Chapter 416: The Great Army Sets Out, Standing in Battle Array

Friends, not foes; pretend not to know each other.

That was roughly the meaning behind the look Du En gave in response.

However, quite naturally, Jiang Ying failed to grasp it with complete accuracy.

Primarily because from her perspective, his expression was actually the same as always, with almost no changes to speak of.

Still, seeing that Du En had already hit it off with the people opposite, they must be friends and not foes; and looking at how he was silent and appeared passive, or perhaps lacked presence? In any case, she should first observe the situation before deciding how to act!

Jiang Ying's thoughts raced, and with a composed face, she stepped out of the chaos.

The friction of armor plates, the dark color of the Vajra, the fluttering of her hem like a heart carrying illusions, and a sense of holiness like rain falling in an empty valley—as she stepped forward, the various chaotic, jagged edges were suppressed by the spreading great might, quickly stabilizing and subsiding.

Standing before the crowd, she was slender and upright, her brows and eyes heroic; she looked a few years older than before, and perhaps because she had been soundly defeated by an enemy, her temperament appeared more steady than in the past.

Truly, what a Valkyrie!

The Holy God's eyes lit up, feeling that she was an existing god, and this girl was a new god; even if she weren't a new god, that would be even better... Simply put, her "mother hen" itch was acting up.

Thus, she spoke in gentle, mild, and approachable tones: "Child, can you tell us about your experiences?"

"Who are you?"

Jiang Ying hadn't expected that the hanging lamp fluttering on Du En's shoulder could emit a voice with such a timbre, and furthermore, that it appeared to be the leader? Glancing again at the expressionless, silent, and low-key Du En, she felt only a sense of bewilderment.

"I am the Holy God, the deity who protects this Holy Nation."

"He is my final apostle, called, uh, Du En."

"And this is the physician, Jin."

"Previously, when you were in distress and suffered, it was Du En who took action, urgently sealing and saving you, then transferring you to the Spirit Spring Village under my protection. The physician was responsible for the medical procedures, and Du En helped you retrieve the main ingredients for the antidote, which successfully helped you remove the Fluorite Disease's infection of your origin, allowing you to recover normally."

The Holy God spoke concisely and to the point, without a hint of arrogance, her voice warm and approachable, actually giving Jiang Ying the feeling of having met a mother.

She couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

Because for her, a mother was a very unfamiliar image, a mere word; although the higher a cultivator's cultivation, the easier it is to trace back the past, even recovering experiences from when they were just born.

But Jiang Ying could not, because from the moment she was born, she had already fallen into the hands of True Monarch Bu Yi.

The first image in her memory was a face like old stone, devoid of all emotion! Thinking of that True Monarch, she couldn't help but clench her teeth, subconsciously showing a trace of fear, followed by thinking of the person who defeated her, immediately revealing deep hostility, as well as a trace of panic and helplessness hidden beneath it, and an inexplicable sense of shame.

Du En caught this and couldn't help but be lost in thought.

"My experiences, uh, were just discovering that things outside were not quite right, with a strange, viscous feeling everywhere, so I wanted to explore the situation. As soon as I left the great mountain, I encountered an enemy and was beaten without a word. Although I tried to fight back, I didn't win... Who was the person who defeated me?"

"A great general under the Dark God, Ming."

"Ming? Why are they all single-character names?"

"It is normally like this, child. What is your name?"

"……Ying."

Jiang Ying had originally wanted to speak directly; after all, wasn't Du En, who had mixed in with the other side, a perfect example? Then, she felt a look from the other party and couldn't help but feel a chill, hurriedly choosing to do as the locals do.

In any case, she didn't actually care for her surname.

The reason was simple: it was the surname of True Monarch Bu Yi.

"Ying, is it?"

The Holy God chewed on the word, and her gaze suddenly became distant for a moment. The previous peace and gentleness seemed like a mere illusion, making Jiang Ying feel a sense of alarm and extreme unease.

Having just broken through the barriers and reached a new level, her instinct for her supreme physical body had also been elevated by a tier. Even so, she still perceived something soul-stirring at this moment, as if some natural predator of hers was slightly revealing a corner from within the clouds.

It actually gave her the feeling of True Monarch Bu Yi!

What on earth is this Holy God's background?!

Jiang Ying was greatly alarmed and gave herself away on the spot: "It's just Ying, it has nothing to do with the Fluorite Disease you mentioned. No, actually, it's hard to say. In short, I had this name first, I think?"

Still just a child! The Holy God seemed to reach her own conclusion, her gaze becoming gentle once more, and the terror and ruthlessness sank back into the clouds.

However, Jiang Ying, who had let out a sigh of relief, now dared not underestimate the other party, feeling anxious and constrained.

Still no substantial progress.

Du En thought this calmly.

Of course, now that she had at least broken through the boundaries of talent and reached the level of a weak prodigy, she would be able to play a role in whatever came next. Cooperating with his puppet self, blocking that great general of the Dark God's side should be no problem.

