Chapter 426: Chapter 9 Identity
Wang Sheng and Zhong had fought a battle, and both were quite aware that, for the time being, neither could do anything about the other.
To truly resolve this, one had to increase their strength faster than their opponent and then quickly settle the score.
Therefore, Wang Sheng left immediately, as staying any longer was pointless.
Zhong didn’t stop him, just watched the person leave.
“What exactly caused this mishap? Was it because of those people?”
The methods he had wanted to use were no longer hopeful; the only way he had found now was the one, though it might bring endless troubles once executed. But if he didn’t act, there might not even be a chance to face those troubles.
And he was aware that he was constantly being watched—those people would not let him go. The sudden appearance of this individual was very likely orchestrated by those people to hinder him.
“Whether it is or isn’t, the two of us have no other paths to choose.”
Wang Sheng was human, he was a demon.
Humans and demons were natural born enemies, with no chance for reconciliation.
“If that’s the case, then we can only let actions speak the truth. However, you won’t be a match for me!”
He didn’t know the name, but that person was indeed his greatest opponent.
As for Jiang Yun, whom he still hadn’t found, he was no longer a concern. An already defeated foe would still be easily suppressed even if he showed up again.
On the other hand, Wang Sheng did not linger after he left and went straight back to the area controlled by the Taiping Sect.
On his way back, he saw many scenes of the imperial dynasties. The First Dynasty was defeated, the Spirit World thoroughly invaded, and the strength of the foremost figures in both kingdoms and dynasties was in decline.
National Guardian Level had fallen to the peak of Great Grandmasters, and all those who became peak Great Grandmasters by relying on destiny had all fallen back to their original realms.
If this issue could have been concealed, it might have been possible to manage for a while.
But Zhong’s words after defeating the First Dynasty alerted many in the Demon Clan to something amiss, leading them to start probing. Many places had been tested, and most could barely maintain order.
Had it not been for Wang Sheng’s timely arrival, which prevented Zhong’s words from having any follow-up, the situation would have been even worse.
“I can’t manage it right now.”
Many people were affected, but the source was Zhong.
If Zhong could be dealt with, all problems could be readily solved.
Right now, the most important thing for him was to increase his strength.
If his strength was sufficient, they would all live; if not, they would all die.
It was that simple!
The original site of the First Dynasty was still far from Qingshan Village; this world was much larger than his previous one, and even with Wang Sheng’s current speed, it took a day’s time to return to Qingshan Village.
The situations of various human dynasties and kingdoms were bad, with the region of the Three Counties where Qingshan Village was located being even worse.
And the reason was the closure of the Spirit World.
It is easy to transition from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality, and this saying applied to cultivation as well.
Accustomed to the convenience of the Spirit World, cultivating on one’s own felt insufficient everywhere. For instance, when researching a martial art that might cause injury, one could easily experiment in the Spirit World, and at worst, suffer a period of mental exhaustion.
But in the real world, one mistake could mean true death.
Thus, the sudden closure of the Spirit World was badly received, not to mention the subsequent global “broadcast” by “Zhong.”
Therefore, the area of the former Da Zhou was greatly affected. If it weren’t for the good management of the Taiping Sect, chaos would likely have erupted again.
Wang Sheng felt helpless in the face of this situation.
The method he had previously used to make the Spirit World independent wasn’t yet mature; he couldn’t leave a certain distance.
It wouldn’t have been an issue under normal circumstances, just handling a dynasty, within an expected range.
But who could have expected to receive such explosive news from the Blood Locust King? Naturally, he couldn’t stay and hence the Spirit World was forcibly pulled back and closed.
“If it’s closed, then let it be closed, it’s not a big problem.”
The Spirit World wasn’t gone forever; as long as it reopened, all problems could be resolved.
“The Spirit World can be reopened, and this time the range can be expanded!”
The knowledge gained from the vortex could help him expand his world; it’s just that there hadn’t been the time to do so before, and now was a good opportunity for expansion.
Of course, ‘expansion’ didn’t take much time, mainly dealing with the terrain.
It took roughly half a day, and the Spirit World was online again.
Those who had been trying to log in from the outside found that the Spirit World was instantly accessible upon its reappearance.
“Finally, we can log in again. I thought it would be gone forever.”
“This sudden inability to log in, it doesn’t indicate any issues, does it?”
“What does it matter if there are problems, just tell me whether you’ll log in or not?”
“Of course I’ll log in!”
Despite some surprises, the Spirit World proved to be really useful, and quickly regained its former liveliness. Fearing another disappearance, many cultivators used it desperately.
They all had the same thought: even if it disappeared again, they wanted to deal with everything they had in hand.
Wang Sheng was naturally pleased to see this scene, for this was what he desired.
He needed the Pure Spiritual Power collected from the Spirit World to elevate his realm, to face the number one person in the Demon Clan, Zhong.
The more Pure Spiritual Power he collected now, the faster he would progress.
“Not sure how long it will take to digest the harvest, it shouldn’t be long, and I can’t just sit idly by…”
Soon, everyone in the Spirit World received a message that the login range of the Spirit World had expanded. Not only could those in the Three Counties log in, but even those in nearby areas could as well.
