Chapter 748: The Might of Wu Tie

Gan Jiu remained silent, merely sizing up his son from head to toe.

Inside the hall, the ancestors of the three thousand strongest tribes of Wujin Manghuang began to clamor, a cacophony of voices.

Some voiced approval, some hesitated, some were suspicious, some shook their heads repeatedly, and still others stood up, loudly asking Gan Xiao for the full story and how much benefit Wuguo could offer them.

For a moment, the hall was livelier than three thousand ducks quacking at once.

After all, these Divine Realm ancestors had voices far louder than ducks. Especially those who could lead their clans to take root and live happily in a place like Wujin Manghuang—these ancestors were hardly foolish, though not necessarily old and crafty.

Gan Xiao thought a few words would persuade them to send their sons to fight for Wuguo… he was being far too simplistic.

"Lords, lords, hear my words," Gan Xiao shouted, pounding the throne's armrest, but inside the hall, over three thousand Divine Realm ancestors chattered away, seven mouths eight tongues, and only a few actually took his words to heart.

Indeed, Gan Xiao is the current lord of Chiyang Shen Shan; he smoothly passed the inheritance trial, obtained supreme power, defeated the former lord, and, following Chiyang Shen Shan's tradition, inherited the lord's position.

Yet this lord, for the sake of a woman, abandoned Chiyang Shen Shan's vast foundation and the people of Wujin Manghuang, constantly kneeling and fawning in Fuxi Shen Guo—what authority could such a lord possibly have?

Gan Xiao slapped the armrest and shouted loudly, while Gan Jiu squatted nearby, giving a weird "hee-hee" laugh, constantly rubbing his bald scalp, smugly watching his agitated son.

That's right, the rule in Wujin Manghuang is simple: whoever has the biggest fist is the big boss.

Chiyang Shen Shan follows the same rule: the one with the biggest, hardest fist is its lord.

But sometimes, even if you have the biggest, hardest fist, if you don't often show it off and beat someone every now and then to let everyone know how big and hard it is, people will gradually forget that your fist is the biggest and hardest.

You little brat, being the lord of Chiyang Shen Shan isn't that easy.

Gan Jiu remained silent, enjoying watching Gan Xiao make a fool of himself here. He was pondering why, after going to Fuxi Shen Guo, Gan Xiao would be running around here for the sake of Wuguo to the north.

To the north, beyond the endless primeval forest, it is said that an immensely vast divine state exists.

When did Gan Xiao start colluding with those people over there?

Gan Jiu rubbed his bald scalp, making a soft "squeak-squeak." He narrowed his eyes, exchanging glances silently with dozens of Chiyang Shen Shan's Divine Realm elders in the crowd.

Several white-haired Chiyang Shen Shan elders nodded, rose, and headed toward the hall's exit.

They intended to find the Golden Crow Guards who had followed Gan Xiao these past years, to ask whom he had met and what had happened.

Just a few steps after the elders had set off, their bodies suddenly froze, like tiny insects trapped in amber, unable to move an inch.

From all directions, many tribal ancestors noticed this scene, they all cried out in surprise and rose to their feet.

Meanwhile, the few elders who were sealed remained calm and composed, their breath natural and tranquil, offering no struggle or defense, simply staying frozen in place.

The faces of many tribal ancestors changed.

These few Chiyang Shen Shan elders were at the fourth or fifth level of the Divine Realm, while many of the three thousand tribal ancestors present were only at the first or second level of the Divine Realm.

Whoever struck from the shadows could silently subdue these elders; there's no doubt that overcoming them would be no great feat.

Gan Jiu shot to his feet, astonished and angry, staring at those elders, then whirled back to Gan Xiao: "The clan-suppressing divine artifact, the Primordial Crown—was it you using it at this moment…… no……"

Gan Jiu had thought Gan Xiao was using the Primordial Crown's power to directly freeze those elders in the River of Time.

But Gan Jiu quickly realized the Primordial Crown lies deep within Chiyang Shen Shan's mountain body; past lords of Chiyang Shen Shan who wished to borrow its power to resist foreign foes had to worship inside the mountain, expending great effort, before they could draw on its power.

The Primordial Crown is so huge that no one could possibly move it.

Gan Xiao is sitting right here; it's impossible for him to have used the Primordial Crown.

"Who is it?" Gan Jiu glared at Gan Xiao with a fierce gaze: "Who, who used the clan-suppressing divine artifact?"

"Me." Behind Gan Xiao stood a huge stone screen carved with ten three-legged golden crows soaring in the high sky. Wu Tie emerged from behind it, his long hair flowing, wearing a black fur robe, his wide sleeves billowing, and he nodded toward Gan Jiu with a smile.

