Chapter 483: Remembering the Past

Following the high-profile assembly convened by Tianlan Hall to hold a grand meeting, another explosive piece of news swept through Tianlan Continent like a gale, stirring up monstrous waves.

"What? There actually exists something called the Outer Realm Evil Clan outside of Tianlan Continent?"

This was the initial reaction of the vast majority of people after hearing the news.

It must be admitted that the barrier outside Tianlan Continent has protected the living beings within it quite thoroughly.

So much so that when most people first heard this news, they displayed a natural, blank stupidity, untainted by knowledge.

There is no such thing as an airtight wall; with the leading forces intentionally letting information out, more and more news regarding the Saint Race—or rather, the Outer Realm Evil Clan—spread rapidly to the ears of ordinary people.

For a time, the Outer Realm Evil Clan became the hottest topic of discussion, with various public venues filled with the clamor of debaters and scenes of fighting, adding a different kind of liveliness to the stagnant pool that was Tianlan Continent.

The impact caused by the "sudden emergence" of the Outer Realm Evil Clan was two-sided.

Many hot-blooded men, upon learning that such a pack of wolves and tigers was lurking outside the perimeter of Tianlan Continent, were filled with uncontrollable rage, declaring on the spot that they would fight the enemy to the death, and then swiftly rushed to the recruitment centers set up by the major sects to join the Tianlan Allied Forces in their preparation phase.

There was also a portion who went silent immediately upon hearing of the enemy's strength, and a small number even harbored thoughts of defecting early.

There was yet another group that did not hysterically shout and posture against an enemy they had never met, nor did they harbor any bad, petty thoughts.

The only thing they did was use their own networks to pull strings with the major first-rate forces, hoping to learn more relevant information, adjust their state, and prepare for the great war.

Most of them were young people with exceptional talent, as well as old men with formidable strength but no path forward; this great war was both an unprecedented crisis and a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

Overall, the atmosphere in Tianlan Continent remained relatively positive, and that optimism, which made many old people feel helpless, had temporarily created an aura of impending great victory.

"Forgetting war is dangerous!"

Inside Taiyue Sect.

Listening to the report from a disciple regarding the number of allied forces, Yang Jiuxiao heaved a long sigh.

Although the number was terrifying, he knew without needing to verify that most of them merely regarded this as a game as easy as reaching into a bag to take something, rather than a cruel war; such a mindset would cause the allied forces to pay an extremely tragic price.

"Sect Master, isn't that a bit much? After all, Tianlan Continent is full of hidden talents!"

Clearly, he did not look favorably upon the future of the allied forces at this moment.

An Elder who was quite close to Yang Jiuxiao asked in confusion.

He naturally would not doubt Yang Jiuxiao's judgment, as the latter's ability had been fully proven over the past several thousand years.

However, it still did not prevent him from grumbling in his heart, always feeling that his Sect Master was making a mountain out of a molehill, a practice that seemed to be called by the young people in recent years...

"Cowardly"?

"You think this force is very strong?!"

Yang Jiuxiao glanced at the Elder who had spoken, asking back in a cold tone.

The former's changing attitude did not scare off the Elder; this form of debate had already been staged many times between the two.

"Sect Master, the current strength of the allied forces is more than twice that of our Taiyue Sect; can that not be considered powerful?"

Over this period, the Elder had deeply realized how wise the saying "Tianlan Continent is full of hidden talents, do not underestimate the people of the world," which the Sect Master often kept on his lips, truly was.

He had originally thought that his own sect, as one of the few first-rate forces in Tianlan Continent, was already powerful enough to look down upon the surrounding hundreds of thousands of miles, and he had inevitably developed a sense of contempt.

A single recruitment drive had smashed his pride to pieces.

Seven-Star and Eight Trigrams Realm powerhouses, rarely seen in the past, appeared by the hundreds, already exceeding the entire foundation of Taiyue Sect, and he didn't even recognize a single one of them!

Even worse, a Nine Palaces Realm cultivator, who could be called a peak powerhouse in the entire Tianlan Continent, had also appeared; when the disciple had tremblingly come up to report it, he had once thought it was false news—after all, searching through the entire Taiyue Sect, there were only a mere four Nine Palaces Realm powerhouses.

He had tried to send an invitation to the other party,

"Don't waste your effort; this old man is fighting for the sake of all living beings in Tianlan this time. Once the great war ends, I will naturally continue to live in seclusion and cultivate."

The arrogant words had directly rebuffed him.

According to the current growth rate of the Tianlan Allied Forces' strength, it would be no problem for it to expand by another fold by the time the great war began; could such power still be considered weak?

"Do you think they have truly prepared for the great war?"

Yang Jiuxiao gestured to the list in the Elder's hand,

"Do you know the cruelty of that great war thousands of years ago?"

