Chapter 2720: Good, let's launch the operation

If the Heavenly Gods had known earlier that the Nine Abysses would arrive, they would surely have prepared more thoroughly.

Moreover, the Nine Abysses are difficult to deal with; if he himself were present, Endu Heng's arrangements might not escape his discerning eye.

The key to the success of this plan lies in seizing the initiative.

Therefore, it must absolutely not be launched while the Nine Abysses are present.

"Confirmed." Helu Tian also understood his concern and immediately said, "The day before yesterday evening, he simultaneously received envoys from five states—Lai, Mou, and others—answered no fewer than twenty-five questions, and issued five pledges. The Lai envoy dared to stake his own head on the guarantee that whoever met and spoke with him must be the Nine Abyss Great Emperor. For matters of state that pull the whole body with a single hair, no one else would dare to decide so casually."

The foreign minister of Cangyan spoke with great caution, preferring silence to error. As the supreme ruler of the empire, the Nine Abyss Great Emperor utters golden words and jade sentences, often settling matters with a single decree, needing no consultation with others.

"Then he is most likely still in Cangyan." Endu Heng breathed a sigh of relief, "This is heaven helping me."

Heaven? Hah! Helu Tian had no further objections:

"Good, let's launch the operation."

Having said that, it departed.

Endu Heng stepped out, issued several orders, and the plan codenamed "Trapped Dragon" officially began to be implemented step by step.

He very much liked the name "Trapped Dragon"; the Nine Abyss Great Emperor also bears another identity, namely, self-styled "Reincarnated Dragon God."

On the Blazing Heaven Plains, what Endu Heng wishes to trap is precisely this "Dragon"!

According to the original plan, Endu Heng would leave the Zhao household two quarters of an hour later and transfer to a new stronghold.

Afterwards, he poured himself a cup of hot tea and slowly drank it all while gazing toward the direction of the Trapped Dragon Moat:

"Come, let me see just how capable the Nine Abyss Great Emperor, whose plans leave nothing to chance, truly is!"

His game of strategy against the supreme power under heaven has finally begun!

￥￥￥￥￥

The Earth Mother fully rose to the surface and lay down quietly.

After the wind blew away the smoke and dust in the sky, numerous birds took flight from the Earth Mother Plains, soaring in all directions.

They are qualified sentinels and also the Earth Mother's eyes and ears, diligently monitoring all movements around.

Every dawn and dusk, the birds return to the Earth Mother Plains, for they cannot adapt to the water and soil of the Blazing Heaven Plains.

Mingke Xianren and others stood on the high walls of Panlong City, hands forming a sunshade as they gazed toward the edge of the Trapped Dragon Moat. Even though they had followed the Earth Mother across the south and north, seen all kinds of local customs, the unique topography of the Blazing Heaven Plains still left them in awe.

The vegetation within is dense and presents an extraordinary red hue; whenever a strong wind blows, the red forest sea undulates. The ochre-red circular high cliffs surrounding the moat enclose them within, their thickness and majesty blocking anyone's gaze outward from the moat.

Lingjinbao exclaimed in wonder: "Following the Earth Mother was indeed the right decision; what I've seen these past few years exceeds what I witnessed in the previous several decades combined."

Mingke Xianren then said to him: "Had it not been for this experience and exposure, how could you have advanced so smoothly to become a xianren?"

Lingjinbao laughed heartily, not hiding his joy.

In the Spirit Mountain, he was not originally the highest cultivator below the xianren level. But during these past three years or more on the Earth Mother Plains, his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, and just a few days ago he formally ascended to the xianren realm!

"Thanks to the environment of the Earth Mother Plains, thanks to the resources here." Lingjinbao felt deeply moved, "Thanks also to Mingke Xiong's guidance, and thanks to the Nine Abyss Great Emperor for letting me remain on the Earth Mother Plains."

The spiritual energy of the Earth Mother Plains is even more abundant than that of the outside world, enabling the cultivation of various heavenly treasures and earthly rarities; it is itself a cave-heaven blessed land.

Lingjinbao enjoys the nourishment of spiritual energy here, and also has access to miraculous elixirs, so his cultivation progresses rapidly—how could it not be swift? Moreover, he is naturally unrestrained, seldom troubled by worldly affairs, and his mental state advances by leaps and bounds.

In short, he has already become a xianren.

Since the recovery of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, cultivators like Lingjinbao who have made great progress in their realm are not few; some have even leapt directly into becoming new xian.

Know that, from thirty to three hundred years ago, xian in the world had nearly vanished entirely, let alone the emergence of new xian.

"In this way, the Earth Mother Plains now have three xianren." The external defensive strength is thus even greater.

Besides Mingke Xianren and Lingjinbao, the Earth Mother Plains also have a yaoxian, known by the title "Qing Shou Di Jun," who was personally brought here by the Nine Abyss Great Emperor. This is a huge blue-skinned mountain sprite, with face bearing blue-red-white stripes like camouflage, skilled in various wood-system divine powers, able to communicate with many plants.

Qing Shou Di Jun resides long-term on the Earth Mother Plains, mainly overseeing the various agricultural products and spiritual medicines here, as well as wood-system defensive constructions.

Under the management of the three xianren, many humans and yaoguai work on the Earth Mother Plains, and a Dragon God Army is stationed here long-term, specially tasked with controlling conflicts and handling various emergencies.

"We've walked underground for over two months, finally seeing the light of day—Mingke Xiong, would you like to go out and wander about?" Lingjinbao laughed, "I and Qing Shou Di Jun are too lazy to move; we'll just stay on the plains."

Among xianren, there is also a rotation system: when one goes out, the other two must remain in charge of the Earth Mother Plains; they cannot all leave at once.

"Good, then I'll go and come back shortly." Mingke Xianren did not decline, for touring various landscapes has always been his fondness; otherwise, he would not have sought this post from the Nine Abyss Great Emperor.

He summoned his magical artifact, took off directly from the walltop, and his body transformed into a rainbow light.

Everyone saw him circle around the outer perimeter of the Trapped Dragon Moat once, then choose a direction and fly eastward.

About an hour later, some of the outbound birds returned.

After another two or three hours, Mingke Xianren also returned, bringing the latest news from the outside world:

"People have settled on the edges of the Blazing Heaven Plains—there are human towns on both east and west sides; the western one is called Longkuxi, the eastern one Longkudong. The western town is several times larger than the eastern one."

Lingjinbao casually asked: "Why such a great difference in scale?"

"Perhaps because the western town is closer to other counties of Balin, and also has an official road running through it." Transportation is one of the main factors influencing town development, "The eastern town is too small, with nothing worth seeing; the western town's residents probably number over ten thousand—I imagine ordinary city buildings should be complete, and the streets are very lively."

On the stone wall nearby, a stone suddenly moved, then grew a head and four limbs, and jumped to the ground.

The little stone figure had taken shape.

"When I was born, the Trapped Dragon Moat was still called the Blazing Heaven Plains—a barren land, all red earth, constantly swept by great winds raising red dust, not a speck of green to be seen." The Earth Mother's incarnation said, "For countless years thereafter, it remained this way; at that time, the Trapped Dragon Moat was quite peaceful."

"Then, at some point, grass began to grow inside the moat, followed by trees."

"After many, many more years, living beings began to appear." The Earth Mother's incarnation sighed, "From then on, this place began to grow noisy."

It is a stone spirit; when sleeping, it prefers quiet. But once life takes root in the forest, it begins to stir.