The Vermilion Bird was still in closed door cultivation. It was determined to ascend to godhood. Jiang Chen speculated that it wouldnât end its cultivation until then.
To his surprise, the bird emerged on the second day after Jiang Chenâs breakthrough. It hadnât reached divinity yet.
âYoung Master Chen, Iâve improved myself in all aspects to the best of my ability. Now I just need the final push. The sacred land is a great cultivation ground with abundant spirit energy, but it doesnât suit my purpose. I want to return to Hell King Island, which will be most conducive to my ascension.â
Jiang Chen readily agreed. âAttaining godhood is a crucial matter. I wholeheartedly support any decisions you make.â
The more powerful the bird was, the better. After all, the divine beasts were his closest and mightest companions. Their strength was his asset.
âThe sacred land is about done with tying up loose ends, isnât it?â
âIt is. Lately, theyâve devoted themselves to restoring Eternal Divine Nation. While things have settled down here, the other nations in Myriad Abyss are still unstable. The uprising was pre-planned. Factions from each nation conspired to launch an attack simultaneously. However, due to issues in coordination of manpower, rebels in some nations were subdued before they could stage a proper uprising. Meanwhile, some nations are still trying to eliminate the uprisers. The Ten Divine Nations have suffered a great blow.â
The Vermilion Bird wasnât at all surprised. It smiled faintly. âIf the human race could remain united, youâd be able to gain a foothold even among the heavenly planes. However, it seems to be human nature to fight among yourselves no matter the occasion, as if the short-term gain of an individual always outweighs the greater good.â
Jiang Chen couldnât argue with that. The bird was right about their biggest weakness.
âSir Jiang Chen, the venerated forefather requires your presence,â a voice called out, interrupting the conversation.
The venerated forefather?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Jiang Chen didnât expect to hear from the old man. The forefather had been recovering lately. Heâd been tricked and trapped in a formation by the two forefathers from the rebel alliance, which had taken a great toll on and weakened him. Thus, heâd entered closed door cultivation to restore his power. Why had he emerged so quickly?
Jiang Chen didnât waste any time before visiting the forefather. He respected the old man who had been quietly, selflessly defending Myriad Abyss and Eternal Divine Nation in battles outside the plane. Jiang Chen would have made the same sacrifice, but he might not have been able to persist as long as the forefather had.
The forefather seemed close to making a full recovery.
âJiang Chen, I hear that youâve progressed another level in cultivation? Youâre breaking the sacred landâs record with your efficiency! Who wouldâve thought a super genius like you would grace the sacred land! You wonât be upset with us for not officially commending your deeds this time, will you?â
Jiang Chen snorted. âWhy would I be?â
âHaha, I feared that you would think too much. Itâs natural for young people to let their pride get the better of them. However, you donât seem at all like most of your peers.â
âHaha, if the sacred land wants to award me, Iâll be happy with actual resources. I donât care much about rank and status. Thatâs all window dressing. What I need are practical rewards.â
Theyâd met once already, so Jiang Chen wasnât as formal as heâd been before.
âGo to the first prime for resources you need, kid. She wonât turn you down.â The forefather chuckled. âThe sacred land is a home to you now. Whatever you want, youâll receive. You donât need me to give you the permission.â
Jiang Chen shrugged, changing the subject. âVenerated Forefather, what is the situation in Myriad Abyss like now?â
âDifficult. Very difficult! Among the ten nations, seven were hit by an uprising, while the other three managed to suppress unrest before anything could really happen. Out of the seven nations, we eliminated the usurpers the fastest and therefore suffered the least damage. Three of the other six are close to vanquishing the rebels, while the other three are still in the heat of civil war with no end in sight. Thereâs no telling if theyâll emerge victorious. Theyâve issued a request for aid, which we received as well.â The forefather gave Jiang Chen a meaningful look.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly and rubbed his nose. âWhat are you looking at me for, Venerated Forefather?â
âWhat do you think?â The forefather quirked his lips into a half smile. âItâs too harsh for you to go to the offworld battlefield for now. It suits you more to take on a mission to help.â
âWhere to?â A jolt of curiosity hit Jiang Chen.
