noffsinger Chapter 1135 Opportunity
Chapter 1135 Opportunity
Han Ying, the Demon Saint, paused, turned around, and said calmly, "Is there anything else, Fellow Daoist Tianzhu?"
Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint raised his hand, gesturing for Cold Shadow Demon Saint to sit down: "This matter is of great importance. Even if you have the intention to back down, you should not make such a hasty decision."
"Please sit down and let me explain in detail. It won't be too late for you to make a decision then."
The Cold Shadow Demon Saint nodded slightly, sat down again, and said calmly, "Then I am all ears."
A gentle breeze swept across the pond, rippling the clear water. The pavilion was completely silent.
After pondering for a moment, Tianzhu Demon Saint said, "What Fellow Daoist Xuechi said just now is not without reason. After this battle, we have formed a life-and-death enmity with Chen Yuan. Even if Fellow Daoist Hanying no longer attacks him, he will definitely seek revenge against us."
"Although we are not afraid of him now, judging from his strength and methods, it should not be difficult for him to advance to the Fusion stage. If we do not eliminate him now, he will surely become a future threat."
"Fellow Daoist Hanying is intelligent and should understand this principle."
Bloodtooth Demon Saint nodded in agreement. In terms of losses, he was no match for Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint, who had poured most of his resources into exploring the Xuanli Realm. Although his demon army suffered heavy casualties, it was only severely weakened and not crippled.
His main reason for wanting to harm Chen Yuan was his fear that Chen Yuan would seek revenge in the future.
The Bloodtooth Demon Saint's path had come to an end, and it was extremely difficult for him to advance even one level in his cultivation. But Chen Yuan had unlimited potential, which made him fearful.
Han Ying, the Demon Saint, said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Tianzhu, you are mistaken. It is true that we have a great enmity with Chen Yuan, but Chen Yuan may not necessarily hate us deeply."
"Whether it's the Xuanli Realm or this great battle, we are the ones who suffer losses, while Chen Yuan not only suffers no losses but also gains a great deal. Why should he hold a grudge against us?"
The two demon saints were taken aback. Bloodtooth Demon Saint frowned and said, "Fellow Daoist, your words are biased. Chen Yuan deliberately revealed his presence this time, most likely to lure us there. How could he not hold a grudge against us..."
Han Ying, the Demon Saint, said, "Chen Yuan may not be targeting us, but rather the other Demon Saints. It was our initiative to step forward that led to this defeat."
“You two are worried that Chen Yuan will cause trouble in the future, but he is only a Void Refinement cultivator now. We have already suffered two great losses at his hands. If we confront him again, we are afraid that we will repeat the same mistakes.”
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint narrowed his eyes: "Fellow Daoist Han Ying, are you perhaps afraid of Chen Yuan?"
The Cold Shadow Demon Saint said calmly, "I wouldn't say I'm afraid, but I don't want to waste my energy just to kill Chen Yuan."
"Neither of you fellow Daoists fought him, but I fought him head-on for several rounds and found that his strength was by no means inferior to that of a Demon Saint. He has broken the ironclad rule of all the heavens and myriad realms, and with his Void Refinement body, he can rival a Nascent Soul cultivator."
"However, we demons value bloodline and physical body above all else. There are many who break through the bottleneck of physical body before cultivation, but none of them can have such strength."
"While the physical body is important, once you reach the Integration Realm, the power of the laws is the foundation."
"And the various supernatural abilities that Chen Yuan displayed, whether it was the black light vortex, the heavenly lightning blood leaf, or the white spiritual flame, all contained the power of laws, and their power was extraordinary. They were far from the chaotic and unrefined methods of Confucianism and Taoism in the Spirit Realm. What kind of terrifying methods were these?"
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint said, "It is precisely because Chen Yuan is so skilled that we must capture him."
"He was originally a minor cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, but his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds over the past three hundred years. This must be due to the legacy of the True Dragon."
"As you said, all the supernatural powers Chen Yuan used contained the power of laws. If this secret falls into our hands, we might have a sliver of hope of breaking through to the Great Sage realm."
