Once the dazzling golden light that blanketed the world shone, the pale light from the Rank Twelve Virtue Flame Red Lotus that the Nether River Patriarch invoked began to flame. In fact, the Rank Twelve Virtue Flame Red Lotus itself began to billow with black smoke as if ignited.
The Rank Twelve Virtue Flame Red Lotus was actually grown from one of the four seeds of the Blue Chaos Lotus. It was an outstanding paragon treasure itself, which, once used, could erupt with endless Karmic Flames that destroyed everything.
Cultivators hated karmic flames the most.
And yet…
The Jade Emperor’s clone was an example.
He had mentioned that this clone was a clone of virtue.
Jiang He was puzzled at the time and asked about what a virtue clone was, and the Jade Emperor’s response at the time was it was literally what it meant.
In other words, his clone was completely incarnated out of virtue.
And a golden form of virtue naturally did not fear Karmic Flames.
Though it appeared to be a long story, it had all actually occurred in an instant.
From the instant that the Nether River Patriarch doubled back, to his collapse in negotiations with Jiang He to when the Jade Emperor’s clone attacked, there was only time to breathe three times.
The Nether River Patriarch hence manifested from among the stars. Holding the innate treasure, the Infinite Pain Sword, he sat atop the Virtue Flame Red Lotus while staring tightly at the Jade Emperor’s clone unhappily, “Jade Emperor. Are you really going to interfere in this affair between Jiang He and I?”
“Jiang He is a good friend of mine.”
The Jade Emperor’s clone repeated himself.
The Nether River Patriarch glared viciously at Jiang He and coldly said, “I’ll kill you another day, Jiang He!”
With that, he left.
On the other hand, Jiang He only regained his senses and had a look of lingering fear, muttering, “A peerless Demi-Saint really is terrifying…”
He was careless.
Before this, he had thought that he would have his hundreds of pseudo-Overdeities surround and kill the Nether River Patriarch… but now it looked like a joke.
Leaving aside the fact that the Nether River Patriarch’s control over dimensions far surpassed the pseudo-Overdeities, there was no one who could stop him if he wanted to escape… and judging from the power he had shown, Jiang He could not do anything aside from hiding with his lackeys into his Farm.
“The Rank Twelve Virtue Flame Red Lotus… is that one of the ten Innate Soul Treasures spoken of in legends?”
“I didn’t think that the Nether River Patriarch had such mythical item aside from the Yuan Killer Sword and the Infinite Pain Sword…”
Jiang He thought then.
Nonetheless, he felt tremendous pressure.
And he had not felt this way for a long time!
“I can’t underestimate any of the unmatched Demi-Saints… aside from overwhelming power, their mystic treasures would definitely be the best among worlds!”
“I have to be tough enough to fight the Nether River Patriarch!”
Meanwhile, as the Nether River Patriarch retreated, the ever-present golden light withdrew as well, reverting into the Golden Armor General.
When he saw Jiang He spacing out, he thought that Jiang He was frightened, and so promptly reassured him, “The Nether River Patriarch is extremely experienced and wields many innate soul treasures, which keeps him at the top three of the strongest individuals barring Saints… but even after endless eons, he still failed to take the final step, perhaps because his potential had reached its limits.”
“But you’re different, Jiang He.”
“Being as accomplished as you are after cultivating for just a few years… there is hope for you to become a Saint!”
Jiang He regained his senses then. Ignoring what the Golden Armor General said, he pressed, “Is the Nether River Patriarch’s abilities ranked among top three of the strongest individuals barring Saints?”
“The endless worlds are truly mysterious… so many curious beings and races are born over these endless eons.”
“There would be a handful, even over ten elites who would be a match for the Nether River Patriarch… but there are only two Demi-Saints who could truly hold him down, one being the Grand Mage of Xuan Du from the Three Real Realms, and the other being the Patriarch of the Stoners.”
Oh…
My mindset was a little narrow.
Jiang He thought to himself then…
The divine myths of Earth were only limited to the Three Realms, not ‘the endless worlds’.
Jiang He naturally knew about the Grand Mage of Xuan Du, who hailed from the Ren Sect.
As for Stoners…
Jiang He himself had self-destructed a Stoner pseudo-Overdeity.
They were one of the many races over the endless worlds.
Their patriarch was another peerless Demi-Saint who was a sacred mountain gaining Dao. He was the first, and only through him came the Stoners. Still, because he was no Saint, he was reduced to vassals of the God-Demon alliance.