âRadiance Divine Nation, Martial Divine Nation, and Sunrise Divine Nation. The rebels are unstoppable and dominate the sacred lands in these three nations. Without outside help, itâs unlikely to the rebellion will be resolved successfully.â The forefather threw an expectant glance at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen scratched his head. âVenerated Forefather, itâs a stroke of luck that I was able to help the Eternal Sacred Land win the civil war. You donât really believe that I can easily do the same for other nations, do you? Thatâs beyond my ability.â
Truthfully, he wasnât that interested in the task. He was the sacred landâs disciple, but he didnât want to be its pawn and be sent to wherever it needed him to be. âOh, I forgot to mention that Martial Divine Nation produces an abundance of Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit,â the forefather added out of the blue.
Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit was the main ingredient for the Taiyi Skymender Pill, and was rare even in the Ten Divine Nations.
âAh, the holy girl of Radiance Divine Nation is the famous Yao Guang from the sixteen golden hairpins.â
Jiang Chen shrugged. âWhat does that have to do with me?â
Beautiful women didnât appeal to Jiang Chen. He cared more about material resources. Therefore, the Taiyi Dragonscale Fruit alone wasnât enough to change his mind.
The forefather clapped his own forehead with a coy smile. âI forgot youâre a loyal one who loves only one. Alright, I donât want Miss Huangâer to come after me. How about this. Iâll let you choose between Martial and Sunrise.â
âSunrise Divine Nation has nothing but resources. If you can help them put down the rebellion, you can ask for anything you want. Theyâll gladly satisfy your requests.â
Jiang Chen shook his head. âVenerated Forefather, can I not go?â
The forefather shook his head. âNo, you canât. Actually, I suggest you pick Martial Divine Nation. Formations are very popular there. Maybe youâll be able to find the clues youâve been looking for!â
The old man shamelessly hit Jiang Chen over the head with repeated incentives, clearly trying to lure him into taking on the task.
Jiang Chen smiled wryly. âVenerated Forefather, itâs all part of your plan, isnât it? Do you really trust me to take on this task? Any divine realm forefathers will be able to easily kill me.â
âThere arenât that many divine realm experts. Besides, donât you have the Vermilion Bird acting as your bodyguard? Donât fret, Iâll compensate you for your troubles and give you the means to protect yourself. This is an easy mission that will win you great glory. You arenât going to encounter much difficulty. Iâm not sending you to your death knowing you wonât be able to succeed,â the forefather spoke earnestly.
Jiang Chen watched him questioningly. âReally?â
âBoy, if you donât trust even me, who are you going to trust? Besides, youâre the future leader of the sacred land. Itâll help you build connections in the future to make appearances now.â
That Jiang Chen had to admit, but it still wasnât a good enough reason for him to take the risk.
âFine, you arenât going to move without any benefits, are you? You may take anything you want from the spirit herbs vault, until your arms are sore. Happy now?â The forefather pulled a face at him like someone had taken an enormous bite out of him.
Jiang Chen snickered. âIâll think about it. However, can you guarantee that theyâll reward me for helping them put down the rebellion?â
âDonât worry. If they dare refuse to reward you, Iâll personally teach them a lesson. Besides, theyâre the ones seeking help. They wonât disobey our will. Youâre a smart one. You donât need me to teach you how to âbargainâ, do you?â The forefather smirked.
Jiang Chen looked at the forefather thoughtfully, his lips quirked up.
The more he talked to the forefather, the more he realized how mischievous the old man was. He had an interesting personality. The old man was his kind of people.
The forefather handed him a written order. âThis is special permission from me. You may take anything you want from the vault, anytime.â
âAnything I want?â
âYes.â The forefatherâs facial muscles twitched.
Jiang Chen grinned. âAlright, Iâll have a good look at the wares.â
âWait, when do you plan on departing?â The forefather wasnât going to let him slip away without a concrete answer.
âIn three to five days,â Jiang Chen said agreeably. âDoes that work?â