If Xiao Chen was still thinking of saving others, he would be a fool. Only if they had come one by one might he still have been able to do it.
Suddenly, he thought of something. He said, “Head in the direction of the Ten Thousand Flowers Garden.”
The eyes of the people with him lit up. They immediately understood Xiao Chen’s intent. Qi Wuxue smiled and said, “Ten Thousand Flowers Garden… Right, we should head to the Ten Thousand Flowers Garden!”
When Lang Taotian saw that Xiao Chen and the others showed no intent to aid him in his life-and-death crisis, he could not help but start cursing, “You have the Purple Thunder True Fire, but you are not using it, choosing to watch us die. This fellow is too vile. In that case, I will have you share my fate.”
The other people with him had similar thoughts. They all quickly followed in the direction that Xiao Chen and the others had taken. Everyone moved rapidly and soon arrived at the Ten Thousand Flowers Garden.
Xiao Chen and the other four coordinated well. Without having to say much, they all headed in the same direction at the same time.
The Sea Monarch’s daughter, Princess Qin, lying amid the hundreds of flowers, appeared in the group’s sight again. Princess Yao Yan turned around and sent the trailing four a voice projection.
Xiao Chen’s group flew quickly, brushing past the flawless Princess Qin’s body.
When Lang Taotian and the others heard Princess Yao Yan’s words, they rejoiced. So they followed after and also bypassed the area where the flawless Princess Qin’s body lay.
The four being chased flew with all haste. The eight jade-white evil Demons chasing after them did not think too much, seeing that their prey was about to fall in their hands. The expressions on their faces were excited and malevolent.
“Pu ci! Pu ci!”
The eight evil Demon clones flew above Princess Qin’s body and did not even consider changing directions. Before they could react, a force pulled them down. The flowers and grass shot up and tangled with the eight jade-white evil Demon clones.
A look of horror appeared on the faces of the eight evil Demon clones. No matter what they did, they could not struggle free of these plants. The most horrifying thing was that the plants were slowly sucking away the energy in their bodies. They could do nothing to stop the loss.
“What in the world is this place? What is going on?”
“I’ve been in the Ten Thousand Flowers Garden many times. How come I never discovered a restricted area here?”
“It’s over. The grade of my Heavenly Soul Pearl is dropping.”
The evil Demon clones cried out loudly, but nothing worked. The glow on their bodies gradually dimmed. They turned black, then scarlet.
Lang Taotian and the others, whom the evil Demon clones had chased for a long time, trickled over and saw this scene; they were in complete disbelief.
Their various lightning-attributed flames had not had much of an effect. Unexpectedly, these plants could grind the jade-white evil Demon clones down to death. Who exactly was the girl lying amid the hundreds of flowers?
Xiao Chen used the core jade pendant to check. He confirmed that, aside from his group, the people before him were the only ones left alive.
The Profound Water Sect’s Lang Taotian, the couple from Spirit Returning Island, and the Northern Sea Alliance’s Yan Chihai were the people left. The jade pendants of the others all stopped moving long ago.
Seeing the evil Demon clones fading away slowly, Xiao Chen regretted that he would not be able to obtain their Heavenly Soul Pearls.
Lang Taotian calmed down and looked at Xiao Chen in dissatisfaction. “White Robed King, what do you mean by that earlier? We specially came to you for help, but you actually turned around and ran.”
The couple from Spirit Returning Island were feeling very dissatisfied as well. The man said, “You have the Purple Thunder True Fire, but you are unwilling to help. Young Master Xiao, this is too much.”
Yan Chihai did not say anything. However, his unhappiness was clearly written on his face.
The evil Demon clones only feared lightning-attributed flames. Although these four cultivators found it hard to fight the evil Demon clones, they had some confidence in dealing with Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen smiled coldly to himself. These people were so timid with the evil Demon clones, then put on such a show of bravado before him, not feeling ashamed at all.
“You people nearly caused our deaths, yet you turn around and question us? What is your skin made out of? Let me pinch it to see.”
Qi Wuxue walked over to the woman from Spirit Returning Island.
The black-robed man from Spirit Returning Island snarled, “Scram. You are a shameless rascal. Stay farther away. Our Spirit Returning Island is not afraid of your Muddy Sky Gate.”
“Brother, what are you saying? Let me see what your skin made out of. Why is it so thick? Why such a strong reaction?” Qi Wuxue chuckled.
Leng Ao withdrew his gaze from Princess Qin and said, “Young Master Xiao, it is time to go to the Sea Monarch’s body, right?”
“The Sea Monarch’s body!”
When Lang Taotian and the others heard the words “Sea Monarch’s Body,” they all looked at Xiao Chen. This was their primary purpose for coming here—the Sea Monarch’s body. After a long search, they could not find a single clue, yet Xiao Chen managed to find it.
The few of them immediately shut up and stopped mentioning the earlier matter.
When Xiao Chen saw their reaction, he did not want to pay any further attention to them. He spat out the Dragon Phoenix Cauldron and released the evil Demon clone.
After being tortured badly, the evil Demon clone that had been put in the Dragon Phoenix Cauldron felt like it arrived in heaven. After looking at its surroundings, the evil Demon clone asked carefully, “Are you all ready to go and search for the Sea Monarch’s body?”
“Lead the way, and don’t bother speaking any nonsense.”
Xiao Chen already subdued the evil Demon clone. With some simple words from him, it no longer dared to say anything more, behaving and leading the way.
“Young Master Xiao, we offended you earlier. I’m sorry.”
“My apologies, I was rather rash earlier.”
Lang Taotian and the handsome man from Spirit Returning Island immediately found an opportunity to apologize to Xiao Chen.
