Chapter 92 - 88: Five Veins Second Transformation, The Terrifying Jiang Hao

Chapter 92: Chapter 88: Five Veins Second Transformation, The Terrifying Jiang Hao

"A peerless freak?" The moment that terrifying aura erupted from the cave dwelling, the figure standing outside recoiled in shock, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

The aura was incredibly terrifying, so dreadful that it made one’s heart palpitate. It was far beyond what any ordinary peerless genius could emit. Furthermore, as the aura swept out, a trace of Golden Spirit Transformation Power accompanied it. Faint wisps of golden energy drifted through the cave dwelling. Though sparse, the power was soul-stirring. Clearly, this was a warning from the peerless freak inside.

Gradually, the peerless freak standing outside knitted his brows so tightly they nearly twisted into a knot.

"The Inner Sect ruins have just opened," he thought. "It wouldn’t be wise to clash with another peerless freak right now."

This was the exact moment to seize every opportunity to cultivate madly. Everyone had only recently entered the ancient ruins, so the gap in strength had yet to widen. It was no exaggeration to say that every passing second from here on out would be a bitter tug-of-war. If he locked horns with another peerless freak now, he wouldn’t just be wasting time—he risked losing his qualifications to compete for the Nine Mountains’ inheritances later.

After a few moments of hesitation, the figure finally chose to retreat, soaring into the sky to seek a new place to cultivate.

Seeing the intruder retreat, Jiang Hao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He decided to stop concealing his aura entirely, allowing it to permeate a two-mile radius around him. During this time, a good number of cultivators accidentally wandered into the area, but the moment they sensed that terrifying aura, they were frightened into fleeing far away. It was a peerless freak’s cultivation ground, after all—almost no one dared to thoughtlessly provoke such a figure. This was the reality of strength; power dictated everything.

Time slowly flowed by. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past two weeks, the thick stench of blood filled the entirety of the Ancient Emperor Sect’s ruins. Fresh blood stained the Spirit Peaks and grand rivers red. The vast majority of the fallen cultivators had died fighting over resources, the sheer cruelty of it all enough to chill one’s heart. Many others died during exploration. The ruins were far from a safe, uninhabited haven; lethal danger lurked in every corner. Certain lands of opportunity were protected by ancient Killing Arrays. Even after endless eons had passed, these formations silently continued to operate, fueled by their residual power.

On a certain mountain peak.

"Immortal Master, please! Have mercy, Immortal Master! Our cultivation bases are far too lowly. Sending us into the Killing Array is practically suicide!"

More than a dozen ashen-faced figures trembled as they bitterly pleaded with Mo Yan and the other disciples of the Celestial Sword Sect. These favored sons and daughters of heaven were none other than Wang Jiang and the group who had abandoned Tang Yan and his sister to board the Celestial Sword Sect’s ark. Only now did Mo Yan and his peers finally bare their fangs. They were forcing these people to charge blindly into the residual Killing Arrays to create an opening. To put it bluntly, they were being used as cannon fodder.

"Senior Brother Mo Yan, I am from the Wang family of Xingyue City’s Earth Realm! My older cousin is also a disciple of your Celestial Sword Sect! We’re practically family!"

"Immortal Masters, I am willing to work like a dog for the Celestial Sword Sect! Please, Immortal Masters, I’m begging you to spare my life!"

The dozen or so figures begged bitterly, their plight utterly miserable. No matter how one looked at it, they were still the top prodigies of their respective clans back in Xingyue City’s Earth Realm. At home, they had been surrounded by adulation like stars orbiting the moon, yet here they had been reduced to nothing but disposable stepping stones. The contrast was simply too immense.

Faced with the crowd’s pleas, Mo Yan and his fellow disciples merely snorted coldly.

"Hmph. Go in yourselves, and you might just find a sliver of survival," Mo Yan declared. "Anyone who refuses to step forward will be executed without mercy."

Under the apathetic gazes of countless Celestial Sword Sect experts, the first dozen figures finally walked forward, trembling with every step. As for the ones left behind, such as Wang Jiang, their hearts turned to dead ashes, their expressions twisting into grimaces of pure misery.

"This is all your fault, Wang! If it weren’t for you, I never would have followed you guys up onto that ship!"

"What do we do? We’re being treated as cannon fodder! What are we going to do?"

Many of the cultivators from Xingyue City’s Earth Realm were consumed by regret. Out of options, some immediately turned their hopeful gazes toward Ye Xiaotian.

"Xiaotian, you have to think of a way! You’re the only one here who can save us!"

"Yes, exactly! Brother Xiaotian, find a way to contact Jiang Hao! He’ll definitely be able to take us away!"

Looking across the entirety of the ancient ruins, the only person they could possibly rely on now was the very man they had once looked down upon the most.

Hearing this, Ye Xiaotian only let out a series of bitter chuckles, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. "If you knew it would come to this, why did you act that way in the beginning? Perhaps this is simply our fate."

At those words, the remaining cultivators from Xingyue City, including Wang Jiang, lost all hope.

Mo Yan and his group had been actively exploring areas where residual Killing Arrays still existed. Any place protected by such formations had most likely been the residence of an Elder of the Ancient Emperor Sect or a peerless figure of the past, meaning the opportunities hidden inside were far more abundant. As for Wang Jiang and the others, they had been reduced to nothing but insignificant ants, used by the Celestial Sword Sect as stones tossed in to test the waters. Even if it wasn’t their turn to act as pawns in this current wave, there was no guarantee they would be spared the next time.

In another direction.

Ji Qingxue and her group just so happened to be passing by. When they overheard the conversation between Ye Xiaotian and his peers, they exchanged helpless glances. It was readily apparent that their Nanling Alliance was one of the most stable factions among all the camps. Thanks to their formidable lineup, they had already managed to secure a tremendous amount of precious resources.

"I wonder how Brother Jiang is doing right now? He was the first person to enter the Ancient Emperor Sect’s ruins. I imagine he’s reaped quite a harvest by now, hasn’t he?"

At the mention of that white-clad figure, someone within the Nanling Team couldn’t help but speak up. Ever since entering the Ancient Emperor Sect, they hadn’t caught sight of a single one of those peerless freaks, Jiang Hao included.

Hearing this, Ji Qingxue and the others gazed out across the vast, sprawling ruins in silence. They didn’t even need to think about it to know the answer; that man was definitely lying low in some secluded corner, quietly biding his time.