Jiang He then appeared thoughtful as he studied the Jade Emperor’s clone…
The Nether River Patriarch was one of the third most infamous individual barring Saints, and yet a single word from the Jade Emperor scared him off?
He even said that he could direct the forces of the Celestial Court…
Then, at what level was the Jade Emperor’s combat ability?
As he spoke, the Jade Emperor’s clone had invoked the Space-Piercer, taking Jiang He and Wang Hou back to the Celestial Court.
On the deck, the Jade Emperor’s clone asked, “Jiang He, is it true that you can ascend to Demi-Saint in a year and a half?”
“I am somewhat confident.”
Jiang He response was rather conservative.
After all…
He was lacking a lot of Farm Points, and whether he could reach Demi-Saint soon depended on the number of immortal items in the Celestial Court… he had even decided to have the Jade Emperor recall all forces of the Celestial Court with their immortal items so that he could plant everything.
And then there was also the matter of medicinal pellets…
There were not many high rank medicinal pellets in the Celestial Court, though they had mountain piles worth of those.
“I wouldn’t have been bothered to plant low-level pellets since I would only earn a few thousand Farm Points at most after planting for hours… but it seems that I have to plant those now, too!”
The Space-Piercer moved rapidly, and they arrived near the Southern Sky Gate by the next day.
“Jiang He, my clone’s identity must never be revealed. Please go on ahead and I’ll return to the Celestial Court later.” The Golden Armor General put away the Space-Piercer and said goodbye to Jiang He before leaving the Celestial Court in a flash, arriving at Jambudvipa.
He changed his form, putting away his shiny golden armor and taking up the appearance of a recently-rich man, and entering a prosperous immortal city.
He knew the way and soon arrived before a building.
Soon, young ladies could be heard laughing and talking…
“Sir, do come and have fun with us…”
“Oh, if it isn’t Sir Golden?”
“Quick, notify Mommy that Sir Golden has arrived…”
***
Meanwhile, Jiang He and Wang Hou arrived outside the Southern Sky Gate and found flashes flying toward them.
It was the immortals of the Celestial Court led by the Jade Emperor, as well as the Grand Luo and Demi Saints of the Three Realms rushing to the scene… there were Chan Sect immortals whom Jiang He was acquainted with, as well as Yu Yuan, who had once met Jiang He back on Earth.
“Brother Jiang He!”
“Jiang He!”
“You runt… you’ve actually accomplished yet another grand feat that has shocked the world just days after we parted… Ninety-nine foreign Grand Luo! The God-Demon alliance definitely deal a heavy blow this time, but those two races could hardly compete against the Three Realms in the Grand Luo battlefield from now on!”
The Chan sect immortals who were closer to Jiang He all came to greet him.
On the other hand, the Jie sect immortals glared fiercely at Yu Yuan.
Reasonably speaking…
The Jie sect was the first to made contact with Jiang He.
Back when the Grandmaster of Heaven—the patriarch of the Jie Sect—had hinted to his disciple about Jiang He and Wang Hou, he meant that one of those two men were capable of becoming Saints, and so asked that his disciples build ties with them…
His disciples had misunderstood him, however, and assumed that their mentor, admiring such talents, wanted to accept them as disciples.
That was why the Golden Spirit Saintess sent Yu Yuan to recruit Jiang He…
In turn, Yu Yuan himself misunderstood the Golden Spirit Saintess as well, since he believed that she wanted to recruit Jiang He and Wang Hou as disciples herself.
Watching as Jiang He chatted cheerfully with the Chan sect immortals, Yu Yuan had to brace himself and walk up to Wang Hou, laughing. “Brother Wang Hou… it’s already been two years since we met at the homeworld! How have you been?”
Wang Hou was dumbstruck.
Yu Yuan shook his hand intimately, smiling, “Martial uncles and aunts, this is Wang Hou from the homeworld. He has driven a revolution on the homeworld for martial arts, bringing it to new heights…”
After some compliments, Yu Yuan and Wang Hou more or less became close.
Being a former leader, Wang Hou was not shy from such scenes. As such, he gave the people from the Jie sect an impression that he was humble and well-spoken.
On the other hand, Jiang He excused himself after chatting for a while. “Brothers, I’m really sorry… I feel quite inspired after yesterday’s fight, so I’m about to go in seclusion for my ascension up to Demi-Saint. I’m going, then.”
When Jiang He flew through the Southern Sky Gate…
The Chan sect immortals who were close to Jiang He complained.
The True Habitant of Tai Yi even cursed right away—
“F*ck!”
“What the hell?”
“The brat is reaching Demi-Saint?”
“How many years has it been since he started cultivating?!”
