1935 - 1944
Chapter 1935: Setting Off
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
Tang Mei watched Zhang Tie in a daze as she didn't understand why Zhang Tie became so excited.
Zhang Tie indeed had not been such excited for a long time. However, he couldn't control his mood at this moment; because he had figured out the origin of the war between deities and the conflicts between humans and demons.
Zhang Tie was still muttering with excitement as he almost danced with joy, "According to the records, Gong Gong hit Buzhou Mountain and shattered it, causing the sky to tilt towards the northwest and the Earth to tilt towards the southeast. As a result, the sun, moon and stars moved towards the northwest and water flowed towards the southeast. The war between Gong Gong and Zhu Rong was actually not the war between water deity and fire deity, but the war between two incompatible groups originated from the same race. In the beginning, Buzhou Mountain was built on the north magnetic pole, also the rotation axis of the Earth. After Buzhou Mountain was damaged, the two magnetic poles of the Earth altered together with the rotation axis. Therefore, people could see the sun, moon and stars moving towards the same direction…"
Additionally, at this moment, Zhang Tie finally understood why Satan in western legends was a serpent, why dragon which had the features of reptiles symbolized evil in the west, why the combination of demons and humans could lead to hybrids, why Adam and Eva would degenerate after eating fruits in the Eden in the Holy Bible and why Hua people took Nvwa and Fuxi as the forebears of Hua people…
Deities and demons shared the same origin!
The pulp that gurgled out of the ground divided the same batch of deities into two utterly different camps, gods and demons. From then on, humans had turned utterly hostile against demons. The conflicts between humans and demons also lasted for numerous years.
Unexpectedly, the real history and truth were such absurd; perhaps even those deities who arrived at this world had not imagined that they could walk on two utterly different roads because they had eaten different parts of the yummy pulp.
A far-ancient version of "A bloody case aroused by a steamed bun"?
Zhang Tie wanted to laugh; however, he finally didn't do it.
'The origin of all these is the pulp that gurgled out of the ground?'
'No, it's people's heart which caused all these. It's because of people's heart which discerns beauty, ugliness, kindness and evil. It's greed, envy, hatred and hostility in people's hearts which caused all these.'
Even though there was no pulp, as long as those deities could discern things and have these demonic thoughts, they could never avoid disputes and casualties. Such disputes and casualties would happen between brothers, in the same clan or the same race due to issues of profits and contradictions, not to mention between different races.
According to the records, when demons disappeared and Three-Eye Association didn��t spread over humans, humans were still not in peace as humans were still fighting and killing each other and troubled with a lot of issues.
Even though in the intervals between those holy wars between humans and demons, were there fewer wars and contradictions among humans? No!
Were all the contradictions in the imperial court of Taixia Country, between sects and inside clans because of demons? Did Zhang Taixuan screw Zhang Tie up because of demons? Did those major sects in Taixia Country exclude Zhang Tie because of demons?
As long as people had demonic thoughts in mind, they would never avoid disputes and killings.
After unveiling the secrets, Zhang Tie became excited and ecstatic at the beginning. However, when he gradually recovered his composure, he realized that he couldn't do anything to change this situation at all even though he knew all these.
Could truth stop wars between demons and humans? No!
Could truth enable people to unite with each other and treat each other cordially? No! Could truth turn the fierce jungles into mortal paradise? No!
The truth told you about the reason; however, it could never tell you what to do!
Time was the most ruthless law. Nobody could change what had happened, even deities. If deities could make it, there would not be wars between deities and demons. Now that what had happened couldn't be altered, what would you do when demons' sabers and swords almost approached your neck, turned your wives and children into their food and ingredients for walking deads and wanted to destroy your hometown?
Would you persuade demons with the evidence, reason and virtues and tell them that our forebears were of the same kind billions of years ago? Would you hope that demons could become peace envoys…
Would you want to give up resistance and reach out your neck for the coming death like a coward or expect to be demons' slave for a better life?
Otherwise, you took battle sabers and chopped off demons' heads and kicked them away before demons' sabers approached you, tit for tat?
Actually, there was only one way! Zhang Tie only had one choice, whether his enemy was the owner of Huaiyuan Palace or demon.
On many occasions, the truth must succumb to reality. They just did as same as before. Nothing changed their original trace due to the disclosure of truth. At least Zhang Tie didn't find that the truth inside the magical rock could do any help to the current situation facing Taixia Country and Motian Realm for the time being.
Tang Mei found that Zhang Tie gradually became excited, open-minded and finally recovered his composure. He even heaved a deep sigh.
"What's wrong?" Tang Mei asked Zhang Tie.
"I've spent so much spiritual energy in vain. The secret in the magical rock should be useful more or less!" Zhang Tie said with a bitter smile as he told Tang Mei the key information that he had learned from the magical rock.
"Alright, I've not imagined that, either." Tang Mei became temporarily stunned too before heaving a deep sigh and said, "Even though we know the truth, we cannot change any bit of it…"
Zhang Tie said, "Yes, even if I was almighty and could make pulp gurgle out of the ground again and turn all the demons into humans, the wars between humans and demons would never stop either. By then, someone could enjoy the sunshine, rain and dew and the starry nightscape on the ground; someone had to live underground, where were grim, dark and full of poisonous living beings. Those on the ground admired numerous precious mineral resources. By contrast, those underground envied the good living conditions and rich food that people enjoyed on the ground. Some ambitious and greedy people wanted to own everything on the ground and underground. As a result, humans were still generally divided into two parties, who were hostile against each other. There were still different populations, nations and beliefs; however, by then, the wars between humans would not be called holy wars, but something else!"
"That's true!" Tang Mei replied.
Zhang Tie then shook head. After taking in a deep breath, he was back to reality. After taking a look at the two rarities on the high platform, Zhang Tie instantly made a decision. "I will teleport this piece of magical rock and the space ball of Motian Realm into Castle of Black Iron first in case of trouble!"
"Okay!"
Tang Mei didn't pose any request. Neither did Zhang Tie waste time anymore. He then teleported that piece of magical rock, the remaining Nine-Heavens Immortal Spring and the space ball of Motian Realm into Castle of Black Iron at once.
As long as the space ball of Motian Realm was teleported in Castle of Black Iron, Zhang Tie had heard Heller's hint. "Castle Lord, a space ball has entered Castle of Black Iron. Will we have Castle of Black Iron engulf it and integrate with it?"
Zhang Tie took a glance at Tang Mei. Tang Mei then nodded.
"Yes, start it!"
"When Castle of Black Iron starts to integrate with the space ball of Motian Realm, there might be some abnormal phenomena in Motian Realm. Because Buzhou Mountain is in Motian Realm, the inside of Buzhou Mountain would be influenced at first. These changes will be closely related to Castle Lord. Please stay calm about it!"
"Okay!"
"It starts then…"
After saying these words, the Heavens of Light abruptly became dark as if it suddenly turned into the deep evening from daytime. Only the ground was giving out tender white light, which avoided the entire Heavens of Light from being pitch-dark.
Tang Mei blinked her eyes towards Zhang Tie as if she had understood it. She then asked, "Has Castle of Black Iron started to integrate with the space ball of Motian Realm?"
"Yes!" Zhang Tie looked up at the dome of the Heavens of light as he sighed. "I've finished the affairs in Motian Realm, I gotta get back to Taixia Country!"
Soon after saying these words, Zhang Tie found that his flight ability had recovered. He tried it as he slowly floated up.
"Brother, you don't have to worry about being blocked by those deities' battle puppets anymore when you leave." Tang Mei said with a smile. Closely after that, she sighed, "As you're going to leave Motian Realm, I will return to Emperor NvWa City too…"
…
When Castle of Black Iron started to integrate with the space ball of Motian Realm, the entire Motian Realm was suddenly in dark. In the dark, the sky of Motian Realm was glittering as many brilliant light bands were floating in the air, arousing great panic among people…
The dark lasted half a month until the sun reappeared in the sky of Motian Realm.
Very few people in Motian Realm knew why.
…
When the sun reappeared in the sky of Motian Realm, Zhang Tie took the last glance at Motian Realm on the top of the Buzhou Mountain before turning into a virtual image of huge 6-wing king roc which was longer than 10,000 m and diving into the space crack above the core region of Mountain Ruins…
…
The space crack was suffused with black mist. When he flew into the entrance of the space crack, Zhang Tie felt like being involved in the eye of the storm. It was an endless tunnel ahead being covered with black mist on both sides. It was even releasing terrifying blue lightning bolts.
Zhang Tie had already activated the secret skill "arrival" of "King Roc Sutra". He was flying across the mysterious dark space in terms of a golden king roc. By flapping his wings, he could break all the obstacles, pass through thick mist and lightning bolts and fly forward like a streak of golden light given his sense about the location of Taixia Country…
After entering this space crack for less than one hour, Zhang Tie suddenly caught sight of a pair of bloody and fierce eyes in the black-gray nihility ahead.
Each eye covered hundreds of square miles. The bloody eyes contained a pair of golden pupils with infinite stress and fierce qi. They were staring at Zhang Tie like light&shade of mirage in the dark space.
At the sight of that pair of weird eyes, Zhang Tie's heart suddenly pounded. What the golden king roc to the pair of terrifying, bloody eyes was what a little bird to a giant.
