Chapter 506: At the Summit of the Sea Ban, Chanting Aspirations

In April of the 2932nd year of the Xuan Wars, the Prefect of Fenghai Commandery unexpectedly perished. The Saint Clan's military disaster swept through three prefectures, and the Black Heaven Clan launched a massive invasion of the Imperial Capital Region.

Fenghai Commandery was in critical danger, its survival hanging by a thread.

In June of the same year, after Fenghai Commandery, relying on its solitary strength, held out for nearly two months, the northern front collapsed. Li Rongyu, Master of the Fengxing Palace, and Zhang Hengxin, Master of the Silu Palace, died in battle, while Yao Tianyan went missing. Allied forces suffered countless casualties and were routed, retreating over a distance of 200,000 li.

One day after the northern defeat, the western theater of war also collapsed, with Kong Liangxiu, Master of the Zhijian Palace, falling in battle.

At a time of dire crisis for the human population of Fenghai Commandery, the Seventh Son of the Human Emperor, overriding all opposition and with Fenghai Commandery heavy on his mind, finally arrived after breaking through the Black Heaven Clan's heavy blockade.

The Seventh Imperial Son, with pioneering strength and thunderous might, led a massive army of sixty million human soldiers from the Imperial Capital. Wielding the might of the Five Palaces of Shangxuan and with the 49 Commanders of Dongsheng as his spearhead, he swept through the northern theater of war.

He slaughtered seven million enemy cultivators from the Saint Clan's Tianfeng and Ditu nations who had invaded from the north, and used the flesh and blood of the Saint Clan to erect an indestructible defense line for the northern theater.

Working tirelessly day and night, he personally commanded 27 Commanders and 113 Generals, leading human battle cultivators from the Imperial Capital. Riding in a four-clawed golden dragon imperial carriage, he proceeded to the western front.

Finally, at the critical juncture when the western region was collapsing and the countless human inhabitants of Fenghai Commandery faced a life-or-death situation, he forcefully halted the Saint Clan's two great dynasties, Yue Ling and Yue Wu. He even personally intervened, severely wounding both Emperors.

The Seventh Imperial Son set a precedent for human warfare; not only did he severely wound the two Emperors, but he also slew over six million enemies in the western theater.

His imperial blood flowed, staining the sky red. The Seventh Imperial Son, disregarding his own safety, coordinated with the numerous commanders to unleash a forbidden human secret art, sealing off half a prefecture to restrict the spread of the Black Heaven Clan's domain treasures.

By doing so, he saved the routed armies of the western theater.

Subsequently, he integrated the remaining forces in the northwest, established a united front, and gathered vast numbers of troops and human cultivators from Fenghai Commandery to guard its border gates. Furthermore, he dispatched three Commanders and ten Generals, leading a portion of the Imperial Capital's battle cultivators, to spread throughout the entire Fenghai territory and clear out the Black-Clad Guards and rebellious forces of various clans.

Evil forces within Fenghai Commandery were completely purged, and signs of peace emerged among the human population within the commandery.

Hundreds of alliances cheered, and thousands of clans obeyed.

In July of the same year, after their previous setbacks, the Saint Clan launched a general offensive, forming a terrifying army that pressed in on the borders.

The Seventh Imperial Son, with his exceptional strategic talent and excellent command of battle tactics, used a feigned retreat to lure the enemy in, drawing them deeper. He then ignited the telluric fires of Yutian Prefecture and Qiling Prefecture, causing countless volcanoes to erupt, the earth to shake violently, and the fires to spread to Linlan and Taihe, scorching the land across all four prefectures.

Within these four prefectures, boundless darkness reigned, with only the inextinguishable telluric fires raging continuously for over a month.

The Saint Clan's cries of agony were endless within, and countless perished, finally halting their invasion.

When news of this great victory reached the rear of Fenghai Commandery, all clans throughout the territory cheered.

The Commandery Assistant repeatedly petitioned the Imperial Son to take up residence in the commandery capital, but was refused each time. It was only after this great victory that the Imperial Son, considering his soldiers, gradually agreed to lead a vast number of battle cultivators to the commandery capital in seven days.

Today was the third day before the Imperial Son's departure.

On the border of Qiling Prefecture, along a defense line stretching hundreds of thousands of li, formed by the mountain ranges, Xu Qing sat silently on a rock, gazing at the distant landscape.

His appearance had changed greatly compared to before.

