Chapter 1225 The End of the Reign of the King and the Eight Lords
“There are thousands of sword-controlling skills, but few of them can enable one to travel so fast. Mr. Zhang is flying so fast with his sword-controlling skill. This has renewed my understanding of sword-controlling skills.”
Several elders of the Dark Elf Clan were amazed.
Even Felina was staring blankly ahead.
Nina’s face was written with reverence. Olien, Tricia, and even Zhao Feng, Zhang Guangyou, Chen Changqing, and the others all expressed their amazement.
“The disparity in our strength is getting bigger and bigger. How can we ever catch up with him?”
Chen Changqing admitted that he was under a lot of pressure. He wanted to fight shoulder by shoulder with Zhang Han. However, he couldn’t do that because he was not strong enough. But as Zhang Han grew stronger, Chen Changqing found it more and more impossible to keep pace with him. Well, it was heart-wrenching!
When he approached the planet, Zhang Han made his figure less solid as if he had turned into a black shadow, so it was difficult for others to notice him. The opponent’s king vessel did not make a move. It was not until more than 10 minutes later that the king vessel caught a glimpse of Zhang Han.
But the next second, Zhang Han was already beyond the vision of the camera.
When Zhang Han came to the void above the planet where the imperial palace was, he halted in his tracks before turning into a streak of light and then quickly swooped down.
“A call is coming in.”
“Answer it,” Tricia said.
“Buzz!”
A figure was projected in the air. He was the person in charge of the space station.
“I want to see Lord Kong. I have something important to discuss with him,” Tricia said.
“See who?”
The man looked bemused.
“Lord Kong.”
“You… You’re Dark Elves. Are you here because of Gu Yi?”
“That’s right.”
Tricia’s task was to play for time because their king vessel needed to stay here and wait for Zhang Han to come back. To have an excuse to stay here, Tricia decided to play along.
However, after a few seconds of silence, the man in the video call said slowly, “Please wait a moment.”
He did not seem interested in talking. He had also been wearing a suspicious expression on his face.
“Buzz.” The man hung up.
“He can’t have found out about our agenda, can he?” Olien’s face was grave.
“It’s possible. Otherwise, why would he look so awkward?”
“Could this be a trap?”
“Let’s wait and see how they will react. We’ve kept a safe distance from them. If the other party makes any moves, we will have time to take countermeasures.”
Everyone was kind of at a loss.
Yue Wuwei was the only one who was still composed. He was not worried at all.
“Since Han dares to go there on his own, it means that he can handle it.”
However, after a few minutes, Yue Wuwei showed a bewildered look on his face.
“There is no fight?”
Then, Zi Yan’s communication device rang.
“Honey?”
From the screen, everyone saw that Zhang Han seemed to be floating above the imperial palace. His expression was a little odd as he said, “Come here, all of you.”
“Oh, okay.”
Zi Yan nodded and informed everyone.
“Are we really going there?”
Elder Doman and the others were quite frightened.
They had some doubts about this, but Olien and Tricia said with certainty that it would be fine.
“Crazy! These people are crazy! I think I shouldn’t have boarded this spaceship!”
Doman sighed heavily and ordered the auxiliary system to move forward.
The king vessel leaped and approached the planet in no time.
To everyone’s surprise, they received the highest courtesy. The king vessel parked in the VIP area. Then, they flew an aircraft to the ground from the side.
They saw Zhang Han when they came to the void above the imperial palace.
“Eh?”
The moment the camera captured Zhang Han’s figure, Yue Xiaonao shouted, “Isn’t that Qin Changxiao, the thief?”
“It’s him! Why is he here?” Mengmeng was also stunned.
“Is the old man next to him his master?” Chen Chuan yelled with excitement.
If Qin Changxiao had heard them call him a thief, he would probably say, “Can’t you stop embarrassing me with that error I made last time?”
The aircraft landed on a platform of the imperial palace. Instead of going to the imperial palace, they went to sit down in a pavilion on the side of the platform.
“I didn’t expect to see you here. Sorry for not welcoming you,” the old man said to Zhang Han. Then, he looked at the crowd, cupped his hands, and greeted them warmly.
