Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“What? Su Ruoxue didn’t leave? She wants to perish along with Su Diwang? That fool…”

Qian Wanguan soon received the information. He had been paying attention to the situation at the Great Xia Kingdom during this period of time. He was remote-controlling the members of the merchant association to evacuate the Great Xia Kingdom, and so he quickly received this information.

The Great Xia Kingdom was destined to be extinguished, and Qian Wanguan was certain about this. Su Diwang must die, too. Otherwise, it would be able to appease the commoner’s anger, and it would become a warning of the future generation.

Qian Wanguan already predicted that Su Diwang would definitely arrange an escape route for the princes and princesses. Every powerful clan would always prepare an escape route beforehand to avoid being eradicated. He just didn’t expect for Su Ruoxue to stay.

He understood clearly how much affectionate Jiang Yi was to this woman and how much he regarded Su Ruoxue. If Su Ruoxue had left, they might have an opportunity to be together in the future. Right now, no one could save her; and if she stayed in the Summer Rain City, she would be dead for certain.

“Shall I inform Boss?”

Qian Wanguan hesitated. He knew that if he didn’t inform Jiang Yi about this major incident, Jiang Yi would surely be angered afterward and might even sever their brotherhood. If he told Jiang Yi… with his temperament, would he just rush into Summer Rain City alone?

Going against the Azure Dragon Empire and the five kingdom’s armies by himself?

Let alone Jiang Yi—even if Su Pingping was alive, he wouldn’t be able to resist against them. If he told Jiang Yi about this, Jiang Yi might be in danger again.

“What should I do now?”

Qian Wanguan had a headache as he finally thought of a good idea. That was to go look for Zhuge Qingyun.

If Zhuge Qingyun found that it was appropriate to tell Jiang Yi, and then he would immediately send a message to Jiang Yi. If he felt it wasn’t appropriate, Qian Wanguan would have a reason to explain, too.

Qian Wanguan found a mentor to relay the information to Zhuge Qingyun, and the latter actually agreed to meet with him. After Qian Wanguan explained his purpose for coming, Zhuge Qingyun muttered for quite some time before he shook his hand and said, “This thing must never be mentioned to Jiang Yi. He might look calm and steady on the outside, but he is actually very impulsive. There is no way to reverse this situation. If he is to step in, he will become the continent’s public enemy and will be killed by the experts from the five kingdoms. If… there is an opportunity, use your Qian Clan’s influence to save Su Ruoxue.”

“Alright, I will try my best.”

Qian Wanguan let out a soft sigh and went on to make arrangements. He actually wasn’t confident at all: not because he couldn’t send someone on a rescue mission, but mainly due to Su Ruoxue’s stubborn temperament. If she insisted on perishing along with Su Diwang and the Great Xia Kingdom, then how was he going to rescue her?

The result proved that Qian Wanguan’s guesses were correct!

Qian Wanguan quickly sent someone to contact with Su Ruoxue, saying that they could bring her to Mt. Spirit Beast College. Su Ruoxue refused immediately and said that if the Great Xia Kingdom was gone and if Su Diwang was dead, she didn’t want to live on by herself!

Time went past like the flowing water.

The citizens of the Great Xia Kingdom were getting more panicky, and there were more deserters among the citizens. The various kingdoms actually welcomed all of them, be it commoners, martial artists, or soldiers that defected. They would accept them all.

Once the Saint Spirit Kingdom finished mustering their army, the Divine Martial Kingdom in the south began to assemble their army, too—so did the Heaven Mystics Kingdom in the north which assembled an army of 300,000. The Northern Mang Kingdom and the Northern Liang Kingdom had completed mustering their army as well. Every one of them was waiting for the one-month notice to be due and for the Azure Dragon Empire to give the command. They would unite with the imperial army and march towards the Great Xia Kingdom together.

The Great Xia Kingdom didn’t try to provide any other explanation, but they did send out another announcement stating that the Great Xia Kingdom wouldn’t yield and was willing to fight until the end—until the last soldier and servant. Su Diwang also stated that he wouldn’t leave Summer Rain City and would exist or perish along with the Great Xia Kingdom.

At the same time… Su Diwang declared in his announcement that he was going to withdraw the alliance by marriage with the Divine Martial Kingdom. Since the Divine Martial Kingdom was going to attack the Great Xia Kingdom, then Su Diwang was naturally not going to let his daughter suffer.

In just over twenty days…!

The Great Xia Kingdom lost more than half their population while there were mutinies in the military as more than a third of them deserted. The rest that was staying was the Great Xia Kingdom’s most devoted faction who was prepared to perish along with the Great Xia Kingdom.

