Chapter 737: Layouts and Accidents

"Chen Yan and the Shi Meng Mo must have had one of them die already."

Inside the vast Cloud Peak Palace, the Ji Lord, clad in pitch-black battle armor, reclined on the throne, her charming yet cold eyes narrowed as she looked at the phantom of the Chen Lord in the great hall.

"What method did you use to sense the Shi Meng Mo and Chen Yan?" The Ji Lord furrowed her brows.

"That is something you need not concern yourself with."

The Chen Lord said eerily:

"There are only two possibilities now.

One, both Chen Yan and Lu Xunyang are dead.

Two, the Shi Meng Mo has already died, and Chen He has been suppressed by Lu Xunyang."

His voice was calm; both these conjectures came from his own methods.

He could use the aura of the Ancient God to sense Chen Yan and the Shi Meng Mo, but he could not see them clearly.

Especially after the heavens and earth wept blood, the two existences he could sense had become one, and the one he could sense had become extremely blurry, making it impossible for the Chen Lord to analyze who it actually was.

The rule-based methods he had attached to Chen Yan had also vanished.

Either Chen Yan was dead, and if he were dead, naturally nothing would remain.

Or, the Shi Meng Mo was dead.

But if the Shi Meng Mo died, Chen He had not yet died.

Of course, it was also possible that Chen He had been suppressed, suppressed by Lu Xunyang.

Currently, the Chen Lord could only derive these two conclusions; everything still depended on whether Lu Xunyang would emerge from the Forbidden Land of the Ancient Gods.

However, the Chen Lord prioritized vigilance, and he looked at the languid Ji Lord and said:

"I came to find you to urge you to return to Ji Province; the Chi Lord will oversee the battle here in Tie Province."

"Tell me why."

The beauty in ice armor on the throne spoke calmly; even when facing the Chen Lord, she felt not the slightest fear.

She was a female emperor; from the moment she was born, she would never be dependent on any man, and even with the current alliance of the five clans, she was merely cooperating with the other four.

"Chen Qi saw Chen Yan's future; he will slaughter hundreds of thousands of troops in Ji Province," the Chen Lord said calmly.

His voice fell.

The female emperor's expression finally changed:

"Didn't you say that Chen Yan had already been annihilated by Chen He?"

"I was just speaking of a 'what if'—what if Chen Yan didn't die, and what if the future calculated by Chen Qi comes to pass?" The Chen Lord lit a cigarette and exhaled a plume of blue mist eerily.

This was only a projection of his; the one smoking was his true self, still in Chen Province.

"Chen Qi saw that the Chen Yan who annihilates one hundred thousand in Ji Province is at the Creation Realm."

"Creation Realm?" The Ji Lord's eyes turned cold:

"Is my Ji Province so weak that it would be slaughtered by someone at the Creation Realm by the hundreds of thousands?!

If this is the future, then he must have the help of an Eighth-Rank."

The Chen Lord nodded:

"That is what I thought as well, which is why I told you to return to Ji Province in advance."

"Then where are you going yourself?" the Ji Lord asked.

"The entrance to the Forbidden Land of the Ancient Gods," the Chen Lord said:

"If Lu Xunyang is still alive, I will also take action to annihilate him.

Xia Hanzhou does not dare to bring the Xia Lord Sword out of Great Xia, so no matter how many military guards Great Xia sends, it will be useless."

The Ji Lord nodded:

"I will return to Ji Province after handling the matters here; if Chen Yan truly has not died, I will annihilate him with my own hands."

…………

Time passed slowly.

Three days later.

Qin Province, Garrison Guard camp.

"This Li Zhiyi's origins are unknown, and he doesn't even know where he was born. Chief Si Wenyi interrogated him, and it seems he really has lost his memory.

In all likelihood, he is from the five clans' side..."

Li Zhiyi was brought into a tent, and the young guard who brought him was reporting to the middle-aged man inside the tent in an unfriendly tone.

The middle-aged man had a buzz cut and a deep scar on his face; he swept a light glance at Li Zhiyi:

"So now... you want me to take him for the time being?"

"Yes, trespassing in the former residence of the Heavenly God General to steal things is a grave crime. Since his background is unclear, let him join the military guards first to see if he can perform meritorious service to atone for his crimes."

The young guard spoke with disgust, yet when he uttered the three characters 'Heavenly God General', a look of boundless awe appeared in his eyes.

The scarred middle-aged man scanned Li Zhiyi as if looking at a freak:

"When the five clans' armies crossed the Green Mountains, they all avoided the God General's former residence, not daring to disturb it.

