Chapter 832: Chapter 3: Mad Demon King Hou Chen
Zhou Yan discerned the clue, whereas Hua Qiudao and the other two were initially incredulous, unable to believe anyone would arrange things in such a manner since it was akin to finding a needle in a vast ocean.
However, after Zhou Yan casually explained, they finally understood that seemingly simple and crude methods could be surprisingly effective.
Moreover, this needle-in-the-haystack approach was informed by knowledge of oneself and the enemy, aware of the ’domain’ and ’location,’ greatly increasing the likelihood of success.
Upon realizing this, the trio mulled it over and understood that the cultivators in this plane were not only powerful but also scheming, adept at calculating others.
Zhou Yan hadn’t fully elaborated, yet Hua Qiudao and the others comprehended completely, thus shedding their disdain and adopting a much graver demeanor.
"Let’s go."
After finishing their tea, Zhou Yan spoke.
The trio hesitated no more, silently following Zhou Yan’s lead.
At this point, the cultivators on site departed in groups of two or three, and in no time, more cultivators gathered, vaguely mentioning the duel between the Mad Demon King and the Li He King, clearly stating that the battle would occur in four days at the Ancient Tomb Mountain, on that day, Mad Demon King Hou Chen would once again showcase the Invincible Emperor Qi Sword Body.
Zhou Yan’s pace remained unchanged, his expression unaltered, yet within him simmered anger and cold determination.
No matter who it is, whether involving his disciples or anything else, they won’t escape Zhou Yan’s revenge.
This matter, regardless of its truth, will certainly demand someone pay a price.
Though Zhou Yan explained the most optimistic scenario to Liu Haoxin and the others, he also considered another possibility—that the duel is real, and perhaps Hou Chen is already controlled, or he has been forcibly suppressed, thereby becoming ’bait.’
If this is the case, then the situation turns dire.
Outwardly, Zhou Yan showed nothing, yet his heart harbored greater worry.
This realm is no longer like the Sword Burial Ancestor Star, which allowed free travel without restriction. Instead, it’s replete with manifest rules akin to the True God Plane, stable and complete with the plane’s enhancement.
"Sect Master, seems there’s three or four days until the duel, what do you think we should do?"
Hua Qiudao softly transmitted his inquiry to Zhou Yan.
He perceived Zhou Yan’s concern, though unaware of its specifics, he believed in Zhou Yan’s capability.
If something was able to worry Zhou Yan, it surely wasn’t trivial.
"In these three days, I’ll acquaint you with this world. Three days later, we’ll visit Ancient Tomb Mountain to observe. Just proceed as I previously mentioned."
Zhou Yan said.
"Master, we shall heed your guidance."
Liu Haoxin and Zhao Xiaoxiao replied respectfully.
...
During the three-day venture within the Sword Burial Ancestor Star, Zhou Yan imparted to Hua Qiudao and the others the diverse survival and cultivation rules of this realm.
In these days, Zhou Yan delved into the Time Origin Tracking Path, probing past events in the cultivators’ memories to gather clues.
Using ancient Heavenly Dao rules, ancient books, and the Derivation Skill of Qi Fortune, Zhou Yan roughly discerned the developmental trajectory of this realm.
The Sword Burial Ancestor Star began exhibiting instability post the collapse of the Ancient Ice Glacier world.
This change lasted merely a year for external planes, yet the Sword Burial Ancestor Star underwent a violent shift in time and space, manifesting a century within, which later synchronized and merged into a new stable plane over three years.
In total, it amounted to a hundred and four years, coupled with a further ten years, reflecting the development of the Sword Burial Ancestor Star over a hundred and fourteen years.
In comparison to the True God Plane calculation, it equates to merely eleven years.
After repetitive derivation, Zhou Yan arrived at this conclusion.
Therefore, the situation is largely unanticipated, yet contrasting with the initial twenty-year and three-thousand-year shifts, it may seem improved.
Nonetheless, because of this, the century-long transformation of the Sword Burial Ancestor Star still deeply concerns Zhou Yan.
Situations being as they are, one can only proceed cautiously.
As for the Thunder Expansion Sacred Land, Zhou Yan’s forecasting was precise; unbeknownst to anyone in the Earth Ancestral Land, he mastered the Time Origin Soul Searching technique, thus able to glimpse erased memories of cultivators-- as long as a cultivator’s Soul level is lower than Zhou Yan’s and their realm is below his, Zhou Yan can enact this technique, a profound insight from the path of Ancestor Worship.
Currently, Zhou Yan senses his Soul Embryo nearing formation, transmigrating towards Venerable Peak status, suggesting that, realm-wise, no secrets exist for cultivators below the Nine Origin Sword Saint.
In fact, Zhou Yan can comprehend their essence better than themselves.
...
Three days later.
The spring breeze is gentle, the halo soft, as Qingfeng gently arrives, causing every pore to open a little more, to absorb the Divine Origin Power of Heaven and Earth.
In the void, cultivators can occasionally be seen flying, some riding flying cranes, others transforming into streams of light, traveling between Heaven and Earth, carefree above the Nine Heavens.