Right in front of Zhang Tie, the black mist in the space suddenly turned into a huge black hand which was thousands of miles in length. Closely after that, the black hand intended to pinch the golden king roc…
The golden king roc screeched as it instantly sped up by many times and avoided that black hand. Closely after that, it intended to peck that pair of bloody eyes like a lightning bolt with fierce golden flame all over.
That pair of bloody eyes looked a bit furious as the lightning bolts in the space instantly turned 10 times denser. After that, another huge hand of black mist came into being.
The second black huge hand didn't punch Zhang Tie; instead, it punched the space tunnel directly…
As a result, the black mist became chaotic and the entire space tunnel was shattered. The tide of the earth element, water element, wind element and fire element instantly submerged the golden king roc…
Chapter 1936: Battle Situation Facing Taixia Country
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
The sun had already set. The battle in the daytime had already come to an end. In the evening, the flames in the downtown became more glaring…
After a few days' crazy bombardments by Sacred Alliance Empire, the region in the south region of Coldwater City had been completely ruined with flames.
In the daytime, the airplanes of the human allied forces on the Western Continent had carried a fierce war with the air force of the Sacred Alliance Empire above Coldwater City. Both parties had suffered great casualties. In the evening, after the air force of human allied forces on Western Continent retreated, the dark air zone was soon occupied by the wing demons of Sacred Alliance Emperor.
In the daytime, when the visibility was high, the damage ratio between two parties could almost reach 1: 1 when the human air force fought wing demons in the sky. However, in the evening, due to darkness and rainy or snowy weather which might impede the airplanes' performance and the visibility of pilots, the damage ration between both parties might reach higher than 1: 4. As a result, the human allied forces on the Western Continent couldn't bear such a high casualty in the evening. Therefore, the air force of human allied forces would retreat in the evening and mainly depend on ground forces.
The battlefield between human allied forces and demons had already been divided into two battle lines——East Line and North Line. Both battle lines were like meat grinders. Over the past 10-odd years, both parties had inputted numerous corpses and soldiers on this battlefield. As for how many people had died, nobody cared. After all, human allied forces only had one bottom line, namely, they would never allow the Sacred Alliance Emperor to connect the two battle lines. Once the two battle lines were connected, the sea-land passage between Western Continent and Eastern Continent would be cut off by demons, which meant a great failure strategically or a great calamity for human allied forces on Western Continent.
By then, without the support of Taixia Country, a powerful empire on the Eastern Continent, the people and social orders in other countries would collapse, not to mention the casualties that armies of human allied forces would suffer. When they thought about the result that Western Continent might be isolated, all the presidents, leaders and big figures of those countries on Western Continent determined to block the armies of Sacred Alliance Empire at any price.
In the eyes of human allied forces, Sacred Alliance Empire was neither sacred nor an alliance; instead, it was just a trick that demons and lackeys of the Three-Eye Association of demons played in the region occupied by demons on Western Continent. Although the emperor of the Sacred Alliance Empire was a human, everyone in human allied forces knew that the emperor was just a puppet selected by demons from the Three-Eye Association.
In the beginning, the Sacred Alliance Empire indeed played a trick. However, after Sacred Alliance Empire was founded for one decade, also after the holy war broke out for 15 years, when more and more human fighters of Sacred Alliance Empire appeared on the battlefield and started to slash towards the other human fighters of human allied forces, it had become a trump card in the hand of demons; instead of a trick anymore.
Today, the Sacred Alliance Empire had already become a terrifying war machine in the hand of demons, also the greatest threat and main opponents facing human allied forces of the Western Continent on the battlefield.
Coldwater City was located in the Hicks Peninsula, which was a part of the East Line of human allied forces. In order to scramble for the power of control of Hicks Peninsula, the human allied forces on the Western Continent and the armies of Sacred Alliance Empire had already carried out a seesaw battle in this peninsula which covered less than 60 square miles for many years.
Over the past years, so many beautiful human cities, villages and towns in Hicks Peninsula had become scraps of paper and bubbles under this huge seesaw. Due to skirmishes between two parties, they were gradually destroyed and turned into ruins.
Now, this sawteeth had moved to Coldwater City. Only in half a year, this city which once owned over 12 million people and was called the Pearl of Hicks Peninsula had become completely different. It was like a ghost domain as it was covered with demons and human blood…
However, the seesaw battle had not ceased. Despite being covered with blood, the sawteeth didn't make the seesaw colder; instead, the seesaw became hotter and bloodier…
In this seesaw battle, the No. 1 Field Infantry Regiment of the No. 6 Imperial Corps that Aota Empire of Western Continent assigned to the East Line was thrown into the theater of operations in Hicks Peninsula by those big figures like a piece of wood, then into Coldwater City casually by generals in the theater of operations of Hicks Peninsula. According to the command of the headquarters of the theater of operations in Hicks Peninsula, they must guarantee that Coldwater City didn't fall in the hand of those sons of b*tches in the following two months. Otherwise, everyone of the No. 1 Field Infantry Regiment of the No. 6 Imperial Corps must die, including the regimental commander and the entire logistics department!
As for how they would be killed, it was not depicted in the command. However, everyone of the No. 1 Field Infantry Regiment was clear that they would be beheaded by the sabers of knights of the supervision troop if they couldn't complete the order of the headquarters of the human allied forces.
Since the war broke out, the heads of big figures like the so-called noblemen, generals, royal relatives, prime ministers and imperial chancellors being chopped off by knights of supervision troops of the human allied forces could circle around Coldwater City for two times, not to mention the heads of a small infantry regiment.
The command was simple, rude, hard, which didn't spare any chance for them to negotiate or bargain. What made the infantry regiment reassured was that there was a knight from Francia Empire, two battalions of barbarian fighters of Barbarian Alliance, one mixed armored regiment which retreated from the frontline for readjustment. Of course, what was more important was that they didn't need to worry about the sky of Coldwater City; because the headquarters of the theater of operations in Hicks Peninsula would assign those air cavalry regiments in the field airport in the rear of Coldwater City to support their battle in Coldwater City at any time in case the enemies occupied the air zone of Coldwater City.
…
Mud, blood and rain that had fallen last night made the ground wet. Hawbon Stoik was lying on the ground which was covered with debris, scorched thresholds and muddy rainwater. He was seriously observing a half-collapsed building 200 m away with the flame from the bell tower being lit by a fiery-oil combustible bomb over 100 m away.
The half-collapsed building was previously composed of 5 floors. At this moment, the entire 5th floor and the greater part of the 4th floor had collapsed. There were only some pitch-dark holes on the side facing him. Additionally, the greater part of the facade of the building appeared to have been smudged by smoke. He could blurrily identify the bright and elegantly yellow mosaic on the wall.
Just now, Hawbon Stoic heard a bit noise from the building, which sounded like tableware falling off the table. Although being light and no other noise was heard after that, he still caught it. As a fighter who had already promoted to LV 9, Hawbon Stoic whose nickname was wolf-dog in the No. 1 Field Infantry Regiment definitely had sharper auditory sense than others.
He was in a dusty cloak being covered with the body fluid of a mutated octopus. As a result, the greater part of his body was covered. In the evening, the coak's color could completely integrate with the surrounding ruins. No matter how much night viewing medicament had enemies drunk, they still couldn't identify him.
The noise might be caused by a rat when it slammed against the tableware on the table and caused it to fall to the ground. It might also be caused by a stray dog when it looked for food in the building. As the entire city was filled with a disgusting and rotten stink, the city had become the paradise of rats and stray dogs. Rats and stray dogs here had been used to eating flesh of humans and demons, no matter fresh or rotten. They dared to attack those lonely fighters or sleeping fighters in the public. Some fighters of No. 1 Field Infantry Regiment had been injured by rats or stray dogs before. Therefore, it was not strange for those rats or stray dogs to make a noise…
Of course, some b*stards who called demons dads probably hid in that building. The appellation "b*stard" was the standard appellation that all the human fighters of the human allied forces on Western Continent called those human fighters of Sacred Alliance Empire who would like to be the lackeys of demons.
Like all the other human fighters of the human allied forces on the Western Continent, Hawbon Stoic didn't care about how those commoners in the territory of Sacred Alliance Empire were enslaved over these years. As long as those b*stards appeared on the battlefield, they would be exterminated like demons. Of course, those b*stards would also feel unhesitant to kill these "stubborn" heretics who didn't want to accept the rule of Dragon Deities; instead, they would kill them in a more fanatical way…
Hawbon Stoic took a glance at the sky secretly. He found that it might rain soon as the clouds had become thick and gradually covered the moonlight. The key was there were no wing demons above this theater of operations at this moment.
When raindrops fell to the ground, Hawbon Stoic secretly made some complex hand gestures to the followers.
After seeing his hand gestures, some changes happened in some places within dozens of meters as those fighters started to move out of their color-changing field cloaks and approached the building from different directions secretly.
After taking a inflammable grenade, Hawbon Stoic crept towards the gate of the collapsed building stealthily…
Chapter 1937: Fight!
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
Soon after Hawbon Stoic felt the first raindrop, heavy rain had poured down.
In the heavy rain, the flames over the building ruins being lit in the south of Coldwater City turned much smaller; however, many buildings being lit by inflammable bombs were still burning in the rain, turning raindrops and moisture in the air into misty vapor. As a result, visibility was severely weakened in this situation.
