supremes still hadn’t appeared. This made Him increasingly feel that there were contradictions and divisions between the Heavenly Dao and the Supremes. However, it wasn’t a big problem. No matter how strong the Heavenly Dao was, it couldn’t exert force in wars between worlds.
The Wizard World was already rapidly approaching this world. In just about a century, the two worlds could meet. With three pseudo-status Demigods, if one more person could vie for the qualification of a Demigod in the World of Qi, then victory would be practically at hand.
Ace gathering these emperors was to converge the Authority power of the entire North. If He could steal the Authority power here, the odds of winning in the future would be even greater.
In the southern sky, a flash of light swept past, followed by the neighing of a horse. A powerful aura struck like a meteor. Ace immediately activated the gravitational force field, remaining motionless.
Both man and horse, charging right in front of Ace, suddenly twisted and disappeared, reappearing not far away.
The newcomer was dressed in a white robe; it was none other than Jin Jiuyao under the seat of the Primogenitor Supreme of Qi.
Jin Jiuyao, wholly shrouded in a strange radiance, was like an extremely sharp sword. He shouted loudly: “You indeed have some tricks, but they are merely techniques. If techniques cannot be understood, they shall be destroyed with even greater power!”
Boom!
His power erupted completely. In Ace’s eyes, Jin Jiuyao’s power seemed to have magnified several times. He was using some kind of secret art, stimulating all his potential, temporarily elevating himself to a state close to a Supreme.
The corner of Ace’s mouth still carried a mysterious smile. Foolish people always think brute force can defeat wisdom. Little do they know, a cavalry charge speed is no different from a tank, and a ballista’s attack range is not much different from a sniper rifle, but why is there such a massive difference in power? The root lies in the difference in foundational cornerstones.
A dynamic defense system constructed based on concepts like gravitational force fields, mass distorting space, and gravitational lines of force—although seemingly not much different from so-called absolute defense—was actually ahead by an unknown number of generations of theoretical cornerstones. A brute-force cavalry charge might defeat bows and arrows, but it could absolutely never defeat a machine gun.
Jin Jiuyao charged repeatedly but could never break through Ace’s dynamic gravitational distortion force field. Panting heavily, he said: “I admit my inability to break through, but this is only because my power is not great enough. You are a worthy opponent. If not for you being an extraterrestrial demon, perhaps we could drink and converse joyfully.”
Ace’s expression carried a hint of amusement. He smiled and asked: “If your power is not great enough, then what will you do? Will you invite your Supremes to come in person?”
Jin Jiuyao’s Battle Qi transformed into a fine steed, and he disappeared in a puff of smoke without answering. The Supremes could not descend; if they could, would they need someone like him to step forward?
Now he could only report to the Supremes and hope the Heavenly Dao would make an exception.
He didn’t realize that Ace had already placed a mark on him. The trajectory of his movement was so obvious in Ace’s eyes. Fleeing all the way to the edge of the Qi Continent, above the Endless Sea, beneath dark clouds where thunder roared, Jin Jiuyao disappeared.
After about half a minute, Ace appeared here. His eyes bloomed with white light, slowly seeing through the secret of this place.
“I see, an embedded composite demi-plane, three planes merged into one, like the yolk in an egg. But what is the use of doing this? The world seems to have sealed this place off. Let me study it carefully.”
Within the Supreme Secret Realm, having returned here, Jin Jiuyao gasped in a breath of cold air, his heart slightly at ease.
“Truly terrifying, so terrifying! I didn’t expect this extraterrestrial demon to actually be comparable to a Supreme. I must immediately report to the Primogenitor Supreme.”
He walked quickly to the main hall. The three Supremes were all in the hall: exactly the Primogenitor Supreme, the Azure Dragon Supreme, and the Western Supreme. After seeing Jin Jiuyao, the Primogenitor Supreme said: “Jiuyao, you’ve fallen into a trap.”
Jin Jiuyao didn’t understand. The three Supremes pointed to the pool of water in front of them; exactly Ace’s appearance was manifesting.
Only then did he understand, kneeling down and admitting his mistake.
