Chapter 201: The Wild Guess!
Chapter 201: The Wild Guess!
As Young Master Ma was fleeing, he failed to notice the figure hidden in the void space just over ten miles away beside him.
“Master, what should we do? The backups you prepared earlier don’t seem to be working!”
When Azure Dragon saw the sudden appearance of the black cloud in the sky, he naturally understood that the measures Tang Jinbiao had laid out previously were now ineffective.
Although their relationship was somewhat complicated, he was still eager to see just what kind of scheme Tang Jinbiao had woven.
Regarding the current events, even though Azure Dragon had once been a Demon Emperor, he found the situation utterly bewildering and hazy.
He couldn’t fathom what Tang Jinbiao had discovered. If things were truly as he said now, with the emergence of the Red Worm from the Rainbow Seven-Colored Insect, what would that mean for the situation?
“It’s fine. Those were merely decoys. Since they failed, then they failed. No need to dwell on it. What I rely on isn’t those! Ah Huang, did you figure it out? What exactly is Young Master Ma’s origin?”
Although Jinbiao felt some resentment in his heart, there was nothing he could do. After all, man proposes but heaven disposes. Besides, planning is up to man; achieving depends on heaven. Failure wasn’t a big deal—at least he hadn’t lost anything substantial.
Of course, those were not Jinbiao’s ultimate trump card. What his greatest trump was, he knew clearly, and Azure Dragon could likely guess, though the dragon hadn’t pinpointed it just yet.
“I have no idea,” said Ah Huang. “But Young Master Ma gives me an exceedingly peculiar feeling—like an implacable foe, yet also like the very closest of kin!”
Azure Dragon shook his massive dog-like head and spoke with confusion.
“Ah Huang, have you ever heard a legend?”
Tang Jinbiao’s face revealed no expression as he spoke calmly.
“A legend?”
Azure Dragon was taken aback, looking very puzzled.
“Yes, a legend. Legend has it that a hundred thousand years ago, the Divine Wind Continent’s structure was different from what it is today. Especially this Suzhou region, which bore enormous differences from its present state. Then, in a single night, the vast Hundred Thousand Mountains arrived as if fallen from the sky, appearing in Suzhou. It spanned from east to west, cleaving north and south apart. Over time, the Southern Faction and the Northern Faction emerged within Suzhou!”
Jinbiao recalled back when Tang Yilin had spoken to him about the division of forces in Suzhou, casually mentioning some history regarding the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
At this moment, Jinbiao seemed to grasp something, though the logic wasn’t entirely clear yet. One point still eluded him. If he could solve that, everything from his transmigration to the present could be fully explained. Plus, he needed to confirm one other matter.
“Hmm, this I truly did not know,” said Azure Dragon. “After all, I was confined within the Azure Dragon Pool near the Tang Family. It wasn’t until later that Old Charlatan Huang Biaozi— no, it was Great Immortal Huang…”
Azure Dragon naturally hadn’t heard any of it. Ever since his fall from the Demon Realm, he had hidden himself away to undergo Nirvana. He had finally managed to escape into the world, only to end up in this sorrowful state.
One could say Azure Dragon was quite pitiable.
“Hmm, it’s fine. Since you don’t know, forget it. I think I’ve guessed Young Master Ma’s identity, though some details still evade me! Ah Huang, follow Young Master Ma closely. Be careful—don’t let him detect you!”
Azure Dragon noticed his slip of the tongue and wanted to explain, but Tang Jinbiao disregarded it and changed the subject instead.
“Understood, Master! Rest assured, I excel at stealth and tracking. You needn’t worry about that!”
Realizing Jinbiao wasn’t holding him to account, Azure Dragon’s heart eased slightly, and he silently began following Young Master Ma’s trail.
“Master, just now you said the Hundred Thousand Mountains arrived from the heavens a hundred thousand years ago?”
However, after moving a short distance, Azure Dragon seemed to remember something and asked, slightly shocked.
“Yes. If my guess is correct, the Hundred Thousand Mountains are likely a Dragon Vein.”
Tang Jinbiao nodded silently and spoke calmly. Of course, this was merely Jinbiao’s speculation, based on the vague feeling Azure Dragon had described.
BOOM!