"If Fellow Daoist Hanying finds this person difficult to deal with, then please invite a few more Demon Saints to assist you."
"The reason we lost this battle is because we were blocked by those two combined-stage and silver-armored puppets. No one could restrain Chen Yuan, but if there is one more demon saint, he will surely die!"
The Bloodtooth Demon Saint added from the side: "The white spiritual fire in Chen Yuan's palm is suspected to be the True Fire of Zhu Yan. The strange blood leaf that he used to kill Xuan Li is similar to Ao Pan's divine power. They are all related to the blood of the true spirit."
"This person most likely possesses the means to refine the blood of true spirits, or perhaps the supernatural power to utilize the blood of true spirits. For us demon saints, this will be the key to further advancement."
Han Ying, the Demon Saint, sighed softly: "Fellow Daoist Tianzhu just said that he wanted to ask several Demon Saints to help deal with Chen Yuan. In my opinion, it is just a waste of effort."
"This person's methods are incomprehensible, and his supernatural abilities are endless. He must have some trump cards that we have not yet discovered. Even if we ask a few demon saints for help, I'm afraid it will be useless."
"Moreover, this person is very cunning. He has been hiding under Lei Shan's command for a hundred years without revealing his true colors. This time, he deliberately revealed his whereabouts and acted ostentatiously to lure us there, leaving behind 70,000 demons who are extremely difficult to deal with."
“In this battle, our hatred for him has been clearly revealed. How could he not have imagined that we would seek revenge against him? If you two can ask the Demon Saint for help, why can't Chen Yuan ask a Nascent Soul cultivator for help?”
"It should be noted that Chen Yuan is an elder of the Mahayana sect, and those two Nascent Soul cultivators also address him as 'fellow Daoist,' indicating that his status is no less than that of a Nascent Soul cultivator."
"Now that Chen Yuan has won another great victory, killing dozens of demon kings and 30,000 soldiers, and has made outstanding contributions, it should not be difficult for him to invite a few Nascent Soul cultivators."
"Even if we manage to win, we won't be able to capture Chen Yuan. We'll probably need to ask a late-stage Nascent Soul Demon Saint for help."
"Furthermore, we do not know why Chen Yuan has mastered several laws of power. If he was using a treasure, why didn't that Mahayana cultivator from the Tai Xuan Sect take it for himself?"
"If Chen Yuan has cultivated some kind of secret technique or consumed some rare and precious treasure to have such abilities, even if we kill him, we will gain nothing."
The voice of the Cold Shadow Demon Saint was clear and ethereal, flowing gently over the pebbles like a clear spring, and the octagonal glazed pavilion fell silent.
After a long silence, the Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint finally spoke: "It seems that Fellow Daoist Han Ying has made up his mind and will not change it?"
The Cold Shadow Demon Saint said, "I have known you two for many years, and I am only speaking from the bottom of my heart today. I hope you two will think twice before you act."
"Chen Yuan has already made a name for himself. He is no longer a child carrying gold through a bustling market. Even if he has a treasure left by a true dragon or even a magical technique from an immortal, so what?"
"If you two fellow Daoists truly wish to kill Chen Yuan to prevent future troubles, you might as well report this matter to the Great Sage and ask the Great Sage to handle it."
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint's eyes narrowed: "Fellow Daoist has already reported this matter to the Great Sage?"
The Cold Shadow Demon Saint shook her head: "I have only been back in the city for three days and have not yet paid my respects to the Great Saint."
Tianzhu Demon Saint secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "If Fellow Daoist Hanying is unwilling to deal with Chen Yuan anymore, I will naturally not force him."
"However, I have another request. Could you please not spread the matter of Chen Yuan?"
"I want to kill this man with my own hands, extract his soul and refine his spirit to avenge the hatred in my heart."
The Cold Shadow Demon Saint gave him a deep look, a hint of mockery flashing in the depths of her azure eyes: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured, I will keep my mouth shut."
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint clasped his hands in a bow and said, "In that case, thank you very much, fellow Daoist."
