After a long moment of contemplation, Ancient Sage Yan Qing turned around and asked, “What do you suggest then?”
“It’s very simple. Not only must we not allow Sovereign Chen Yong to die, we should also help him recover from his injuries. After that, we should take him back to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and help him exact vengeance! Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing might be weaker than him, but as two of the Three Sovereigns, it would be naive to assume that we would be able to deal with them easily… If we can turn this into an internal strife among the Otherworldly Demons, mankind will be granted some breathing space, and perhaps, an opportunity that we can exploit will arise!” Zhang Xuan said.
They were speaking through telepathic communication, and Ancient Sage Yan Qing had also isolated space in advance. As such, Sovereign Chen Yong was unable to listen to the contents of their conversation.
“Sovereign Chen Yong is currently filled with hatred for the other two Sovereigns who have betrayed him. He will probably think of murdering them even in his dreams. If we can make use of this opportunity to get him to sign a non-aggression agreement with us, it will be to our benefit to have him re-establish control over the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!” Zhang Xuan continued.
“There’s some sense to what he’s saying!” Zhang Hongtian nodded in agreement.
Since it was possible for them to sign an agreement with Sovereign Chen Ling, there was no reason that they could not sign an agreement with Sovereign Chen Yong.
Given Sovereign Chen Yong’s influence in the clan, if he agreed to work with them, it was likely that the effects would be far better.
“You are right. It’s true that we should indeed spare Sovereign Chen Yong for the time being. However, there are some matters that I think you have failed to consider in your plans!” Ancient Sage Yan Qing said.
“Firstly, once Sovereign Chen Yong recovers, his strength will far surpass ours. If he turns against us, the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers will barely be able to defend ourselves. Secondly, he’s extremely skilled in warfare. Furthermore, he has fought with the forces of mankind for many years and has even snuck into the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters before, so he has a very clear idea of our military might. If we spare him, he could potentially become the greatest threat to mankind!
“Last but not least, the injuries that we have sustained are simply too great. We don’t have sufficient Aeon of Ancient Sage to support us, and our lifespans are reaching their limit. We won’t be able to protect mankind for much longer…”
In truth, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had also considered such a possibility. They knew that ambushing Sovereign Chen Yong would not solve the matter once and for all, and greater trouble could arise due to it.
However, they did not see any other path.
Ten thousand years ago, when the Aeon of Ancient Sage vanished from the world, the human Ancient Sage cultivators could only go into hibernation in order to protect whatever they had for as long as possible.
In other words, of their group, even the youngest Zhang Hongtian was already 10,500 years old. If they did not sustain injuries that were too severe, they might still be able to live for a while longer. However, given the current states that they were in, it was likely that they would only be able to fight two more good battles before finally meeting their end.
To make matters worse, they had failed to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. It could be said that mankind was in its weakest state in the past tens of thousands of years.
There was no doubt that Sovereign Chen Yong was far more capable than the other two Sovereigns, both in terms of fighting prowess and military warfare. Mankind might be in its weakened state, but it would at least stand a chance with those two as its opponents. If they let Sovereign Chen Yong off, it could very well spell their doom.
The expressions of the Ancient Sages in the area turned livid as they lowered their heads.
It could not be helped that the lifespan of mankind could not come close to matching that of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. These were the cards that mankind had been dealt, and they could only try to make the best out of it.
With the limitations of their lifespans and the absence of Aeon of Ancient Sage… so long as they were unable to produce newer Ancient Sages steadily, it would only be a matter of time before they were slowly ground to death.
“This is a very simple problem,” Zhang Xuan said. “I can just plant an irresolvable lethal poison in his body. If he dares to renege the promise that we have made and attacks mankind, that poison will ensure his death. The other two Sovereigns will already be dead by then, so mankind won’t be in so much danger even if mankind doesn’t have any Ancient Sages remaining then. Furthermore, Yang shi has just made a breakthrough, and it was likely that more Ancient Sages will emerge in time. There’s no need to worry too much about security!”