These people who survived were all powerful characters without a doubt. When they got to the Sea Monarch’s body later, there would no doubt be chaos.
Xiao Chen replied to them casually. However, his intentions were unclear.
The evil Demon clone led the group back to the great hall and stopped there.
“Don’t tell me that the Sea Monarch’s Gilded Coffin is here?” Qi Wuxue said as he curled his lips up into a smile.
The great hall was where the evil Demon’s main body was sealed. Yao Yan had been here before, and there had been no Sea Monarch’s body.
The evil Demon clone smiled and said, “It is here. However, it is not inside the great hall. Instead, it is above the great hall.”
After the evil Demon clone finished speaking, it spat out a dense black gas, which spread out to the empty area in the sky above the great hall. Under the influence of the black smoke, the silhouette of a palace slowly appeared.
Everyone’s eyes lit up. No one had expected there to be another palace hidden above the great hall using light tricks.
“The Sea Monarch’s coffin is in there. When I entered, I could not open the coffin. There is a painting sealing the coffin, and it cannot be moved.” The evil Demon clone continued, “According to the agreement, you have to let me go.”
Xiao Chen opened his mouth again and let out the Dragon Phoenix Cauldron. Without any explanation, he sucked in this evil Demon clone, not letting it try to bargain.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Lang Taotian, Yan Chihai, and the couple from Spirit Returning Island raced to get into the palace above first. Long Fei, Qi Wuxue, and Leng Ao quickly followed after, leaving only Princess Yao Yan and Xiao Chen.
“Young Master Xiao, shall we go in?”
The palace in the air appeared indistinct in the spreading smoke. Xiao Chen stared at the palace and asked, “Princess Yao Yan, have you really never been to this palace before?”
Before entering the Sea Monarch Palace, Yao Yan once said that she did not know where the Sea Monarch’s coffin was. However, Xiao Chen did not believe that now.
Since the evil Demon clone in the Dragon Phoenix Cauldron could tell Xiao Chen the coffin’s location to save its life, why would it not tell Yao Yan? She had once defeated this evil Demon clone, wielding the Extreme Thunder Sword.
All those who were still alive had very impressive backgrounds. Xiao Chen had a vague suspicion that he had fallen into a big trap.
“Young Master Xiao…” Princess Yao Yan seemed like she wanted to say something but could not find the words.
Xiao Chen waved his hand, forestalling her. He said, “There is no need to say any more. I still stand by the same words. I believe that Princess will not harm me. I will focus only on sealing the evil Demon; the other matters have nothing to do with me. As for what the others are here for or what the Merfolk Race want to do, all that is none of my concern.”
After Xiao Chen finished speaking, electric light flashed under his feet, and he entered the palace as well. Now, only the sad-faced Princess Yao Yan was left standing where she was.
—
Inside the palace, Lang Taotian and the others stood around the Gilded Coffin, frowning to themselves. An unfurled painting floated above it. A few of them tried but could not move that coffin at all.
The person in the painting was precisely the one in the Azure Emperor Drawing the Saber painting. The only things different were his expression and posture.
In this painting, the Azure Emperor’s eyes were magnificent and proud, filled with sharpness. The painting emanated a sense of tyranny. He stood at the summit of a mountain, looking into the distance. There was a feeling of “I am the best, and no one else can match me.”
However, in the Drawing the Saber painting that Xiao Chen had, the Azure Emperor had withdrawn his sharpness. There was an aged and calm look in his eyes like he had seen past all the worries of mortal life. The sense of tyranny was gone. In its place was a kind of appreciation of life and death.
Without this appreciation, the Azure Emperor Drawing the Saber painting would not have been able to let Xiao Chen experience the sense of death.
Without a doubt, the two paintings were separated by a long time. The Azure Emperor in the Drawing the Saber painting was much stronger than the Azure Emperor in this painting, having a much more perceptive gaze.
“Xiao Chen, why are you arriving only now? Quickly, take this Standing Tall Seeing Far painting, so we can open this coffin.”
When Lang Taotian saw Xiao Chen enter, his eyes lit up, and he spoke commandingly. The others looked at Xiao Chen with fervent gazes, waiting for him to take action.
Footsteps resounded outside the door. Princess Yao Yan was coming in as well.
After walking for one hundred meters, Xiao Chen arrived before the coffin. He stretched out his hand and took the Standing Tall Seeing Far painting.
The others rejoiced and stepped forward, wanting to open the coffin lid and see what treasures were inside.
The coffin lid popped open, and the few of them looked in joyfully. In the end, their expressions all changed drastically. This Gilded Coffin was actually empty.
“Why is it like that? Where is the Sea Monarch’s body?”
“Damn, what’s going on? There is not even a single hair in there.”
Great disappointment. Everyone was greatly disappointed.
The Divine Rain Robes, Sea Monarch Scepter, Sea Monarch Crown, and Pursuing Wave Boots, all these were Emperor Grade Secret Treasures. Although these Martial Sages would not be able to bring out the full might of Emperor Grade Secret Treasures, just bringing out twenty percent of it would increase their strength significantly; they would be able to dominate wherever they went.
Having anticipated this outcome, Xiao Chen was not overly surprised.
He carefully put away the Standing Tall Seeing Far painting in his Universe Ring. Then, the Azure Emperor Drawing the Saber painting suddenly merged with the Standing Tall Seeing Far painting with a ‘whoosh,’ forming a blazing clump of light.
Xiao Chen was greatly shocked. The two paintings could actually combine? He did not know what would happen. There should be a secret in the Azure Emperor Drawing the Saber painting. He had been able to learn Drawing the Saber from the painting but had not managed to get to its secret.
Chapter 909: Life-and-Death Crisis
