Chapter 581: The Divine Island
Jiang Chen swept his eyes over the area and noticed that most had gathered here already. There were roughly fifty cultivators present, including the seven of the Regal Pill Palace. Vice Hallmaster Yue had entered with the third batch of candidates, and had met up with Elder Yun Nie.
Elder Yun Nie and three other elders took up strategic placing in the four cardinal points to protect the young geniuses. They were worried that the two wyverns would suddenly dive down.
When he saw Jiang Chen, Elder Yun Nie called out to him. “Jiang Chen, come over here.”
Although Jiang Chen wasn’t afraid of the two wyverns, he couldn’t appear too out of the ordinary at the moment. He picked up his speed and entered the defensive circle.
Mu Gaoqi grounded his teeth. “Wang Han was up to no good when he lured those two monsters here!”
Jiang Chen just smiled. Wang Han was actually quite smart. If he hadn’t lured the two monsters here, he would’ve been brutally murdered by them sooner or later.
Jiang Chen surveyed his surroundings. He noticed a large lake towards the bottom of the valley. Everyone was clustered around the east bank of the lake. Mist faintly covered the lake’s surface as it brimmed with spirit power, appearing quite mysterious and unfathomable, provoking endless twists to the imagination. The lake was as if a sleeping beauty, full of magical attraction that irresistibly drew the curious glances of those who saw it.
Jiang Chen saw that there was a cluster of islands in the center of the vast aqua expanse of the lake. It brimmed with spirit power that wafted out into the air over the islands, lovingly entwining around each other. Thanks to the evaporation of the spirit power, rays of light portended peace and prosperity in the air, making the islands seem exceedingly divine, as if an immortal realm of great fortune.
Jiang Chen was well aware that this should be the true core of Mt. Rippling Mirage, and the center of the ancient herb garden! Although he was quite a distance from the abundant spirit power hovering above the islands, he still felt physically and mentally refreshed as it drifted over on the wind. It was apparent from this just how the islands brimmed with spirit power.
“It looks like the islands will be the main point of contention in the last three days.” Jiang Chen privately observed the situation and noticed that although the sects were all busily engaging the wyverns, they were actually keeping a covetous eye on the islands.
The defensive perimeter below was continuing to draw closer at this moment as more sage realm cultivators joined the fray. On the Regal Pill Palace side, two other elders had also joined in the battle apart from Elder Yun Nie and Vice Hallmaster Yue.
Although the two wyverns were quite ferocious, they found it hard to hold on beneath the onslaught with the increasing numbers of sage realm cultivators. The more extraordinary of the Myriad Domain geniuses were all itching to join in as well. On the Sacred Sword Palace’s side, Wang Han had recovered his overweeningly arrogant attitude after he’d adjusted himself. He’d changed into an outfit of white clothing and walked over to the Regal Pill Palace side. He glared at Jiang Chen with angry fire dancing in his eyes, “Kid, don’t think this is the last of it!”
Jiang Chen shrugged and smiled faintly, not thinking much of these words at all. Jiang Chen would treat even Wang Jianyu of the Sacred Sword Palace as though the other had merely farted, much less a Wang Han.
Wang Han felt like he’d punched a ball of cotton when he saw that Jiang Chen was ignoring him. He was privately incensed and suddenly caught sight of Shen Qinghong out of the corner of his eye. He smirked coldly, “Old brother Shen, you’re the genius of the younger generation in the Myriad Domain and should help shoulder our elders’ burdens. As the first genius amongst the Regal Pill Palace, are you planning on just watching off on the side like this?”
Elder Yun Nie suddenly glared down fiercely. “Wang Han, go if you want. What are you running off your mouth here for?”
Wang Han was still a bit cautious when it came to Elder Yun Nie, so he laughed loudly. “Is the so-called first genius of the Regal Pill Palace just a title for false fame that is the greatest lie of the ages? Since this is the case, take a good look at how I, a genius of the Myriad Domain, battle that monster!”
He rose into the air after these words and called upon his energy to make his sword erupt with explosive light, cutting across the air in a frosty arc that shone with the splendor of the galaxy. The light from the sword seared through the void, striking the back of one of the wyverns.
To attack the wyverns as so many other experts were engaging them, Wang Han was merely taking advantage of the situation. This stroke looked stunning, but it was just attacking someone from the back. However, even that was enough to make Shen Qinghong quite depressed.
Wang Han was a sage realm cultivator after all, and he’d grasped the initial techniques of flight whereas he always remained one small step away from the sage realm. Therefore, he was unable to join in this kind of fight even if he wanted to. This was an obvious act of mockery from Wang Han. Shen Qinghong’s face was a bit white as the look in his eyes danced, feeling like blades were cutting across his heart as he watched the figures bob and weave in the air. For someone as proud as Shen Qinghong, the repeated humiliations he’d experienced during the Mt. Rippling Mirage trip had greatly decreased his self confidence.
It was rather Jiang Chen who smiled mysteriously, “Wang Han’s in for it now!”
His words had just sounded when the other wyvern suddenly sensed Wang Han’s presence and swept wildly with its wings, forcing the sage realm cultivators by its side to retreat. It suddenly gave a long howl and opened its mouth, spewing forth a countless amount of purple lightning that struck down with swift ferocity at Wang Han.
