Chapter 1489: Where Is the Sparrow?
As Wan Mingzhu's mean and crazy laughter echoed for a long time in the temple of the Colossi, Master Bitter Cicada's handsome face that was mixed with pity and sorrow flushed. After a crack, one of the pearls that had turned into stones was crushed into pieces.
"Fellow Cultivator Qi, Fellow Cultivator Ba, Master Bitter Cicada!"
Han Baling continued roaring loudly. His wild voice sounded somewhat genuine and sincere.
"Fellow Cultivator Qi, Fellow Cultivator Wan, and I are certainly not just conspiring for the interests in front of our eyes. We are really trying to change the world with our own hands and accomplish something great by saving the Ancient Sages Sector from the swirl that it has been mired in for a hundred thousand years!
"Have you never noticed? Over the past hundred thousand years, countless glorious dynasties have been founded in the Ancient Sages Sector, and too many unbelievable experts have emerged in the world of Cultivators!
"However, after a hundred thousand years, all the glorious dynasties have been destroyed, and even their remains have been reduced to smithereens and vanished in the wind. There are fewer and fewer experts among the Cultivators, with lower and lower Cultivation levels. The magical equipment and the Cultivation arts are becoming more and more shabby and underdeveloped!
"Once upon a time, hundreds of Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators walked on the Ancient Sages Sector and galloped in the destructive Cloud Qin Gold Statues. They were even able to establish bases on the dark planets beyond the sky. But nowadays, while the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators such as us can dominate the Ancient Sages Sector, it is absolutely impossible for us to set foot on the dark planets where there is no air or water!
"Once upon a time, a glorious dynasty could endure five thousand years or even longer. Thousands of enormous airships flew in the sky, and the giant beasts a hundred meters tall bolted on the ground as soldiers! But nowadays, the Great Qian Dynasty is already one of the most brilliant dynasties in the past ten thousand years after it has existed for only a thousand years and when it only has a hundred airships!
"What does this suggest?
"Our world is slowly retrograding. We are moving closer to our doom every day!
"If we all turn a blind eye to it, the day will finally come when we can't find even one intact primeval treasure, one Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, or one dynasty that can survive five hundred years!
"By then, the Ancient Sages Sector will be screwed. Utterly screwed!
"I know that many of you condemn and hate me because I am a lord of the barbarians. You think that I just want to whip the central plateaus and bog down your lands with your blood!
"Hehe. If that is what you are thinking, I have to say that you have terribly underestimated me!
"In the past hundred thousand years, the lords of the barbarians once dominated the central plateaus, too. But so what? Did their reign not collapse after several thousand years?
"I may choose not to do it, but when I choose to do something, I will certainly accomplish the greatest things that will radiate for thousands of years. I want to establish a perennial dynasty together with the fellow Cultivators here, and the Cloud Qin Gold Statues will be our starting point!
"Fellow Cultivator Qi, Fellow Cultivator Ba, Master Bitter Cicada, I know that you are different from the commonplace, selfish guys of the six major sects. You are the great heroes who have dreams and ambitions, and you are not satisfied with the current situation of the Great Qian Dynasty. However, wolves are everywhere in today's world that is constructed from rotten wood. It is impossible for one or two people to stop the deterioration alone. Why don't you stand on my side? We can discuss what kind of future is in the best interests of the Ancient Sages Sector and how we can remove the toxins deeply buried inside the Ancient Sages Sector so that the world will be revived!"
Han Baling was talking so enthusiastically that even he seemed to be moved by his words. He could not help but slightly extend his neck out of the round shield of the Colossus.
Shua!
The moment he craned his head, an arced light that was a hundred times more aggressive than lightning rushed close from the opposite side. Without any fancy tricks or techniques, it just slashed right toward Han Baling's head!
Han Baling's eyes widened so much that his eyeballs almost popped out of his face. Not even having the time to scream, he stomped on the round shield brutally and moved backward with the counterforce!
The arced light brushed past the tip of his nose at a close distance, cutting away half of the bear head on his head!
Crack!
The arced light's momentum was not reduced at all after it chopped off the bear head on his head. It went forward and cut apart dozens of airborne rails for the maintenance of the Colossi, until it was deeply embedded in the cabin wall made of super alloys, leaving a trace that was one finger deep. Smoke was popping up from the mark, and the inside of the mark was glowing bright orange, evidence of the immensity of the spiritual energy contained in the attack!
Half of Han Baling's hat had been chopped off, turning it into a sock made of bear hide. His gray scalp could vaguely be seen, and some of his hair was flying in midair.
The previous attack had in fact shaved quite a lot of his hair off. Even part of the skin at the center of his skull was peeling.
If he had reacted slightly slower, the ambitious hero from the prairies would have had to change the world from hell!
Yan Liren retreated his sword slowly not far away. He grunted in dissatisfaction. "I don't know why you waste so much time talking. Just draw your swords, and everything will be done!"