His puppet self at fifty percent strength, plus Jiang Ying, who was a tier lower in realm, could generally be considered comparable to eighty percent of his own strength. Defeating and eliminating that general might be difficult, but just holding them off was not a big problem.

Du En deliberated and gave Jiang Ying an imperceptible look.

Hurry up, don't dawdle, pick a side, it's time to work.

I just woke up and recovered!

Jiang Ying understood immediately this time; mainly because that look of his was very familiar. Back in the Dragon Palace, this "Du the Skinflint" was always looking at her like that, urging her to work.

Of course, although she complained in her heart, she had no intention of refusing.

"Following you guys means I can have another fight with that weird guy named Ming, right?"

Jiang Ying put on an appearance of being eager for revenge and said, "If that's the case, I think I can help you!"

"……Child, hatred has no end. You should reach an understanding."

The Holy God paused slightly, guiding her with gentle persuasion.

Then she was bluntly interrupted by the physician: "Your Majesty, this is the very moment you are attempting to completely sever the chains of hatred, so saying this now inevitably gives people a sense of hypocrisy."

"That is true. The war I initiated, the changes I pushed—but what must be said must still be said, because that is the necessary factor leading to tomorrow."

The Holy God began to ramble. The physician had expected this and only said, "My younger sister has gone off on her own again."

"What?!"

She indeed stopped preaching, "I was wondering why I didn't see her. Did Yun not listen to you again and go do something dangerous?!"

"You indeed noticed as well. However, this time she acted on her own initiative. It seems she discovered something; she didn't even say much to me and just set off in a hurry. By the time I discovered it, she had already been gone for quite a while. Sigh, being too diligent sometimes only produces the opposite of the intended result."

The physician appeared somewhat troubled.

This was the crux of why he was different from usual.

The Holy God only cares about one point now.

"Where did she run off to?"

"……Perhaps, to the Dark Capital?"

"……Then there is no spare time to continue speaking. Ying, although I do not approve of your reasons for acting, you should also be clear that the Fluorspar Disease is closely related to you, and the source of everything lies in the highest level of the Dark Capital, at that place of the Dark God. So, come with us." "Okay."

Jiang Ying naturally had no objections and nodded solemnly on the spot.

Then, on the ground in front of her, a light spot a zhang long appeared; it was the new spiritual vein port just created by the Holy God.

Jumping in and climbing back out, they arrived before one god and one person.

"Then, I will go distribute the antidote."

The physician was dutiful and spoke in a level, even tone.

Only when it concerned his younger sister would he reveal obvious emotional ripples.

"Mm, there is no time to lose. Let us split up; Yun will certainly be saved."

The Holy God ended the contact and withdrew the light screen.

Turning back, she happened to discover Jiang Ying peeking at Du En.

She did not think much of it, because his calm and silent appearance was indeed somewhat intriguing, so she simply opened her mouth to explain: "This child is just like this, silent and wordless, but his temperament is actually quite normal; er, I should say, his emotions are actually quite close to those of an ordinary person."

Thinking of his lack of hesitation when self-detonating and burning himself, and his various behaviors of using enemy troops whose Dao hearts had collapsed to practice controlling puppets, the Holy God truly could not go against her conscience and say his temperament was normal.

Pfft! Hahaha! No! Must not laugh out loud……

Jiang Ying's attention was only on those first three words.

This child! Can't take it, can't hold it back!

Thinking of Du En "bearing the burden of humiliation," then looking at his straight-faced expression now, and then thinking of his various past performances, she could not hold back her laughter! Regarding this, the person involved did not care at all and simply raised his hand silently.

Puppet-controlling mana threads flashed by, the puppet general, having replenished its mana, took the lead and soared into the air; subsequently, the army of thousands roared and set off, and the million-strong puppets moved in an orderly and flexible manner, even forming formations amidst various sounds.

Jiang Ying was dumbfounded and could no longer laugh.

How did you end up with so many more puppets after I lay down for one day? Aren't you a Grandmaster of Artifact Refining? When did you switch to playing with puppets?

I finally managed to catch up a little, and you've shaken me off again?

Watching the puppets march, and then looking at that puppet general she felt she might not be able to defeat, she was at a loss for a moment, only subconsciously following the pace and moving out in a flurry with Du En and the others.

The Second Holy-Dark War, the main stage officially raises its curtain!

The night was still deep, and the wilderness was without light.

A dark moon rose into the sky to illuminate the world, close to the ground, suspended in the west, releasing a faint radiance, cold and biting, mixed with the color of blood, as if it had existed since ancient times, shrouding a city on the earth.

The walls were towering, smeared in pitch black, the battlements ferocious like dog teeth, and the pavilions had pillars of pitch-black sharp cones protruding toward the sky; looking from afar, it was like the ferocious maw of a giant beast.

What was even more feared was the endless accumulation of corpses all around outside the city!