Our Great Xia Military Guards even revere it as a temple.

You actually dared to go and steal things?!"

Li Zhiyi pursed his lips; he did not know why he had been possessed to enter that small courtyard.

He only felt as if everything was guided by fate.

But when he gradually understood the significance of the two characters 'Chen Yan' to the entire Great Xia over these past few days, he realized that his unconscious actions were actually a grave crime.

Yet he felt extremely resentful in his heart.

That village was clearly uninhabited; could a piece of clothing really be more important than his life?

However, he had hidden his own anger very well.

Soon, the young military guard left.

The Scarred Man's expression turned cold in an instant; he patted Li Zhiyi on the shoulder, and waves of vibrating force swept through Li Zhiyi's body, causing Li Zhiyi to frown.

"A mortal?" He frowned and spoke, saying indifferently: "My name is Huo Fu, a Second-Level Military Guard Captain, and I have fifteen First-Level Military Guards under my command.

Follow me well and work hard; once I perform more meritorious service and step into the Unity Realm, I will be a Third-Level Military Guard Captain."

He raised his head, then pulled Li Zhiyi out of the tent and pointed to another tent:

"Go there and pick a bed for yourself."

After speaking, he went inside himself, paying no more attention to Li Zhiyi.

Li Zhiyi followed his instructions and entered that tent.

Inside the tent, there happened to be one bed left, and he began to tidy up the bedding.

…………

Inside the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison.

Chen Yan no longer paid attention to Li Zhiyi.

Li Zhiyi was a lifeform shaped by Chen Yan using a portion of his own Will Domain.

That's right, Will Domain.

This person was a lifeform, and also a part of Chen Yan.

Li Zhiyi would have an innate advantage and talent in the Dao of Will, reaching Chen Yan's current realm extremely quickly.

Exploring the Dao of Will was the mission Chen Yan had given the other party before Li Zhiyi was born.

If Chen Yan were to die.

Li Zhiyi would, on some day in the future, transform back into Chen Yan's Will Domain, allowing Chen Yan to return once more.

"Developing solely in the Dao of Will is not enough," Chen Yan murmured.

He looked at the Martial Dao meridians and noticed several glowing meridian tips.

At the same time.

The vast ocean was blue and boundless, and layers of clouds rolled and unfurled in the sky.

A massive flying warship sailed through the void.

On the deck of the warship stood men and women dressed in white; like believers, they pressed their palms together and prayed toward the high sky.

"Great Lord of Will, please bless us to arrive safely in Great Xia."

"Great Lord of Will, have you seen the bloodshed and cruelty of this world? When will you descend?"

They prayed, and a look of piety appeared on their faces as they kept their eyes closed.

The Five Clans had begun to surround and kill Will Martial Artists and suppress all sects related to the Lord of Will, which caused many believers of the Lord of Will to begin fleeing toward Great Xia.

Just where they were not paying attention.

Streaks of pale golden Will Radiance brushed past several Will Martial Artists among them and flowed into a room inside the flying warship.

Golden-red light gathered, transforming into the appearance of a naked middle-aged man.

This man's features were ordinary, but his eyes were extremely profound.

"My name is... Zhao Zhugui."

The man named Zhao Zhugui spoke:

"I have no father or mother; my greatest hobby in life is to explore the world and travel across the land."

A look of confusion appeared on his face; he opened his chest, only to see lines emerging on the skin of his chest.

These lines transformed, turning into a grand array that was complex to the extreme, as if this array and Zhao Zhugui were interdependent.

Immediately after, the lines disappeared, but Zhao Zhugui could still sense the existence of the array within his body.

"Eternal Calamity Inverse Blood..." Zhao Zhugui murmured, not knowing why he actually knew the name of this grand array.

This was a powerful grand array that could consume the energy of all things in heaven and earth and turn it into his own fortuitous opportunity, and he would also become increasingly powerful by relying on the strength of this grand array.

Creak.

It was also at this moment.

"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

A woman in a white robe pushed open the cabin door, frowned as she looked at Zhao Zhugui, and then slammed the cabin door shut with a 'bang'.

Zhao Zhugui heard several voices of conversation ring out in the corridor.

"There is someone in this cabin; we were in such a rush to flee that we actually overlooked him."

"Is he from our Will Divine Sect?"

"I don't know."

"Take him with us; we can't just throw him into the sea. Not only us, but the Lord of Will wouldn't be satisfied—the great Lord of Will."

"The great Lord of Will."

Knock, knock.

