Divine Kasyapa clearly doted on Huang’er, which had led to him taking a shine to Jiang Chen as well. He had an extended private conversation with the young lord to get to know the young man.
His expression changed when he heard that Jiang Chen had been trying to fight the demons.
“When I was young, I used to wish that I’d been born two hundred thousand years earlier,” lamented the divine master. “If I could fight in the demonic war of the ancient times, my life would be quite a saga for the ages.”
“The demons will rise again. History repeats itself. If you want to be part of the war, the opportunity will come one day.”
Divine Kasyapa chuckled. “I’m afraid Myriad Abyss is going to fall into chaos long before then. Besides, that was a thought of youthful ignorance. The times have changed. I no longer have the same wish.”
“Oh?” Jiang Chen was surprised. “Myriad Abyss will fall into chaos? Why is that?”
“First, a tremendous amount of security flaws have emerged in the Boundless Prison. According to this seat’s investigation, it’s not the result of a lack of maintenance, but intentional sabotage. In other words, the ten sacred lands’ rule is no longer as absolute as it was before.
“Second, the offworld battles aren’t looking good. The ten sacred lands have been weakened greatly and can no longer bear the high casualties and resources.”
Jiang Chen gaped. “You know about the offworld battlefield as well, senior?”
“Hmph, the Boundless Prison is a treasure trove of information,” the divine master declared haughtily. “There are not only inmates from Myriad Abyss, but also powerful invaders from outside this plane. This seat knows a great deal about what even the ten sacred lands aren’t aware of.”
Jiang Chen cursed under his breath. The demonic invasion couldn’t be stopped and the offworld enemies threatened to break through their defenses. Would the world fall into chaos like in the ancient times? Was the Divine Abyss Continent doomed to enter another dark age?
“The heavenly axis has deviated, revealing the coordinates of the continent. An age of senseless conflicts is coming. You may have reached a decent height with your cultivation, Jiang Chen, but if the Eternal Sacred Land sends you to the offworld battlefield, all your glory may come to an end.” Divine Kasyapa chuckled, his eyes boring into Jiang Chen’s soul.
“The venerated forefather said he wouldn’t send me to the offworld battlefield, not until I come to my full power.”
“Times are different now. Things may not have been as bad when he made that promise to you, and you weren’t as strong as you are now. You came out neck and neck with First Wind. That’s enough to make some contributions to the war.”
Jiang Chen fell silent, at a loss of what to say.
He wasn’t afraid of going to war. At changing times like these, a man had to prove his worth in battles. Moreover, he’d never been the kind of person to sit and wait for things to happen to him.
“Leave the Eternal Sacred Land and follow me,” Divine Kasyapa intoned lonely, his eyes focused on Jiang Chen. “I’ll find a way to help both you and Huang’er ascend to divinity. Once you do, you’ll be my most trusted allies. Even when the world falls into chaos, we’ll be able to protect ourselves. If things get too bad, we can even leave the plane of Divine Abyss Continent and enter a bigger stage.”
The invitation came out of nowhere.
Jiang Chen frowned but shook his head without hesitation. “I may be young, senior, but I know one should finish what they started. The human domain considers me their leader. They depend on me. I cannot abandon them. The Eternal Sacred Land may not have made me who I am today, but we’ve been through hardships together. Moreover, I have a deal with the venerated forefather. It’s against my principles to go back on my words.”
He spoke only the truth.
The god’s offer was in his best interests and it also made perfect sense. However, one couldn’t think only about their own interests when making decisions. There were lines one shouldn’t cross and principles one should adhere to.
Divine Kasyapa seemed to have foreseen Jiang Chen’s response. He smiled slightly. “You’re a stubborn one. Aren’t you afraid that you won’t be able to give Huang’er lifelong happiness?”
“With all due respect, divine master, do you know what kind of life she wants?” Jiang Chen responded bluntly. There was no need to be coy in a conversation between two men.
Divine Kasyapa didn’t have an answer to that.
“If I run for my own safety when danger strikes, that will disappoint Huang’er. I don’t want her to think that the man she chose is one without a sense of duty or responsibility.” His attitude was clear.
Divine Kasyapa closed his eyes without a word. Finally, he sighed softly. “Some people are born to achieve greatness. Perhaps you’re one of them, Jiang Chen. Fine, my offer still stands. If one day you change your mind, you may seek me out then.”
“Senior, didn’t you say you once wished you’d been born two hundred thousand years earlier so that you could fight in the ancient demonic war?” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but ask. “A storm is coming, and you’re a powerful man. Why have you lost your will to fight? Why do you think of nothing but running away?”
Divine Kasyapa’s eyes narrowed and flashed. He looked at Jiang Chen with a hint of anger.
Jiang Chen met his gaze without fear.
“Young men are often hotheaded,” Divine Kasyapa said faintly. “If you stay in the Boundless Prison for a few decades or centuries, you might think differently.”
“No matter how terrifying a place it is, it shouldn’t have dulled your ambition. Real power comes from the mind. Challenges and hardships make a true hero stronger and braver. They don’t turn the hero into a coward who runs away from danger.”
Jiang Chen was growing frustrated. Someone as powerful as the divine master shouldn’t have been so pessimistic.
Surprisingly, Kasyapa gave Jiang Chen a cool glance instead of defending himself.
“Do you know how many powerful cultivators have escaped the prison, young man?”
“How many?” asked Jiang Chen.
“There were as many divine cultivators among them as the ones in Myriad Abyss, or even more so. And some of them are more powerful than I am. If they stir up trouble in Myriad Abyss, they might destroy it. If they collude with the offworld enemies, their combined destructive power will be unimaginable. Under the circumstances, what good will our meager power do? What are the odds of us turning things around?” He scoffed, staring at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was shocked. He hadn’t expected the Boundless Prison to have deteriorated to this point. Myriad Abyss Island would be plagued with threats from all fronts in the future. Evils of all kinds were entering the stage.