When the raindrops fell to the ground, they didn't cause loud sounds; however, they could completely cover the footsteps of Hawbon Stoic and his followers. Even in the misty rain, Hawbon Stoic and his 9 subordinates soon arrived at the corresponding locations for assault according to Hawbon Stoic's arrangement. They were all waiting for Hawbon Stoic's order and prepared to rush into the half-collapsed building.
As of now, all the soldiers between LV 2 and LV 5 among the elite force in the frontline had almost entered airplanes and armored vehicles to drive those machines. The manipulation of those machines didn't require high battle force; however, those machines were lethal to enemies. Two LV 2 soldiers probably turned a LV 9 wing demon into a fireball in the sky by driving the airplane. It was a cost-efficient trade in the eyes of those big figures. As a result, fighters who had promoted to LV 9 like Hawbon Stoic became the main force on the ground in scrambling for a city.
Hawbon Stoic was the team leader of an elite special squad of a special force regiment being directly affiliated to the 3rd brigade of No. 1 field infantry corps of No. 6 Royal Army of Aoto Empire. Besides Hawbon Stoic who was a LV 9 fighter, all the other 9 subordinates ranged from LV 6 to LV 8. Such a formation was first-rate among the ground troops in East Line, although it was not the best.
If a standard demon ground squad was in front of them, only 3 demon fighters could inflict heavily losses to them. However, demons were not foolish. Before consuming all the b*stards of Sacred Alliance Empire in the frontline, they would barely assign regular and established demon corps to the battlefield. Some demons that could be spotted on the battlefield were all officers above average or high priests in the troops of Sacred Alliance Empire. Before those b*stards and cannon fodder were killed, those demons would never appear in the frontline. Of course, those wing demons who were fearless in the evening or rainy days were an exception.
Hawbon Stoic had already approached the gate of the half-ruined building. The gate had been demolished. There was a broken sofa and cabinet outside the gate. Beside a corner of the wall, there was a discarded truck that had been half-buried by the ruins. The truck was 2 m higher than the ground. The top of the truck was close to a window of the second floor, from where his team members could rush upstairs at the fastest speed.
The elite squad of 10 people had been divided into 3 teams by Hawbon Stoick. Two snipers with heavy crossbows in hands were covering them outside the building. Hawbon Stoick would break in from the front gate, followed by two people. If there were enemies in this building, after hearing the sound, the 5 people of the second team would rush upstairs from the top of the truck and fought enemies inside the building together with him.
After sniffing the air with moisture deeply, Hawbon Stoic made a hand gesture towards the sniper in the distance. After seeing Hawbon Stoic's hand gesture, the sniper threw a glass bottle that he had picked into the window on the second floor.
After hearing the glass bottle breaking into pieces on the second floor, Hawbon Stoic rushed inside from the front gate immediately.
The fact proved that such a small trick of making a feint to the east but attack in the west was very useful on such occasions. On many occasions, people would make a response to the surrounding environment without consideration.
When he rushed into the building, he instantly caught sight of a fighter of Sacred Alliance Empire who was hiding at the staircase near the gate in the same field camouflage clothing while raising a huge ax whose snow-white edge was daubed with mud on purpose. The fighter was turning around and watching upstairs after hearing the noise.
The 0.1 second was critical for an attacker as Hawbon Stoic's short sword had already cut through the neck of the fighter of Sacred Alliance Empire with a cold light in this short period of time…
This slash was precise, brutal and sharp. Closely after that, that fighter's head was sent flying away while spurting out blood through his neck. Hawbon Stoic then rushed to the platform between two flights of stairs, closely followed by two fighters.
With a growl, a shadow charged at Hawbon Stoick from upstairs. However, before that shadow approached him, Hawbon Stoick had already tossed out his inflammable grenade which had been set to explode in the shortest period.
A bright flame immediately covered that shadow which charged at him.
The flame didn't kill that shadow in an instant; it only burned the shadow all over. The shadow roared as he still slashed his long sword towards Hawbon Stoic in a ferocious way. He wanted to die with Hawbon Stoic.
Hawbon Stoic stepped onto the handrail and as he directly passed by that attacker from the latter's head. Meanwhile, he threw out his short sword and had stabbed into the shadow's back.
When Hawbon Stoic tossed out that inflammable grenade, he didn't imagine that that weapon could kill the attacker in an instant in such close combat; he only wanted to burn up that fighter all over and drive the opponent mad. As long as the opponent's visual and auditory senses and responsive capability were reduced a bit, it would be enough for Hawbon Stoic to kill him.
When Hawbon Stoic landed on the second floor, he had already unsheathed his long sword.
Some shadows charged at Hawbon Stoic. Hawbon Stoic also charged at those shadows without demur. Meanwhile, his 5 subordinates broke in through that window. A fierce and bloody battle happened in this ruined building in a split second…
…
There were 7 enemies in total. After Hawbon Stoic killed 2 of them, there were only 5 enemies, one of them was a LV 9 fighter too. This LV 9 fighter caused the largest casualty to Hawbon Stoic's squad.
When Hawbon Stoic was fighting that LV 9 fighter, two of the 5 team members who broke in through the window on the second floor had already been killed by that LV 9 fighter of Sacred Alliance Empire. Hawbon Stoic had killed another enemy and injured one. As a result, there were only 3 enemies and a wounded man.
All the rest 5 fighters of the Aoto Empire who broke in with Hawbon Stoic were clenching their teeth with fury and roaring with red eyes. When Hawbon Stoic was fighting that LV 9 fighter, his 5 subordinates divided into 3 groups tacitly, one person was responsible for dealing with that wounded personnel; the other 4 were responsible for dealing with the rest two opponents in two groups.
The two fighters of the Sacred Alliance Empire fell to the ground in the blink of an eye. At this moment, the wounded opponent roared. When a subordinate of Hawbon Stoic pierced through his heart with a long sword, that wounded person instantly hugged his opponent and bit his throat like a wild beast, breaking the latter's throat and windpipe in an instant. Hawbon Stoic's subordinate instantly moved his long sword horizontally through his opponent's heart and reached the latter's left armpit.
"Long Live, God!" that fighter of Sacred Alliance Empire roared as he instantly detonated a portable inflammable grenade. As a result, the two people turned into a fireball at the same time before rolling down the second floor through the window.
When he found all of his subordinates had been killed, that LV 9 fighter who was fighting Hawbon Stoick forced Hawbon Stoick to retreat with one strike. Closely after that, he intended to escape through the window.
The moment he jumped off the window, he had sensed a sharp and powerful bolt shooting at him in the dark.
With a clank, the LV 9 fighter of Sacred Alliance Empire blocked off the first bolt with his long sword. However, at the same time, the bolt gave out a flame that instantly covered him, turning him into a fireball. Meanwhile, he started to wail aloud.
Hawbon Stoic also jumped out of the window as he slashed the fireball into two halves with his long sword before falling to the ground…
Watching the flames inside and outside the building, Hawbon Stoic wiped off the raindrops from his face as he roared in a muffled voice, "Retreat…"
Only 4 of the 7 people who rushed in the building with Hawbon Stoick came out. After chopping off their enemies' heads as fast as possible and held their booties, they clenched their teeth and gradually disappeared in the heavy rain with Hawbon Stoick while mixing their tears with raindrops…
Chapter 1938: Descension
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
In the heavy rain and the dark, it only took Hawbon Stoic and his 6 subordinates a few minutes to transfer to a temporary foothold that they had fixed in advance. It was an underground cellar deserted by a business group less than 500 m away from the place where they fought just now in the south of the city.
This underground cellar had two exits. Even though one exit was blocked by the enemy from outside, they could still escape away from the other exit. It was why Hawbon Stoic chose this place as the temporary foothold for his team.
Leaving one person outside the exit as a watchdog, all the others entered the underground cellar which was messy yet safe for the time being. After lighting up the fluorescent lamps inside the cellar, someone finally couldn't help weeping.
The battle happened so fast. In the 2-minute battle, their team killed 7 enemies at the cost of 3 lives. As a result, the entire team depleted by almost one third in population.
They would not see those familiar faces any more in the future.
Wister, Sandor and Nagi…
Half an hour ago, they were still with each other and fighting shoulder to shoulder. In the daytime, they were talking about having a revelry after the battle in Coldwater City. Unexpectedly…
It was very depressed in the underground cellar. They all remained quiet as they hugged their knees and sat against the wall. Those heads that they brought back looked grim in the pale green fluorescent light.
The cheeks, chins, noses, even foreheads of those human heads were covered with tattoos in the shape of snake scale, cobweb and ox horn, which symbolized that they were fighters in Sacred Alliance Empire.
Under the ruling of demons, all the men in the Sacred Alliance Empire took such tattoos which symbolized demons as their glory. In the Sacred Alliance Empire, these tattoos couldn't be made for free. They had to undergo some rites. The more tattoos were on their bodies, the higher their positions would be in Sacred Alliance Empire. Those who had such "disgusting" tattoos on their faces were all fighters in the Sacred Alliance Empire.
"Captain, I'm sorry. I didn't know that person was a LV 9 fighter. Therefore, I fired an inflammable bolt at him the moment he jumped out of the window. On that occasion, I should have used an armor-piercing bolt. In that way, I could bring back that b*stard's head." Mole apologized to Hawbon Stoic in a low mood with a metal sniper's crossbow in hand.