The cabin door was knocked on again, and the voice of the woman from just before came through.

"Put on your clothes; we have someone who wants to see you."

"Alright."

Zhao Zhugui replied with a calm expression; he rummaged through the wardrobe in the room and, sure enough, found a few pieces of clothing.

It was also at this moment.

"Oh no!"

The woman outside the cabin door suddenly cried out in alarm.

Zhao Zhugui's expression changed, and he hurried to the window; through the circular window, Zhao Zhugui saw a colossal object floating above the Flying Warship.

A terrifying sense of oppression struck; the pitch-black metal hull bottom descended slowly from the firmament, pushing aside the clouds, its massive size blotting out the sky and obscuring the sunlight.

It was a gargantuan warship whose full form was difficult to discern.

Hiss, hiss...

At the pitch-black hull bottom, a black-gold hatch slowly opened, and a middle-aged man wearing ink-colored robes stepped out from within, walking upon the void, his indifferent eyes sweeping over the Flying Warship where Zhao Zhugui was located.

"Audacious rebels, disturbing the Five Clans, believing in an evil cult, Heaven's law will not tolerate this!"

A majestic voice resounded, carrying endless tyranny and coldness, striking at Zhao Zhugui's heart.

Terrifying pressure radiated from the man in ink-colored robes.

"No!"

"This is bad!"

"Heaven is going to destroy our Will Divine Cult!"

One after another, sorrowful voices rang out.

On the Flying Warship, Will believers wearing white robes turned into streams of light and scattered in all directions.

Two Will martial artists rose up violently, charging to kill the man in ink-colored robes.

With a clang.

The cabin door of the room where Zhao Zhugui was located was knocked open; the woman arrived again, grabbed Zhao Zhugui's arm, and began to run wildly.

"Go!"

She gave a low shout, instantly taking Zhao Zhugui to fly out of the warship and flee toward the distance.

Zhao Zhugui's expression shifted, and he looked toward the rear.

Yet he saw the man in ink-colored robes merely wave one hand, and a black light spilled down, instantly blasting those two Will martial artists into smithereens.

His eyes were indifferent as his cold gaze swept over Zhao Zhugui and the group of fleeing people, and in the next instant, he pointed a finger.

"This is bad!" A strong sense of crisis emerged from the bottom of Zhao Zhugui's heart, and he began to activate the formation within his body.

And at that very next instant.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!!!

Streams of black light shot out from the fingertips of the man in ink-colored robes, instantly piercing through the bodies of the Will martial artists fleeing in all directions.

Blood sprinkled the firmament.

With a pfft.

The head of the woman who was taking Zhao Zhugui to flee also completely exploded.

Zhao Zhugui's pupils constricted, seeing a streak of black light already striking toward him.

Fast!

Fast to the extreme!

His physical body felt as if it were about to be torn apart.

The next instant.

Hum!

Lines of formation patterns emerged from Zhao Zhugui's body.

Whoosh!

A scarlet meridian shot out, shattering the black light, and instantly pierced into the brain of the man in ink-colored robes.

"This is bad!" The man in ink-colored robes screamed, but his body withered visibly to the naked eye.

Terrifying power instantly surged into Zhao Zhugui's body, causing Zhao Zhugui's eyes to widen, feeling as if he were about to explode and die.

"Audacious rebel!!!"

Cold, furious roars rang out.

Powerful figures flew out from within the massive warship, instantly surrounding Zhao Zhugui.

At the same time.

Inside the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison, Chen Yan's expression changed slightly.

The moment Zhao Zhugui was born, he had actually encountered an accident.

At this moment, it was clearly difficult for Zhao Zhugui to survive; after all, even if the current Zhao Zhugui could use 【Eternal Calamity Reversing Blood】 to absorb the energy of others, he had no cultivation method to digest it.

And it was at this time.

Steady!

Space froze.

An invisible force controlled the hundred-mile airspace where Zhao Zhugui was located.

Zhao Zhugui's entire person was imprinted within the void.

Tap, tap, tap.

Pitch-black metal boots stepped onto the deck of the massive warship, and a tall figure appeared.

The woman's appearance was extremely beautiful; she wore pitch-black battle armor and looked indifferently at Zhao Zhugui.

"I didn't expect to see such an interesting scene on the way back."

The Sovereign of Ji spoke indifferently and reached out a hand.

Zhao Zhugui, who was miles away, appeared before her, controlled by an invisible force, floating in mid-air.

The Sovereign of Ji turned around and walked toward the interior of the warship, sensing the aura radiating from Zhao Zhugui's body.