"General!"
Yan Liren's astounding attack greatly shocked the subordinates of the three rapscallions. With flames of spiritual energy spurting out crazily, almost a hundred coldly blinking flying swords were raised from a corner of the temple of the Colossi. A fierce light was hovering around every flying sword—they were all set to launch thunderous strike at any time!
Seeing that their enemy was prepared, the super Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, including Qi Zhongdao and the experts of the six major sects, all gritted their teeth and activated their most treasured magical equipment. Suppressed by Qi Zhongdao's 'Heaven Flipping Seal', the entire temple was creaking as if it was being pressed down on by an invisible mountain. The air was so thick that a bloody rain seemed to be taking place at any time.
Qi Zhongdao's face was rather dark. He called drily, "F—Fellow Cultivator Yan!"
"Is there a problem?" Yan Liren looked at Qi Zhongdao innocently. "He offered his head for me to slash it. I would've felt sorry for him if I hadn't slashed such a greasy, shining head."
"Wait! Wait!" Han Baling was still hiding behind the round shield of the Colossus, but he did not have the courage to peek out anymore. He simply shouted at the top of his voice. "Qi Zhongdao, Yan Liren, don't presume that I am scared of your Heaven Flipping Seal and your sword! If you are determined to get yourselves killed, me and my partners will certainly satisfy your wish!
"However, don't you find it weird that Wang Xi, Zhu Zongyou and Master Spiritual Vulture, three critical people who have the capability to change the balance of the battle, haven't shown up yet? Only the seven of us and those from the six major sects are fighting blindly here!
"When a mantis is hunting a cicada, a sparrow might be lurking aside, coveting them both. You understand such simple logic, don't you? The more I think about it, the more I feel that something is off. If Wang Xi and Emperor Phoenix have prepared the trap together to force us to kill each other, won't your recklessness be exactly what they want?"
His cynicism cast Qi Zhongdao into deep thought.
The high-level Cultivators of the six major sects, who had been preserving their strength and observing the situation, rolled their eyes for a moment and then put on 'eureka' expressions!
Even Li Yao and Long Yangjun were somewhat dumbfounded. With such a fierce battle going on in the temple of the Colossi, where had Emperor Phoenix Zhu Zongyou, the greatest suspect so far, fled to?
Emperor Phoenix was not in any of the surveillance pictures scanned all the way to this place!
"You do have a point, Fellow Cultivator Han!"
Qi Zhongdao deserved to have been the leader of all the Cultivators for many years. His nerves were calm and tough enough despite the chaotic situation. After quickly thinking, he immediately changed his attitude. "Before we find Wang Xi, Master Spiritual Vulture, and His Majesty, let's not act recklessly in case any unexpected changes take place!"
"Then, get the Yan lunatic on your side under control. Next time it happens, we may fall into the trap of the Wang Xi and Zhu Zongyou together!" Han Baling shouted rather helplessly.
Qi Zhongdao glanced at Ba Xiaoyu and Master Bitter Cicada first. Then, the three of them stared at Yan Liren with thoughtful eyes together.
"Fellow Cultivator Yan," Master Bitter Cicada said solemnly, "as the saying goes—"
"Stop! There's no need for a lecture, Master. I can always slash him later!" Yan Liren rubbed his nose and retreated to the back row, not entirely satisfied, while holding his short sword.
"Fellow Cultivator Han!" Qi Zhongdao was relieved. He raised his voice and shouted, "Right now, we are all stranded in the 'Divine Palace', whose porches and verandas are rather twisted and mysterious. It does not seem to be the glamorous heaven that we imagined it to be. I have a feeling that things might not be as simple as they appear!
"Right now, the situation outside is already beyond our control. If we become engaged in a life-and-death battle, I'm afraid that few of us will be able to walk out alive. All the Cultivators, be they from the Great Qian Dynasty or the Dark Cloud Prairies, will suffer a destructive blow!
"If the motivation for our battle is the Cloud Qin Gold Statues, won't it be hilarious if we shed our blood below them when we don't even know how to rein the Cloud Qin Gold Statues yet?"
"Your words are truly wise, Fellow Cultivator Qi. Before we find Wang Xi, Zhu Zongyou, and Master Spiritual Vulture, and before we crack the secrets about the Cloud Qin Gold Statues, there is indeed no reason for us to perish with each other!"
Glancing at the flying swords in midair that were brimming with spiritual energy, Han Baling narrowed his eyes and said, "In case of any accidents, I suggest that we put our flying swords and magical equipment aside and keep a distance of ten meters away from all the Cloud Qin Gold Statues. Then, we will figure out a way to control the situation outside and regroup our respective subordinates while we search for Wang Xi, Zhu Zongyou, and Master Spiritual Vulture. We will make further plans after everything is clear. What do you think, Fellow Cultivator Qi?"