Chapter 058: Divine Strategy Battalion
Above a vast sea:
Two flying ships coursed through the sky.
The one in front was Long Wanqing’s White Cloud flying ship. The one behind was filled with armored soldiers.
The second flying ship flew a large banner with the words “Divine Strategy Battalion” on it.
A handsome man wearing golden armor stood at the bow of the Divine Strategy Battalion’s flying ship. This man looked valiant and muscular. As he held the railing with both hands, he frowned slightly and looked into the distance, occasionally glancing at the White Cloud flying ship.
Many people were aboard the White Cloud flying ship.
Long Wanqing, Venerable Liu Nian, and a yellow-robed old woman holding a walking stick stood at the White Cloud flying ship’s bow.
“I wonder if the Innate Puzzle World has already closed,” Long Wanqing said, feeling somewhat worried.
“Hall Master, there’s no need to worry. The Innate Puzzle World normally remains open for one year. It is still early,” Venerable Liu Nian said with a smile.
Long Wanqing nodded.
“Hall Master, don’t worry. Meng Tai entered with a small group of Earth Division disciples. Although he is not a calm person when doing things, he should be stronger than most people there. Perhaps he will already have news of the Unborn Man by the time we arrive there,” the old woman said.
“The Fire Division Master is right. Furthermore, isn’t there still Division Master Gu, aside from Division Master Meng? Perhaps Gu Hai already found some clues.” Venerable Liu Nian smiled.
When the old woman heard that, she frowned as she said, “Venerable Liu Nian, Hall Master only briefly met that Gu Hai. Why did you recommend him for the Water Division Master?”
“The hall master has the right to make that decision,” Venerable Liu Nian said indifferently.
The old woman raised her eyebrows. “The hall master does have the right to decide. However, she is young, and Venerable Liu Nian should not influence her like that. In the hands of the previous hall master, my Elite Hall’s name was known everywhere in the world. Despite being in the hands of the new hall master, we cannot let it—”
“Let it what?” Long Wanqing prompted while raising her eyebrows.
The old woman’s expression changed slightly. She immediately shook her head and said, “Hall Master, please forgive me. This old woman spoke out of place. However, Elite Hall’s glory did not come easy. I ask that Hall Master be cautious. This old woman, Ding Rui, and the other division masters hope that Hall Master will not make a wrong move and ruin Elite Hall’s prestige!”
“Humph! Prestige? So we lost all prestige by my becoming the hall master?” Long Wanqing glared at the old woman.
“This old woman does not dare,” the old woman said while lowering her head.
Long Wanqing looked at Ding Rui for a while. She only managed to suppress her anger after taking a deep breath.
“Hall Master, how is your younger sister now? Is she fine?” Venerable Liu Nian asked, changing the topic.
After a deep breath, Long Wanqing nodded. “That darn lass, seeking trouble when everything is fine. She is much better now. Although the problem is not completely removed, that demonic phantom cannot harm her with Grandfather by her side. If not for having to rush back to the Innate Puzzle World, I would have taught that darn lass a lesson!”
“In the end, your maternal grandfather dotes on your younger sister more. After you returned to save your younger sister, he actually arranged for the entire Divine Strategy Battalion to help you.” Venerable Liu Nian looked at the nearby flying ship.
“The Divine Strategy Battalion Commander, Li Haoran? Grandfather did not arrange for him to come. Instead, he took the initiative, volunteering to follow.” Long Wanqing revealed a faint smile as she looked at the man standing on the other flying ship’s bow.
“Li Haoran? He took the initiative to volunteer? What is his motive?” Venerable Liu Nian’s expression changed to a frown as he turned his head to look at that flying ship.
Long Wanqing frowned slightly as she looked at Venerable Liu Nian.
“Venerable Liu Nian, you are wrong here. Battalion Commander Li Haoran is just showing concern for Hall Master. Why does he need a motive? Don’t imagine everyone is bad.” Ding Rui frowned.