"Strange, strange; it seems human yet not human, but is also human."

She turned her head abruptly, only to see Zhao Zhugui coldly staring at her.

"Do you know who I am?" the Ji Master asked indifferently.

"I do not," Zhao Zhugui replied.

The Ji Master stared into Zhao Zhugui's eyes, yet did not sense a single trace of anything unusual.

He truly did not recognize him.

"Interesting..."

The Ji Master spoke slowly, lifted a hand lightly, and said to the people behind him:

"Depart, return to the clan."

The many experts of Ji Province hurriedly bowed.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Inside the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison.

Chen Yan's expression shifted; the second newborn body had just been born when it encountered the Ji Master.

He had not expected that the Ji Master, who originally sat in command of Tie Province, would return to Ji Province.

And the flying warship from which Zhao Zhugui was born had indeed escaped from Ji Province.

The situation had taken an unexpected turn.

The purpose of Zhao Zhugui's birth was to travel the world, explore it, and prepare for Chen Yan's resurrection after death.

Now that he had been captured by the Ji Master, there was no way to escape.

"That is a newborn body I created with my Will Domain..."

Chen Yan's voice turned cold:

"How can I sit by and watch him be imprisoned, unable to complete his mission?"

The Will Domain is not the Power of Will.

The Power of Will can regenerate.

But the Will Domain is evolved from the Divine Will Body and is an important component for a perfect breakthrough in the future.

Even if only a portion were lost, Chen Yan would need to expend immense effort to repair it.

Chen Yan had long harbored a plan to exterminate the clan.

The primary target was actually Ji Province.

But the changes in the world would lead to changes in Chen Yan's plans.

Choosing Chi Province or Chen Province was also possible.

After all, Lu Xunyang was a great weapon of mass destruction.

The dozens of Creation Realm experts under Chen Yan, along with the continuously born artificial Eighth-Order beings, were also great weapons.

It didn't matter if it was Ji Province, Lu Province, or Chi Province.

Once this force arrived, it could overturn the heavens and change the earth.

Therefore, Ji Province was not a mandatory choice.

But this Ji Master had ruined Chen Yan's good work.

"Is this... the will of heaven?"

Chen Yan murmured.

PS: One chapter today; the Conflict of the Five Clans has ended. This is the longest dungeon I have ever written.

On one hand, the Conflict of the Five Clans was a long-term setup and a dungeon that had to be written; on the other hand, the Ancient God Forbidden Land was also something that had to be written.

To speed up the progress, I designed the two dungeons to be combined from the start, which led to it being too long.

It was a bumpy ride, and I was suffering from terrible writer's block. I had long grown weary of simple combat, so I needed to design different combat styles and plotlines.

There were instant kills, reversals, and even suspenseful, thrilling, grotesque, overwhelming, and alternative ones.

I spent several days designing the outline for the subsequent ending, which is now finished; I just need to slowly fill in the detailed sub-outlines.

Since I am telling the readers the answers and the protagonist's design directly, I need to design the middle plot in detail so it transcends imagination.

I am striving for something alternative, unusual, a writing style never used before, and different emotional experiences.

I hate repetitive tropes.

How should I put it? It feels like wanting to cook a good meal, but the only way I can think of is to add more seasoning.

Later, I suddenly realized.

Even if I only have one potato, boiling it and adding a little salt seems to taste pretty good too.

There is no help for it; this is web literature. It is complex, multifaceted, and the combination of different words will produce different effects.

Even if you arrange chaotic and unfamiliar words in a grotesque order, it will still have a sense of the "uncanny valley" of language, right?

It is not a story, but it still makes people's emotions change.

It can even not be a story, and it can even lack cause and effect, yet it can achieve an effect that transcends an ordinary story.

Praise language, praise literature.

I cannot see the end at all; I have only picked up a single grain of sand, yet I can feel the boundless, vicissitudinous desert.

It is truly too profound.

Or rather, what is profound is not language, but humanity—us, our genetic makeup, and our way of thinking.

I only saw a genetic map in a textbook, and I felt the mighty epic of humanity indifferently staring back at me.

I will spend my whole life only seeing a fraction of the tip of the iceberg.

When I realized that no matter what, contradictions and truths would arrive in a new way, I felt somewhat broken, but also excited.

Even that tiny, flickering speck on the tip of the iceberg made my heart surge with excitement.

It is too beautiful.

That might perhaps become the place where the value of all my meaning lies.

Praise to the readers.

There are not many chapters left until the end of this book; thank you for the company.

Thank you for the company.