If they brought back the head of a LV 9 fighter of Sacred Alliance Empire, they would receive a greater reward as it represented greater meritorious deed.
"Never mind!" Hawbon Stoic said as he took in a deep breath and patted Mole's shoulder, continuing, "That's a powerful enemy. He had a swift reflex. Even though I could barely deal with him. Without your bolt, he probably had already fled away. In the future, more brothers might be killed by him. You've avenged the death of Wister and Sandor…"
After hearing his words, Mole felt much better; however, he still felt pitiful about that, "But…"
"It's just a head. It's not a big deal. Additionally, we've already brought back some heads. If we want more, we could have many opportunities in Coldwater City as long as we're alive!" Hawbon Stoic asked Mole to take a seat. After that, he turned around and watched those people who rushed into the destroyed building with him just now, saying, "Lanktol, did you set the time bomb when you left there?"
A youth with red eyes raised his head under the hood of his field cloak before watching Hawbon Stoic and nodding while biting his lip.
"It's the best method for us to prevent the corpses of Wister and Sandor from being humiliated and being eaten by stray dogs and rats." Hawbon Stoic said, "As for Nagy… he doesn't need it… If I lay on the battlefield one day, you could also prepare a time bomb for me before leaving." His voice instantly turned lower.
"Captain, do you think someone… could still remember us after this holy war? Would they still remember that we once fought enemies in Coldwater City at the risk of our lives?" a person with a fresh scar on his face left by a saber sitting in the fluorescent lamp suddenly raised his head and asked Hawbon Stoic with a self-mockery smile, "Regimental commander said that someone could definitely bear us in mind; however, I feel that regimental commander was lying. So many people have died in the last holy war; however, only some big figures' names could be remembered in the end. At least, I cannot remember any name of small figures who died in the last holy war like us…"
After hearing his words, all the others also raised their heads and fixated onto Hawbon Stoic.
"I don't care whether my name could be remembered by someone else or not!" Hawbon Stoic said as he shook his head. At the same time, he pointed at those heads being covered with ugly tattoos and said in a muffled sound, "As for me, the most important was that I don't want to live like them; neither do I want my sons and grandsons to live like them by kneeling down on the ground and calling demons dad!"
"I see!"
"Glad to hear that!" Hawbon Stoic then glanced at the others while he said, "Rest one hour here to restore your physical strength. One hour later, we will leave here and continue our search."
After hearing his words, all of them took out their portable dried rations and started to eat them.
The battle in Coldwater City had not come to an end; neither had their battle tonight come to an end. Even though they had already fought their enemies once and had lost some comrades-in-arms and brothers somewhere near them, they should also leave here and continue to look for the opportunities to annihilate their enemies outside after a short rest.
When they were having a rest, Hawbon Stoic came to the exit and asked the watchdog upside there to take a rest. He would like to stand sentry for his subordinates.
It was a warehouse above the cellar, which had already collapsed. In the ruins, a triangular steel frame formed a secret entrance above the cellar. Therefore, Hawbon Stoic chose this place as the temporary foothold for his squad after discovering it.
It was raining heavier and heavier. In the rumbling thunders, the visibility across Coldwater City was even lower than before. It was misty all over over 50 m away. They could barely see any people out of this distance. Only when a lightning streak flashed could they see further.
Besides thunders, they faintly heard growls of fighters of Barbarian Alliance from some blocks over 1,000 m away. Meanwhile, a streak of red light faintly flashed. The red light was the battle qi totem of a barbarian fighter. There was a vast and open square in the block. It was the most proper place for fighters of Barbarian Alliance to display their ability, also the defense area of barbarian fighters.
The battle in Coldwater City didn't come to a stop. The bloodshed didn't cease even on such a rainy night. More people were fighting in this ruined city in the distance.
When Hawbon Stoic was seriously observing the situation outside, he silently counted down the resting time for his subordinates.
Not knowing why, Hawbon Stoic felt that the lightning bolts in the sky above Coldwater City appeared to be a bit dense tonight, almost one lightning bolt per 3-5 seconds. It appeared to be a rare thunderstorm.
However, as he had neither been to Coldwater City before nor was a weather expert, Hawbon Stoic didn't know whether this weather was abnormal or not here; instead, based on the lightning bolts that happened per few seconds, he could better observe the situation outside.
Only in 10 more minutes, Hawbon Stoic had seen a thick and odd red lightning bolt tearing open a dark cloud that looked like a lead plate and hit a ruined two-storey shopping mall over 200 m ahead. At the same time, Hawbon Stoic suddenly felt the surrounding ground trembling once heavily. He then caught sight of a streak of golden light flashing across the broken wall of the shopping mall…
'Is that a piece of meteorite? Did I have a hallucination…'
A thought occurred to Hawbon Stoick.
At this moment, he heard a voice from the cellar as Mole had exposed his head out of there. "Captain, was that an earthquake? Are some powerhouses fighting nearby?"
"Something is wrong. Call out all the brothers…"
"Yes, captain!"
In the blink of an eye, all the team members who were having a nap downside there had already come out of the cellar. Closely after that, they all stealthily moved towards the ruined shopping mall after Hawbon Stoic.
There was a big hole in the floor slab between the first floor and the second floor. Right under the big hole, there was a huge pit that was deeper than 10 m on the ground in the central courtyard of the shopping mall. Everything around that huge pit appeared to be melted. The stones near the pit on the ground were also giving out glow like melted candles. When they arrived there, they saw heavy rain and water columns pouring down through the big hole and hitting the ground around the big pit, causing sizzle, The moment the raindrops and water columns touched the ground, they would be vaporized. As a result, it was like a sauna room; however, the ground was also cooling down rapidly.
The group of fighters in steel-sole battle boots was approaching that big pit meticulously. When they reached the edge of the big pit and watched inside, they all became petrified.
Because they saw an egg at the bottom of the big pit!
It was a huge golden egg higher than 1 m…
Chapter 1939: Breaking out of the Egg
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
Hawbon Stoic and his team members could never imagine that it was an egg that fell to the ground together with the lightning streak; instead of a meteorite!
It was a huge golden egg that they had never seen before!
Meanwhile, golden light was faintly flowing over the surface of the huge golden egg.
'Is that demons' conspiracy?'
In an instant, this thought occurred to Hawbon Stoic, an officer of the royal corps of the Aoto Empire. However, at the same time, Hawbon Stoic felt that something was wrong; because he had never heard that demons came out in this pattern. Additionally, this huge egg appeared to be relevant to the odd purple lightning bolt that they had seen before. Demon knights were not able to do that. Even if they were able to do that, it was unnecessary for a demon knight to play tricks on him and his subordinates who were all low-level fish on the battlefield.
"Watch out, stay alert…" Hawbon Stoic whispered to his team members beside him as he took out his weapon and walked towards the huge egg at the bottom of the huge pit while stepping on the steamingly hot ground.
If ordinary people met such a dangerous and odd event, of course, they would turn around and escape right away. However, on the battlefield, as a fighter, also an officer, Hawbon Stoic couldn't retreat at all; because their task was to face dangers. If they retreated at the sight of this odd huge egg, once their deed was known by their superiors, Hawbon Stoic and his team members might face military trials and bloody guillotine; instead of receiving any reward.
Under the gaze of his team members, Hawbon Stoic meticulously came to the bottom of that huge pit.
When he was less than 2 m away from the huge egg, Hawbon Stoic sensed the heatwave and high temperature from the huge golden egg.
That huge golden egg was like a crimson iron embryo which had just been completed in the workshop with boiling liquified steel. When the raindrops fell to the surface of the huge egg, it caused sizzle. All the raindrops that touched the surface of the huge egg would be vaporized and turned into misty vapor.
As rainwater flowed into the huge pit, the melting ground at the bottom of the huge pit instantly cooled down. Meanwhile, misty vapor poured out of the huge pit and turned increasingly thicker in the vicinity. When Hawbon Stoic reached the bottom of the huge pit, his subordinates could already not see him clearly from less than 10 m away outside the pit.
"Captain, are you alright?" A voice sounded from outside the huge pit.
"I'm fine. Take care of yourself…"
The huge egg was also rapidly cooling down as the scorching heatwave was fading away at a high speed. When Hawbon Stoic was over 1 m away from the huge egg, he reached out his long sword and slightly touched the eggshell with his sword blade.
According to the sound and the touch, Hawbon Stoic felt that he was touching a piece of metal.
When Hawbon Stoic wanted to further check it.
Crackle…
A fist suddenly broke out of the eggshell from inside on its top. At the same time, some odd runes flashed near the eggshell. Meanwhile, an odd and powerful field of force spewed out of the huge egg and covered the space within hundreds of square meters around the huge pit.
In an instant, Hawbon Stoic and his team members had been absolutely frozen together with the tumbling vapor. Even the falling raindrops were suspending in the air.
At this moment, nothing outside the eggshell within hundreds of square meters could move.
After a few seconds, another fist broke out of the eggshell from the other side. In the following half a minute, the entire eggshell was completely shattered as they slowly turned into four elements and dispersed, leaving no trace at all. At the same time, a wholly naked man was standing in the place where the egg was.