"You are the former lord of Chiyang Shen Shan, Gan Jiu, aren't you? The one who wielded the Primordial Crown's power is me." Wu Tie spoke calmly: "Let me introduce myself—I am King Wu Tie of Wuguo. Gan Xiao has already reached an agreement with me to harness the power of Wujin Manghuang to help me oppose the Northern Snowy Plains Tribe."

The hall fell into dead silence, everyone staring intently at Wu Tie.

After a while, an old man with red hair and a black face, his waist coiled with two colorful giant poisonous snakes, finally let out a strange laugh: "This place is the council grounds of Wujin Manghuang's three thousand strongest tribes—no outsider has ever set foot here… kid, you've got guts."

Wu Tie gave that old man a sideways glance; a flicker of starlight flashed beside him, and the old man instantly froze in midair.

His grin froze, and even the two giant poisonous snakes coiled around his waist, which had been constantly writhing, stiffened there as well.

"The Primordial Crown…" Gan Jiu and the Chiyang Shen Shan elders shouted in unison: "How can you possibly master the power of the Primordial Crown?"

"He has already acknowledged me as master," Wu Tie said bluntly: "The Primordial Crown has already acknowledged me as master."

He spread his right hand; a speck of purple-gold divine light flickered, then a surging torrent of starlight burst from his palm, and a Primordial Crown the size of a fist slowly emerged from his grasp, releasing an immeasurably vast primordial desolate sacred aura that roared and rolled outward; the three thousand tribal ancestors in the hall all let out a muffled groan, staggering backward dozens of steps, none able to keep their footing before Wu Tie.

Merely the outward release of his aura suppressed nearly three thousand Divine Realm experts to the point they could barely breathe.

The divine might of the Primordial Crown is truly terrifying.

"You!" Gan Jiu stared at Wu Tie as if seeing a ghost, his body trembling uncontrollably, just like the other Chiyang Shen Shan elders.

Chiyang Shen Shan can roam freely in Wujin Manghuang for two reasons: first, it is protected by the essence of the Primordial Golden Crow, which possesses the terrifying power to burn heaven and earth, with extraordinarily strong lethal force.

Second, it is because of the Primordial Crown.

This clan-suppressing divine artifact can freeze time; even if a deity descends from beyond the heavens, wielding a divine weapon to attack Chiyang Shen Shan, it will be sealed in the River of Time by the Primordial Crown and then slain on the spot by the Primordial Golden Crow's essence.

Yet, over countless ages, innumerable ancestors of Chiyang Shen Shan have tried to make the Primordial Crown acknowledge them as master, but never has anyone received even the slightest response from it.

Truly ghostly—an outsider actually came to control the Primordial Crown.

Gan Jiu's face twitched violently as he snapped his gaze toward Gan Xiao: "Was it you who brought him in?"

Gan Xiao remained silent, his reddish complexion faintly paling.

Wu Tie then laughed: "That's right, I had Gan Xiao bring me in… and with his help, I gained control of the Primordial Crown."

Shaking his head, Wu Tie spoke softly: "Originally, I wanted Gan Xiao, following your rules, to mobilize Chiyang Shen Shan's power and go north to help me fight… but seeing this, it seems he lacks the authority to fulfill his promise to me."

Shaking his head, Wu Tie sighed: "So, I have no choice but to act myself."

The Primordial Crown in his palm slowly rotated, wave after wave of terrifying primordial aura suppressing the entire venue. Wu Tie said coldly: "Although I know this act will be despised and forcing you to go north to help me fight seems somewhat shameless… but I can't worry about that now."

Wu Tie said in a deep voice: "In short, one word: all Divine Realm, Half-Step Divine Realm, and Embryonic Realm cultivators belonging to Chiyang Shen Shan, follow me back to Wuguo to fight to the death against the Northern Snowy Plains Tribe—who agrees, who opposes?"

A man over two zhang tall, his whole body covered in black fur like a woolly bear, let out a low growl: "I oppose… I and my people just want to live happily here…"

Wu Tie reached out and gave a light grasp.

A strange cracking sound echoed in the air, as if it rang within everyone's souls.

Then that black-furred old man vanished silently and without trace, as if he had never existed. His long robe and several ornaments emitting strong fluctuations clanged to the ground with a "dang-lang-lang."

"This is the true power of the Primordial Coronet." Wu Tie looked at the deathly pale Gan Jiu and said coldly: "From the Primordial Coronet I know that you seem to have never truly unleashed its proper power."