Doman and the rest of the Dark Elves looked at each other in confusion.
Chen Changqing, Yue Wuwei, Zhang Guangyou, and others didn’t know what was going on. They just watched in silence.
Mengmeng and the others cottoned on. Zi Yan also seemed to have guessed something.
“Taoist Deadwood, what’s your relationship with the Gutuo Divine Temple?” Zhang Han asked.
“I’m the older brother of the late King Gu. I’m his biological brother. He had something to do with my being attacked and sealed in that place.” Taoist Deadwood’s expression froze for a moment. It was as if he didn’t want to mention what had happened in the past, but he gave Zhang Han an explanation anyway.
“The late King Gu?” Doman and the other Dark Elves were puzzled.
“Did he mean the former king? But that king passed away a long time ago.”
“I was referring to the King Gu you know. Well, I came back a few days ago to settle the old accounts. I’ve put an end to the reign of King Gu and his eight lords. I only let two lords live. As for the others…”
Taoist Deadwood smiled. He stroked his beard, not finishing his words.
His hair was all white. His beard was even longer than Yue Wuwei’s. His expression was unfathomable.
His remark took many people present aback.
“King Gu and six lords have died?”
“Rumble!”
Like a bolt from the blue, this piece of news shocked everyone.
“Really?”
“Good heavens!”
“The Gutuo Divine Temple has…”
No one could believe it.
“So, Lord Kong has also died, hasn’t he?” Zhang Han asked calmly.
“Lord Kong? You mean Gu Kong?”
Taoist Deadwood nodded slightly. “He died, too. May I know if you have any grudges against him?”
“Nothing.” Zhang Han smiled and said, “I don’t like trouble. I hate having flies flying around me. I killed Gu Yi and Gu Kun, so I came here to swat the rest of those flies.”
Taoist Deadwood was completely speechless.
After two seconds of silence, he chuckled and said, “The reign of the one king and eight lords of the Gutuo Divine Temple has ended. The two surviving lords are Lord He and Lord Lan. They’re a man and a woman. Are they flies in your eyes too?”
Tricia reacted quickly. Judging from Taoist Deadwood’s attitude, she knew that if Zhang Han said yes, he might go to kill the two lords as well.
If these two lords were Taoist Deadwood’s subordinates, he would mention it to Zhang Han, so Zhang Han would know the two lords were under Taoist Deadwood’s protection. Even if it would make things a bit trickier, there would still be room for negotiation.
However, Taoist Deadwood didn’t say anything like that. He gave everyone the impression that he would do whatever Zhang Han said.
Tricia looked at Doman and asked, “Were these two lords in any kind of relationship with Gu Kun and Gu Yi?”
“Of course. After all, they all served the Gutuo Divine Temple.”
Doman gave a wry smile.
“Princess Tricia has pinned the burden on me. If I said anything inappropriate, I would offend those powerful people!”
Doman thought for a moment and replied, “The eight lords were not completely united. Lord He and Lord Lan had nothing to do with Gu Kun. They had no close relationship with Lord Kong. Actually, they were not on good terms with Lord Kong.”
“Forget it. There’s no need to investigate more. I don’t know very well about the situation here.” Taoist Deadwood smiled and said, “You just want to wipe out all the people related to Gu Kun and Gu Yi, right? Guards, come here!”
“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”
More than a dozen of Taoist Deadwood’s subordinates approached him in a flash.
“Kill everyone related to Gu Kun and Gu Yi,” Taoist Deadwood ordered.
“Yes.”
The dozens of men turned around and took off.
After that, Taoist Deadwood said, “I have yet to deal with those people’s Life Lamps. If you want to confirm their deaths, you can come with me to the Immortal Hall to have a look.”
“No need.” Zhang Han shook his head. Then, something appeared in his right hand as he said, “This is your Life Candle. Here you are.”
“But… I haven’t given you the Dark Cold Fire yet,” Taoist Deadwood said hesitantly.
“It’s no problem.” Zhang Han shook his head and said, “You are now the leader of the Gutuo Divine Temple. I know you can’t go back on your word.”
