Chapter 1846: Symbol Types

“Emperor Yong is truly not dead?”

“He’s back?”

Everyone gasped in unison. They had heard Liu Yang say it before, and some still harbored doubts, but now, all skepticism vanished. Emperor Yong truly wasn't dead, which meant Emperor Chen Ling's words were false. The truth was, he had colluded with humans to murder the royal family, an unforgivable crime!

“Let's go quickly!”

Everyone was stunned, and Liu Yang was filled with joy. Others didn't know, but he had already met with Emperor Yong and his teacher beforehand, aware of their preparations. They had united all possible forces. Their arrival now indicated that a team capable of resisting the Spirit Emperor had been organized, ready to reclaim power.

Unable to hold back any longer, he flew straight towards the city. Seeing their leader advance, the others dared not hesitate and followed closely.

It didn't take long before they arrived at the center of the royal city, at the sacrificial ground. A tall platform pierced the clouds, and blood flowed down its surrounding stairs, staining them a vivid red and giving off an eerie aura. Flags were planted along the circular staircase, fluttering loudly in the wind. The sky was overcast, enveloped by a massive vortex, within which immense power seemed to gather, threatening to surge down at any moment.

Emperor Chen Ling floated above the platform, allowing violent air currents to swirl around his body. Below the platform, a dense mass of kneeling Otherworldly Demonic Tribe members seemed to have lost consciousness, utterly motionless. There were tens of thousands of them, apparently being sacrificed with their lives.

Above them lay countless treasures: medicinal herbs, ores... an innumerable collection. These were precisely the items Zhang Xuan had previously identified while disguised as Wu Tao.

“Chen Ling, you allied with humanity to ambush me, abandoning all honor and trust. You massacred our people for sacrifice, destroying the foundation laid by our ancestors! Today is the day you die!”

Across from Emperor Chen Ling, Emperor Chen Yong floated quietly, his eyes widening in rage at the sight of countless corpses and blood covering the ground. He had known this guy was insane, but he never expected such a degree of madness. Colluding with humans to kill him might have been one thing, but directly seizing one hundred thousand tribesmen for sacrifice... His crimes were too numerous to count!

“Kill me? You, alone?” Emperor Chen Ling sneered coldly, his eyes filled with contempt. Had it been the Emperor Yong of before, he might have been wary. But now, gravely wounded and on the verge of death, barely clinging to life himself, yet still thinking of killing others... Dream on!

“What about us?”

Whoosh! The wind howled as several figures suddenly appeared: Ancient Sage Mo Ling, Ancient Sage Huo Xu, and others.

“Mo Ling, you traitorous wretch...” The Spirit Emperor squinted, then looked back at Emperor Chen Yong: “Emperor Yong, you've allied with him, but you probably don't know that he played a significant role in bringing about your current predicament, did you?” If Ancient Sage Mo Ling hadn't contacted the experts from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, Emperor Yong wouldn't have been harmed in the slightest by him alone.

“Do you think it's useful to try and sow discord between us now?” Emperor Yong scoffed. Ancient Sage Mo Ling had indeed helped the other party before, but now that he followed their young master and they stood on a unified front, bickering held no meaning. Furthermore, his greatest enemy was now the Spirit Emperor. Killing him would bring peace even in death.

“Sowing discord?” The Spirit Emperor was about to continue speaking when he spotted a massive sacred beast not far away, his expression darkening further: “Ancient Sage Huo Xu, back then, Emperor Yong drove your tribe from your homeland. Your hatred is irreconcilable. Do you really intend to ally with him? If you help me, not only will I coexist peacefully with you, but your Sacred Beast Tribe's former dwelling place will be fully returned, and I'll even compensate you for your losses over the years...”

One Ancient Sage Mo Ling was no big deal, not frightening, but with Huo Xu added, things became tricky. Ancient Sage Huo Xu's true combat power was no weaker, possibly even stronger, than the Spirit Emperor's during his prime, second only to Emperor Chen Yong. If Huo Xu charged now, given the Spirit Emperor's severe injuries, he would certainly be no match.

“I've said it before, the Sacred Beast Tribe has its pride. If an alliance with you were possible, I would have agreed long ago!” Ancient Sage Huo Xu waved his paw. In fact, even before Emperor Chen Yong sought him out, the Spirit Emperor had come to him several times, only to be immediately thrown out each time.

His face fell, and the Spirit Emperor narrowed his eyes. He had originally thought that even if Emperor Chen Yong, in his severely injured state, could rally some forces, they would be nothing more than weaklings and no cause for concern. He never expected Ancient Sage Mo Ling to openly betray him, and Ancient Sage Huo Xu to directly pledge allegiance... It would have been unthinkable before. How did he manage it?

“Emperor Yong, you certainly have some capabilities, more formidable than I imagined. However... with just you all, you won't be able to kill me!” Knowing further talk was pointless, Emperor Chen Ling exhaled, regaining his confidence. “All of you, come out now!”

Whoosh! As his words ended, the numerous Ancient Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe whom Zhang Xuan had previously encountered in the Spirit Emperor's palace flew over simultaneously, lining up in a neat row and radiating powerful auras. These were the very kings from before.

“Something's not right...” Emperor Chen Yong and Ancient Sage Mo Ling exchanged glances, their expressions tightening as they looked at the figures. Previously, these individuals had helped the Spirit Emperor out of mutual benefit, and their so-called alliance was not strong. But now, they stood steadfastly around him, seemingly ready to charge forward without hesitation if anyone advanced. Since when were these people so loyal?

“They've been controlled...” Zhang Xuan's brow furrowed, his expression turning serious. Given his research into souls, he could naturally tell that although these individuals still possessed their own consciousness, they had been taken control of, becoming something akin to puppets. If it were merely an alliance, threats, inducements, and reasoning could shatter it. But puppets only obey orders... That would not be so easy! It could very well be a fierce battle!

“Controlling puppets with souls? This... How is this possible?” Ancient Sage Mo Ling couldn't believe it. He had spent his entire life studying spirits and had comprehended souls to their very core, yet controlling an Ancient Sage... was still an impossible feat for him. To see someone control so many Ancient Sages, none weaker than himself, was truly unbelievable, even when witnessed firsthand.

“It's the Talisman Seed!” Remembering something, Emperor Chen Yong's body stiffened, and he gritted his teeth.

“Talisman Seed?” Strange looks appeared in the eyes of Zhang Xuan and the others. This item was unknown not only to him but also to Ancient Sage Huo Xu, Ancient Sage Mo Ling, and the others.

“It's something left behind by an Immortal Envoy expert. It can be planted inside the body, and once activated, even an Ancient Sage must obey commands unconditionally. Otherwise, the Talisman Seed will explode, leading to certain death!” Emperor Chen Yong explained.

“Immortal Envoy?”

“Back then, after my grandfather was killed in the decisive battle with Master Kong, our tribesmen were living precariously, constantly at risk of annihilation. So, we offered sacrifices to the heavens, incurring countless costs, and invited an Immortal Envoy expert from the Firmament. To control the situation, that individual planted these seeds in every Ancient Sage, and my father also had one planted!” Emperor Chen Yong explained: “Later, the Immortal Envoy was captured by Master Kong, and the Talisman Seed's effect vanished. Only then were we spared. Otherwise, the royal family of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe might have been completely wiped out back then.”