“Indeed. Venerable Liu Nian, Li Haoran received my mother’s favor in the past. There should not be any motive,” Long Wanqing said as she looked at Venerable Liu Nian.
“Alright.”
Nonetheless, Venerable Liu Nian raised his eyebrows. After nodding, he did not say anything more. However, he continued looking thoughtfully at Li Haoran on the other flying ship.
——
Innate Puzzle World:
“Someone killed the lass?” The Unborn Man’s figure suddenly swayed, looking like he would collapse.
“That should be so. It has been twenty years, but the murderer still roams free. The hall master is at her wits’ end. I entered the Innate Puzzle World and caused such a huge commotion to ask Senior to help her take revenge. All the close friends and family of the previous hall master could not do anything. You are the only one. Are you going to let the previous hall master die for nothing?” Gu Hai said.
“Senior, you have been in this independent world for eight centuries. I do not know what the previous hall master experienced, but she kept this hairpin for the past eight centuries. I think that the previous hall master hoped to see you again. Or rather, she had been thinking about you all this while. However, she failed to wait until that day. Someone killed her, causing her unjust death. Perhaps she felt despair. Senior, now, you are the only one who can take revenge for her! Are you going to let her die for nothing?” Gu Hai continued.
“The lass is dead? Haha! Dead?!” As the Unborn Man’s figure swayed, his voices betrayed great sorrow, giving off a piercing chill.
With the Unborn Man in the center, the surrounding plants started to wither.
“Huh?” The first elder, who was at the side, immediately jumped away in shock. Then, he soared into the air, leaving the Unborn Man far behind.
The plants withered and died at a rapid pace. Then, the range of the blight expanded.
The blight was like a tide surging out in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, all the plants on the mountain peak had withered. However, the blight continued to spread.
Countless cultivators revealed shocked expressions.
“Why did those trees wither?”
“Ah! Quick, look! Look! Look at that cheetah there!”
Countless cultivators goggled at a valley below. There had been a cheetah pacing around in the valley. However, when the withering effects arrived, the cheetah instinctively sensed a threat and started running away.
However, the cheetah could not outrun the blight. When the withered grass brushed against the cheetah, it suddenly slowed down.
Then, the cheetah’s fur turned white and molted. Then, it grew increasingly thinner and older, slowly wasting away to skin and bone. Finally, it fell to the ground, no longer breathing.
“This…it died of old age?” someone exclaimed.
It was not just the cheetah. This happened to the many surrounding animals. When the withering effects reached them, they aged rapidly and eventually died.
“No! Let me leave! Ah!” A miserable shriek came from a nearby forest.
A man ran out of the forest. However, he only managed to take a few steps before turning incredibly old and looking like he would soon die of old age.
Perhaps that miserable shriek startled the Unborn Man to his senses. He turned his head and looked. Then, the blight spreading in the surroundings instantly stopped.
However, the ten initially lush mountains were already lifeless, completely barren. All the animals in the ten mountains had died of old age.
As for the unlucky youth, he had aged into an old man with slowed movements. This person showed shock and fear on his face.
“Cough! Cough! Cough! Senior, please let me go and help me recover. Cough! Cough! Cough!” That old man coughed continuously, appearing to be reaching his limits soon.
However, the Unborn Man ignored that person and looked at the sky.
The surrounding cultivators quickly fled after looking at the Unborn Man, who was on the mountain peak, in horror.
This was too horrifying.
“They became old? They became old? Is this lifespan? He can destroy a person’s lifespan?”
“He can destroy a person’s lifespan and make a person age? Who is he? How can this be?”
“Quickly! Quickly! Get far away from him!”
All the cultivators revealed horrified expressions.
Be it cultivating or snatching the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach, the final goal was to increase their lifespan and live longer.
However, the person before them could destroy their lifespan.
Not killing was even more terrifying than killing for him.
He is a demon! He is a demon!