“Alright.” Taoist Deadwood gave a few chuckles, then retrieved his Life Candle and sighed with emotion. “Mr. Zhang, you’re really extraordinary. You remind me of the vast starry sky. You’re incomparably profound and unfathomable. Even though I’ve been in the Cultivation World for a long time, I have never seen anyone like you before.”
“I’m flattered,” Zhang Han replied.
“I’m now the leader of the Gutuo Divine Temple, though it is not my aspiration. I plan to let Lord He and Lord Lan work together first. Tonight, I’ll go to get the Dark Cold Fire and take Changxiao to hone his skill in adventures. He’s now the Holy Son of the Gutuo Divine Temple. After I announce this to the world, he will have to face some challenges,” said Taoist Deadwood.
“Gee! We’ve parted just for days. Can’t believe you’ve become the Holy Son!” Mengmeng looked Qin Changxiao up and down and exclaimed.
“Hiss!”
Qin Changxiao gasped and hurriedly cupped his hands together, saying, “Er… Princess Mengmeng, I’m so flattered. How would I dare to claim myself the Holy Son in front of you all?”
For some reason, he felt that Mengmeng’s father was looking at him out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t know why, but he felt a little scared.
Qin Changxiao didn’t intend to pursue Mengmeng even though she was pretty. Having lived in Chaos City for so many years, he didn’t care too much about dating pretty women. He liked cultivation, but he cherished his life more.
He felt that he would be risking his life if he attempted to date Mengmeng. If he didn’t handle the relationship carefully, the master’s savior would be furious. Then, the consequences would be severe.
“She is indeed a little princess.”
Looking at Mengmeng, Taoist Deadwood said with a smile, “Luckily, I saw her when I was awake. Seeing that the fireball she launched was somewhat impressive, I thought of the Dark Cold Fire. When I first obtained the Dark Cold Fire…”
At this point, Taoist Deadwood’s expression became slightly grave, and he began to talk more slowly.
“I was very excited at that time. If I could successfully refine it, it would be a great help to me. But to my dismay, my cultivation method and secret skills were difficult to merge with the Dark Cold Fire. In addition, the Dark Cold Fire is difficult to refine in the first place. If I tried to refine it quickly, it could backfire. I failed several times and finally put it in one of my abodes. If she wants to refine it… Mr. Zhang, you have to make preparations in advance.”
“Yes.” Zhang Han nodded.
“I’ll be back in roughly a week. Why don’t you stay in the Gutuo Divine Temple and tour around this planet?” Taoist Deadwood suggested.
“Thanks, but maybe I’d do that next time. We’ll go to the Blue Sand Wind Domain to wait for you,” Zhang Han said.
It was hard to discover anything unusual when they were in the Blue Sand Wind Domain.
However, such an abnormal sign indicated that there must be something extraordinary going on. Zhang Han planned to go over and take a look.
The Blue Sand Wind Domain was linked with the Sea Dragon Star Area. Now that there were many of his own people in the Sea Dragon Star Area, Zhang Han decided to sort out the matter of the Blue Sand Wind Domain first.
“Speaking of the Blue Sand Wind Domain, it’s extraordinary, truly extraordinary.”
A hint of awe flashed across Taoist Deadwood’s face. He lowered his voice subconsciously as he said, “I took a spaceship and prepared to head back here along the Blue Sand Wind Domain. However, halfway through my journey, the Blue Sand Wind Domain suddenly changed. I saw… I saw a blurry shadow flash past the edge of the Blue Sand Wind Domain. It was shaped like an Earth Dragon with four enormous limbs, a dragon’s head, and a snake’s tail. It even caused my heart to tremble in fear.”
Yue Wuwei raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, “Did you see it clearly?”
“Yes, absolutely.” Taoist Deadwood continued, “Not only did I see it, but I also felt the imposing aura that creature released. It was definitely above the Middle-Stage Void-refining Realm. I believed I had also heard a burst of laughter, which was light and pleasant, yet… it was neither a male’s voice nor a female’s. I couldn’t tell its gender, so I was not sure.”
“No, Master,” Qin Changxiao said in a low voice, “At first, that creature was very large. Then, it became small. After that, we heard its laughter. That creature seemed to have transformed into a human being, who was more than two meters tall.”
