Chapter 2745: Advancing towards the Hundred Saint City
Afterwards, the sacrificial soldiers sent out for investigations all returned one by one, bringing back more and more information.
"The Hundred Saint City has already been sealed up, forbidding the entry of any outsiders. It's already been overrun by the Darkstar race now."
"A portion of the people stationed in the Hundred Saint City by the various clans managed to escape. The experts of the Darkstar race are currently hunting them down."
"The other independent cultivators from outside haven't been specially targeted by the Darkstar race. This time, the Darkstar race has only tried to slaughter our clans."
"The teleportation formations leading to outside within the Darkstar race have all been closed down. They're forbidding anyone from leaving."
"All thirty-six cities of the Darkstar race have made announcements to hunt down the people who escaped from the Hundred Saint City."
The pieces of news arrived one by one. Every single one of them was like a colossal mountain, weighing on the hearts of the prodigies, almost to the point where they struggled to breathe.
They originally thought it was just a small conflict, a small skirmish, that could be settled very quickly once they had arrived. However, they never thought the situation would be so severe. They had actually become enemies of the entire Darkstar race.
There was no space at all for them to remain within the vast world of the Darkstar race.
"Zi Xiaoji!" At this moment, a cry filled with surprise and shock rang out. A few Godking sacrificial soldiers arrived while carrying several dozen dishevelled outsiders in tattered clothes.
A prodigy among the crowd who had remained extremely discreet the entire time immediately shuddered and shot up from the ground, swiftly receiving the approaching group.
"Young master Hao Ran! Young master Hao Chen!" In the next moment, the prodigy was overjoyed, rushing over emotionally, arriving in front of two pale-faced young men who were clearly injured in the end.
"Zi Xiaoji greets the two young masters." In the end, under the stunned gazes of the prodigies, he bowed deeply towards the two Godkings before him.
"Hao Ran? Hao Chen? Aren't they direct descendants of the Hao family?" Uncertainty flashed through the eyes of many prodigies. Afterwards, their gazes towards Hao Ran and Hao Chen became cautious as well.
The Hao family was a renowned, powerful clan across the entire Saints' World. Even the tremendous clans behind these prodigies that they took pride in were afraid of offending the Hao family.
"Zi Xiaoji, you can spare the formalities. Has the clan received our request for reinforcements, which was why they sent you all here?" Hao Ran helped up Zi Xiaoji. He glanced past the many figures in the mist emotionally.
Zi Xiaoji nodded, "Young masters, the outside world has already learned about what happened within the World of the Fallen Beast. The many clans have already banded together, basically using up all of their Hundred Tribulations Godkings Pills to nurture large numbers of sacrificial soldiers, which they have sent into the World of the Fallen Beast."
"Good, good, good. That's just fantastic. The people trapped in the Hundred Saint City finally can be saved." Hao Ran was deeply moved. He arrived before the prodigies with a quick stride and said sternly, "Everyone, some of you might know me, but the situation right now is extremely disastrous, so we don't have the time to catch up. There are still many of our people trapped in the Hundred Saint City right now, and the seventh hall master has already ordered for their execution, so we can't waste any time at all. We need to save them immediately and take back the Hundred Saint City which belongs to us."
"Brother Hao Ran, how are we supposed to oppose the entire Darkstar race with our power? Even if we take back the Hundred Saint City, we won't be able to protect it from being taken again. After all, the Darkstar race has many Primordial realm experts," Guang Wanhua of the Scarlet Light clan said in a troubled manner. Clearly, he was an old acquaintance of Hao Ran and Hao Chen.
"The situation's not as severe as you've all imagined it to be. We haven't become enemies with the entire Darkstar race yet. They only purposefully targeted us after the seventh hall master took control. As long as we take back the Hundred Saint City, we'll be able to handle the seventh hall master. After all, it's not like we don't have arrangements of our own after all these years of operating among the Darkstar race," Hao Chen said sternly.
"Are you counting on the two vice hall masters from the ninth and tenth divine halls? If they could be relied on, the Hundred Saint City would have never been taken like this." He Qianqian said suddenly. Many of the prodigies had been provided with top secret information for their trip into the World of the Fallen Beast this time, so it would make their operations among the Darkstar race easier.
This included the members of the upper echelon within the Darkstar race that had been bribed by the Hundred Saint City. Among the ninth and tenth divine halls, they each had a vice hall master that secretly supported the Hundred Saint City.