Panting heavily, Zhang Tie strode out of there in one step. When he broke the eggshell, he felt frail. At this moment, he was like a small bird who had just hatched from his eggshell. He was weakest at this moment.
The effect of the secret skill "arrival" of " King Roc Sutra " had not disappeared when Zhang Tie broke out of the eggshell. As a result, everything in the vicinity was frozen by the powerful force of field of the secret skill.
Zhang Tie looked up at the sky through the two huge holes in the roof as he slowly revealed a brilliant smile on his fatigued face. He then muttered towards the sky which was filled with rumbling thunders, "You're powerful! So What! I am back…"
Eyes wide open, Hawbon Stoic still maintained the gesture of retreating rapidly. Pitifully, he was also frozen like a waxen statue. Zhang Tie then walked to the side of Hawbon Stoic. After observing him for a few seconds, he put his palm on Hawbon Stoic's forehead while closing his own eyes.
After a few seconds, Zhang Tie opened his eyes with faint grief and pity in his eyes.
When he started to read Hawbon Stoic's memory, Zhang Tie instantly knew his identity. In order to not cause irretrievable damages to this loyal human fighter's brains, Zhang Tie didn't read all of his memories; instead, he just read a part of his memory in the past one year. However, this small part of memory shocked Zhang Tie greatly.
It was the 932nd year of Black Iron Calendar, 42 years away from the holy war…
He was in Coldwater City, the frontline between allied human forces and demons in the Western Continent…
As of now, demons' force had reached a terrifying degree in this world. With the support of demons, few puppet countries were founded in the Western Continent and some subcontinents. Therefore, humans were fighting each other on many battlefields…
Over one-third of Taixia Country's territory had been occupied by demons. All the western administrative districts of Taixia Country had been occupied by demons…
Over these years when he was in Motian Realm, the manufacturing skills of fiery-oil had been disclosed unavoidably and mastered by demons and Three-eye Association…
Royal Prince Changying was assassinated by a demon sage in Jinzhou Province of Taixia Country 12 years ago. Taixia Country still didn't have an emperor even now; instead, it was commonly supervised by the three ministers, nine royal chancellors and six lords of Taixia Country…
…
Zhang Tie didn't recover his composure until a few seconds later; especially the death of Xuanyuan Changying was absolutely out of Zhang Tie's expectation. When he recalled those images when he stayed with Xuanyuan Changying, Zhang Tie couldn't help revealing faint grief and pity through his eyes.
What made Zhang Tie a bit reassured was that he didn't discover any bad news about Jinwu Palace in the memory of Hawbon Stoic over the past one year. Jinwu Palace didn't deteriorate; instead, it appeared to be more powerful than before; because all the all-purpose medicaments used by allied human forces across Western Continent were produced in those logistics bases co-founded by Jinwu Palace and the Rhesa Republic, Barbarian Alliance, Francia Empire and Holy Light Empire.
The production recipe of all-purpose medicament had not been disclosed yet.
The current situation facing the holy war and Taixia Country was more complex than that Zhang Tie could imagine. However, Zhang Tie's current condition…
Many thoughts occurred to Zhang Tie…
After taking another glance at this officer of the royal corps of the Aoto Empire in the Western Continent and the other team members above the huge pit, Zhang Tie soon made a decision.
…
He instantly erased Hawbon Stoic's memory about what had happened just now…
Zhang Tie then walked out of the huge pit in one step. Closely after that, he stroked the heads of all the other team members by turns. Then, he activated his invisible Shen bead and disappeared in a split second…
…
10 seconds later, the last piece of eggshell completely turned into four elements and disappeared at the bottom of the huge pit; raindrops continued to fall into the huge pit; vapor continued to tumble in the huge pit; Hawbon Stoic rapidly moved backward and came out of the huge pit.
"Captain, what's downside there?"
"Nothing is there. That lightning bolt was so strange. We gotta get going…"
Hawbon Stoic felt being a bit dizzy. He didn't know whether it was affected by the remaining force of the lightning bolt in this huge pit, he determined to leave here as soon as possible given such a loud noise. As for the mysterious relation between that lightning bolt and this huge pit and whether it was related to any numinous force, it was not what he was interested in and would like to explore. As the huge pit was just here, anyone who was not afraid of death could come here…
What Hawbon Stoic should consider was to survive on and kill more enemies…
…
It was already deep night; however, the battle in Coldwater City was ongoing…
Chapter 1940: The Sequel of Secret Skill
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
It was raining heavily with lightning streaks and thunders. Soon after triggering his invisible Shen bead and leaving the destroyed building for half a minute, Zhang Tie had felt dizzy. At the same time, he couldn't even sustain the effect of his invisible Shen bead.
With the secret skill "Arrival" of Infinite King Roc Sutra , Zhang Tie was wrapped by a huge egg. Zhang Tie crossed many dangerous space barriers, element tides and obstructions of the dominating demon deity before seizing the rare opportunity and returning to the main world.
However, he started to suffer from a sequel of the secret skill "Arrival" of Infinite King Roc Sutra the moment he came out of the shell.
"Arrival" meant new birth, while new birth meant weakness. It was an inviolable universal law!
It was also the price for Zhang Tie to choose to come back instead of wandering in the endless space interlayers until death.
Otherwise, he couldn't come back and the dominating demon deity's will would come true. Finally, Zhang Tie would become a handful of dust in an unknown space or wander there until death. If he wanted to come back, he had to sustain the "weak period" after triggering the secret skill of "Arrival" of Infinite King Roc Sutra .
By comparing two harms with each other, Zhang Tie chose the smaller one without demur——coming back alive.
This "weak period" lasted 3 years. During this period, Zhang Tie's power couldn't even match 1/100 of his original power. 3 years later, he would gradually recover his top power as a sage. During this period, he couldn't even use the Castle of Black Iron. Zhang Tie couldn't even communicate with Heller now.
'F*ck!'
'Did it cost me too much spiritual energy by carrying out secret skills of Bloody Soul Sutra constantly just now? I almost couldn't stand it.'
Feeling that his spiritual energy couldn't sustain the effect of invisible Shen bead and the overconsumption of his battle qi, Zhang Tie hurriedly rushed into a deserted roadside inn for temporary sheltering. A wall of the inn had already collapsed…
The deserted inn smelt moldy; its ground was covered with dust and sundries.
Although being weak, Zhang Tie still kept the simplest night-viewing effect of lotus-flower eyes.
Besides lotus-flower eyes, the hiding rune in Zhang Tie's mind sea still worked. Additionally, its effect didn��t reduce. Therefore, Zhang Tie triggered a powerful master-level hiding rune the moment he entered the inn. Closely after that, Zhang Tie disappeared in the dark quietly.
Being naked, closely after Zhang Tie hid his protective battle qi, his butt had felt cold. Therefore, the preoccupation for him was to find some clothes and shoes.
It was already empty in the inn. However, guests would never take away all of their belongings because of the emergency of war. They would take away some valuable things at most. Despite armies had already searched over this place, they only wanted to find something valuable; they might have no interest in clothes.
Zhang Tie started to look around the inn. When he came to a disordered room on the second floor, Zhang Tie found an open wardrobe, which contained a pile of clothes and some pairs of shoes. Although they had been left here for a long time, they were still well preserved.
Although Zhang Tie couldn't make a selection, he soon found a 70% new grey linen shirt, a black cheap open-necked sweater, a deep blue short outer garment and a pair of black pants.
After putting them on, Zhang Tie finally didn't have to be naked.
After opening a drawer of the wardrobe, he found two pairs of cotton socks. He then took out a pair of cotton socks immediately. After that, he found a pair of half-worn leather shoes and a cow's skin belt. At least, he didn't need to be naked anymore.
They must not be left by guests. Those living in this room must be waiters or cooks who were as young as Zhang Tie given the types and sizes of these clothes. Except for the waist of trousers and the pair of shoes which were a bit larger, everything else almost fitted Zhang Tie well. After fastening the belt, the problem of the waist of trousers was solved. As for the shoes, Zhang Tie made them a bit larger using the spiritual energy that he had just recovered.
After putting them on, Zhang Tie looked at the mirror which had been covered with some cracks as he mumbled with a self-mockery smile, 'As the Chinese saying goes, a hero will also die without a penny. As the former unrivaled dragon emperor in Motian Realm, I could only put on some old clothes left by others the moment I return to the main world.'
After putting on his clothes, Zhang Tie started to feel hungry. However, he couldn't find anything to eat in this deserted inn. Therefore, he stayed in a room on the second floor for a short rest. At the same time, he made his next plan.
Zhang Tie could enter the rear end of the human defense line in Hicks Peninsula over 300 miles away from Coldwater City in the south. Previously, Zhang Tie planned to leave the Hicks Peninsula theater of operations first. However, he had not imagined that his current condition was even weaker than that he could imagine. It became difficult and dangerous for him to travel across hundreds of miles' long human defense line.
Weakness meant dangers. Especially on the battlefield, young tigers couldn't even defeat a stray dog. Therefore, Zhang Tie had to be careful.
If Zhang Tie left for the regions occupied by demons, it was nothing different than seeking death. Based on his current battle force, it would be even more dangerous for him to travel across the hundreds of miles' long human defense zone.
