Chapter 384: Proactive Strike

"An expert has made a move!"

At the same time, the three reacted.

However, in the void, a purple-yellow light broke through the air, and several figures faintly appeared in the void; upon closer look.

Two men and two women.

The leader wore a blue robe, an invisible divine aura flowing around him; merely a glance made the three feel a sensation, as if their primordial spirits were imprisoned by that divine power, unable to move.

This involuntarily caused the three primordial spirit true persons to feel a surge of fear in their hearts, startled.

Yet the blue-robed figure calmly transmitted.

"You three need not panic; I am the Great Xia Emperor Zhang Jian, also a cultivator of the Tongshan Dao lineage. Today, hearing that a drought demon has caused chaos here, bringing disaster to humanity, I have come specially to eliminate it!"

"Great Xia Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, the three primordial spirit true persons' expressions shifted, and joy instantly appeared in their eyes.

The three had all previously participated in the Tongshan Dao lineage's ascension ceremony.

The Great Xia Emperor could be said to be one of the most prominent figures to emerge from this ascension ceremony.

Although a fourth-generation disciple, he could stand alongside the Tongshan three-generation patriarchs.

Roar!

Yet from below, a fierce howling sound came.

Deep in the earth, countless earth fires boiled violently; the drought demon corpse god's body was wrapped in red-black iron armor, entwined with countless twisting runes; these layered runes resembled centipedes, carrying the power to twist heavenly and earthly laws.

"Primordial runes?"

Gazing at this scene, Zhang Jian's eyes brightened, then he silently thought.

'Truly heaven-born and earth-nurtured!'

Such drought demon monsters, born from the earth's nourishment, innately wield many terrifying divine abilities, the sources of which all come from these 'primordial runes'.

Primordial runes are nurtured in accordance with the great Dao of heaven and earth.

For example, the Dragon-Phoenix Treasure Seal, ancient yin script, Nine Regions yin script, and ancient gold script are all derived from these primordial runes.

The most primordial divine authority of heaven, earth, gods, and demons is also nurtured and formed from these primordial runes.

In Zhang Jian's view, this is also where the drought demon's greatest value lies.

If properly dissected, it might even help him complete part of his earthly authority.

"Roar!

"

The drought demon below struggled fiercely, yet could not break free from the suppression of the earthly divine authority deep in Zhang Jian's palm.

Usually as comfortable as a fish in water, the earth today felt especially foreign; it had completely turned into a mire, constantly dragging it downward, as if countless damp hands had grown from below, grabbing its entire body, trying to drown it alive therein.

In the void, as Zhang Jian clenched his five fingers into a fist.

"Crack-crack!"

A layer upon layer of terrifying bone-shattering sounds echoed from underground.

"Is the corpse armor broken?"

Feeling this terrifying change, Ganlei Zhenren was astonished to the point of being like a heavenly person, his face even more shocked beyond measure.

The layer of red-black cold armor on the drought demon's body was forged from the drought demon's corpse energy hammered and refined a hundred times, combined with a portion of earth fire divine energy, worthy of being called a natural marvel, not inferior to those creation-level defensive spirit treasures.

Ganlei Zhenren himself had tested this; only his strongest secret art, thunder law, could intimidate the opponent.

Yet before them, the Great Xia Emperor, with a mere gesture, crushed its corpse armor—truly terrifying.

As the corpse armor shattered, the drought demon below, like a trapped beast, resisted ever more fiercely.

Countless terrifying drought demon corpse fires spewed from its hundreds of orifices, solidifying the soft earth.

In its unrestrained outbreak, a tremendous force actually broke free from the restraint of countless mire forces, transforming into a red light that broke through the air and shot out.

Zhang Jian watched this scene, his eyes slightly surprised.

This drought demon's brute force is indeed terrifying, actually breaking through the Emperor's divine authority's absolute suppression head-on.

But unfortunately, this monster has not yet grown to maturity.

