Jiang Chen snorted and rolled his eyes. âWhy bother asking if you know my plan already?â
Xia Tianze pursed his lips. âYou may not be impatient, but I am. I knew Forefather Evilshadow back in the ancient times. He isnât a top level demon forefather, but heâs a second-tier one. If we donât kill him while heâs still sealed, itâll be much more challenging to take him down after heâs broken free. Moreover, if he stays hidden, itâll be extremely difficult to go after him.â
Shadow demons werenât the best fighters, but their masterful stealth and assassination skills had stumped many of an ancient cultivator. They rarely won open battles, but their contribution to the ancient war was undeniable.
Theyâd helped the demonic army by completing missions that necessitated stealth, such as assassinations and ambushes that were no less impactful than open assaults.
Countless human cultivators had fallen victim to shadow demons in the ancient war. Some had even been killed with none the wiser.
âForefather Evilshadow killed at least six or seven of our gods in the ancient times. He didnât often get his hands dirty, but when he did, someone would be in for it. One of Veluriyam Capitalâs senior executives was targeted and ambushed by Evilshadow when he left for an outside, and he died at the demonâs hands. That was when the major factions organized a joint attack and finally sealed the demonic forefather.â
âWhere was he sealed?â asked Jiang Chen.
Xia Tianze spread his palms out and admitted, âI donât know.â
âThen why are you wasting time bringing that up?â grumbled Jiang Chen.
âDonât you plan to locate Forefather Evilshadow through Jadeface?â
âIf you know my plan already, why are you in such a hurry?â Jiang Chen chuckled. âYouâre several hundred thousand years old. Donât be impatient!â
Xia Tianze raised his hands in resignation. âAlright, I canât win this argument. However, you have to hurry up. Once Evilshadow breaks free, heâll be a great threat. The Great Veluriyam Torch is powerful, but youâve yet to refine it completely, which prevents you from tapping into its full power.â
Jiang Chen didnât argue this time. He nodded. âDonât worry, I know what Iâm doing. I can guarantee you that Jadeface wonât dare return to his forefather just yet. Heâd be worried about doing more harm than good.â
âWhen do you plan on making a move?â asked Xia Tianze.
âIf possible, after the formation is reactivated,â responded Jiang Chen.
Xia Tianze grew agitated. âCan we wait for so long? Do you really think demons will let you just reactivate the formation?â
âThey donât want me to reactivate the formation at all, which was why Serratewind and his friends came on a suicide mission.â Jiang Chen smiled. âNonetheless, the formation can be reactivated in three months. Do you think theyâll be able to break out of their seals by then?â
âThatâs a gamble,â Xia Tianze said unhappily. âWhat if they do?â
âDonât fret. I know what Iâm doing. As soon as I sense where Forefather Evilshadow is, Iâll deliver a most wonderful surprise. We donât have any manpower to spare at the moment, though. The three formation nodes mustnât be damaged.â
Xia Tianze thumped his chest. âWorry not, Iâll take care of Evilshadow. I can take down an old demon weakened by his seal.â
He wouldnât turn down the opportunity to kick their enemy in the face when they were down.
âItâs nice of you to offer, Old Brother Xia. Just you wait. Your chance will come. We donât want your power to go to waste, do we?â
Xia Tianze was rather pleased by the compliment.
The restoration of the formation node in the Myriad Domain wasnât a tough task to Jiang Chen. Venerated Skysoarer had completed many of the steps for him. The young lord was only hands on with some of the more complicated details.
During the downtime, heâd visited the Regal Pill Palace a few times. After rebuilding, the sect had soared to new heights. Many new faces could be seen among the familiar ones.
They were the Regal Pill Palaceâs future.
Those whoâd survived the disaster that befell the palace new occupied positions of great status.
Mu Gaoqi, especially, was now the totemic figure of the palace. His natural talent rivaled that of Ji Sanâs. His progress had been the fastest over the years, and his innate wood constitution began to reach its potential.
It was surreal to see the palace prosper when itâd once been lay in ruins after the invasion.
The Ling sisters were delighted by Jiang Chenâs arrival and welcomed him in person.
Ling Huiâer was as friendly as ever. She hooked her arm around Jiang Chenâs and chattered ceaselessly. Sheâd never been one for the boundaries between men and women. Sheâd never understood the need to keep her distance from men.
Ling Biâer had gotten slimmer since her return, but also become much more elegant. She was now the only one who could rival Mu Gaoqi in the Regal Pill Palace.
Jiang Chen told Ling Biâer about the Bluesmoke Isles. She sighed.
âBluesmokeâs imperial family was too shortsighted and greedy, which ended up being their downfall. They have no one to blame but themselves. Nevertheless, they treated me decently when I was there.â
âYouâre right. From now on, the imperial family will cease to exist in Myriad Abyss, and even the Bluesmoke Isles is likely to be carved up by the ten sacred lands.â
Ling Biâer nodded. That had been a lifetime ago. She didnât want to look back into the past. Sheâd gained momentary respite after returning to the Regal Pill Palace.
âHow is Huangâer, Jiang Chen?â Ling Biâer asked faintly.
âSheâs well,â Jiang Chen said with a smile. âShe asks about you from time to time. Youâre like a sister to her, senior sister Biâer. You should visit her sometimes.â
Ling Biâer nodded. âI will visit Sacred Peafowl Mountain when Iâm free.â
Noting her depressed tone and lack of enthusiasm, Jiang Chen smiled and said a few words to her before leaving to seek out Mu Gaoqi.
Ling Huiâer watched Jiang Chen go and pouted when she saw how upset her sister seemed. âThat was a great opportunity for you to confess to him, sister. Why didnât you? You like him so much, but you never say anything. I donât get you people.â
Ling Biâer managed a smile. âStop the nonsense, Huiâer. I...â
âYeah yeah, thereâs nothing between the two of you. If I had a stone for every time you said that, Iâd be rich. You always seem so lost when you see him. This isnât how you are usually.â
Ling Huiâer puffed out her ample chest while she scolded her sister.