The Primogenitor Supreme laughed heartily: “No matter. He wants to explore the secrets of the Supremes, and we also want to use the extraterrestrial demon to break our shackles; it’s merely a contest of strength between us. In this way, in this great catastrophe, not only will a Supreme be born, but there will also be a contest of strength with an unknown world. The Heavenly Dao will be unable to attend to everything at once, and ultimately will have to reconcile with us.”
The Azure Dragon Supreme also smiled: “It should be so. As Supremes, we should have commanded the world, yet we are forced to remain here. Speaking of which, this is all the West’s fault.”
The Western Supreme chuckled, apologizing with a smile: “It is indeed my fault. I didn’t foresee this; regret comes too late.”
The three Supremes fell silent for a while, seemingly all recalling unpleasant things. After a long while, the Primogenitor Supreme said: “I originally thought the variable this time could only appear in the next Child of Destiny, the future Supreme. I didn’t expect an extraterrestrial demon to descend, which instead gave us more room.
“The strength of this demon, although close to a Supreme, I can confirm he is not a Supreme. I just don’t know how the demon descended, how many powerhouses there are in that demon heaven of theirs. If there are multiple Supreme-level powerhouses, I fear our heaven and earth will be in peril.”
The Western Supreme also said: “Sometime ago, I suddenly observed movement in the extreme western stars, as if someone pried open a strange switch. Our heaven and earth experienced mysterious fluctuations. Although I cannot calculate it clearly, it is certain to be related to the demon. According to my deduction, the demon might come from a world much more powerful than ours.”
Hearing the words of the Supremes, Jin Jiuyao also felt anxious and uneasy, and couldn’t help but say: “Then what should we do? If the opposing world is truly more powerful than ours, do we directly surrender and beg for mercy?”
The Primogenitor Supreme laughed heartily and comforted:
“Jiuyao, do not be impudent. Even if a more powerful world invades, the situation must be analyzed separately. The opponent might only be a certain faction of that world, or even a not-too-strong force. If it truly were a world-level invasion, we would have been suppressed immediately. Since he is testing us, it means their strength is on par with ours, or perhaps even inferior.
“We need close contact before making a final decision.”
No one noticed that the Western Supreme’s eyes flickered with a strange brilliance, seemingly plotting something.
Nearly thirty years had passed since Ace confirmed the Supremes could not come out. These thirty years were a period of bloody storms. Demon Venerable Great Sun abruptly rose, sweeping across the entire continent. Countless holy lands withered, and Qi Ancestors fell.
Even the secret art of Battle Qi Transforming into a Horse couldn’t escape the Demon Venerable’s tractor secret art, being reduced to ashes.
In addition to this, a power named Magic mysteriously rose. Many Qi cultivators, after joining the secretive Magic Guild, soon became neurotic. Men of insight in various countries had tried to ban magic, but were slaughtered by Demon Venerable Great Sun. Immediately, no one dared to suppress magic anymore, and the Path of Magic flourished greatly.
And the key to this great flourishing was the entire country of the Yunqi Empire unifying under the Magic Gate. According to the requirements of the Magic Gate’s current Sect Master, Bayen, they installed a so-called gravity reversal device, making the entire imperial capital float in the air, transforming it into a floating city, a holy land of magic.
At the same time, a powerhouse, bearing the title of Demon Venerable Great Sun’s disciple, rose rapidly during these thirty years. He fought strong enemies and gathered beauties along the way, remaining almost undefeated. He actually became a new Qi Ancestor in a mere thirty years. Moreover, he was not crusaded against by Demon Venerable Great Sun, and opened a new holy land in Guangding City of the Maka Empire.
…
In the chilling winter wind, a beautiful woman, an heroic youth, and an old man appeared simultaneously in the sky near Guangding City. The beautiful woman had skin like creamy jade, looking like a painting, yet she was not charming; instead, she carried an air of solemnity and wild arrogance.
The heroic youth was like a spear piercing the sky, like a hidden dragon in the abyss. His expression and posture were so resolute and indomitable. If Ace were here, He might be surprised to find that he actually looked very similar to Ming Yan.