Although the governing group of the Darkstar race changed with each millennium and the nine other divine halls could not interfere during that period, a vice hall master still possessed some weight within the Darkstar race. Even if they could not directly interfere with the process, what they said could influence the ruler's decision to a certain degree.
"We can't blame them either, because the seventh divine hall's moved just too quickly. Coupled with our insufficient strength within the Hundred Saint City, we lost the city very quickly, and we've lose our right to have a say in this matter without the Hundred Saint City. But it's different now. With everyone's support, our strength has reached a point where we can no longer be ignored. Once we take back the Hundred Saint City and unleash the might of the city, we'll be able to last a few months even against the attacks of the seventh divine hall."
"By then, the vice hall masters of the ninth and tenth divine halls can help us out, and we'll have a chance at getting through this. Moreover, even if the plan fails, we can just rely on the teleportation formations in the Hundred Saint City to leave the Darkstar World, as long as the city is in our possession," Hao Ran analysed in detail.
"Everyone, you've just emerged from the Two World Mountains, so you probably don't understand the current situation within the Darkstar race. The Darkstar race has sealed off all teleportation formations leading to the entrance of the Spirits' World now. The only way for us to leave is through the Hundred Saint City. The Hundred Saint City is our only path of retreat." Another Godking stood forward from behind Hao Ran and Hao Chen. He came from another clan and had rendezvoused with the Hao family in the Two World Mountains.
"If that's the case, let's set off immediately and take back the Hundred Saint City!" Jin Hong called out, immediately making his decision.
No one objected to Jin Hong. None of the prodigies that had just crossed through the depths of the Two World Mountains wanted to go back through there. The Hundred Saint City was their only safe way out of here now, so they had to take it back.
Afterwards, the large group organised itself. The representatives of the group of people hidden in divine halls had been called out by Jin Hong as well. Everyone formed several dozen groups, arranging themselves in various kinds of formations and quickly advancing towards the Hundred Saint City whilst maintaining their orderly manner.
In the World of Soul Destruction, Jian Chen slowly opened his eyes as he sat on the ground. He looked at the two god artifacts that radiated with a slight pressure as they hovered in front of him. He smiled in satisfaction.
"I've finally refined them. The sword doesn't suit me as well as the Nine Star Sword of Heavenly Ways, but my battle prowess will increase slightly yet again with it," Jian Chen murmured. With a thought, the two floating god artifacts turned into two streaks of light and vanished into his body.
"However, I need to wear the god artifact armour constantly. Although I can disguise myself as Kun Tian, it'll only be my appearance. I can't change what's inside me. Once I bleed, I'll be exposed. My blood's different from the blood of the Darkstar race," Jian Chen thought. The armour that he had just refined immediately appeared and enveloped his entire body, such that only his eyes remained exposed.
Afterwards, he began to pace around in the Land of Soul Destruction. Only after a final, careful check and confirmation thst he had not left behind too many traces or any traces that might give him away did he make his way towards the entrance.
When he approached the entrance, his energy suddenly surged. The power of the Laws of the Sword gathered on him, attacking the surroundings randomly. Immediately, deafening booms rang through the quiet Land of Soul Destruction once more.
As Jian Chen attacked the surroundings aimlessly, he flew towards the outskirts. When he left the Land of Soul Destruction, his presence suddenly erupted, sweeping through the surroundings like a violent tidal wave. Even sharper and more powerful Laws of the Sword condensed, producing a great explosion around him, as if he was blowing up the sky.
The sky rumbled as the earth tremored. Jian Chen displayed his strength fearlessly, creating a devastating disturbance that spread far and wide.
In the end, after wreaking havoc to the surroundings with his sword Qi, Jian Chen tottered and just collapsed on the ground, eyes shut and unconscious.
At the same time, the seventh hall master just happened to be sitting on his throne with his eyes shut in the distant capital city. He seemed to be cultivating.
Suddenly, he snapped open his eyes and his figure immediately vanished from the throne, appearing outside the divine hall. His deep eyes gazed in the direction of the Land of Soul Destruction in surprise.
"Is that presence Kun Tian's?" Uncertainty flashed through his eyes as his face rapidly sank.
At the same time, figures also emerged silently from the other divine halls. They all looked in the direction of the Land of Soul Destruction as their faces all changed.
"It's the hall master. It has to be the hall master. The hall master's broken through." From the fifth divine hall, the three vice hall masters emerged outside. Every single one of them were overjoyed, flying towards the Land of Soul Destruction eagerly.