Chapter 1827: Desperate Situation in Canglan (2)
"In this world, there cannot possibly exist five such people! Not even the Dragon God Realm could have them!"
Qianye Ying'er's golden brows tightly furrowed. Even though these words came from Chi Wuyue's mouth, and even though the positions of these five people were in front of Feimie Dragon God, she still couldn't believe it.
More precisely, she simply couldn't accept it.
Because if this were true, then the strength of the Dragon God Realm would be terrifying to the point of despair.
She quickly focused and sent a voice transmission. In an instant, two white figures swiftly approached—Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu appeared at the same time.
"Your urgent summons from the God Emperor—what are your orders?" Qianye Bingzhu said.
"These five people hiding their identities—do you have any impression of them?" Qianye Ying'er pointed at the gray shadows in the projection.
Even without Qianye Ying'er's direction, the gazes of the two Qianye ancestors were already locked onto the five gray shadows behind the Dragon Emperor.
Because even as a mere projection, they made these two elders, who had seen through the mortal world, feel an immense sense of oppression.
"Unknown." Qianye Wugu shook his head.
"The unknown is what's most terrifying," Qianye Bingzhu said.
"Although they are mere shadows, these five give this old man a feeling... of unfathomable depth." Qianye Wugu sighed: "'The Dragon God Realm is always more terrifying than you see'—the words of our ancestors do not deceive me."
The words of Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu undoubtedly shattered Qianye Ying'er's last shred of hope.
Five monsters comparable to Feimie Dragon God... these five alone would be enough to obliterate more than half of the King Realms.
Feimie Dragon God was once someone who almost became the Dragon Emperor. A single one had the qualifications to lead the Dragon God Realm... How could there suddenly be five more!
Qianye Ying'er's heart was in turmoil, and Chi Wuyue was also far from calm.
Because in such a situation, the overall strength of the Dragon God Realm's side completely crushed theirs.
Moreover, they had to add the Five King Realms of the Western Region!
Chi Wuyue narrowed her eyes, then slowly said: "Fortunately, we learned about these five old monsters early. Otherwise, if we faced them head-on like this, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"Retreat?" Qianye Ying'er said.
Retreating back to the Bei Shen Domain—a perfect escape route that even ten Dragon God Realms could not forcefully enter.
Chi Wuyue thought for a moment, then said: "Whether to fight or retreat, it must still be decided by the Demon Lord. In the current situation, the greatest variable is how much of a surprise the Demon Lord can bring after he emerges from the Zhou Tian Divine Realm."
"If that surprise doesn't outweigh the shock brought by the Dragon God Realm, then we can only retreat."
"Hmph, will he?" Qianye Ying'er snorted lightly.
"Before, he wouldn't have. But now..." Thinking about the sudden change in Yun Che, Chi Wuyue, despite her heavy heart, couldn't help but smile slightly: "He might listen this time."
"From the Dragon God Realm to here, with such a large force, if they use the fastest divine vessels and maintain maximum speed throughout, it would take at least four days." Qianye Ying'er gradually calmed down and said flatly: "Yun Che should come out in about two more days. Although it's a bit tight, we still barely have enough time to prepare the retreat route."
"However, it would be best to issue orders in advance to prepare for withdrawal, to avoid any other variables."
Chi Wuyue pondered for a while, then nodded.
Long Bai's early return to the realm and his command, which was resolute and decisive beyond anyone's imagination, had already placed considerable pressure on Chi Wuyue... but it was not enough to make her choose to retreat directly.
However, the sudden appearance of these five old monsters was enough to shatter all hope and confidence in an instant.
Because absolute crushing power would turn any sophisticated strategy and plan into a joke.
"Huajin, send a message to Tianlangxing Shen, Yan Tianxiao, Fen Daoqi, the various Upper Realm Kings... and Cang Shitian. Order them to immediately..."
Rumble rumble rumble...
A sudden roar, as immense as the sky collapsing and the earth splitting, rang out... accompanied by an intense soul tremor from Zhou Xuzi, causing Chi Wuyue and Qianye Ying'er to both turn their heads in alarm.
In the projection, a huge black shadow slowly rose into the sky from somewhere unknown. After Zhou Xuzi's gaze shifted several times, they finally managed to make out its silhouette.
It turned out to be a floating island, three to four hundred miles across!
No, to be more precise, it was a floating city!
Buildings stood densely upon it, shrouded in faint gray-white mist. Every brick, every tile, every piece of profound jade exuded an extremely heavy ancient aura... so ancient that even someone with Zhou Xuzi's experience could not trace it back with the memories of past ancestors.
"What... is this?" Qianye Wugu murmured.
Yet another existence of which he knew nothing.
The two former Fantian Shen Di were now realizing how shallow their understanding of the Dragon God Realm truly was.
"Could it be... a special... divine vessel?" Chi Wuyue's demonic eyes narrowed as she said in a low voice.
"A divine vessel!?" Qianye Ying'er was about to deny it, but then she thought about why Chi Wuyue would guess that... In the current situation, with the Dragon God Realm gathering all the core forces of the various King Realms, even if it didn't look like one, the possibility of it being a divine vessel was the greatest.