Currently, the entire human defense zone was managed in a military way. It was full of troops of allied forces in the Western Continent. No commoners could be seen in this region. If Zhang Tie was discovered by those fighters of allied human forces, he would absolutely be taken as an agent of the Three-eye Association and Sacred Alliance Empire and would be executed to death immediately without interrogation…
Chapter 1941: Loss And Gain
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
On the battlefield, Zhang Tie really felt like a dragon getting stranded or a tiger leaving its hill and descending to the plains at this moment.
No matter how powerful he was, Zhang Tie could only stay in the deserted inn for the time being and ponder about his next plan.
If he could enter Castle of Black Iron now, everything would become simple. No matter what, as long as he could stay in Castle of Black Iron for three years, after the "frail" period caused by the use of the secret skill "arrival" of Infinite King Roc Sutra , he would recover his battle force. By then, nobody in this world could defeat him, neither humans nor demons. He could even end the holy war in a short period of time.
However, he couldn't access to Castle of Black Iron now; neither had he recovered his battle force. Therefore, all the problems became complex.
The key was to live on. As a man, he should be able to take temporary setbacks. As long as he passed this "frail" period of three years successfully, nothing else was serious.
Although the projection of demon overlord in the chaotic space failed to prevent him from coming back and couldn't position the egg of King Roc that Zhang Tie had created in the secret skill "arrival" of Infinite King Roc Sutra , the demon overlord probably knew the sequel of this secret skill of Infinite King Roc Sutra and Zhang Tie's current condition. Although the demon overlord couldn't descend to this world, as an undying creature, it could definitely pass its own awareness to the top figures among demons. Those top figures among demons might have already known that Zhang Tie was back. They might be looking for Zhang Tie everywhere and determined to kill Zhang Tie at any price.
Taiyi Fantasy Sect, Heavens Holding Pavilion and Qionglou Pavilion never wanted to see Zhang Tie coming back alive, either.
Therefore, Zhang Tie shouldn't expose his own identity for the time being…
At this moment, the situation facing Taixia Country was very bad. In the following three years, Zhang Tie didn't know how many Hua fighters would die on the battlefields and whether the situation facing Xuanyuan Hill could maintain steady or not.
When they knew that Zhang Tie was already back, would demons attack Jinwu Palace in order to force Zhang Tie to show up?
Zhang Tie became anxious more or less…
Although he could only come back in this way, when he was back, he gradually realized the importance of the battle force.
…
In a room on the second floor of the deserted inn, Zhang Tie considered his current situation while cultivating and recovering his own battle force.
Just now, Zhang Tie was surprised by his current "frail" state. However, unexpectedly, when he recovered his composure, he found that his battle force was recovering at an amazing speed. In less than half an hour, after he changed his clothes and took a short rest, his spiritual energy in mind sea and battle qi in qi sea had been "refilled".
Although the "refilled" state was relative, Zhang Tie was also shocked by it. Previously, Zhang Tie thought that it would take him a few hours to reach this state, even the next morning; however, he had not imagined that he could recover so fast. Such a recovering speed was even 10 times greater than that Zhang Tie had predicted.
'Incredible!'
Zhang Tie hurriedly looked inside.
Closely after that, he became dumbfounded…
He didn't have any problem but the Infinite Immortal Prison in his shrine surging point…
At this moment, Zhang Tie found that the Infinite Immortal Prison in his shrine surging point was giving out bright light. The entrance at the first floor of Infinite Immortal Prison was widely opened as colorful energy was pouring out of the entrance like flood.
After flowing out of Infinite Immortal Prison, the colorful energy instantly split into two halves; one was rushing into his mind sea like a reversal brilliant Milky Way from bottom to top and converting into the purest spiritual energy in his mind sea; the other was flowing into his qi sea; meanwhile, battle qi was surging out of the colorful energy at a speed greater than ever before.
Zhang Tie became dumbfounded. He didn't know why Infinite Immortal Prison could have such a great change; however, he felt familiar with the colorful energy that was flowing out of Infinite Immortal Prison…
'Wait…' Zhang Tie suddenly recalled something…
It was the first time for the projection of the demon overlord to destroy the space tunnel connecting Motian Realm with this world. At that time, the virtual image of King Roc was looking for the entrance for returning to Taixia Country among endless chaos and space mezzanines. Zhang Tie remembered that it was over 10 years ago. When the projection of demon overlord appeared in the chaos and space mezzanines for the second time, Zhang Tie entered a bizarre space crack by mistake while avoiding from the chase of the projection of demon overlord. When he entered the endless black fog and the large, bizarre space behind that space crack, he saw a vast, brilliant ocean.
At that time, he knew nothing about the place hiding in the chaos and the mezzanine; because it was just like a huge bubble in the chaos and the mezzanine. Zhang Tie didn't know what was in the colorful ocean. When he dove into it, the virtual image of King Roc was almost suffocated and shattered into pieces by the brilliant ocean. When he bore it hardly, his Infinite Immortal Prison suddenly flew out of his shrine surging point and hovered above the brilliant ocean. Closely after that, it turned into a mountain-like huge tower as high as 600 miles and opened the entrance on the first floor before absorbing all the brilliant energy like how a magical dragon absorbed water. As a result, Zhang Tie was saved.
After the Infinite Immortal Prison dried up the brilliant ocean, it returned to Zhang Tie's shrine surging point. That huge bubble suddenly broke up. Closely after that, the virtual image of King Roc was carried to somewhere else unknown by the space storm aroused by the broken bubble.
This event had happened for so long. Additionally, after Infinite Immortal Prison dried up the brilliant ocean, it didn't have any special response; neither did Zhang Tie have any special response. Therefore, he didn't pay attention to this event anymore. He thought that thing in the brilliant ocean was just something common in the chaos and the mezzanines which he didn't know and could be absorbed by Infinite Immortal Prison. Therefore, Zhang Tie had completely forgotten about it.
After Zhang Tie came back, the empty state facing his mind sea and qi sea coincidentally satisfied one condition. As a result, Infinite Immortal Prison poured out of the brilliant energy.
When he saw Infinite Immortal Prison pouring out that rainbow-like colorful energy, Zhang Tie finally realized that he was wrong. That brilliant ocean was never commonly seen in chaos and space mezzanines.
At this moment, the wisp of energy that entered his mind sea became his spiritual energy; the wisp of energy that entered his qi sea became his battle qi.
Zhang Tie had never imagined that something in this world could turn into spiritual energy and battle qi at the same time. It was out of Zhang Tie's cognitive scope.
When he remembered the vast ocean being absorbed by Infinite Immortal Prison, Zhang Tie almost blacked out. Compared to that vast ocean, the capacity of his mind sea and qi sea was just like that of a small pool, although he was a sage-level knight.
'What is this energy!?'
When Zhang Tie became greatly shocked, something even more shocking happened. After his mind sea and qi sea was filled by his spiritual energy and battle qi respectively, the energy which was more brilliant than the rainbow was still flowing out of the Infinite Immortal Prison and inputting the two energies into his qi sea and mind sea. As a result, his mind sea and qi sea felt like being blown up by a strong force. It was like a balloon being connected to a steamingly high-pressure pump…
However, Zhang Tie's qi sea and mind sea couldn't be blown up because of his Magical King Kong Body of Manjusaka Narayana Fearless King Roc.
Zhang Tie gradually found that the fresh spiritual energy and battle qi were being condensed constantly by the powerful rainbow-like energy. After that, the spiritual energy in his mind sea and the battle qi in his qi sea both became the same colorful energy…
Chapter 1942: Zhang Tie's Choice
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
The change of his spiritual energy and battle qi in his mind sea and qi sea was too abrupt. Zhang Tie had never imagined that his spiritual energy and battle qi could turn into the same energy one day…
The change was ongoing. After his battle qi and spiritual energy both turned into the brilliant energy, the same energy was still pouring into the hot sun in his qi sea and the bright moon and stars in his mind sea. When Zhang Tie felt that the hot sun in his qi sea and the bright moon and stars in his mind sea were going to be blown up, Zhang Tie's mind sea and qi sea rocked at the same time. Closely after that, the brilliance that the hot sun in his qi sea and the bright moon and stars gave out turned colorful at the same time.
The entrance of Infinite Immortal Prison in his shrine surging point was still open. The colorful energy was still surging out of the entrance. Gradually, the energy overflew his mind sea and qi sea. Then, it started to flow across his body like water that flew out of a water vat. As a result, his body as a whole was filled with that colorful energy.
When Zhang Tie was worried about whether the energy would blow up his body or not, the entrance of Infinite Immortal Prison suddenly closed like a sluice gate. Then, his body quivered once as all the energy inside his body faded away like an ebb tide and entered his surging points. Zhang Tie's body recovered in an instant.
After standing there still for a short while, Zhang Tie discovered that his mind sea had already been connected to his qi sea by two tunnels like how two ponds were connected. In those tunnels, the colorful energy was circulating. The energy could flow into the mind sea from his qi sea, vice versa.
'Incredible!'
Zhang Tie tried to regulate the energy in his qi sea to release a layer of protective battle qi outside his body.
There was no problem for him to do this. His battle qi could be regulated as same as before. However, this time he could release his protective battle qi the moment he regulated the energy in his qi sea. Additionally, Zhang Tie found that the protective battle qi that he had just formed appeared to be a bit different than that before. It was not an evident change. However, Zhang Tie felt that his protective battle qi had reached a new level. His protective battle qi appeared to be more powerful with greater defensive power and tenacity. After sensing it slightly, Zhang Tie found that the tenacity and strength of his protective battle qi had enhanced by 40% or so.