The unprecedentedly grave tone made the Elder lose his composure, and he hurriedly said:

"This disciple is dull-witted."

"Actually..."

"I don't know either."

You don't know either?

The sudden turn of events left the Elder somewhat dazed, listening to Yang Jiuxiao recount his own experiences,

"This old man is called the person closest to that era, but in fact, I am also somewhat ashamed."

"Because nearly a thousand years have passed since my era began, and I have never glimpsed the full picture of that era."

"However..."

Yang Jiuxiao paused slightly,

"You should know of Mingshen Palace, right?"

"That goes without saying."

The Elder answered immediately; if he didn't even know of Mingshen Palace, which was also a first-rate force, he might as well commit suicide to atone for his sins.

"Is the current Mingshen Palace powerful?"

"Of course."

The Elder said with a face full of admiration,

"Palace Master Huangfu is indeed worthy of his reputation, being able to develop Mingshen Palace, which had fallen to the bottom of the first-rate forces, to a state on par with our sect."

"Then do you know how strong the Mingshen Palace of the past was?"

"I am referring to the force excluding Lord War Venerable."

"This..."

The Elder was speechless; the glorious history of the Bright God Palace was widely circulated across the Tianlan Continent, but it was limited only to the legendary powerhouse, Mingyu Zhanzun; as for the rest, it had long been washed away by the river of time.

A trace of yearning appeared in Yang Jiuxiao's eyes.

"When this old man was young, the legend of the Bright God Palace's 'One Venerable, Three Kings, Seven-Star, and Twenty-eight Mansions' was still circulating on the continent."

"One Venerable, Three Kings, Seven-Star, and Twenty-eight Mansions?"

The Elder cautiously speculated:

"The One Venerable should refer to the legendary Mingyu Zhanzun, and the Three Kings are the strongest experts under the current Palace Master of the Bright God Palace, but as for the subsequent Seven-Star and Twenty-eight Mansions..."

"Forgive this Disciple for being ignorant."

Yang Jiuxiao continued, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"When this old man was young, the Bright God Palace also had its One Venerable, Three Kings, Seven-Star, and Twenty-eight Mansions, but those goods were simply a joke; a few pieces of trash in the Eight Trigrams or Seven Stars Realm dared to call themselves venerables and kings, and shamelessly act as the Mansions?"

"Even the current Three Kings of the Bright God Palace are not qualified enough."

"In the era of Lord Zhanzun, the Three Kings were all Ten Directions Realm powerhouses, and the Seven-Star were the strongest Nine Palaces Realm experts below the Ten Directions Realm."

"Even the Twenty-eight Mansions required one to be at least in the Nine Palaces Realm."

"Compared to the Bright God Palace of the past, the current forces are not even fit to carry their shoes, and that includes the Tianlan Hall."

"Do you understand?"

The Elder was stunned; the Bright God Palace of the past was too far removed from the current era, so far that one dared not imagine such a force could have existed in the past.

"I... I understand!"

Having just stepped out of the shock, the Elder suddenly reacted, his face changing drastically.

"Sect Master, could it be that even the Bright God Palace of that time was no match for the Outer Realm Evil Clan?"

"How do you think Mingwang City came to be?" Yang Jiuxiao glanced at the Elder sideways.

"Lord Zhanzun was in his prime at the time, and he was at his most proud and arrogant; if there had been another way, why would he have joined forces with other powers?"

"Even so, in that great war, the Three Kings all perished, Lord Zhanzun's life or death became unknown, and of the Seven-Star and Twenty-eight Mansions, only one remained, heavily wounded and barely clinging to life; the Bright God Palace directly regressed into a second-rate force, and only in the last few hundred years has it shown slight signs of improvement."

"This is still considered good; at least the orthodoxy was preserved. In that great war, the number of Nine Palaces Realm powerhouses who fell was countless, and forces that were completely wiped out were as numerous as the hairs on an ox."

"Now, do you still think our strength is strong enough?"

"Sect Master, then can we still win..."

"No!"

"You should just speak plainly; this Disciple will definitely act with caution."

The Elder had originally been immersed in the panic brought by Yang Jiuxiao, but suddenly he had a change of thought: that's not right; if the enemy were truly that powerful, the Sect Master should have arranged for them to prepare an escape route long ago, so why would he be giving him a history lesson on Tianlan?

"Good lad, you've caught on quite early this time."

Yang Jiuxiao chuckled, then waved his hand.

"Saying all this was just to ensure you do not underestimate the enemy."

"You only need to remember that in this war, the final victor will be Tianlan."

"Go and prepare quickly!"

"Yes!"

Watching the Elder walk out of the great hall with renewed vigor, Yang Jiuxiao restrained his smile.

"You must all survive!"

(End of this chapter)