"Dragon Emperor, these... seniors are—?" Zhou Xuzi could no longer suppress the shock in his heart and asked the question on everyone's minds.
Long Bai did not turn his gaze and said flatly: "They are the five Guardian Venerables of my clan, all elders of Long Bai. There is no need to ask further."
The Dragon Emperor's... elders!?
These few words caused the shock in everyone's hearts to multiply several times over. The more they thought about it, the more terrified they became.
"..." Zhou Xuzi took the opportunity to bow: "Zhou Xuzi, an unworthy descendant of the Zhou Tian lineage, pays respects to the several senior Dragon Gods. With five hidden seniors overseeing the battle, the demon race can be easily wiped out."
The five Withered Dragon Venerables, who had been silent all along, reacted to the words "Zhou Tian" and glanced briefly at Zhou Xuzi. Long Yi sighed softly and said: "That girl who founded the Zhou Tian God Realm was so remarkable, and yet her descendants have fallen to such a state. Alas."
"...!?" Zhou Xuzi suddenly raised his head, his gaze shaken.
He called the Zhou Tian Primordial Ancestor... a girl!?
These words not only shocked Zhou Xuzi but also deeply startled Chi Wuyue and Qianye Ying'er watching from afar in the Southern Domain.
"Such an aura, tone, and form of address," Qianye Wugu mused. "This person could be the Dragon Emperor of that era, or at least a Dragon God."
"For the Dragon God Clan to have such a secret is both terrifying and lamentable," Qianye Bingzhu said.
"With such strength, their identities no longer matter." Chi Wuyue's gaze was fixed on the floating city in the projection: "What I care about most is this strange city... what exactly is it!"
Because the moment that floating city appeared, the intense unease in her heart instantly multiplied several times... even more than when she saw those five terrifying elders.
She even lost the will to continue her interrupted transmission.
Long Bai swept his gaze across the four directions, his voice shaking heaven and earth: "I thank all the God Emperors for traveling such a long distance. The calamity of the Northern Domain has already plunged the Eastern and Southern Domains into dire straits, utterly intolerable. This time, I ask you all to assist us in eradicating them in one battle."
The Qilin Emperor leaned forward and said: "How dare we disobey the Dragon Emperor's command."
The Chi Dragon Emperor took a big step forward, his tone several points higher than the Qilin Emperor's: "Exterminating the demon race is our clan's bounden duty. The Di Chi Realm has long been fully prepared, awaiting only the Dragon Emperor's return to give the order! Even if we are buried here, we will have no regrets!"
"Indeed!" The Hui Dragon Emperor also raised his voice: "The Hui Dragon Realm has also been preparing for a long time! With the Dragon Emperor's command, all the Divine Lords of the Hui Dragon Realm have come with resolve, full of battle spirit, and none are absent! With the Dragon Emperor personally leading us, we will surely make those sinful demons bleed for every drop!"
The atmosphere and stance of the Five King Realms of the Western Region had also changed markedly.
After Huijin died and Feimie fled in disgrace, all five realms had been mired in the anxiety that "the Dragon God Realm might lose," so when they acted, they were hesitant and held back.
But as soon as the Dragon Emperor returned, he issued an unprecedented domineering imperial decree, cutting off their thoughts of self-preservation.
They arrived with trepidation, but upon witnessing the Dragon God Realm's lineup, their shock and previous unease about the possibility of losing instantly vanished.
The Dragon Emperor leading personally, with all Dragon Gods, Dragon Lords, and Master Dragons mobilized... plus five terrifying old monsters.
And on top of that, all the core Divine Lords of their five realms.
With such an enormous force, what was there to fear from the Northern Domain's demons?
It even felt like no fierce battle was needed; they could easily crush them.
If there was any variable, it would be the Demon Lord Yun Che, who was always beyond expectations and even cognition.
But to the demons, were these five hidden old monsters of the Dragon God Realm not a huge variable as well?
Their stance naturally changed accordingly.
The Dragon Emperor raised his hand to stop their words and said: "Your determination to eradicate the demons greatly pleases me. All of you are Divine Lords standing at the pinnacle of this world, so there is no need for me to add any superfluous words. Since everyone has assembled, please move to the Qiankun Dragon City. We will immediately head straight for the Ten Directions Canglan Realm where the demons dwell."
"Qiankun... Dragon City?" The Qilin Emperor murmured; it seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall it immediately.
"This is—?" The Azure Dragon Emperor looked up at the floating city... Move to the Qiankun Dragon City? Could this really be a special divine vessel?
The Dragon Emperor said calmly: "This is a divine vessel left behind by the ancient branch of our Dragon God lineage. Using this vessel to reach the Southern Domain's Canglan will take only one hour!"
Boom——
The projection violently shook, then collapsed entirely.
"Impossible!" Qianye Ying'er's golden pupils contracted. She vehemently denied: "The fastest divine vessel in the Western Region is the 'Stopping Water Heart Palace' of the Azure Dragon Realm, whose top speed is at best close to that of the Eastern Region's fastest vessel, the Dun Yue Immortal Palace."