The youth drew in a breath of cold air, calmed his mood, looked down at this city, and said: “Mother, is this place the residence of that great villain?”
The beautiful woman nodded, her expression pained as she fell into memory. She said softly: “Lin’er, as matters stand now, I must tell you the truth, and then let you choose for yourself.”
The youth asked somewhat puzzledly: “What truth?”
The old man behind them stroked his long beard and said with a smile: “How about I tell it? Madam Yanran is, after all, your birth mother. Some things are painful to say. I am Lin’er’s Master, and I also know everything. As a third party recounting it, perhaps it is better.”
The beautiful woman also nodded.
The old man then said: “Before I met you mother and son, your mother was originally a legitimate daughter of the prominent Tuoba family of the Maka Empire, an inner disciple of the Maka Empire’s holy land, the Tianlan Sect. She had a marriage contract with your father since childhood, and your father is exactly the Lord of the Guangding Holy Land, Ming Yan.”
As soon as these words came out, the youth was in disbelief. He stared at his mother. Seeing his mother nod, only then did he feel somewhat dizzy.
The beautiful woman couldn’t help saying: “During these thirty years, our first ambition has been to kill Demon Venerable Great Sun, and our second ambition is to defeat Qi Ancestor Ming Yan. But before a duel between father and son—I cannot keep you in the dark. That day when Demon Venerable Great Sun exterminated the Tianlan Sect, it was exactly for your father.
“I didn’t know at the time. Although I wanted revenge, your father said he had family responsibilities and couldn’t join me. I could also understand, and consummated our marriage that night.
“The next day I left Guangding City. On the way back to the Tuoba family, I heard that your father admitted to being the disciple of Demon Venerable Great Sun, and had obtained the supreme cultivation methods of both the Tianlan Sect and the Ghost Nether Palace holy lands. I immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and fell unconscious.
“When I woke up, I found thick smoke rising from the direction of Tuoba City. By the time I arrived, the family was already in ashes, a sea of fire.
“Your grandfather, grandmother, seven uncles, and fourteen maternal cousins—all perished in the sea of fire.
“The reason was actually that the six great holy land Qi Ancestors besieged Demon Venerable Great Sun. A great battle ensued between the two sides, and a stray fire from Demon Venerable Great Sun hit Tuoba City, causing the entire city to vanish into smoke.”
The old man also said: “That day I happened to encounter your mother fainting. After saving her, your mother recuperated for over a month, and the two of us traveled together to Tuoba City. When we arrived at Tuoba City, it had already turned into a sea of blazing fire; nothing was left.
“From then on, your mother forged a deep blood feud of exterminated family and destroyed sect with Demon Venerable Great Sun, and your father is the only disciple of Demon Venerable Great Sun. This is the origin of the matter. As for what to do, you must listen to your heart.”
Tuoba Yanran also said: “Tuoba Lin, your original surname should be Ming. But your father’s deception came first, which I cannot tolerate, therefore I changed your name to Tuoba Lin. But mother is unwilling to let you unknowingly duel your father, so I am telling you the truth. Everything is for you to decide yourself.”
A burst of silence. On Tuoba Lin’s heroic face, hesitation appeared for the first time. That was, after all, his biological father. For a moment, a myriad of thoughts filled his mind. He gasped several breaths of cold air, unable to speak.
After a long, long while, Tuoba Lin said: “I was raised by Mother and Master, practicing the Path of Blood Energy and Heart Fire secretly passed down by Master. Over these thirty years, fighting with the vile spawns of the Magic Gate, fighting with the major sects, fighting with rogue cultivators, the Heart Fire of my heart has never wavered. But this time, I wavered. Mother, thank you for letting me know all this. I want to take a trip to Guangding City, to see that person, to observe him, and then decide whether to defeat him, kill him, or join forces to eliminate Demon Venerable Great Sun!”
The beautiful woman hesitated for a moment and finally didn’t speak.
The old man was exactly Bayen. He smiled, stroked his beard, and said softly: “Going to take a look is good too. Remember to follow your inner thoughts, and your Heart Fire will burn incomparably vigorously. If you hesitate, you will be defeated!”
(This chapter is finished)
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