With those words, a shock ran through Azure Dragon’s mind. He seemed to clutch at a terrifying idea, exclaiming involuntarily: “Could that Young Master Ma be…”
“Hehe, as long as you know! If this succeeds, I promise not only to unlock your second Seal within three years but also to grant you a great fortune!”
A sinister smile crept across Tang Jinbiao’s lips. The Azure Dragon had also guessed it; lacking a Spirit Eye, there were still things it couldn’t perceive.
However, Tang Jinbiao had seen them. He had seen them from the very first moment he met Young Master Ma, though at the time, he hadn’t understood what he was seeing. Now, after the Azure Dragon’s explanation, he had the answer. Moreover, he intended to use this answer to tackle an even greater test. If he succeeded, Tang Jinbiao would become the genuine Tang Jinbiao. If he failed… well, it would just mean starting over.
“This… this?”
After receiving Tang Jinbiao’s promise, the Azure Dragon was left speechless, utterly shaken.
The implications were terrifying. If the entire Hundred Thousand Mountains were formed from the corpse of a dragon, just how colossal must it have been? How immensely powerful must that dragon have been in life?
The Azure Dragon couldn’t fathom it; it didn’t even dare try. This was utterly beyond its comprehension. Even at its most powerful, when it took on its complete dragon form, it measured only thirty thousand meters. Thirty thousand meters was already unimaginably vast. Yet now, Tang Jinbiao’s words left the Azure Dragon utterly stupefied.
“Ah Huang, follow me. I won’t let you down. Didn’t you once yearn to reach the Third-Step, to ascend to the Divine Realm? Now, if you follow me faithfully—if you devote yourself wholeheartedly—I promise you this: Within ten thousand years, I will lead you to ascend to the Divine Realm!”
Tang Jinbiao sensed the Azure Dragon’s shock. He wasn’t surprised; rather, he felt this was the Azure Dragon’s appropriate reaction.
What would his former companions think if they saw Tang Jinbiao now? What expressions would they wear?
Because the Tang Jinbiao now had changed. He had become a stranger. Or perhaps, even Tang Jinbiao himself felt like a stranger?
“Alright, Master! Ah Huang agrees! As long as you can elevate Ah Huang to a Three-Step Great Power, Ah Huang will obey you in everything! Wherever you command, Ah Huang will go without hesitation—through water and through fire!”
Although the Azure Dragon struggled to believe Tang Jinbiao’s words, instinct screamed that obeying him was the right choice. It had to be.
“Hmm, I must listen to him. Yes, undoubtedly. That’s how it must be. Not to mention, Huang Biaozi backs him…”
The Azure Dragon engaged in relentless self-persuasion, reinforcing its own conviction.
“Huang Biaozi! Huang Biaozi! That’s right! There’s Huang Biaozi! That Old Charlatan, Huang Biaozi! Master surely can do it! With Huang Biaozi backing him, Master will be absolutely fine! That’s it! That must be it! I’ll stake everything! My own tens of millions of years of arduous struggle pales before Master’s divine stratagem!”
The moment Huang Biaozi came to mind, a jolt shot through the Azure Dragon’s thoughts. It instantly recalled: Huang Biaozi was the one behind the scenes! So what if the current Tang Jinbiao was merely a Third-tier Body Refiner? So what if he seemed unaccomplished? What did that matter?
He had the support of the most formidable God-King in the Divine Realm! With a figure like Huang Biaozi as his backer, what was there to fear?
Of course, if the Azure Dragon truly knew Tang Jinbiao’s innermost thoughts, it might not feel so confident!
“Ah Huang, we need to catch up quickly, or we’ll lose him!”
Tang Jinbiao seemed to read the Azure Dragon’s mind. A wry smile played on his lips as he looked towards the nearly vanished figure of Young Master Ma on the horizon and gave the order.
“At once, Master!”
The Azure Dragon dared not hesitate. Responding promptly, it redoubled its efforts, pushing onward with even greater desperation.
…
In the opposite direction, three hundred li beyond the Spirit Annihilation Array, a Cloud-Soaring Chariot about three meters in length sped through the air at incredible velocity, hurtling toward the Spirit Annihilation Array.