Everyone looked at the Unborn Man in fear.
The Unborn Man remained silent for a while, appearing to be digesting the sorrow in his heart.
“Unborn Man, you promised the pavilion master back then. You cannot leave now!” the first elder shouted.
The Unborn Man remained silent, only speaking after a while. “First Elder, I have to leave. I may have promised Old Mister Guan Qi. However, I have to leave. I cannot remain a moment longer. I do not want to remain here even a moment longer!”
“But…!” the first elder protested anxiously.
“No buts. You do not understand. I need to do this. The lass died? Hahaha! The lass died? Hahahaha! I should not have promised Old Mister Guan Qi back then; I should not have. If I had not remained in the Innate Puzzle World, the lass might not have died. Perhaps she might not have.” The Unborn Man’s voice quivered as he spoke.
The first elder remained silent, not knowing how to persuade the Unborn Man.
The Unborn Man had made up his mind. There was no way to keep him here.
The first elder angrily turned his head and looked at the ritual array. “Gu Hai, look at what you did! Do you still have to uproot my Heavenly Go Pavilion’s Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree?”
Gu Hai took a deep breath and said, “Heavenly Go Pavilion First Elder, since I already met the Unborn Man, I naturally will not uproot and destroy this Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree. I’ll return it to the Heavenly Go Pavilion now.”
“Huh?” The first elder frowned as he looked at Gu Hai. To think that this Gu Hai was so reasonable.
“However, according to the rules, the treasures in this world are all left by Old Mister Guan Qi for us outsiders to take, so I will be keeping the Century Lifespan Immortality Peaches,” Gu Hai added seriously.
“Humph!” the first elder snorted coldly. Clearly, he did not care about the peaches. As long as the peach tree remained, one century would pass in a flash.
“Division Master, about your earlier promise…!” Chen Tianshan looked at Gu Hai somewhat anxiously.
Gu Hai looked at Chen Tianshan and Gao Xianzhi. He did not object, extending his hand and taking out two boxes.
“According to what I promised earlier, one each!” Gu Hai handed over two boxes.
Chen Tianshan excitedly grabbed one. Then he opened it. Indeed, it was an immortality peach. Joy filled his face.
Gao Xianzhi received a box as well. However, he did not spare it an additional glance, immediately taking the peach out and consuming it.
Buzz!
A golden light appeared around Gao Xianzhi’s body.
“Gao Xianzhi, you are being very extravagant!” Chen Tianshan looked at Gao Xianzhi in shock.
Gao Xianzhi glanced at Chen Tianshan. Then, he said in a strange tone, “Chen Tianshan, you really worry me!”
“What?” Chen Tianshan asked, feeling confused.
“Since the Division Master promised it to us, he will give it to us. Why ask for it now?” Gao Xianzhi frowned.
“So what if I asked for it?” Chen Tianshan countered, feeling upset.
“It’s fine to ask for it. However, can you guarantee that you can bring the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach back to the Clear River Sect or anywhere else?” Gao Xianzhi smiled bitterly.
“Huh?” Chen Tianshan felt stunned.
Then, Chen Tianshan turned his head to look around. Countless cultivators were now staring at him with bloodshot eyes.
Chen Tianshan’s expression froze. Now, he finally understood why Gao Xianzhi ate the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach in a rush. If Gao Xianzhi did not eat it now, what advantage would his group have after leaving the Innate Puzzle World? The cultivations of the surrounding cultivators would recover completely. If he wanted to defend the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach then, he would just be seeking trouble.
Slap! Chen Tianshan slapped himself.
Then, he opened his mouth to eat his Century Lifespan Immortality Peach, feeling depressed.
The surrounding cultivators’ eyes turned clear again only after Chen Tianshan ate his Century Lifespan Immortality Peach.
However, many people continued to look at Gu Hai in anticipation and fear, as he still had one last Century Lifespan Immortality Peach.