It was great progress!
'Is that colorful energy something more advanced than battle qi? How could it have such a strange effect?'
The protective battle qi was constantly consuming the colorful energy in his qi sea; meanwhile, the energy in his mind sea and the energy in his qi sea started to circulate so as to fix the missing energy in the qi sea at a higher speed.
Now, the spiritual energy in his mind sea and the battle qi in his qi sea could recover respectively. Although this resilience couldn't match that in his heyday, once the two spaces were connected, the energy could flow into his qi sea from his mind sea to fix the missing spiritual energy, vice versa. It indicated that Zhang Tie's resilience had increased by two times. In battles, it was equal to that Zhang Tie had two qi seas or two mind seas no matter whether he fought in the pattern of a divine dominator or a common knight…
Zhang Tie then stopped releasing his protective battle qi. Then, he ran his spiritual energy and started to form a master-level hiding rune in his mind sea with the colorful energy. This process was as same as before. At this moment, the colorful energy appeared to be his spiritual energy again. With the consumption of the colorful energy in his mind sea, an unprecedented master-level hiding rune came into being in his mind sea.
Compared to the other golden runes, this master-level hiding rune was colorful. Giving out a special brilliance in Zhang Tie's mind sea, it looked outstanding.
Additionally, when the energy in his mind sea was being consumed, the energy in his qi sea started to flow into his mind sea in order to fix the missing energy in his mind sea.
'That's true!'
Watching the colorful master-level hiding rune, Zhang Tie gritted his teeth as he activated another one regardless of the loss of his energy.
The effect of the fresh master-level hiding rune instantly covered the effect of the former one.
As he had experienced the effect of invisible Shen bead, Zhang Tie instantly felt that the effect of the fresh master-level hiding rune was about 40% greater than that of the former one, which was on the same level of his protective battle qi.
Zhang Tie became ecstatic in an instant!
Previously, Tang Mei said that with the increasing number of immortal chakras, the spiritual energy and battle qi of powerhouses above immortal emperor would gradually combine into one energy just like the colorful energy that he felt now. However, Zhang tie was not sure whether this energy was left by powerhouses above immortal emperors. He had sensed Tang Mei's battle qi, which appeared to be not that pure and variable. Additionally, the ocean of energy that he had discovered in the space bubble contained too much energy. Even though Zhang Tie had promoted to an immortal emperor, 10,000 Zhang Tie still couldn't produce so much energy. Therefore, Zhang Tie was not sure about the colorful energy and didn't know why he could discover that energy in that chaotic space. However, it didn't matter. What counted most was that Zhang Tie found that energy was available to him.
Zhang Tie was crystal clear that his overall battle force would increase by 40% than that before leaving Motian Realm once he passed his "frail" period and completely recovered. By then, he would definitely be at the peak stage of the sage-level knight, which meant that he would almost enhance half realm.
He really got good out of misfortune!
Additionally, he didn't have to pass the "frail" period of three years in the real world. He could actually make it shorter if he stayed in a tower of time!
As for the towers of time that he knew, there was one under Ice and Snow Wilderness; however, that tower of time's cycle was 60 years. It was not available for the time being.
There were many towers of time in the Dongtian of Great Wilderness Sect; however, he was not sure whether there was a tower of time available inside it. Those towers of time must have played a great role in Jinwu Palace's prosperity over these years facing the hard times in Taixia Country. Yan Feiqing and Zhang Tie's elder brother would never waste those towers of time. If Zhang Tie went back to Jinwu Palace now, he would definitely arouse the attention of the enemies. That might be what his enemies were craving for.
So was the tower of time where Zhang Tie and Yan Feiqing once stayed in. It was less possible for that tower of time to be vacant. Additionally, the location of that tower of time was completely in the control region of demons.
The best way was to find a tower of time in the Western Continent. Only by staying inside it for a few days would he recover completely.
It was already difficult for him to find a tower of time in the Western Continent, not to mention that he had to cover his identity from someone…
'Oh!'
'Ockham!'
A name instantly occurred to Zhang Tie…
When he read the memory of that low-level officer of the No. 6 royal corps of Aoto Empire, Zhang Tie got a message that officer heard from someone else in the camp a few months ago——there were two corps of Holy Light Empire among the forces in the Hicks Peninsula Theater of Operations. The two Holy Light Grand Priests of Holy Light Empire might also be supervising their soldiers in the East Line of Western Continent…
The low-level officer of the No. 6 Royal Corps of the Aoto Empire couldn't touch too much high-level information of the allied human forces, therefore Zhang Tie was not sure whether Ockham was supervising his soldiers in the East Line or not. However, there were only 3 Holy Light Grand Priests in the Holy Light Empire in total, two of them were in the East Line; therefore, Ockham probably also be in the East Line.
When he recalled Ockham, Zhang Tie observed the bloody seal produced by that god's baptism rune floating somewhere in his mind sea. The bloody seal was still there, which meant that Ockham was still alive and had not betrayed him; neither did he expose the relationship between him and Zhang Tie to the public. As Ockham and Zhang Tie were still connected with each other by the strong bond of the god's baptism rune, Ockham must know that Zhang Tie was still alive…
Unexpectedly, this piece that Zhang Tie casually set in the Western Continent still worked now. Zhang Tie then revealed a faint smile as he instantly felt bright in the future.
However, before meeting Ockham, he must deal with something and make some preparation…
At least he should not feel hungry. He had not eaten anything for a few years inside that huge egg.
After taking a look at the city which was full of battle flames, Zhang Tie activated his invisible Shen bead again as he floated out of the window…
Even a camel that was going to die due to starvation was bigger than a cat. Even though his current battle force was less than 1/100 of that in his peak, as long as he didn't expose his identity to the public and his spiritual energy and battle qi became full, he could recover his vitality at once…
It was actually very easy for him to find food; especially on the battlefield. The troop where the low-level officers of the No. 6 royal corps of Aoto Empire were in had set many secrets, temporary, free supply points in Coldwater City, which had a stockpile of food. Although those military field food were not yummy, they carried great heat. After taking them, people could recover their strength rapidly.
After being starved in the huge egg for a few years, Zhang Tie felt that he could eat up a whole ox.
Chapter 1943: Whose Holy War
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
The rain stopped at midnight. In the next early morning, soon after daybreak, the air zone of Coldwater City had become the battlefield of warplanes of both parties again, despite being cold in the air. The fiery-oil inflammable bombs that those warplanes dropped caused heavy flames to rise into the sky from the ground in Coldwater City. The large ground forces of both parties which fought fiercely in the city last night had already retreated to the safety areas. At this moment, only small units were carrying out street battles occasionally. Besides burning sounds caused by fiery-oil inflammable bombs and loud sounds caused by collapsing buildings, only low battle calls and growls were drifted out of the nearby ruins. However, closely after that, everything recovered silence. If one unit which was composed of more than 10 people were exposed outside those buildings, their location would turn into a sea of fire by one or several fiery-oil gel bombs after a short while…
It was only a part of the most brutal battle. The party which couldn't bear such a loss would retreat. By then, the other party would naturally become the last winner of Coldwater City, which could choose to chase after the opponent or not; however, the other party must retreat…
In the daytime, the air supremacy became the focus that warplanes of both parties scrambled for in the air zone of Coldwater City; the air cavalries of allied human forces and Sacred Alliance Empire became the main forces on the battlefield. Zhang Tie wondered whether he should feel glorious or helpless about this situation. As of now, even demons' puppet countries had got warplanes; additionally, all the pilots had inherited the appellation that Zhang Tie acquired in Selnes Theater of Operations——air cavalry!
Zhang Tie was the first air cavalry in this holy war. Additionally, he invented fiery oil and manufactured the dual drive engine. He drove the first plane and flew into the sky. Furthermore, he created the most classical theory about air battle and founded the first air cavalries training college. Therefore, Zhang Tie was undoubtedly the father of air cavalries among both humans and demons.
There was one different point: Zhang Tie was certainly a human hero and a powerful knight among humans; however, he also became the hero of demons, at least demon puppets in the Sacred Alliance Empire in the Western Continent. Those puppets became the pious followers of their god. According to the latter's propagation, the allied human forces killed their hero and had someone disguise as Zhang Tie so as to enhance troop morale and intended to subvert their belief and country…
From the perspective of the God, perhaps all the information about Zhang Tie in Sacred Alliance Empire were the most stupid lies as for allied human forces; however, such lies were accepted by all the fighters of Sacred Alliance Empire. In an enclosed totalitarian and religious system, if a person was born with lies, he would be strictly brainwashed. When he grew up, he would lose the basic judgment.
Last night, after being full, Zhang Tie didn't waste time; instead, he killed some demon soldiers in Coldwater City so as to kill time. From those soldiers' memories, Zhang Tie learned well the means that demons and Three-eye Association used to control these puppet countries and brainwash their followers. After knowing all these, Zhang Tie shuddered with fear.
In Sacred Alliance Empire, everyone was deeply marked as a demon since birth.
