Chapter 62: Three Nails Restart, Clouds Rise Over the Red Earth

The first Sealing Nail lies on the eastern cliff of Drought Bone Abyss.

Hundreds of Drought Demons lurk there.

The one-eyed Sword Cultivator of the Green Blade Camp led a fierce assault; Sword Qi slashed into the Red Earth sand, sending up scalding sparks.

A Sword Cultivator was grabbed by a Drought Demon, his body instantly withering away.

The one-eyed Sword Cultivator, eyes red with rage, severed the heads of both his comrade and the Drought Demon.

"Continue!"

They finally fought their way to the Sealing Nail.

It was a black stone pillar half-buried in the sand, its surface carved with the ancient patterns of the Xiao Clan Imperial Family.

The one-eyed Sword Cultivator knew nothing of sealing arts and could only stand guard.

He turned and shouted in fury: "Xiao boy!"

Xiao Cheng'an heard him from the center path and immediately rushed forward with two guards.

The wind and sand were too fierce; he nearly fell several times.

By the time he arrived, nearly half the eastern team lay dead or wounded.

The one-eyed Sword Cultivator, covered in blood, cursed: "Hurry up, I'm about to become dried meat!"

Xiao Cheng'an threw himself before the stone pillar and unrolled the ancient map.

He did not understand it all, but he had studied desperately these past days.

He sliced open his palm and pressed his blood onto the sealing patterns.

The Xiao bloodline was, in itself, the key to the old seal.

The stone pillar glowed faintly.

But halfway through the glow, it suddenly extinguished.

Xiao Cheng'an's face went pale: "Not enough."

The one-eyed Sword Cultivator cried out urgently: "What isn't enough?"

"A section of the sealing text is missing; a sacrifice chant must be recited."

"Then recite it!"

Xiao Cheng'an gritted his teeth: "The sacrifice chant is the Old Dynasty's Donated People's hymn."

The one-eyed Sword Cultivator froze.

Xiao Cheng'an stared at the stone pillar, his eyes filled with struggle.

The old seal succeeded back then because the Xiao Clan's founding ancestor borrowed power from the Heavenly Gate, sacrificing the people to the demons.

Reciting the old sacrifice chant now might restart the seal.

But that would mean admitting the Old Dynasty's ways still held power.

Just then, a Wu Clan warrior rushed up from the rear and handed him a newly written scroll of Runes.

"Qin Medical Commander says the People-Sacrifice hymn cannot be used."

"She ordered you to change it."

Xiao Cheng'an was stunned.

Change it?

Can such an ancient seal be altered?

He unfurled the Runes; they contained the new hymn worked out overnight by Qin Su, Gu Chongming, and several sorcerers.

Not Donated People.

But People Protected.

Xiao Cheng'an's voice was hoarse, yet he recited word by word:

"This seal does not sacrifice the people."

"This seal does not beg Heaven for pity."

"With the blood of the Crime Clan, repay the Old Dynasty's debt."

"With the people of today, protect those who come after."

The stone pillar blazed with light.

The first Sealing Nail was restarted.

The temperature of the Red Earth on the eastern side plummeted.

Far away, Jiang Che saw that black light and nodded gently.

The second Sealing Nail lies in the southern sand sea.

Qin Su personally led the Medical Camp escort.

En route, they encountered the Drought Demon's fire-wind; the Medicine Mist was nearly blown apart.

A female physician was blinded by the scorching wind, yet she still mixed the cold medicine by memory.

She said to Qin Su: "Qin Medical Commander, I can no longer see."

Qin Su's fingers paused.

The female physician smiled: "But I still remember the prescription."

Qin Su's eyes reddened slightly; she only said: "Continue."

When the southern Sealing Nail was restarted, the first wisp of cloud appeared in the sky.

The third Sealing Nail lies directly before Drought Bone Abyss.

That is the most dangerous position.

Xie Tingxue drew her sword personally.

The Clear Snow Sword Intent spread a path of white frost across the Red Earth.

The Green Blade Camp and Sword Pavilion Disciples protected Xiao Cheng'an as they charged to the stone pillar.

The Drought Demon King finally grew enraged.

A low roar echoed from the abyss floor.

A giant claw, formed of red sand and withered bones, reached out and struck the Sealing Nail.

Xie Tingxue met it with a single sword strike.

Boom!

She was knocked back more than ten zhang, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Jiang Che tightened his fingers on the sand dune.

The Green Bamboo Sword trembled slightly.

But he did not draw his sword.

Xie Tingxue looked up, as if knowing he was watching.

She wiped away the blood and struck again.

The Second Sword severed one finger of the giant claw.

The Third Sword covered the giant claw in frost.

The Sword Pavilion Disciples roared in unison as ten thousand swords fell together.

The giant claw was forcibly pinned in midair.

Xiao Cheng'an lunged to the third stone pillar and pressed his blood down.

The new sacrificial chant was recited again.

"With the blood of the Crime Clan, repay the debt of the Old Dynasty."

"With the people of today, protect those who come after."

The third Sealing Nail lit up.

Boom!

The three nails connected in a single line.

Above the Drought Bone Abyss, the red storm tore open.

Clouds gathered.

The first drop of rain fell on Xiao Cheng'an's face.

He stared up, stunned.

It was raining in the Western Desert.

In the refugee camp, an old man knelt on the sand, cupping the rainwater and weeping loudly.

The Drought Demon King's roar issued from the abyss floor.

"Jiang Che!"

"Why have you still not drawn your sword!"

It was unwilling.

For the one restarting the seal was not Jiang Che.

It was the youth bent by the Crime Clan's blood, the healer whose feet were worn raw by the sand, the Sword Cultivator whose arm was bitten off by the Drought Demon.

Jiang Che stood in the rain and said softly:

"Because you are not worthy."