"Just now, I traced back time twenty-seven thousand eight hundred forty-nine years, plus three months, three days, four double-hours, and a quarter hour…… That poor fellow was still inside his father's body, at the moment before he burst forth, I erased him……"

"So, he never existed at all." Wu Tie calmly looked at Gan Jiu: "Unless your strength far surpasses mine, and you also possess a divine artifact comparable to the Primordial Coronet to suppress yourself…… then…… no one can withstand my erasure from the source of time."

Gan Jiu and the elders of Chiyang Shen Shan grew increasingly pallid.

They deeply understood the might of the Primordial Coronet, so they were filled with fear toward Wu Tie at this moment.

They deeply understood the might of the Primordial Coronet, so they also knew just how terrifying Wu Tie, who could fully wield the Primordial Coronet's power, was.

As Wu Tie said, unless their strength far surpasses Wu Tie's and they also possess a miraculous artifact comparable to the Primordial Coronet to suppress themselves, no one can oppose Wu Tie.

"We, plus the essence left by our ancestors." An elder of Chiyang Shen Shan shouted with a shrill voice: "The essence of the Primordial Golden Crow, plus several divine artifacts held by the successive mountain masters of Chiyang Shen Shan, even if you hold the Primordial Coronet……"

Wu Tie glanced at the embarrassed Gan Xiao sitting on the throne, sighed helplessly: "Yes, the divine artifacts controlled by the successive mountain masters…… well, Gan Xiao had already given me those treasures on his person before you arrived."

Gan Jiu and the others staggered, their eyes widening in disbelief as they looked at Gan Xiao.

"You!" Gan Jiu stammered, pointing at Gan Xiao: "Back then, I really should have, when you were just born, thrown you into a water vat to suffocate you!"

Gan Xiao closed his eyes and murmured: "You don't understand, you don't understand, you…… really don't understand…… I'm not wrong, I'm not wrong, I'm not wrong…… I really am not wrong…… For Zhao Mei, for Zhao Mei, for Zhao Mei…… For her, I would do anything."

Wu Tie let out a faint sigh: "I feel like I've become a tremendous villain. But still, that saying—hurry, everyone hurry to gather troops and follow me to resist the northern snowland tribes. My word—who agrees, who opposes?"

Gan Jiu shrieked hysterically: "We still have the essence left by our ancestors…… Are you called Wu Tie? Don't underestimate our Chiyang Shen Shan, don't underestimate our Wujin Manghuang!"

The earth suddenly shuddered violently, and then outside came the countless cries of alarm from the people of Chiyang Shen Shan.

A hoarse golden crow cry rang out, soaring into the sky. Not long after, outside the hall doors, the Five Elements Daoist walked in laughing. Behind him, a giant mulberry tree several zhang tall floated, leisurely spreading its branches and roots.

The essence of the three-legged golden crow perched on the highest branch of the giant mulberry, emitting a hazy golden flame that flowed down the trunk, tracing mysterious sigils on the bark, and finally, through the tree's roots, infused into the Five Elements Daoist's body.

The Five Elements Daoist's aura became immensely grand.

Five-colored divine light flickered around him, and everyone could sense that within the Five Elements Daoist's body, wood, fire, and earth forces became extremely rich; the three primary forces interacted, stimulating the water and metal forces within him to continually grow stronger.

A terrifying Five Elements tide brewed within the Five Elements Daoist's body; each of his breaths could stir the external heaven-and-earth elemental energy into violent turmoil.

With every breath, his mana surged forward leaps and bounds, and the speed of his mana increase was simply astonishing.

"You truly are blind—this giant mulberry is a genuine innate spiritual root…… and you……"

The Five Elements Daoist sighed and shook his head firmly: "However, your last reliance, the essence of the Primordial Golden Crow, has already acknowledged me as master…… What more is there to say, the lineage of Chiyang Shen Shan?"

Wu Tie looked toward the Five Elements Daoist.

Has the Primordial Golden Crow acknowledged the Five Elements Daoist as its master?

The two exchanged a glance, and Wu Tie immediately understood what had happened to the Five Elements Daoist earlier. He smiled, glanced at the essence of the Primordial Golden Crow, and nodded slowly: "Very well, it's merely helping you reforge your flesh…… taking a bit of my flesh and bone is no big deal."

The Primordial Golden Crow actually took a liking to Wu Tie's chaotic bone.

Wu Tie's bones had completely transformed; slicing off a piece to give him was merely a minor loss of vitality, insignificant compared to the benefits of this giant mulberry and the Primordial Golden Crow's essence.

Gan Jiu and the others' faces grew ever more ashen.

Sweat continually trickled down his bald head, and Gan Jiu murmured: "Let us…… think again, think again……"

Wu Tie smiled and nodded: "Go ahead and think again—what good ideas can you come up with?"