There was a simple animal controlling skill that even idiots could master. It was called imprinting. This animal controlling skill originated from a biological behavior and instinct that some birds and mammals were born with. That instinctive behavior was called imprinting. To put it simply, some birds and mammals would treat the first moving object that they saw after birth as their parents. If one wanted to control a bird, the simplest way was to let the bird see you when it came to this world. Additionally, as long as that bird lived with you for a period of time, it would definitely become your most pious follower. Humans also had the same instinct.
Similarly, each human in Sacred Alliance Empire would see demons the moment they came to this world. These kids couldn't live with their natural parents until 7 years old; instead, they all lived with demons. After 7 years, when they completed the most period of brainwashing, they would return to the side of their real parents. By then, the terrifying and utterly different body of demons would be the most perfect, intimate and sacred symbol in their eyes…
Across the territory of Sacred Alliance Empire, demon was the most dignified and sacred symbol.
After 7 years, those kids would continue to be brainwashed systematically. They would have their own language and treat everything that was marked with different words as dirty and profanatory items and everyone who spoke different languages as dirty and blasphemous people. They would confess no matter what they heard or saw. As for the former, they would burn and destroy them; as for the latter, if the opponents were men, they would be slaughtered and buried; if the opponents were women, their tongues would be cut off as they would become their tools for reproduction. As long as these women lost the ability to reproduce, they would also be slaughtered and buried…
When the fighters of Sacred Alliance Empire rushed into the battlefields, many people carried great feelings. They wanted to save all the humans by drawing those of their same kind being brainwashed by lies and dark into the arms and brilliance of their real god. Finally, they intended to create a perfect world.
That was the real thought of many fighters of Sacred Alliance Empire who were called "b*stards" by the fighters of allied human forces. Many of them were like martyrs who defied death and treated it as their greatest glory by killing fighters of allied human forces and fighting to death.
After the holy war broke out 4 decades, demons had already turned a part of people into the most terrifying enemies of the other humans, who wanted to exterminate all the humans.
It took Zhang Tie one night to read the memories of over 20 fighters and low-level officers of Sacred Alliance Empire who invaded Coldwater City. Besides mastering the language in these puppet countries, Zhang Tie also verified a conjecture——Ockham, as one of the three holy light bishops of Holy Light Empire, was indeed in the East Line of Western Continent.
One low-level officer of Sacred Alliance Officer heard about the name of Ockham in a military conference.
…
Those warplanes were chasing after each other in the air above Coldwater City and the neighborhoods. All the warplanes that both parties inputted on the battlefield were light multi-purpose warplanes. Each warplane could hold two air cavalries. Besides air combats, each warplane even carried two fiery-oil inflammable bombs. Soon after the air battle broke out, some warplanes had been hit and got burnt. They then fell to the ground with wuthering sounds and heavy black smoke.
When the sun rose, a warplane of Sacred Alliance Empire which had just come to the battle field above Coldwater City had dove down like a javelin. Coincidentally, it hit the deserted building where Zhang Tie's huge egg fell to yesterday.
Under the loud booms, the deserted building collapsed at once, covering the huge pit created by Zhang Tie's huge egg in an instant. As a result, the flame of fiery-oil inflammable bomb rose higher than 50 m and heavily burned the ground over hundreds of square meters in the surroundings…
The only clue that Zhang Tie left was then covered in the ruins of Coldwater City.
…
After doing all these, Zhang Tie rested all day long as he watched the air battle above Coldwater City.
In the following one week, Zhang Tie slowly recovered in Coldwater City as he formed his first body-separation rune with the brilliant energy in his mind sea.
The former body-separation rune had long been consumed in the chaos and the space mezzanines before he turned into a huge egg.
With body-separation rune, Zhang Tie became a bit more confident.
On the evening of the 8th day, Zhang Tie finally activated the bloody pledge of his god's baptism rune and summoned Ockham from a mountain over 60 miles away from Coldwater City…
Chapter 1944: The Realization of the Truth
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
After activating the bloody seal of the rune god's baptism, Zhang Tie immediately activated his invisible Shen bead. Then, he quietly waited in a mountain cave where some brown bears once lived.
Since the night had just fallen, Coldwater City in the distance looked tranquil. However, the battles between human allied forces and the Sacred Alliance Empire in Coldwater City in the evening had just come to a start. In the ruins, both parties had inputted a large number of troops. Bloody and cold fights were undergoing continuously. As it was dark, the air cavalries of both parties couldn't identify the situation on the ground. Therefore, the squads of special forces of human allied forces completely mixed with the army of the Sacred Alliance Empire like pine nuts in bread.
Some wing demons flew by Coldwater City every once in a while. They always hid in clouds and would come out to investigate the situation in Coldwater City every now and then or observe the action of the base of human corps in the south of Coldwater City. Even though some wing demons flew at a low altitude, they dared never enter the air zone within 300 m above the ground; because human allied forces' heavy crossbows could pose a fatal threat to wing demons within this distance.
Before fiery-oil was invented, ground weapons especially crossbows didn't pose great threat to wing demons. However, after the invention of fiery-oil, especially a myriad of fiery-oil weapons, inflammable bolts that could turn into fireballs in the air became fatal to wing demons. Wing demons could barely defend them. Ordinary wing demons that couldn't move as fast as bolts might be shot down by the latter. When bolts exploded in the air, they would produce heavy fire rains. Those flames could barely be extinguished the moment they touched wing demons. Therefore, wing demons were afraid of them the most.
Inflammable crossbows on airplanes could turn wing demons into fireballs in the sky. The air-defense armored vehicles on the ground were also fatal to wing demons. Additionally, there were human snipers who especially targeted at wing demons at high altitude. These snipers were all equipped with special crossbows.
The air cavalries of Sacred Alliance Empire didn't take the upper hand in the air zone of Coldwater City at all. Without the coordination of wing demons, the air zone of Coldwater City might have long been occupied by the air cavalries of human allied forces.
It was a large camp of human allied forces not far from the foot of this mountain where Zhang Tie was.
There was even an air-defense regiment of human allied forces on this mountain. Some air-defense battlefields being filled with air-defense armored vehicles were set on the mountain, which was used to protect those field airports behind the mountain.
High spruces, red pines and shrubs could be seen everywhere over the mountain. After Coldwater City turned into a battlefield, many plants on the mountain had been cut down and made into various armaments and materials; even though the greater part of the mountain was still covered with plants.
The bloody seal of the rune god's baptism was similar to those seals in the Great Wilderness Sutra. After all, the rune god's baptism originated from the animal controlling secret skills of Great Wilderness Sect. Through the bloody pledge of the rune god's baptism, Zhang Tie could summon Ockham; however, he couldn't realize remote communication with Ockham through the bloody pledge.
When he waited for the arrival of Ockham, Zhang Tie compared the rune god's baptism with the Golden-Soul Rune Virus and got some new realization. The two secret skills were both used to control knights with their own strong points. To be precise, Golden-Soul Rune Virus was more profound. To be honest, Golden-Soul Rune Virus had been the standard configuration of ambitious men.
When Zhang Tie learned the rune god's baptism, he had already doubted the identity of the one who created this secret skill. Now, Zhang Tie had already confirmed it.
If this god's baptism was really created by the pope of Sacred Light Church, the pope of Sacred Light Church must be Taiyi Old Man.
Even Zhang Tie had not imagined that Taiyi Fantasy Sect could control the Sacred Light Empire and create a puppet religious regime in the Western Continent. Who would believe in that…
However, that was the fact. Many truths always made people dumbfounded once being unveiled to the public.
Take those energies that Zhang Tie sensed in the world of thoughts in this mountain cave as an instance, as it was in the theater of operations, those energies in the world of thoughts were very powerful. What on earth are those energies in the world of thoughts? They were all negative energies like kill, fear, enmity, greed, fury, grief, distress and despair. These energies came from each soldier on the battlefield. These energies were the most favorite food of the demon overlord. They were the source of the power of demon overlord. In front of demon overlord or those powerhouses who had already formed immortal chakras, the entire battlefield was actually a huge juicer. Those being thrown into this juicer were all soldiers of both parties. The juice was composed of these negative energies released by the minds of those soldiers on the battlefield.
The so-called world of thoughts was actually the odd realm where these energies existed. The thoughts that flashed by each one's mind per second carried different attributes of energies. Ordinary people couldn't see or sense those energies and their attributes in their minds. However, what these energies to someone were like what water to fish and what grasses to ox and sheep…
At this moment, those negative thoughts and energies being extruded from the theater of operations in the East Line of the Western Continent were disappearing right in front of Zhang Tie. Even though Zhang Tie couldn't see demon overlord, he could sense that those thoughts and energies in the world of thoughts were being engulfed by many invisible huge mouths.
Some truths, once being figured out, could really overturn your recognition about everything in this world, even enable you to reconstruct your opinions about values.
Those negative thoughts in one's mind didn't only exist on the battlefields; however, they would be more active on battlefields. Even in normal times, everyone would have a myriad of thoughts per second. Different thoughts represented different energies. However, when one felt stressful, painful, dangerous, fearful or being tortured by diseases, the energies of those thoughts would be regarded as yummy food in someone's eyes…
What was the meaning of the Three-Eye Association? Previously, Zhang Tie thought that he had already understood it. Actually, he didn't. When he came back, observed and realized it from a higher angle of view, Zhang Tie completely realized and learned the core logic that Three-Eye Association used to rule and control humans…