Chapter 748: The Kui Ox Attains the Dao, Chonghua Saves the World!

Crack!

With Dan Zhu's fall, the Dragon Sect's supreme leader died in battle, and this faction's fortune foundation collapsed!

That kind of manifestation appearing in the vague beyond could be seen by countless beings who have crossed eternity, their hearts filled with indescribable complexity.

Even though the Dragon Ancestor, suppressed by the Dao Ancestor, was outside the situation, at this moment his heart suddenly ached.

Ah!

The Dragon Ancestor, Great Sage, roared furiously, his whole body glowing; he sensed something, and thus felt extreme anger.

Children…… clan……

Heartbroken and furious, his eyes widened, cracking open a wound.

I will…… I will break out and seek justice!

Hongjun!

You cannot control me!

The Dragon Ancestor let out a mournful great shout.

Each drop of his blood seemed to be burning, completely boiling.

Like the pain of a thousand cuts, it spread through every inch of his flesh and blood; his most resolute, most determined will struggled to erase the Dao imprint that Hongjun had branded on him, a means of using him as a tool.

Extreme pain, unimaginable torment…… the Dragon Ancestor's ferocity toward himself gradually took effect.

In the fire of burning flesh and blood, he seemed to shatter several shackles, breaking free of the Heavenly Dao's bonds.

My fate is mine, not heaven's!

You…… wait for me!

In the blood-colored mist, the Dragon Ancestor resisted, struggling without regard for any cost!

Perhaps he will succeed, bringing a bloody, brutal gleam to the end of this era.

……

Sigh.

Yinglong sighed.

Having personally witnessed an idealist's sacrifice, looking back at the era's vicissitudes, she was also deeply moved.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm, feeling the weight of the seal in her hand, and clenched it tightly.

Where lies the path of the myriad peoples?

Perhaps, not too long from now, I can give you an answer here……

Yinglong murmured softly, not knowing whether he was consoling the souls that had already passed.

She held hope for the future.

After all, she is the ultimate well-connected figure of the present age.

Her direct superior, the true form of the primordial essence, is actually uniting with the Human Dao!

If one day the Human Dao can free itself from a state of split consciousness, with clear and resolute awareness, it could strike out with a mighty blow, letting all who harm the public for private gain feel the iron fist of love……

'I suppose that by then, the state of the era should have improved……'

Yinglong thought, and in a quiet moment, ripples of time and space spread; the seal vanished, going to the deepest part of the vast consciousness of the Human Dao.

There, the most fervent, most passionate crimson light surged, swelling with the most radiant heart!

One hand received the jade seal.

A surge of consciousness thus became compliant and cohesive.

A pair of eyes also became clear and rational in this change.

I seem…… to have remembered something……

A murmured whisper echoed in this space.

I also understand; I must go…… do something……

A terrifying variable occurred silently amidst the great shifts of the situation.

However, this was unknown to the many players at this moment.

They were unaware before, and they remain unaware now.

The victors of the game, cheerfully tallying their spoils, judged the future situation to be wholly favorable.

Jimeng is dead.

In the aftermath of the bloody battle, Shangyang was mentally exhausted and reported to the East Emperor.

She achieved the previously formulated strategic goal, causing the high echelons of the Dragon Clan to fall…… Unfortunately, when they went there were two great Yao Marshals, but only she returned.

Taiyi, entangled with Yandi and Xuanyuan, bore a hint of weariness——he single-handedly withstood the combined assault of the Fire and Cloud Masters' imperial forces, which was no easy feat.

Fortunately, in the end, as the Dragon Sect collapsed, Yandi and Xuanyuan also lost the will to continue fighting…… After all, the most important thing now is to clean up the mess in the Eastern Yi lands.

I understand." The East Emperor nodded heavily, "Jimeng the Yao Marshal gave his life for the Heavenly Court; such sacrifice, I shall erect a stele to inscribe his merits, letting them be passed down through the ages.

One day, if our Heavenly Court can obtain the final victory, it is only right to grant him a share; we must not neglect or overlook him.

Taiyi is not the sort of demon emperor who abandons allies after crossing the river; he would not turn against someone just because Jimeng died.

All relief efforts were arranged one by one.

Jimeng's posthumous name, the interests of the tribe he led, future rescue and recovery, the distribution of the fruits of victory…… and so on, all have detailed provisions, ensuring he did not die in vain.

Having recounted the fall of Jimeng the Yao Marshal and the Heavenly Court's campaign against the Dragon Sect, the greatest sacrifice has now passed into the past.

Next, it is time to enjoy the fruits of victory.

After all, the Heavenly Court won this battle!

Having defeated the Dragon Sect, one of the four pillars of the Human Race, it achieved a strategic breakthrough in the situation.

Even if the Dragon Sect is indeed ruthless, harboring a mutual-destruction resolve.