These cultivators are all heading for the battle between the Mad Demon King and Li He King.
True or false, a battle is bound to occur, and with a battle, there will always be cultivators watching.
"One hour from now, it will be the grand battle between the Mad Demon King and Li He King. Can the Emperor Qi Sword Body regain its former glory?"
"This is destined to be a battle watched by all. Hou Chen against Jiang Li; one is the Emperor Qi Sword Body of the new generation, invincible, Only I Am Supreme; the other is Jiang family’s top rising star, Jiang Li, the Water Domain King, undefeated."
"Ten years, or perhaps a century of upheaval has passed, the former Lei Yan King, who knows if he is still there; if he knew his apprentice is now struggling just to vindicate this battle, he would be restless even in the afterlife."
"In the past, there were too many unspeakable things, only leaving people lamenting and sighing; the former Evil King, Lei Yan King, former Thunder Origin Sword God, and various Holy Daughters of the lands, now all drift away, burning the remnants of their lives, so pitiable and regretful."
"Is the Human Clan destined to be replaced by the Wanling Race?"
...
Various lamenting voices arose, appearing from time to time.
Various discussions also came in flurries, dazzling people’s eyes.
Zhou Yan started listening and analyzing. Later he wouldn’t listen anymore because those words were mostly lamentations.
Through the words of these cultivators, Zhou Yan could see their aspirations unmet, saw that they lived out of the breeding ground to a new plane, achieved transformation and growth, but they did not have the corresponding status; the mark like a slave seemed to be an insurmountable chasm for transcendence for them.
And in their words, the cultivators of Thunder Expansion Sacred Land were also not much better, even more, very tragic.
Zhou Yan was silent, stepping through the void, arriving at this battlefield of Ancient Tomb Mountain.
The ancient wasteland was no longer desolate, Black Water River had a clear Divine Spring appearing, flowing into a clear great river.
The great river eastward, waves cleanse all.
The rolling river flows away like a sorrow of time gone by.
Zhou Yan stood above the former Black Water River but did not have any obvious change, despite everything here being able to evoke memories of the past, emotional changes, Zhou Yan had only ’novelty’, ’viewing’ feelings, entering this Heaven and Earth, he already felt the unknown power infiltrating here, watching every move.
Zhou Yan hadn’t talked about this with Hua Qiudao and the three others, but Hua Qiudao was extraordinary in strength, moreover cultivated Merit Power, extremely sensitive to the energy sense, also instantly saw through this point.
However, Hua Qiudao also did not show anything—after all, Hua Qiudao wasn’t really familiar with this place, so he did not need to deliberately conceal.
Although Liu Haoxin and Zhao Xiaoxiao didn’t sense anything wrong, they fully remembered their identities as disciples of Zhou Yan, and did not have any transcending acts.
"Are you sure this time it’s really Hou Chen coming? I seemed to hear our Huangfu Family’s elder say that Thunder Expansion Sacred Land had long been annihilated!"
"I don’t know specifically, just see it, heard Hou Chen entered Demon, don’t know if it’s true."
"I am actually suspicious, that Hou Chen was actually captured by the Jiang family and refined into a puppet, now making such a show, just to lure out the remaining evils of Thunder Expansion Sacred Land."
"Insightful view, Brother Han, I also have this idea, otherwise why has this situation frequently appeared recently, as if there were challenges every year, last year’s case seemed very fake, but they still killed a Fairy, that Fairy, really regrettable."
"Mr. Xiao doesn’t know, Hou Chen is real, I saw him with my own eyes, back then in the Demon Soul Palace battle, he performed Soul Slash for Zhou Yan’s daughter Zhou Sisi, that scene was really earth-shaking, the Emperor Dragon Power derived from it alarmed the plane rules, very terrifying. Otherwise, would you think characters like me would come here?"
And you see, besides us first-line standard, near Third Nine Battle Power cultivators coming, you see the Returning True Clan, Wan Hua Clan, Ghost Pattern Clan and other races of Wanling have quite a few genius cultivators arriving.
Therefore, you may know, this time, it’s a real battle."
...
A group of powerful God Realm cultivators with concentrated Divine Origin Power exchanged, simultaneously flew and landed nearby where Zhou Yan was.
When they flew down, they also glanced at Zhou Yan’s location, but the gaze was calm and ordinary, just glanced casually and did not take notice, continuing to exchange.
Upon hearing their conversation, many cultivators beside Zhou Yan and behind him gasped.
The Emperor Qi Sword Body’s inheritance hasn’t been cut off, back then the Emperor Qi Sword Body caused a star river to be pushed away with bare hands, that feat of star pushing, although not completed by Zhou Yan, was related to him, leaving a renowned reputation, shocking the world and even planes.
After all these years, his disciple actually frightened the plane with Emperor Dragon might, causing rule disturbance, enough to be horrifying.
"Here they come, the Mad Demon King Hou Chen is coming!"
Suddenly, a cultivator exclaimed loudly.
All cultivators then simultaneously fell silent, looking towards the end of Black Water River.
There, a young warrior in black battle armor was slowly rising into the sky...