"And regardless of whether it's the Stopping Water Heart Palace or the Dun Yue Immortal Palace, traveling at maximum speed from the Dragon God Realm to the Canglan Realm would take at least three days. As for large-scale divine vessels, no matter what, they cannot surpass these vessels designed for extreme speed! One hour... that's utterly absurd!"
"No," Chi Wuyue said with a long exhale, her voice slow and tinged with a sense of helplessness: "Facing the core forces of all the King Realms in the Western Region, the Dragon Emperor would not speak falsely about such a matter."
"Moreover... the name 'Qiankun Dragon City' exists in the fragmented memories of the Demon Soul I bear."
If not for that, she would not have been so disturbed as to lose the projection.
"...!?" Qianye Ying'er stared directly at her: "What exactly... is that?"
Chi Wuyue said: "The Qiankun Spirit Realm and the Qiankun Dragon City are two special divine vessels of the ancient divine clan, special because both are engraved with the power of the Cosmic Thorn. And the Qiankun Spirit Realm... you have actually seen it before."
Qianye Ying'er frowned, then said: "Could it be... Yun Che's Primordial Mystic Ark!?"
"Correct." Chi Wuyue nodded slightly: "Although it consumes a great deal of energy, you have witnessed the power of the Qiankun Spirit Realm firsthand. It was by relying on it that we easily broke into the core of the Zhou Tian God Realm and bathed it in blood in a single day."
"As for the Qiankun Dragon City... In the memories of the Demon Soul, it indeed belonged to the Dragon God Clan back then. I never expected it to have survived the fierce battles of that era and been passed down to the present."
Chi Wuyue's voice grew heavier with each sentence: "A divine vessel on the same level as the Primordial Mystic Ark... Don't mention one hour; if it had enough energy, it could arrive in an instant... and I wouldn't doubt it."
Qianye Ying'er's golden pupils constricted even further.
One hour... In one hour, the Western Region would attack!?
Qianye Wugu and Qianye Bingzhu heard everything and simultaneously uttered two words: "Retreat."
Their core demon lord was absent, while the enemy had forcibly gathered all their core forces and added five old monsters.
In this battle, the demons had no chance of victory.
Even the retreat route was only one hour away.
Clearly, even though the Dragon Emperor had already displayed his strongest formation, he was still ruthlessly determined to leave the demons no way out... determined to annihilate them!
Had Chi Wuyue not secretly Soul Plundered Zhou Xuzi earlier, they wouldn't even have had this one hour of time.
In the eyes of the world, Long Bai's actions to such an extent would be seen only as his ruthlessness toward the demons. No one would believe that it was, in fact, more driven by his hatred for Yun Che alone.
He wanted to give Yun Che the most extreme despair and the most tragic end.
"No, we can't!" Qianye Ying'er's brows sank, her voice cold and sinister: "If we retreat, what about Yun Che!"
The Zhou Tian Pearl was currently in the state of opening the Zhou Tian Divine Realm and could not be forcefully moved! If the demons retreated... would they leave only the Zhou Tian Pearl, along with Yun Che and Shui Meiyin inside it, in Canglan?
"Retreat, and there is still life and a future. If we hold our ground..." Chi Wuyue paused for a long time before whispering: "How long can we hold?"
According to Yun Che's stated timeframe, he still had about two days before he would emerge from the Zhou Tian Divine Realm.
And in one hour, the Western Region would be at their gates.
Retreat... indeed, it would preserve life and a future. If they scattered and retreated, even if the Western Region pursued them, they couldn't wipe out everyone. Taking refuge in the Bei Shen Domain would ensure safety.
But this act would be equivalent to abandoning Yun Che.
And if they insisted on holding their ground... unless a miracle happened, the result would be at best heavy losses, at worst total annihilation. And they would almost certainly be unable to hold out until Yun Che emerged from the Zhou Tian Divine Realm.
Qianye Ying'er suddenly reached out and grabbed Chi Wuyue's shoulder, her five fingers tightening with considerable force.
"Chi Wuyue," Qianye Ying'er spoke to her for the first time with an extremely sinister tone, her gaze carrying a terrifying malice: "I don't care what you're thinking in your heart. First, remember my stance."
"Even if everyone from the Bei Shen Domain dies, Yun Che cannot die!"
Her already tightened fingers trembled and closed further: "You are so skilled at manipulating people's hearts. I believe that even in this dead end, you have ways to make everyone fight for Yun Che... You must!"
"Don't talk to me about rationality, and don't make me hate you!"
Chi Wuyue turned her gaze and gave Qianye Ying'er a deep look, but she did not shake off her offending fingers.
"I am not as capable as you say. And besides, this matter... does not require the manipulation of hearts."
In the end, she was the Demon Empress. At this moment, she had completely calmed down. Her pitch-black pupils had once again become a bottomless, endless abyss that devoured souls.
"If you want to argue for holding the ground, first argue for retreating," she said in a low voice.
"..." Qianye Ying'er's golden pupils flickered, and the hand gripping Chi Wuyue's shoulder gradually loosened.