“What was that about?” Yue Wuwei’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was thinking about something.
At this time, Zhang Han’s expression changed, and there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes. After pondering for a while, he remarked, “A giant creature suddenly turned into a human and laughed. There could be only one explanation. That creature you saw might be an ancient demonic beast that could transform.”
“What? An ancient demonic beast?” Yue Wuwei was stunned. “An ancient demonic beast that can transform into a human being? Could it be…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, for the truth his last few words represented was too heavy. Most of the ancient demonic beasts that could transform into human beings had passed the Tribulation Stage.
“Was this a joke? How could a magnate of the Cultivation World appear in backward places like the Sea Dragon Star Area and the Small Sky Dragon Region?
“If this happened in a computer game, the Novice Village would suddenly become the Master Player Village.”
“I don’t think that’s the case.”
Zhang Han knew what Yue Wuwei was referring to.
He shook his head and said, “Many ancient demonic beasts used to fight side by side with human cultivators. They were their pets with intelligence. Having lived with human cultivators for years, those ancient demonic beasts learned some cultivation methods. As time went by, their descendants get their martial arts heritage and can transform into human beings before they reach the Void-refining Realm. But generally speaking, such beasts are at least in the Yuan Ying Realm. Some can be in the God Transformation Realm and even the Void-refining Realm and the Integration Realm. But in the Sea Dragon Star Area, the resources or various energy Qi they can get are scarce, so the environment here doesn’t suit them. Even if some of them do come here, they will leave very soon. Maybe what Taoist Deadwood and Qin Changxiao saw was just an afterimage.”
“An afterimage? It’s indeed possible.” Yue Wuwei nodded. Then, he looked at Zhang Han with a suspicious expression on his face. “How do you even know this? Generally speaking, beasts that can transform are very rare, and many people have never heard of them.”
Seeing that Mengmeng and Zhang Han were both ready to speak, Yue Wuwei said immediately, “Don’t try to fool me with the excuse of reading books. I’ve heard enough!”
Zhou Fei, Zi Yan, and the others couldn’t help snickering.
“It’s truly because I’ve read a lot. Elder Yue, why can’t you just believe me?” Zhang Han said with amusement.
Taoist Deadwood, who was listening to their conversation on the side, was completely mystified. He felt it really amazing that Zhang Han even knew about this.
Taoist Deadwood sighed and said, “I’m not sure whether it was just an afterimage or something. Anyway, it looked very real. Alas, never mind. I haven’t been out for a thousand years. It’s only natural that many places have changed.”
Seeing this, Zhang Han shook his head as well.
“Yes. The world has indeed changed a lot.”
The Sea Dragon Star Area Zhang Han knew in his previous life had no Blue Sand Wind Domain but a place called Wind Domain. At that time, the Chaotic Region was also quite small. But today, the Chaotic Region had become surprisingly large. Besides, new places had come into being, such as the Domain of Seven Desolations.
“On the Land of Sealed Demons in the Domain of Seven Desolations, there is a Space Node connected to the Northernmost Sea. What kind of secret is hidden there?”
Zhang Han was also curious about that place.
Despite his curiosity, Zhang Han would not try to explore that place without solid strength.
“Ever since I got married and started a family…”
Zhang Han glanced at Zi Yan and Mengmeng and thought to himself, “I’ve truly become much more chicken-hearted.”
In the past, Zhang Han overawed the world and enjoyed long-lasting glory.
He had also met many talented cultivators, including princes and Holy Sons. He never hesitated to battle with them. When he ran into ancient demonic beasts, he also never refrained from fighting them.
“Though I’m human, since we’re all on the cultivation path, why should I be afraid of others?”
But now, Zhang Han wouldn’t mind small disputes, let alone starting fights over them. He was no longer aggressive. Of course, the premise was that the offenders didn’t provoke the people he cared about.
Even Zhao Feng, Chen Changqing, and others felt the same way. But when Zhang Han stepped forward to battle, they all found that he was still a devil. Zhang Han was like a tiger who had not bared its teeth for a long time, but that did not mean others could take him as a cat.
