Pft!
The Jade Xiu King spat out another mouthful of blood. The blood had turned black and rotten as a result of being contaminated by the deathly aura. When it touched the ground, the solid rocks instantly turned to dust.
The Ink Scaled King’s wounds were even more severe. The armor on his body had shattered into pieces, and the frightening scars stretched over the whole of his body. He seemed like he would shatter into pieces of glass.
“Just a little bit longer and I would’ve died at the hands of that damned thing.”
The Ink Scaled King gritted his teeth, working hard to channel his energy into healing his wounds. However, the damage dealt by the grey-robed dead spirit was just too extensive; his entire body had already been invaded by the deathly aura, and all his bones and organs had already been ripped apart. And this was him, a great king who had the blood of the Black Qilin running in him. If it were any other living creature, they would probably have been dead a long time ago.
The Jade Xiu King’s injuries were no better. Although he had only exchanged blows with the grey-robed dead spirit once, the dead spirit’s cultivation had increased twofold in an instant due to the addition of another person, and he now had the power to kill him easily.
“Such a terrifying living creature of death,” Mo Wen thought to himself. To think the difficulty level of the Ninth Spirit Mountain was this high. With just one blow, two of the great kings on their side had already been stripped of their attacking power.
It was down to him and the Multicolor Queen. Did they still have a shot at making it through here?
The worry was written clearly all over their faces, especially for the three Great Kings of the ancient land. The only way available to them now seemed to be the road to death. If they did not make it through the Ninth Spirit Mountain, they would be doomed for eternity. Only Mo Wen was exempt from this. He still had the option of returning to the Eighth Spirit Mountain and teleporting out of there from the Spirit Platform to head to the Creation Pool.
But for the natives of the ancient land, they had no other alternative to dying here.
“We’ve lost all hope,” the Jade Xiu King said as he exhaled softly. His eyes were filled with despair, not fear and terror. Living for as long as he had meant you would have seen enough of life and death. It was better to be in an eternal slumber than to be trapped with others in the tiny cage that was the preliminary ancient land. This was also why they were not opposed to the idea of coming here despite knowing that failure meant certain death.
It was just a pity that, in the end, he had not managed to escape from this cage, and any further struggle would just be in vain.
“The heavens are not on our side!” The Ink Scaled King heaved a heavy sigh as well. It was clear from his eyes that he refused to leave things as they were. He did not want to fail; he wanted to try again. However, he no longer had the strength to even fight for his life now.
The Multicolor Queen was silent. Her face had been covered in a layer of hazy, colorful light from the start. The colorful light was rather mysterious, and not even Mo Wen’s enlightened eyes could see through it. Rumor had it that the Multicolor Queen’s beauty had always been a mystery in the ancient land. Even the other Great Kings, the Jade Xiu King and the Ink Scaled King, had never seen anyone like the Multicolor Queen.
“Thank you for helping us get this far, Mo Wen. Although it’s a great shame we failed, it was thanks to you that we even had a shot at this at all. We are no longer able to go any further, but perhaps this was written in the stars from the start. Please return; the Eighth Spirit Platform poses no limits to you.”
The Jade Xiu King looked at Mo Wen. Although he was unwilling to take it lying down, he had to come to terms with it. They were unable to move on with things as they currently were. Although they were but one step away from their goal, this one step was like a natural chasm separating two worlds.
Mo Wen remained silent. Indeed, he could leave this all behind. With the difficulty of the Nine Spirits Road, being able to even make it to the Eighth Spirit Platform was a rare achievement. But if he left like this, then the three Great Kings of the ancient land would die here. Since he had brought them here, then he had the responsibility of bringing them out of this place with him. It was not like him to ditch people like this, and he would not do so unless it was the absolute last resort.
“You have done everything you possibly could, Brother Mo Wen. Don’t bother about us anymore; we’re only in such a sorry state now because we weren’t strong enough. There’s no need for you to feel guilty, so hurry along. You’re a human preliminary cultivator, so the Nine Spirits Road won’t be too harsh on you.” The Ink Scaled King sensed Mo Wen’s hesitance and encouraged him.
Still, Mo Wen did not speak; there was hesitation in his eyes. The three Great Kings of the ancient land had undoubtedly played a huge role in helping him get to the Eighth Spirit Mountain. If not for their help, he probably would not have made it that far with just his own strength to rely on. Although he had not known them for long, this entire journey had proven that the three Great Kings of the ancient land were indeed frank and honorable. In this situation, the Great Kings still had a way out, and that was to force him to send them back to the preliminary ancient land. This way, they could continue to live after being sent back there. However, doing so would mean Mo Wen would never be able to enter the Creation Pool because there was no way back in after he left.
But the Three Great Kings had no intention of doing this. Instead, they told him to leave. With their power, Mo Wen would stand no chance if they decided to join forces and coerce him.
“Since I brought you here, there’s no reason why I should leave you behind here. Let me send you back to the ancient land.” Mo Wen sighed lightly. They would live if he did this, but he would ever be able to enter the Creation Pool.
“No, Brother Mo Wen, but we appreciate the sentiment. I didn’t expect humans to be this compassionate and loyal. Back then, when you caused all that ruckus in the Multicolor City to save your partner, I already thought you were different from those other selfish humans. Choosing to come here was a decision we made, and we already knew we would be burning all our bridges and prepared ourselves for the worst possible outcome. We’ll die if we die. We’ve lived for long enough, so it’s better to better to die instead of staying alive for the sake of it.”