Zhang Jian raised his palm, and between his bent fingers, two creation-level primordial spirit immortal laws intertwined and formed; he pointed a finger.

In the void, for a moment, it seemed as if a golden crow and jade rabbit running appeared as an omen; two streams of light, red and white intertwined, resembled the taiji fish formed from red and white qi; wherever it passed, the void split into yin and yang, the azure heavens' fierce sunlight seemed to be easily severed by the red and white qi.

This was a rupture in the great Dao of heaven and earth.

The charging drought demon likewise followed into the dust.

First, the drought demon's true fire, red-black flames, vanished instantly under the red-white light.

Then came the terrifying drought demon's true body.

This thousand-times-hammered drought demon true body, under the red-white qi transforming into primordial yin and yang qi.

After a moment, only a red-black patterned bead remained on the spot.

This bead can be called the Drought God's Pearl, also known as the Earth Evil Flame Pearl; it is indeed a heaven-born and earth-nurtured earthly marvel, and most wonderfully, it contains some earthly origin.

Zhang Jian then reached out and grabbed it, taking it into his hand, examined it carefully, and a smile appeared in his eyes.

The drought demon's power is far more than this; after comprehending this, it will have some use for his perfected earthly authority.

"This is my father's Dao cultivation!"

At this moment, Zhang Zhao stood beside Zhang Jian, watching this scene, his eyes also showing some shock.

Although he had just entered the cultivation world, he still knew the name of this drought demon monster.

He had also consulted the Great Xia annals.

Each time this object appears in the world, it causes heavenly and earthly catastrophes; unknown how many cultivators must be sacrificed to quell the drought.

Yet before them, it was suppressed with just a gesture.

Below, the three people saw the situation and reacted, hurrying forward to kowtow in thanks, and at the same time invited Zhang Jian to visit Qianlong Sect as a guest.

After subduing this drought demon, Zhang Jian originally did not wish to stay long, but upon reflection, he readily accepted the invitation of the three Primordial Spirit True Persons.

When the Great Xia was first established, and now the fertile lands of the Eastern Continent have been re-stabilized, if expansion is desired, the target can only be placed in the Two Realms region.

Zhang Jian actually had not considered relying on waging various wars to accomplish the great undertaking of the ancient sage-kings.

To oppose the numerous immortal sects and Dao lineages of the Eastern Divine Province by one's own strength is unrealistic.

The best way is undoubtedly to first elevate one's own cultivation, and when one's cultivation has risen, one need only raise a cry from a high place, and still fear that other human nations would not acknowledge the status of the Great Xia dynasty.

When the time comes, if one truly wishes to sweep across heaven and earth, one will also have greater confidence.

And to enhance one's strength, the most convenient way is none other than to shear wool from the ancestral shrine.

As long as one finds a way to continually increase one's influence, one can continuously receive various treasures fed back from the 'Ancestors'.

Similar to the Nine-Colored Sacred Soil.

Which is merely a kind that allows his divine authority to greatly increase.

Zhang Jian's attempt to make contact with Qianlong Sect also involves this consideration.

To see if he can obtain any valuable information from Qianlong Sect, so as to expand his influence to the Two Realms region and the entire Eastern Divine Province.

……

And at this moment, deep within the vast immortal realm.

'Qingxia Daoist Lord' at this time gradually refined the 'Purple-Green Treasure Scroll' that Zhang Jian had offered in sacrifice.

Holding the 'Purple-Green Treasure Scroll', 'Qingxia Daoist Lord' felt that deep within his Daoist Lord's primordial spirit, as if an additional layer of blessed cloud light had been added, impossible to submerge through myriad calamities.

"Truly wondrous and extraordinary!"

This change also made 'Qingxia Daoist Lord's' countenance joyful, but after pondering briefly, 'Qingxia Daoist Lord' calmed down.

Just two sacrifices have already caused her to 'sink into the mire'.

She must take the initiative.

First, find a way to exchange some good things back; otherwise, if another sacrifice of the same scale is made, it will surely be disastrous.