“Mr. Zhang and everybody, I’ll have a banquet prepared. Don’t leave. Let’s head out together after dinner. What do you think?”
“Okay.”
Taoist Deadwood went off to make the arrangements.
They had a very sumptuous dinner. During the dinner, several subordinates came in and reported that the purge had been completed.
No one at the banquet paid much attention to that.
After the meal, the group rested for a while before setting off.
Taoist Deadwood and Qin Changxiao also boarded a king vessel. The two groups agreed on the time to meet and then parted ways.
“A few days ago, Qin Changxiao was still in Chaos City, trying to steal crystal stones. But in the blink of an eye, he has turned into the Holy Son of the Gutuo Divine Temple. How unbelievable!” Yue Xiaonao clicked her tongue and said, “That Qin Changxiao is truly in luck.”
She found this quite interesting. It was like hearing somebody living in the slum suddenly become a prince of a rich kingdom. The change was just too dramatic.
“Now that he is the Holy Son of the Gutuo Divine Temple,” Nina said, “he will have access to a host of cultivation resources and a high status. Well, of course, he still can’t compare with Mengmeng.”
“Hahaha, you’re right.” Chen Changqing laughed heartily and said, “Only God knows how many cultivation resources Brother Han has saved for Mengmeng.”
“But I haven’t used many resources to cultivate,” Mengmeng said seriously.
“Just the treasures you carry around are worth a fortune,” Yue Wuwei said.
Almost everyone in Zhang Han’s group knew that Mengmeng and Zi Yan had an inexhaustible supply of treasures, and no one knew exactly how many kinds of treasures they carried.
Doman and the Dark Elves were perplexed when they heard this conversation.
They thought to themselves, “The treasures they carry around are already worth a fortune?
“It must be exaggerated.”
But they seemed to have forgotten that when they saw Zhang Han fly to that the imperial palace on his sword, they couldn’t believe their eyes either.
Their rigid way of thinking, or rather their old-fashioned outlook formed over the years, was being shattered bit by bit.
They soon arrived near the Blue Sand Wind Domain.
The spaceship halted in the void of the cosmos. On the way leading to the Small Sky Dragon Region, they detected more than 50 king vessels.
It could be imagined that many forces in the Small Sky Dragon Region and the Heavenly Dragon Star Province had heard the news and rushed over to investigate.
Yue Wuwei and Zhang Han boarded the boat again. This time, they planned to do a thorough investigation.
“What if it’s really like what you said?”
Yue Wuwei asked, “The potentials of ancient demonic beasts are extremely terrifying. Take Tiny Tot for example. It has undergone a few awakenings and is now in the God Transformation Realm. Other kinds of ancient demonic beasts are also this amazing. None of them are easy to deal with.”
“How could that be?” Zhang Han said in confusion, “Ancient demonic beasts are just powerful strange beasts that have advanced bloodlines and complete martial arts heritage from ancient times. Just like cultivators, there are powerful ones and weak ones. Even if a powerful ancient demonic beast really shows up, we’ll just go back to Saint Warrior Planet and work hard to cultivate.”
Yue Wuwei was stunned for a moment and said, “Boy, you’ve even made a backup plan. Do you still have guts? When you heard this kind of change, you should have wanted to fight those things!”
“What’s there to fight over? No one will pay me even if I win.”
Zhang Han’s words made Yue Wuwei utterly speechless.
“Talking with you is getting more and more boring,” Yue Wuwei said snappily. But in less than two seconds, he added, “I’m just worried that some strange beasts above the Tribulation Stage will appear. If there are a large number of them, it will take a toll on the Heaven Dragon Star Province and the Sea Dragon Star Area.”
“If we can’t stop that from happening, we can only relax and accept it.” Zhang Han shook his head slightly and said, “I’ve sensed something.”
“What is it?” Yue Wuwei’s expression altered. He began to observe with his soul sense as well.
“I’ve sensed wisps of the pure power of the cosmos, which are moving in accordance with certain rules,” Zhang Han said. “We can go out now. Let’s wait and see. Something that will shock the entire Heavenly Dragon Star Province will show up here.”