As the one-month deadline was getting closer, the atmosphere on the continent was getting more stifling. The Azure Dragon Empire and the five kingdoms were set on sending their troops while the Great Xia Kingdom was destined to be extinguished.

The continent’s power balance which had remained unchanged for ten thousand years was destined to be changed, too. Once the smoke of war rose, the continent might very well fall into a state of chaos. No one knew how the continent would ultimately become in the end.

…

Mt. Thirty Thousand, Fairy Peak!

The outside world was being turned upside-down while it was very easy and comfortable for Jiang Yi while he stayed in the Emperor Palace. Zhuge Qingyun didn’t send any message to him, and so he didn’t know anything. Apart from accompanying the little fox and Jiang Xiaonu every day, he would be cultivating.

The little fox and Jiang Xiaonu, who were both very pure at heart, hit it off very well. Jiang Xiaonu would accompany the little fox for the entire day, making it very happy and giving more time for Jiang Yi to cultivate.

The heaven and earth energy in the sky platform of the Emperor Palace was extremely intense, and Jiang Yi had plenty of Earth Dragon Elixirs in his Fire Spirit Pearl. After enhancing it with the black essence force, his cultivation speed became even faster. This time after he came back to the mountain, it was already another month; and the first star sphere in his dantian was almost full after the cultivation.

“In another five days, the first star sphere will be completely filled up with black essence force. I wonder what will happen then. Will there be another transformation like when I condensed my purple mansion?

Jiang Yi was rather emotional. He didn’t have the latter part of the Nameless Divine Art. He could only desperately cultivate and wait for the awakening of the Nameless Divine Art’s mnemonic chant or to wait for his dantian to transform again.

After he came out from seclusion, he rested for a full day and spent it with Jiang Yi and the little fox. He then informed them that he was going to seclude himself for five days and that they must not disrupt him even if the sky was going to collapse.

The little fox and Jiang Xiaonu were very sensible as they both nodded. Jiang Yi entered the sky platform and closed the entrance. He even threw aside Zhuge Qingyun’s jade talisman and focused all of his heart on cultivating.

The surrounding heaven and earth energy constantly gathered towards Jiang Yi while black essence force constantly flowed out within the star sphere which was inside Jiang Yi’s dantian. This star sphere was just like a little dantian which was hollow inside but could store the black essence force, and it was going to be filled up quickly.

As the black essence force continued to gush out increasingly, the star sphere was finally filled to the brim on the fourth day. The star sphere didn’t undergo any transformation; Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and continued cultivating. He wanted to see what would happen if he continued.

On the fifth day…!

The star sphere was still producing black essence force but couldn’t contain it anymore. Finally, the star sphere began to swell up gradually, like a water balloon which was constantly injected with water. No one knew whether it would explode.

“Continue!”

Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and continued cultivation even though the star sphere felt as though it was going to explode. The black essence force was still gushing out, and unless he stopped cultivating forever, he would always remain at his current strength. He could only bite down hard and continue cultivating.

The black star sphere swelled up continuously, and it seemed as though it was going to explode at any moment. Jiang Yi’s heart was already at his throat. With so many black essence force, if it was to explode, his body would be blown up and would be disintegrated.

“Eh? The speed of the black essence force gushing out seems to have slowed down?”

He was pleasantly surprised because the speed of the black essence force production began to slow down gradually. He paused for a moment and gritted his teeth before cultivating again.

Six hours later…!

Jiang Yi suddenly stopped cultivating; the black essence force wasn’t produced anymore. The star sphere had swell more than a third of its original size and might burst apart at any moment.

Buzz!

Right at this moment, something strange happened.

The nine star spheres glowed in his dantian at the same time while the black essence forces from the other eight star spheres surged violently towards the first star sphere. They quickly permeated into it, causing the star sphere to swell up even more intensely and look like it was about to explode for real.

Swish!

Concurrently, the clouds and wind above the Fairy Peak began to move uniformly. The heaven and earth energy surged rapidly towards the Fairy Peak while a star that was billions of miles above in the sky radiated. A fiery red light from the star shot down just like that time at the Great Xia Kingdom’s Mt. Fire Cloud. This divine light directly shot into Jiang Yi’s body, which was on the sky platform, and vanished.

Jiang Yi’s first star sphere suddenly transformed at this moment.

It was originally dark and swarthy, but now, it was radiating with red light—like a blazing proud sun. Rays of tyrannical aura were released from this star sphere, which shocked Jiang Yi into a tremble.