The Jade Xiu King shook his head. He never expected Mo Wen to make such a decision. A single human who was willing to give up his future to save them! This youth was undoubtedly sentimental. But as a great king of the ancient land, he would not and could not accept such sentiments. Back when he had made the decision, he had already been prepared to accept the responsibilities that came with it.
“Brother Mo Wen, you’re a brother I’ll acknowledge for life. It’s just a shame we met this late! Had I made your acquaintance earlier, we would definitely be drinking together. That said, you don’t have to talk about sending us back to the ancient land anymore. I’m not a sore loser, and I won’t be able to have you sacrifice your future just so we can stay alive. Besides, you might have managed to cultivate the Light of Creation, but the Creation Pool is an item of creation that’s been around since the Immemorial Age. It’s something that can impact your entire life. With your talent, the creation talismans you have on hand, as well as the achievement of making it to the Eighth Spirit Platform, the benefits you’ll reap at the Creation Pool will be unparalleled.
“There have been a lot of people who were able to enter the Creation Pool, but those who could create and completely reinvent themselves in it are very few and far between. This is an opportunity you absolutely have to grab on to. Don’t be too careless.”
The Ink Scaled King had always been blunt with his words. He had his own way of doing things, and he always meant what he said. There was no way he could accept what Mo Wen was offering. Besides, this was a favor he would never be able to repay. After all, Mo Wen would leave once they returned to the ancient land, and they would forever be trapped there.
“Death is not frightening; the three of us have never been afraid of it. If not for our obstinate resistance against the heavenly laws, we would have gone insane from being trapped in such an environment for such a long time. You hurry along, Brother Mo Wen. Don’t dawdle or crack jokes with me here any longer,” the Jade Xiu King said with a smile. This was make-or-break, and they had no intention of returning alive.
“There’s still one last option, Mo Wen.”
The Multicolor Queen, who had kept silent the entire time, stared at Mo Wen and uttered words no one else had expected. There was still another option? That dead spirit was so terrifying. Was there really another way out of this situation?
“What other option do we have, Multicolor?” the Ink Scaled King burst out, unable to hold in his excitement.
The Multicolor Queen paid him little mind. She pulled Mo Wen to the side and said in a quiet voice, “Mo Wen, we of the Multicolor Clan inherit the blood of the Multicolor Xuan Ming Spider. Every generation’s queen will have a unique power, and my power is one that’s rare, even in the pure-blood Multicolor Xuan Ming Spider of the ancient time. However, the moment I use it, I will no longer be myself, so I hope you’ll treat me well in the days to come.”
Mo Wen’s head was filled with questions, and he did not fully understand what the Multicolor Queen was saying. What did she mean when she said she would no longer be herself, and why was she asking for him to treat her well?
The Multicolor Queen, on the other hand, seemed resolute. She said nothing else as she took a step forward to hug Mo Wen. At the same time, a ray of colorful light, radiant beyond compare, burst out from the Multicolor Queen’s body. That light was gorgeous and exceptionally mesmerizing.
“Rainbow Divine Light? What’s going on?” The Jade Xiu King and the Ink Scaled King were both squinting. The Rainbow Divine Light was something they could not stare directly at.
Mo Wen was frozen in shock. He had not expected the Multicolor Queen to make such a move. The strange thing was that the Multicolor Queen’s body seemed a little less solid under the Rainbow Divine Light. Her entire body seemed to slowly be integrating into Mo Wen’s body.
“Trust me, don’t resist me.”
The Multicolor Queen’s gentle voice sounded from beside his ear. Mo Wen hesitated a little, and then relaxed completely and said nothing more. He did not feel any evil intentions from the Multicolor Queen’s body; rather, he felt a familiar wave of emotions.
“This is…”
The Jade Xiu King and the Ink Scaled King looked at each other. The two of them looked like they could not believe what they were seeing, and they called out in shock, “This is the legendary Heart of Multicolor, the ancient technique, the Heart of Multicolor! Multicolor actually has such an ancient, divine technique!”
The two of them looked like they were meeting the Multicolor Queen for the first time. Their eyes were wide and their mouths were hanging open as they took in the scene unfolding before them. The Heart of Multicolor was a divine technique that had been well-known in the Primeval Age. It originated from the Multicolor Xuan Ming Spider, and it was the most mysterious and unique talent of the clan. The Multicolor Xuan Ming Spiders that had the Heart of Multicolor were rare, even in the Primeval Age. To think that the Multicolor Queen who had inherited a little of the Multicolor Xuan Ming Spider blood really possessed an ancient divine technique like the Heart of Multicolor!
“Heart of Multicolor! This is the most sacred of strengths from the Multicolor Xuan Ming Spider which symbolizes devotion, loyalty, and protection… Since the Primeval Age, only the luckiest of people have been able to possess the Heart of Multicolor. Since Multicolor possesses it, why didn’t she use it with me? I’m much stronger than Mo Wen, aren’t I?” the Ink Scaled King remarked rather gloomy.
“Alright, cut it out already. She’s not interested in you at all,” the Jade Xiu King retorted mildly, raining on the Ink Scaled King’s parade.