Han Ying, the Demon Saint, stood up, bowed slightly, and greeted the two men: "Farewell." Tian Zhu, the Demon Saint, and Xue Chi, the Demon Saint, both stood up and watched as Han Ying turned and stepped onto the lake, leaving no ripples on the water. Led by a human slave, he walked out of the flower garden and disappeared from sight.
The two sat down again, and silence spread through the pavilion. Even the sound of the wind gradually subsided, the pond water was as smooth as a mirror, and the lotus flowers stood tall.
Bloodtooth Demon Saint suddenly spoke up: "What Fellow Daoist Hanying said is not without reason. Chen Yuan is indeed not easy to deal with. Perhaps we should consider this carefully..."
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint interrupted him: "So what? Han Ying possesses the bloodline of a true dragon and is deeply favored by the Great Sage. The death of a few demon kings is nothing. When she explored the Xuanli Realm, she didn't take out many treasures, so naturally she doesn't have much hatred for Chen Yuan. That's why she advised us to give up."
"But neither you nor I possess the bloodline of the True Spirit. Only by killing Chen Yuan, seizing the True Dragon's Relic Treasure, and mastering the secrets he possesses—the ability to wield several laws and even refine the blood of the True Spirit—can we have a chance to glimpse the path to becoming a Great Sage."
"How could we miss such a tremendous opportunity?"
Bloodtooth Demon Saint frowned and said, "Then we should report this matter to the Great Sage for handling. Although Chen Yuan's cultivation is low, he is too cunning. He should not keep this secret on his person. We must capture him alive."
"If what Fellow Daoist Hanying said is true, killing him would be a complete waste of time and effort."
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint shook his head: "Even if this matter is reported to the Great Sage, the Great Sage cannot take action personally. He would have to send a Demon Saint to deal with Chen Yuan. What difference is there between that and us taking action?"
"If the Great Sage learns of this matter and becomes interested in the secrets of Chen Yuan, then you and I will truly have come up with nothing."
After pondering for a moment, the Bloodtooth Demon Saint slowly nodded: "What you say is absolutely right, fellow Daoist. We cannot reveal even the slightest bit of the demon saints who were invited to help us."
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint's expression turned solemn: "I have known Fellow Daoist Han Ying for tens of thousands of years. She has always kept her promise. Since she promised us, she will not spread it around. No one else knows about this matter yet, which is our opportunity."
"However, Chen Yuan's true nature will be revealed as soon as he engages in combat with other demon saints. We must find an opportunity to capture him before that happens."
Bloodtooth Demon Saint raised his hand and gently stroked the whiskers under his chin, and slowly said, "There is a saying among humans: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' We do not know much about Chen Yuan at the moment, so we must send someone to find out information."
"And what are the origins of those two Nascent Soul cultivators beside him? How many more Nascent Soul cultivators can Chen Yuan invite to help him? These are all of utmost importance."
Tianzhu Demon Saint said, "That's right. Our army has just suffered a great defeat and needs to rest. We should wait for Fellow Daoist Yanyun to return, find out Chen Yuan's background first, and then make a move."
After discussing for a while, as night was falling, the Bloodtooth Demon Saint finally got up to take his leave.
The Heavenly Pillar Demon Saint strolled to the edge of the Glazed Pavilion, looked at the orange-yellow fiery clouds on the horizon, and smiled sarcastically: "So what if you have the bloodline of a true dragon? Such a woman's view will ultimately prevent you from achieving the Great Dao."
……
"Junior Brother Chen has slain twenty-seven demon kings and left behind thirty thousand demon beasts, making outstanding contributions. This should be recorded as one merit. When the great battle ends, we will reward you accordingly. Does Junior Brother have any objections?"
In a stone hall, Bai Zangzhou and Chen Yuan sat facing each other, each holding a jade slip, their calm voices revealing a hint of surprise.
Chen Yuan shook his head: "I have no objection."
"Then please leave your divine sense imprint on this jade slip, junior brother." Bai Zangzhou handed over the jade slip in his hand.
Chen Yuan took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. The jade slip recorded the merits he had made.
Every demon king who died at Chen Yuan's hands was recorded in detail, including their cultivation level, name, race, and so on, without any omissions.