This caused a bit of commotion, of course, but it was a good thing and quickly settled, with even more people trying to log in.
Once back on track, Wang Sheng didn’t pay much attention to it.
The Spirit World was the core he needed to break through as quickly as possible, so the moment he returned, he had dealt with matters concerning the Spirit World. Now that the Spirit World was back on track, it was time to consider other issues.
“Who exactly is Zhong’s identity?”
Knowing the identity might reveal some weaknesses.
Zhong, the number one figure of the Demon Clan, Wang Sheng was certain he had never met. Yet, the methods used by Zhong gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
That’s why he had said it felt like he had seen such tactics before when leaving.
Zhong’s reaction also confirmed some suspicions.
“Seal-like powers that even sealed the movements of the Black Dragon Spear, followed by the attacks sealed within the scales, which are a lot like my Jade Talisman…”
These two abilities were what made Wang Sheng most suspicious.
“Never mind the sealing power; the powers sealed within those scales don’t even resemble attacks, but rather… innate abilities… Yes, innate abilities, the Spirit Clan’s innate abilities!”
Wang Sheng recalled why it felt familiar.
The Spirit Clan Elders had once given him two scales; one to enter the Spirit World and the other to Breakthrough limits.
He hadn’t used either of the scales; he used them all for research.
The reason the scales had those functions was that they had the Spirit Clan’s innate abilities sealed within them.
Wang Sheng took out a scale he hadn’t looked at for a long time and caressed it a few times.
“Though they look somewhat different, the essence is similar. It’s fortunate I held back.” Soon, another damaged scale appeared in his hand.
From the moment he sensed something was off about these scales, Wang Sheng had collected a scale from Zhong.
“Though it’s a bit damaged, it can still be used for comparison.”
Wang Sheng placed the three scales together, meticulously examining them with his Divine Thought. Quickly, he had a result.
“Indeed, despite significant changes in aura, I can confirm they come from the same origin.”
Wang Sheng withdrew his Divine Thought.
The Spirit Clan Elders’ scales were handed down from the ancestors of the clan who once resisted, and the new scales were obtained from Zhong himself.
“If they come from the same origin, then Zhong is actually that Spirit Clan ancestor…”
The more he thought about it, the more he felt this possibility was very high.
“The Spirit Clan ancestor indeed had a method to seal the clan’s innate abilities. This was also the ultimate method of the Spirit Clan ancestors to resist the ‘Heavenly Father.’ Zhong’s scales could release innate abilities, even seal my spear techniques; it all matches up!”
So many matching conditions nearly confirmed the identity.
“I hadn’t expected to encounter an old foe from six or seven thousand years ago… perhaps even older.”
It was the first time he faced an equally formidable enemy who had lived for such a long time; Wang Sheng had not foreseen it.
“How, exactly, has he lived for so long? Even ‘Qi,’ who established the first dynasty, didn’t live for so long…”
If his guess was not wrong, Zhong had lived longer than his (Wang Sheng’s) current total lifespan.
It was understandable that his strength was immense.
Of course, more than how Zhong had lived so long, Wang Sheng was more eager to know why someone who once resisted the Spirit Clan would tread this particular path.
“Is it despairing to the point of self-destruction, or is there a more significant reason?”
Zhong didn’t seem the type to despair, and Wang Sheng felt it was very likely related to why Zhong attempted to recruit him.
Regrettably, Zhong did not make it clear.
“How can I possibly accept recruitment if he’s unwilling to explain anything?”
Even though he wouldn’t have accepted the recruitment regardless, he still felt inclined to complain about Zhong’s method of recruitment.
“Perhaps from the start, he wasn’t sincerely intending to recruit?”
Wang Sheng stopped thinking about it.
After learning of Zhong’s possible identity, he felt added pressure and a renewed sense of urgency.
“The pace of my cultivation must accelerate…”
“Realm—
Refining Qi into God, Cloud Smoke: 97%
Cultivation Technique—
Inner Core Skill (Refining Qi into God): Breakthrough+6 (1%)
Ba Duan Jin: Breakthrough+6 (1%)—Blood Qi Furnace: 10%, ‘Gestating Seed: 30%’
Five Elements Fist: Breakthrough+4 (97%)—Divine Guarding Five Qi: 3%
Yijin Scripture: Breakthrough+5 (1%)—Golden Body: 20%”
Lifeless Vacuum Sensing Chapter: Breakthrough+4 (2%)—Spiritual Projection: 2%
…”
During the time he was waiting for the Spirit World to disappear, Wang Sheng naturally wasn’t idle.
There might not have been much improvement in other martial skills and knowledge.
But he had not neglected a single technique related to cultivation.
Yijin Scripture Breakthrough five times for an even more potent effect; Lifeless Vacuum Sensing Chapter Breakthrough four times, a key reason for the expansion of the Spirit World.
All other aspects had progressed to various degrees.
Then there was the Inner Core Skill Breakthrough six times, which sped up the realm’s cultivation progress.
Less than three percent more, and he would enter the fifth stage of Refining Qi into God, Reflection!
“With the Nine-flavor Calming Heart Pill and Pure Spiritual Power working together, with the opportunity for success within a year!”
(Another chapter will come later; if you can’t stay up, I suggest reading it tomorrow.)