The robes of a Sword Wielder had been replaced by tattered armor, and his long hair had long since been cut short. His whole body was filthy, a bloody scent permeated the air around him, and his lips were chapped countless times over.

His eyes revealed deep exhaustion.

Following his gaze, the sky was dim, and thick smoke billowed. What was once lush green mountains and gentle lands was now utterly black, with residual fires still burning.

Amidst the widespread desolation, countless charred skeletons could be seen...

Xu Qing gazed at them in silence.

After a long while, footsteps sounded behind him. It was Kong Xianglong.

Dressed similarly to Xu Qing, and bearing the same fatigue and despondency, he walked over to Xu Qing's side. He sat down and looked at the distant landscape, a low, hoarse voice escaping his lips.

“Xu Qing, go rest. I’ll take over the watch. When I came, I saw your Senior Brother, and he told me to tell you to go back quickly.”

“This morning, the Deputy Master found me and told me that I would return to the commandery capital with him in three days. He also mentioned you.”

“The Scroll Office no longer exists, so there’s no point in you staying here. That’s why I agreed for you.”

Kong Xianglong spoke calmly, his voice somewhat numb, without any emotional fluctuation.

Xu Qing silently stood up, looking at the sprawling defense line around him. Most of the people here were former human cultivators from Fenghai Commandery, while the army from the Imperial Capital was encamped at a second defense line further away.

After a long while, Xu Qing withdrew his gaze, patted Kong Xianglong on the shoulder, took out a flask of wine, and placed it beside him.

It was the remaining large half-flask from his day and night of guarding this place.

Kong Xianglong picked up the flask, took a large swig, and just as Xu Qing turned to leave, he suddenly spoke.

“Xu Qing, did you see that figure…?”

Xu Qing closed his dry, tired eyes and nodded.

Kong Xianglong fell silent, and after a moment, a low voice emerged.

“What do you think of this Imperial Son?”

“He’s a ruthless person,” Xu Qing said hoarsely.

His mind replayed the scene when the forbidden artifact net in the commandery capital collapsed, and the four-clawed golden dragon descended from the sky with the figure atop it.

“Igniting the telluric fires of two prefectures – that matter, the old man… the Master had already been preparing for it, which is why he had been settling the human population of those two prefectures. But this Imperial Son is ruthless enough. In his eyes, there is only victory, only reputation, no human lives!”

Xu Qing remained silent.

“Xu Qing, have you seen the battle report? All those great achievements mentioned in it, like severely wounding the two Emperors – what a 'severe wounding' of two Emperors!”

“And this Imperial Son, if he had arrived a little earlier that day, even if it was just a stick of incense earlier…”

Kong Xianglong gave a bitter laugh and did not continue speaking. Instead, he took another large swig from the flask and waved his hand at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing stood still for a long moment, then silently departed.

One month had passed since the Palace Master died in battle.

With the arrival of the Seventh Imperial Son, the Scroll Office department had lost its purpose and was forgotten. As for Xu Qing and the Sword Wielders of the former Scroll Office, they had all been assigned to the battlefield.

After numerous shifts and experiences and having participated in a series of major battles until now, Xu Qing had personally experienced the Seventh Imperial Son's modus operandi.

Victory at any cost.

Indeed, as Kong Xianglong said, human lives meant little in his eyes, even though over half the tribes and ordinary human inhabitants had not yet been fully evacuated from Yutian and Qiling.

But once the opportune moment for battle arrived, he still chose to ignite the telluric fires.

Many Saint Clan members indeed died this month, but just as many humans perished.

This was especially true for the original western theater of Fenghai Commandery.

In every battle, they were the vanguard.

Few of them remained now, and they were constantly scattered and mixed into other legions. Each one, through this war, had been tempered into a battle-hardened veteran.

Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong, for instance, had participated multiple times, and it was only thanks to the care of the Deputy Master and other elders that they barely managed to avoid several certain-death missions amidst the brutality of war. They now belonged to the Fourth Legion under the Third General, serving the Seventeenth Commander of the Imperial Capital's human army.

They were responsible for the defense line in this area.

At this moment, dusk had fallen. The lingering glow, stained by the distant black clouds, was a brownish hue, spilling onto the mountain path Xu Qing walked.

Xu Qing walked silently until he returned to the military camp built in a nearby valley.

There were hundreds of cultivators here, all from the original human forces of the western theater. Though not a huge number, it was still considerable, but there wasn't much sound emanating from them.