In their territory, all resources that could be taken away were carried by the fire seed, breaking through and shuttling in all directions.

Resources that could not be taken away were destroyed on the spot.

Even if the Heavenly Court stormed the Dragon Sect's headquarters, what could be seen or obtained was nothing; the treasury had long been empty, enough to make a mouse weep.

But.

Often, many things are inherently relative.

Within a certain period, the total amount of the Human Dao is relatively fixed.

The Dragon Sect lost its seat at the table, was knocked down, and the Heavenly Court, as an instigator, seized a sizable share of that qualification, tilting the Human Dao further in its favor.

The Demon Race's fortune flourishes greatly!

As mid-to-high-level members of this faction, they will all share in the profits from this.

This is merely one aspect of it.

The Dragon Sect was once a member of the monopoly.

They held the authority over the Water Dao, controlling a tiny fraction of Honghuang's great equity… This surpassed the mere contest of witch and demon forces.

Now, the Heavenly Court, taking advantage of the Dragon Sect's weakness, dealt a heavy blow, and certainly had the intention of seizing that equity.

But Dan Zhu was decisive, offering it up as a sacrifice directly, leaving the Heavenly Court no chance to swallow it whole.

But this could only affect things temporarily.

——The Heavenly Court could regroup and reclaim this authority!

In fact, a Demon God had already been assigned to do this from the outset.

"After delivering the bad news, it's time to share the good news."

Taiyi's eyes shone bright: "Although this battle wasn't a total victory, the strategy of fighting to sustain war has shown initial success."

"With the Dragon Race collapsed and the hegemony of the Water Dao ownerless, a new situation naturally arises."

"Kui Niu… what a promising talent!"

"He had accumulated for years, was fully complete, and taking advantage of the turmoil in the Water Dao, successfully sought a share of authority as a boost to his own advancement, saving who knows how many years of arduous cultivation."

"Now he has passed that checkpoint."

"From now on, among you Yao Marshals of this rank, there is one more fellow cultivator, also a Primordial Great Luo."

The East Emperor understood Shangyang's meaning.

"Like that… not bad." Shangyang nodded, "In that case, speaking purely of strength, this war we not only didn't lose, we actually gained."

"Although Jimeng has passed, Kui Niu makes up for it; calculated, the loss of peak combat power equals the disappearance of two ordinary great cultivators."

"And by slaying the Four Sea Dragon King and the Dragon Sect's Dan Zhu, we lost five great cultivators!"

"Quite worthwhile."

"Not just that." The East Emperor chuckled, "Kui Niu's success is the first, but he won't be the only one."

"I roughly estimated that, for us, the Heavenly Court that came prepared, the Dragon Sect's downfall allows us, by seizing influence over the Water Dao, to support at least two to three individuals at the Yao Marshal level."

"Like Wu Zhiqi… this youngster, I also think highly of him; he might be able to pass that hurdle, a promising seedling."

"Their primary cultivation of the Great Dao, to varying degrees involves the Water Dao, touched by wind and rain, reaching the Heavenly River; previously, their advancement was lacking because the Dragon Race blocked the Way, forcing them to rely solely on their own arduous cultivation."

"This morning, the Dragon Ancestor fell from position, the Dragon Sect collapsed… a hegemon has fallen, who knows how many latercomers it could feed."

The East Emperor's abacus clacked loudly.

In this battle, he won big!

"However, we must not be careless." Taiyi was pleased but not arrogant, still maintaining a cautious attitude, "The Fire Sect and Cloud Sect will not stand by while we consume all the Dragon Sect's legacy; they will likely intervene and exert influence."

"With their help, the Dragon Sect will continually rise from the ashes."

"This is what we need to guard against… since we've done it, we must see it through to the end!"

Taiyi's gaze suddenly turned sharp.

"What do you mean?" Shangyang asked hesitantly.

"Strike while the dragon is ill, take its life!" The Demon Emperor's killing intent surged, "Although the Dragon Sect has collapsed, the Dragon Race's top combat power has all fallen in this battle."

"But we all know the Dragon Race still possesses an immensely vast foundation, enjoying the greatest bounty of living beings between heaven and earth!"

Taiyi's gaze shifted, landing on the Map of Heaven and Earth Mountains and Rivers, which shows the territorial distribution of each faction.

The Dragon Race, besides its ties to the Dragon Sect, also has an enviable homeland—the Four Seas!

"The Four Seas still endure." Taiyi said softly, "The Dragon Race thus has the ability to continually recover."

"And among the Four Seas, the East Sea carries the greatest weight."

"To utterly destroy the Dragon Sect, just the previous battle is clearly insufficient… possibly, in a moment's inattention, they could rally their forces again."

"This we cannot neglect."