The cultivators of the Cleansing Heart Hall were so meticulous. After the great battle ended and the demon race was defeated, the cultivator army slaughtered the 30,000 demon beasts that had gone mad. The next step was to collect the corpses of the fallen cultivators and the dragon and green mantis races, as well as collect the demon beast corpses and treasures left on the battlefield.
The hundred or so Xixin Hall cultivators who had stayed behind during the war finally appeared and began recording their battle achievements.
From the initial stage to the foundation stage, every cultivator's merits must be recorded for future rewards and recognition.
Cultivators cultivate for immortality, not to fight against demons. Without rewards, even the most loyal disciple will lose their fighting spirit.
In addition to rewards for meritorious service, the demon cores, materials, and treasures of the demonic beasts killed by cultivators also belong to the cultivators.
It was also thanks to the cultivators' keen senses and amazing five senses, and the fact that the Cleansing Heart Hall had many kinds of detection magic treasures, that they were able to see the battle situation clearly in the chaotic battlefield and record the merits almost without error.
Such detailed rules were not established by Master Fu, but were created by Tianrui Palace many years ago and promoted to various sects through Fatian Pavilion to encourage cultivators of each sect to fight bravely on the battlefield.
Chen Yuan's military achievements were naturally unparalleled among the cultivators. He killed twenty-seven demon kings, more than half of whom were late-stage Void Refinement demon kings. He also left behind thirty thousand demon beasts and hundreds of demon generals and commanders, which can also be considered Chen Yuan's military achievements.
Next were Elder Yuan and Wei Wushang. Although they only casually killed a few demon kings, it was precisely because they blocked three demon saints that they were able to achieve such a great victory. Therefore, they were each recorded as having performed meritorious service once.
The classification of cultivators' battle merits is very complex. Above the Nascent Soul stage alone, there are four levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, each with its own sub-classes.
Bai Zangzhou didn't go into details, but it was all recorded in Chen Yuan's jade slip. His contributions were even greater than those of Elder Yuan and Wei Wushang.
Below the Nascent Soul stage, cultivators are divided into nine ranks, each with its own sub-categories, making the process a hundred times more complex.
This system for calculating battle merits was created by Tianrui Palace and has been improved over many years. It has been promoted to all sects in the spirit world, treating them equally and being extremely fair.
After the great battle ended, Chen Yuan and his two companions led the cultivator army in retreat, and after three months, they finally returned to their camp to rest.
The journey there requires exploring the spatial rifts, which takes a long time, but the return journey is much faster as it doesn't require specifically entering the dark place.
Within the main camp, the cultivators from the Tai Xuan Sect's Cleansing Heart Hall, Lie Xiao City, and Ba Chu City joined forces to maintain order and were responsible for recording the battle achievements of the three groups of cultivators.
The cultivators from the Xixin Hall who went to war with the army reported their war achievements. Just three days later, Bai Zangzhou sent someone to invite Chen Yuan over and present him with the war achievements.
Bai Zangzhou bears a heavy responsibility, needing to record the battle achievements of Tai Xuan Sect cultivators and affiliated sects and alien races, as well as issue tasks such as exploring spatial rifts and blocking the demon army. He is busy with countless matters every day and has no time to spare.
Chen Yuan left a divine imprint and returned the jade slip to Bai Zangzhou. This was his proof of merit after the great battle.
Even mortals know how to sign and put their fingerprints on documents, so how could cultivators not know how to leave behind proof? And each cultivator's unique divine sense is undoubtedly the best proof of their identity.
Bai Zangzhou checked the jade slip, and after confirming that it was correct, he put it away.
Knowing that Bai Zangzhou was busy with many things, Chen Yuan got up to take his leave, and Bai Zangzhou personally got up to see him off.
As the two stepped out of the cave, a beam of light descended from the sky, revealing a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Ignoring Chen Yuan's presence, he hastily bowed to Bai Zangzhou: "Elder Bai, Senior Zhu from Liexiao City has sent a letter stating that the Chongxian Army in his city has been intercepted by 30,000 demon troops and is in imminent danger. Please issue a mission to extend a helping hand!" (End of Chapter)