Everyone bore wounds. Some were healing, some meditating, some simply staring blankly.

And there were also bodies piled together, awaiting disposal and transport.

As Xu Qing approached, some of them looked up and gazed at him.

Among them were Sword Wielders, disciples from various sects, and former cultivators of the Scroll Office.

Xu Qing also looked at them, and they remained silent.

In a tent at the edge of the military camp, Xu Qing saw the Captain.

Though also disheveled and his armor was riddled with cracks, the Captain's spirits were high, and his body had long since healed.

He was currently squatting there, holding a black horn and biting it repeatedly, as if testing its toughness.

Beside him was a field pot burning with fire crystals, in which some meat stewed, emitting a fragrant aroma with gurgling sounds.

“Senior Brother, I’m back,” Xu Qing said as he entered the tent.

This tent was their shared dwelling.

Although the Seventh Imperial Son was very strict regarding the war zone, after a large number of Sword Wielders from the Zhijian Palace died in battle, the Deputy Master, along with all the Grand Elders of the Sword Wielder Court, petitioned the Imperial Son multiple times, eventually getting him to agree that sects where Sword Wielders resided and which had suffered heavy casualties could withdraw from the battlefield and return to their territories.

However, he only agreed to allow a portion to leave, and it had to be done in batches.

Thus, Seven Blood Eyes, whose Patriarch Xuelianzi was severely wounded and most of whose disciples had died or been injured, left the battlefield ten days ago as part of the fourth batch of sect forces.

The Captain, as a Sword Wielder, did not leave. He was originally responsible for another area adjacent to this one, but through his maneuvering, he was assigned to Xu Qing's location.

“I figured you’d be back around this time. Come on, Junior Brother, it’s time to eat!” The Captain turned to Xu Qing, let out a hearty laugh, and beckoned Xu Qing to the pot.

“Today during the day, I went to the Imperial Capital army’s camp and noticed they were eating well, so I took some. Also, I saw they managed to get a few Saint Clan war beasts.”

The Captain pointed to the pot.

“Want to try some?”

Xu Qing glanced at the Captain, extremely impressed by his ability to make friends.

Ever since the Imperial Capital army arrived, the Captain spent his days going to their camp, making many friends, and gathering a lot of information. Occasionally, he would even bring back nourishing provisions. Xu Qing raised his hand, grabbed a piece, and put it in his mouth.

The taste was indeed good, and after eating it, a warm sensation rose within his body, transforming into wisps of spiritual energy, nourishing his cultivation.

“Good, isn’t it?” The Captain grinned proudly, sat down, grabbed a piece for himself, and started eating, speaking as he ate.

“I heard from Old Kong that we’re going back in three days. It feels like forever since we’ve been back to the commandery capital. Those Dao Fruits we acquired, we should properly exchange them this time.”

“I inquired, and even in the Imperial Capital, that stuff is highly valued,” the Captain said, looking around, then lowered his voice.

“I also found out that the war in the Imperial Capital Region is still ongoing. The Black Heaven Clan launched a full-scale invasion this time, and other clans are stirring restlessly. Fenghai Commandery is the only place where humanity has achieved victory.”

“I heard that this victory here made many ambitious major clans around the Imperial Capital Region restrain themselves and choose to observe… This Seventh Imperial Son has become famous throughout the world with a single battle.”

“Also, I inquired and found that the Human Emperor has twelve sons and three daughters, but there is no struggle for succession. The Human Emperor employs thunderous methods and is in his prime. His personality is cold, and he is indifferent to familial affection. Everything is judged solely on whether it benefits the clan.”

“This can be seen from the Seventh Son who came this time. He doesn't seem to have any intention of returning to the Imperial Capital, and if you recall his actions since arriving, it's the rhythm of making Fenghai Commandery his personal territory.”

The Captain spoke meaningfully.

“This is a grand game of chess, and though I don’t know how the next moves will be played, the sky over Fenghai Commandery has already changed… So, Junior Brother, don’t be too stubborn. In this world, death is commonplace; living is what truly matters.”

“Just like this pot of meat; though it’s hard to stew, with enough time, it melts in your mouth. So, all the sorrow in this world, there’s nothing time cannot erase. And if there is, it just means the time hasn’t come yet.”

“Before the Old Ancestor went back, he also told me to cultivate diligently and not dwell on private affairs with women. He said, 'When your cultivation is high enough, what kind of women won't I have?' After pondering that statement, I still found it reasonable.”