"Therefore, whoever takes charge of this… it would be best if they were a Yao Marshal versed in the Water Dao, a Great Sage."

"Seal off the East Sea, cut off external aid!"

"Shangyang, you are one of the individuals I had in mind for this work… are you interested in taking it on?"

The East Emperor gazed at Shangyang the Yao Marshal.

Shangyang hesitated, pondered, tilted her head, recalling Yinglong's earlier leaps… from that little creature's presence, she sensed a whiff of conspiracy.

Yinglong's involving karma is too complicated!

It's so complex, just looking at it makes her head swell.

Nüwa's, Yandi's, the Dragon Ancestor's, the Dao Ancestor's…

Whether bearing grudges or not, all gather alike upon a single Yinglong.

This made Shangyang somewhat doubtful.

——Perhaps one day she will look back on the past and examine history again.

Suddenly, it was discovered that, at the moment when the human race first rose, the one responsible for staging heavenly auspicious signs as a shill—the divine dragon in the scene "the divine dragon bearing the chart pays homage to the kitchen dwelling"—had, at some unknown point, turned into a Responding Dragon.

His glorious résumé gains another entry.

"This kid is poisonous……probably a pawn of some friend." Shangyang pondered in his heart, "She also has such deep entanglements with the Dragon Master……this is a muddy pool."

"I dare not lightly get involved……who knows, just taking two steps inside could get me killed."

Thinking of this, Shangyang appropriately deepened his weary expression on his face, "His Majesty the East Emperor entrusted me with an important task, I originally intended to accept it."

"But just now, in battle with the Dragon Master, they launched a desperate counterattack; I am wounded in body and spirit, my state is terribly poor……even if I wished, I lack the strength."

"Please, His Majesty the East Emperor, show understanding."

Her words were sincere.

The East Emperor also couldn't just force ducks onto the shelves; he stubbornly compelled the wounded personnel onto the battlefield.

"Since that is the case, Commander Shangyang will temporarily go rest and recuperate." The East Emperor pondered, then made a decision, "This matter shall be entrusted to Kui Ox."

"I order him to establish the dojo in the Eastern Sea, select an immortal mountain to garrison, block the entrance to the sea from the Eastern Barbarians to the Eastern Sea, and at the same time oversee the extermination of the four seas' dragon clans, thoroughly shattering the dragon clans' fundamental vitality."

"Shangyang, what do you think?"

"Good! Very good! Excellent!" Shangyang nodded seriously, "Young people, they just need to be arranged to do something."

"Kui Ox has just achieved our level, standing shoulder to shoulder with us old-timers, and now needs to undergo further tempering."

"Blocking the sea entrance and exterminating the dragon clan—this job requires patience, yet isn't very dangerous……I think we can do it!"

"Commander Shangyang agrees as well, so there should be no problem." The East Emperor said satisfiedly, "Then, regarding the extermination of the Dragon Master's remnants and the follow‑up handling of the Weak Water's erosion of the Eastern Barbarians, does Commander Shangyang have any other opinions?"

"I have no objections." Shangyang shook his head repeatedly, "I am only good at fighting; I don't really know how to play political tricks……Now that the Dragon Master has collapsed, what remains is coercing and enticing the local human tribes—this is not my forte, Your Majesty the East Emperor, please don't make things difficult for me over this."

"……Very well." Taiyi sighed, "Since you have no interest in this, I will promote a few novices, letting some demon gods take charge of the work to test their abilities."

"It's just about blockading and wiping out some remnants; it's not a big deal……uh, as training for Wuzhiqi, it's sufficient—he's only one step away from your level."

"As for the other machinations—how to divide the Eastern Barbarians and annex this tribe……" Taiyi seemed to think of something, a smile appearing on his face, "Well, the relevant people will handle it."

Shangyang observed his nose, observed his heart, appearing indifferent to this matter.

……

"The Dragon Master has been destroyed."

"Good riddance!"

Among the Bird Master, Chonghua smiled, "From now on, I will unify the Eastern Barbarians; there will be no force capable of opposing me!"

"Huh!"

"It's also time for me to clear my name and restore my innocence."

"The Dragon Master previously flung filth indiscriminately, falsely accusing my Bird Master, claiming that my naval forces were stirring up terror attacks, ruining their water‑control projects."

"Nonsense!"

"It was clearly a good deed done by the Heavenly Court; what does it have to do with me, Chonghua!"

"However, I am magnanimous, so I won't quarrel with the dead overmuch."

Chonghua strode forward leisurely, representing the will of the Bird Master, stepping onto the front stage.

He, will become the savior.

In this moment when heavenly calamity and human misfortune arise together, when the Weak Water floods and the Heavenly Court wages conquest, he leads the Eastern Barbarians onto a path of survival.

Either stand and die.

Or kneel and live.

That is all.

(End of chapter)