Even though the Canvas of Four Seasons contained the Aeon of Ancient Sage, there was a limit to how much was in there. It might not even be enough for his parents, himself, and his disciples to achieve breakthroughs, so it was not convenient for him to share it with others.
“What kind of poison could still be effective on Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators?” Ancient Sage Yan Qing was stunned.
Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators were able to create a new life through even just a droplet of blood. Be it their physical body or soul, they were already completely free of impurities, thus making it nigh impossible to afflict them with poison.
Were there still poisons in the world which could affect experts of such caliber?
“You need not worry about that. Since I’ve made such a claim, it goes without saying that I am confident!” Zhang Xuan chuckled softly.
Ordinary poison would indeed be ineffective against experts of Sovereign Chen Yong’s caliber, but the Heaven’s Path zhenqi was extremely fine and could dive into any single part of the body. If needed, it could even divide itself and hide in every single droplet of blood in a cultivator’s body, thus making it extremely difficult to guard against it.
With zhenqi that could destroy their vitality within their body, even Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators would have a huge headache trying to cope with it.
As long as they were unable to rid themselves of it, they would forever be controlled by it.
There was a moment of silence before Ancient Sage Yan Qing finally relented with a nod. “We are willing to believe in you, and we can deal with Sovereign Chen Yong as you have suggested. However, don’t you think that you owe mankind an explanation as well?”
“Me?”
“You brought the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe’s Spirit God into the Prime Hall, allowing her to successfully assimilate the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, thus causing this opportunity to slip through the fingers of mankind. It’ll be impossible for you to keep this matter under wraps, and the escaped Sovereign Chen Ling and the others have already started spreading the news around. If you don’t offer an explanation, all of the master teachers and humans in the world would view you as an outsider. You will find no place for yourself within the Master Teacher Pavilion anymore!” Ancient Sage Yan Qing said.
Zhang Xuan fell silent.
He had been unaware that Luo Ruoxin’s true identity was the Spirit God. However, there was no one in the world who would believe or accept such an explanation.
The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was the ultimate treasure that Kong shi had left behind for the later generations, but it had ended up being obtained by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Just because of that, it would be impossible for others to forgive him.
Once the news spread, it could be foreseen that the master teachers and humans all over the world would begin viewing him in hostility. No matter how he tried to explain himself, he would be an outcast.
To have the Spirit God as one’s girlfriend… there was no one who would believe that he was completely unaffiliated with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!
Even if he could explain everything perfectly to them, they would only question him on the things he had not done. He had grabbed Luo Ruoxin’s hand back then, so why did he not snatch the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn back from her?
No matter how great a contribution he had made in the past, this was an error fatal enough to turn him into the sworn enemy of the whole of mankind. He was already cornered, and it was unlikely that he would be able to make a comeback.
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan spoke resolutely. “I’ll give the Master Teacher Pavilion and the world a satisfactory explanation!”
“That would be for the best…” Seeing that the young man had caught his drift, Ancient Sage Yan Qing nodded before falling silent.
He could not be bothered to make a move on a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator.
Zhang Xuan drove his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into Sovereign Chen Yong’s body and concealed it all around. At the same time, he took out some pills to help him recover from his injuries.
However, the injuries that Sovereign Chen Yong had incurred were simply too heavy, such that it had shaken his very foundation and longevity. Ordinary pills were not of much use to him.
“Thank you for saving my life, Young Master… Death is no longer something that scares me, but before I meet my end, I must drag those two down with me!”
Sovereign Chen Yong did not know the content of their conversation, but he knew that it was Zhang Xuan who had pleaded on his behalf. Thus, he stood up and clasped his fist in gratitude.
He had not paid too much heed to Sovereign Chen Ling and Sovereign Chen Xing in the past, but who could have known that it would be his greatest ever blunder?
Since he was able to return alive, he was determined to make them suffer his wrath and pay the price for their actions.
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony!” Zhang Xuan replied.
Following which, he looked at Sovereign Chen Yong questioningly and asked, “What’s your relationship with Vicious?”