The arc of lightning suddenly exploded and transformed into numerous purple lightning snakes that crept across the sky. Although the sage realm cultivators next to the wyverns had fast reactions, they weren’t faster than the speed with which the lightning arced downwards.
Wang Han had been sitting quite proud after ambushing the wyvern when he suddenly felt a sky full of jagged, purple lightning come down over his head like a cover. His face instantly drained of color from the fright and he threw all thought of his image to the winds. He instantly dived downwards and let himself crash towards the ground.
He was too familiar with the power of the lightning, and knew that if he tried to escape in any other direction, he would only be cleaved to death by the lightning. Only by free falling downwards and slamming into the ground would he have a chance to live.
Indeed, the two Sacred Sword Palace elders below reacted swiftly and flung out several talismans in a row. The talismans all radiated green light to form streams of green air currents, catching all of the purple lightning like green carpets.
Wham wham wham!
The purple lightning and green air currents crashed against each other repeatedly, giving rise to layers of great disturbances and ear piercing cacophony, exploding into various random turbulence.
Wang Han’s speed was fast, so although he’d fallen down and was now quite worse for wear, he hadn’t suffered any great injury. He picked himself up in a bedraggled manner from the ground and began running.
Shen Qinghong spurted out in laughter. “Wang Han, is this what you meant by battling that monster?”
Many watching on the ground burst out in raucous laughter, obviously amused by Wang Han’s comical downfall. Wang Han always possessed a genteel bearing and self-styled himself as the top genius of the Myriad Domain. He’d lost a great deal of face in falling down in such an ignoble manner this time. He was so incensed that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood, but settled for glaring frostily at Shen Qinghong, unbounded killing intent surging out of his eyes.
Shen Qinghong had been feeling a bit self conscious and was a bit wary of Wang Han, who’d broken through to the sage realm before him. The knot in his heart was instantly undone at seeing him so unkempt. He suddenly felt that there was nothing to fear about this Wang Han. When he looked at Jiang Chen again, he suddenly felt that this Jiang Chen wasn’t as irritating to the eye as before. Shen Qinghong had been repeatedly laughed at by the sage realm geniuses during this trip into Mt. Rippling Mirage because of his failure to break through, and it seemed that it’d been his peers who’d helped him out each time. He had strong powers of comprehension, and had suddenly thought through much after repeated tempering of his mental state.
Mu Gaoqi asked with curiosity, “Brother Chen, how did you know that Wang Han was in for it?”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly and didn’t respond. The two wyverns were plainly viewing Wang Han as the person who’d stolen the Sage Fledgling Grass. Why else would they have chased him for a few days on end with no respite? Wang Han’s seemingly dashing stroke had exposed that he was within their attack range. Of course they would attack him! However, this matter had to do with the various grudges that lay with the two of them fighting over the Grass and was difficult to explain.
The elder of the Sacred Sword Palace also found it odd. “Wang Han, these two wyverns seem to be abnormally fixated on you. Just what have you done to make them hate you thus?”
Wang Han stared viciously at Jiang Chen and spoke loudly, “Senior Elder, this is all because that little bastard Jiang Chen stole several thousand blades of Sage Fledgling Grass and pinned the blame on me!”
Wang Han’s words had been spoken quite loudly, such that even the cultivators battling the wyverns in the air had heard them clearly. They rang in everyone’s ears as if a crack of thunder.
Several thousand blades of Sage Fledgling Grass?
Everyone doubted their ears in that second. Ten blades of that was already a small fortune, and a hundred was a great transaction. But several thousand blades? What kind of concept was that?
Even all the blades of Grass in the six great sects combined together wouldn’t amount to several thousand blades, but this Jiang Chen had several thousand of them by himself? Therefore, the atmosphere at the scene instantly became quite awkward. All eyes were on Jiang Chen, as if wanting to see straight through him.
It was a good thing that Jiang Chen knew beforehand that Wang Han would certainly reveal this when he grew enraged. So, when everyone looked over at him, his lips curved upward slightly as he looked at Wang Han as if looking at an idiot.
Mu Gaoqi was the first to leap up. “Wang Han, don’t you falsely accuse others! Several thousand blades of Sage Fledgling Grass? You’re dreaming!”
Wang Han gave a long peal of laughter. “What, Jiang Chen, you have the guts to do it and none to admit it?”
It was apparent that Wang Han was delighted to see everyone look at Jiang Chen with avaricious eyes. Don’t you think you’re something Jiang Chen? I’ll slander you first regardless of whether or not you have the Grass!
Everyone’s attitudes were quite in accordance when it came to matters like these. They would rather believe it was true than not. Thus, everyone looked at Jiang Chen with traces of judgement.
Elder Yun Nie snorted coldly upon seeing this and jeered, “Wang Han, this isn’t the first time your Sacred Sword Palace is pinning the crime on someone else. When Jiang Chen’s score was in the lead in the Pill Battles, your sect said that something was amiss with his bloodlines and wanted to check them. Do you want to try the same trick again? You have truly inherited Wang Jianyu’s style.”