The trees were withered, pitch-black and dead silent, and bones streaked with purple were piled up to cover the ground; one did not know exactly how deep they were, spreading for thousands of miles.

And in front of the city gate facing the east, it was even more horrifying; there were dozens of mountains piled up with skulls, completely burying the city gate. When the wind blew, it made a wailing sound, as if countless vengeful spirits were crowded there, crying out in grief.

There was even more ominous purple, in the night under the moon, amidst these corpses, like pools of stagnant, filthy water, shaking and flickering, impossible to clean away.

Rumble! Suddenly, there was a vibrating sound; a large snake broke through the bone-withered forest from underground, its Great Might blooming like a mountain collapse, covering all directions.

Woo! The night wind suddenly became shrill; the infinite vengeful spirits seemed to work together, but in reality, it was the abnormal gathering of diseased Heaven and Earth Qi here, reacting and moving at this moment. Bit by bit, the pools of ominous purple shook and connected into an invisible giant net, instantly trapping the large snake—a genius-level, Fifth-Stage Perfection Great Might.

It appeared incomparably powerful, but in reality, it was completely futile.

In its gaze was violent rage and disgust; it still wanted to continue erupting, taking advantage of the surging momentum of its breakthrough and transformation to clear away these eyesore corpses and diseased bones.

At this very moment, it had already quickly digested the flood dragon meat in its belly and gnawed on the Fluorspar Disease fragments, completing its molting and mutation; two small mountain-like bumps had even grown on the top of its head, and claws were brewing to grow under its belly.

Dragon Transformation!

The advancement of snake and python-type demonic beasts generally has two choices: one is to continue as a snake or python, and the other is to transform into a flood dragon, and subsequently, a dragon! Looking at it as a whole, the second is definitely better, but when locked onto an individual, some gifted snakes and pythons might not be unable to suppress dragons and flood dragons of the same rank! In the end, cultivation is a matter of looking at one's own ability.

This large snake did not have much confidence and was very self-aware, so it took the opportunity to choose the path of transforming into a flood dragon.

But now, knowing full well that its efforts were actually in vain, it still wanted to clear away these corpses and diseased bones, because they were truly too much of an eyesore, because they were truly too unsettling, too terrifying for a snake to feel!

"Return."

The words from its master made the large snake, which was about to continue unleashing its might, calm down immediately. Amidst hissing sounds, it shook its body and shrank, turning into a few zhang long, and flew toward the city wall.

The disease net therefore quickly subsided, and everything returned to the just-now eerie and chilling silence.

Ming, a general under the Dark God, was sitting in front of the ferocious pavilion directly above the city gate, silently watching the east. There was no one else around; the closest ones were all over a hundred zhang away.

When the large snake flew back, those officers and soldiers stationed on the city wall offered their respects from afar one after another, appearing uniform in action, yet the whole was silent and quiet, as if melting into the night and the blackness.

It was also somewhat unaccustomed to these Dark Nation elites; it flicked its tongue, twisted its body, and quickly coiled around its master, like a little dog that had brought back a plate, nudging its head over.

An armored hand gently stroked its head, making it squint its eyes immediately, looking even more like a little dog in love with its master.

This made the Dark God general also smile lightly, then he put it away, his gaze like a torch continuing to look toward the east.

In his mind, he recalled the experience of going to see the Dark God when he had just returned.

"The Holy Capital is destroyed, the apostles are all dead……"

"That is correct. The last person who has now appeared in the Holy Nation, by the side of that Crowned One, in my view, is not an apostle, or rather, not a pure apostle like those in the past."

"……Did she still achieve that step? Calling the expectations of the dead into the world."

"Forgive my bluntness, rather than saying it is the expectations and prayers of the dead in the Holy Mausoleum manifested by the common will of the Holy Nation's citizens, it is more like a demonic star falling from the sky, usurping the Holy Body."

"An extraterrestrial demon?"

"It doesn't quite look like it either."

"……In any case, the second great war is destined to break out, and it will come fast and urgently. There will be no extra time to brew, and the situation may be even more severe; it can be said to be completely different from the previous situation!"

"Since you know this, why did you accept those madmen from the Blood Lotus Sect, let them garrison the Rain Valley, and even grant them the Dark Moon Shuhua?"

"What is meant to come will always come. Rather than this, it is better to grasp some initiative, let them walk a specific path, and at the approximate time, come directly to the city walls."

"……Is it really necessary to do that? Like the Holy Nation, the citizens of the Dark Nation are actually almost all dead; the remaining people are all concentrated in the capital, sheltered by your radiance. So, even if we let them drive straight in, wouldn't it be the same?"

"Since this time it will be very fast and very urgent, it would be better to make it even faster and more urgent."

The will of the Dark God remained unchanged, appearing as though there were other thoughts in mind.

As a great general under their command, Ming only silently accepted it, not continuing to say anything more.

Then, they came to the city tower to sit in meditation, commanding the troops while waiting.

(End of this chapter)