At the very front of the chariot stood a woman clad entirely in black robes. Her hair was coiled high, resembling a dark cloud. Her figure was breathtakingly graceful, her face delicately sculpted and exquisitely beautiful. Her large eyes sparkled with life and clarity, like immense gemstones.
She should have been a woman of stunning beauty, yet her eyes now held no emotion at all, only deep coldness. An expression like frigid ice clung to her face, forbidding and unapproachable. The aura of a Mid Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator radiated from her, imposing enough to ward off approach. An almost intangible resentment seemed to linger around her, intensifying the chilling aura she projected.
Had Tang Jinbiao been present, he would have instantly recognized this ice-cold beauty as none other than the “Tsundere Woman” he frequently mentioned: Tang Yilin.
Behind Tang Yilin, Tang Feng gazed at her with a mixture of worship and fervent excitement, as if beholding a savior.
Meanwhile, Li Qing and Ma Hong stood silently at the very stern of the Cloud-Soaring Chariot, too intimidated to approach closer. Tang Yilin’s imposing presence seemed to cause them considerable discomfort.
“Senior Tang, at most half an hour more, and we’ll arrive. Do you have any plans for what to do beforehand?”
At that moment, Tang Feng glanced at an object resembling a compass disk in his hand. Discovering they were drawing closer and closer to the Spirit Annihilation Array, a mix of nervousness and fear rose within him, yet it was intertwined with anticipation. Unable to restrain himself, he asked.
“Mhm.”
However, Tang Yilin did not answer him. She merely gave a noncommittal “Mhm,” her eyes still fixed without emotion in that direction.
“Senior Tang, I’ve heard that in just a few short years, you advanced from the Late Foundation Building Stage to your current cultivation level. Is it true?”
Tang Feng pressed on, undeterred.
“Mhm.”
Tang Yilin still said nothing, offering only another “Mhm.”
“Hehe!”
Finally realizing he was being completely ignored, an expression of awkwardness surfaced on Tang Feng’s face, and he chuckled dryly, “Hehe.”
“Senior Brother Tang!”
At that moment, Ma Hong and Li Qing, standing at the stern of the vessel, called out to Tang Feng in hushed voices.
“Me?”
Hearing their call, Tang Feng turned to look at the two.
Although cultivators could use sound transmission, Tang Yilin, being a Nascent Soul Cultivator, could easily overhear their whispers if she chose to listen, likely causing her displeasure. Thus, for most cultivators, when in the presence of someone vastly more powerful, it was generally safer to speak openly than to risk using sound transmission.
“Yes, Senior Brother Tang, come over here. We have something to say to you!”
Ma Hong and Li Qing beckoned Tang Feng over.
Tang Feng walked over, a slight frown forming on his brow as he asked with some confusion, “What is it?”
“Senior Brother Tang, haven’t you heard? That Tang Yilin isn’t only a peerless genius, she’s also a bloodthirsty, ruthless demon!”
Once Tang Feng was close enough, Ma Hong and Li Qing whispered conspiratorially.
Even as they spoke, they kept a wary eye on Tang Yilin’s expression. Only after confirming she truly was ignoring them did they dare continue.
“I have. I heard she slew a Level 7 Demon Beast while still at the Core Formation Stage and even secretly schemed with those Instructors to assassinate a Nascent Soul Cultivator from the Northern Faction!”
Tang Feng paused, slightly confused. He naturally knew some of the rumors about Tang Yilin.
“Senior Brother Tang, I think you must be bewitched! That Tang Yilin might be beautiful, but she’s absolutely a man-eating flower! Haven’t you heard? Wei Wuya, after offending her some time ago, was recently assassinated!”
The slightly plumper Li Qing stared at Tang Feng as if he were an alien.
“Hmm, I did hear about that,” Tang Feng said after a moment’s thought. “It seems connected to our Tang Family, doesn’t it? Otherwise, why would Jia Longwu lead such a large force into the Hundred Thousand Mountains? On the surface, it’s to support the war effort for human cultivators, but really, she’s probably here to avenge her fiancé.”
“It’s his aura!”
Just at that moment, however, Tang Yilin, standing at the front, abruptly turned. Her cold eyes glowed with a faint excitement as they fixed her gaze dead ahead…