“The same applies to Fenghai Commandery. If it’s not suitable for us, we’ll just leave. When we become strong later, won’t we just sweep through everything when we return? All the clans will line up to seek our allegiance.”

The Captain’s expression was arrogant. He grabbed a large piece of meat and placed it in Xu Qing’s hand.

Xu Qing held the meat, silently brought it to his mouth, and took bite after bite, chewing forcefully.

Meanwhile, at the moment the war between the Saint Clan and Fenghai Commandery was halted by the fires of the four prefectures, and the Saint Clan army had to temporarily suspend their invasion, the four Emperors of the Saint Clan were kneeling in the Saint Clan Ancestral Imperial Temple, located in the heart of their territory within a sacred land paved with white sand.

Before them was a seat crafted from special blood crystals.

A figure sat upon it, enshrouded in shadow, their entire form indistinct, their appearance unclear. Only wisps of black qi could be seen emanating from them, merging into the blood crystals as if purifying their bloodline.

“Ancestor, everything has been completed according to plan.”

“But the Black Heaven Clan seems to be suspicious.”

Below the seat, Emperor Hongling had already acquired a new physical body. Though his complexion was somewhat pale, as if his vital energy was still in a state of collapse, he spoke in a low voice.

Beside him, the three Emperors — Tianfeng, Yuewu, and Diling — each bowed their heads.

After a long silence without a response, Emperor Tianfeng spoke in a low voice.

“Ancestor, this time our Saint Clan suffered over thirty million casualties. Moreover, this Seventh Son of the Human Emperor is ruthless in his methods, resolute in character, and no ordinary individual. If the person cooperating with us… deceived us, or if the Seventh Imperial Son breaks the agreement…”

Emperor Tianfeng did not continue speaking, interrupted by Emperor Yuewu.

“Tianfeng, this is the Ancestral Emperor’s plan; we only need to complete it. Put away your thoughts.”

The other two Emperors showed no trace of emotion on their faces and remained silent.

After a long moment, from the blood crystal seat, the indistinct figure emitted an ancient, weathered voice.

“The four of you don’t need to probe anymore. I know you all have different intentions: some want to break free, some still somewhat consider themselves human, some are still coveting my position, and some want to find a stronger master. In the past, I didn’t bother with you, but this time, whoever dares to jeopardize my clan’s affairs, I will cut them down and replace them with another Emperor.”

The four Emperors bowed their heads.

“Hongling.”

Emperor Hongling’s expression became solemn.

“Your sacrifice this time was great, and the clan will compensate you. Though your Dao is severed, this old man will reconnect it for you!”

Emperor Hongling's body trembled, and he bowed deeply.

“As for your mention of the Black Heaven Clan’s suspicion,” the figure on the seat spoke in a hoarse voice, “that is something this old man informed the Black Heaven Clan of. After all, truth can only be hidden longer when concealed within another truth.” The four Emperors, upon hearing this, showed varying expressions.

“Tianfeng,” the hoarse voice echoed again.

Emperor Tianfeng took a deep breath, his expression solemn.

“This old man is aware of your concerns,” he continued. “However, that Seventh Imperial Son of the human race clearly intends to be a hero. After all, in the eyes of the world, no matter what he has done in the past, he ultimately caused thirty million deaths for our Saint Clan. As for how many humans died, or who died, no one will care.”

“The human race longs for heroes; they only see glorious figures. As for the internal rights and wrongs, outsiders will not care, apart from those directly involved. As for how many bones are buried in the shadows, no one will care, apart from the deceased’s families.”

“And in the future, according to the plan, he will be able to expand territory, setting a precedent for humanity that hasn’t been seen in tens of thousands of years. With such a grand accomplishment, even if more people die, who can utter a word of disapproval? A general’s success is built upon the bones of ten thousand soldiers.”

“Therefore, for him to become a hero of the human race, at least before he succeeds, he will never break the agreement and will smoothly deliver what we need.”

“As for you, for the future of our clan, it’s the same. Temporary sacrifices are unavoidable. Now that we have completed the first step of the plan, let us see how the person who bridged our side with the Seventh Imperial Son will play out the rest of this grand game of chess.”

“Most importantly, the method this person gave me is effective.”

“As you command!”

The four Emperors below felt a surge of excitement upon hearing this and respectfully prostrated themselves.