Jiang Chen was tremendously excited. He hadnât expected the eight statues that heâd taken from the Prince of Shangping to contain such a momentous secret.
âIs Saint Dan still alive?â The consciousness sounded vaguely sorrowful and forlorn.
âI donât think heâs present in this world anymore,â replied Jiang Chen honestly. âPerhaps his good works has allowed him to ascend to the heavenly planes, or perhaps heâs passed away and reincarnated. Itâs been hundreds of thousands of years since the primordial age, maybe even a million.â
Truthfully, Jiang Chen didnât know exactly how long it had been since the primordial age, but the ancient times was a dozen or more hundred thousand years at minimum. In light of that, his estimate didnât seem too over the top.
The primordial age was likely the origin of all civilization on Divine Abyss.
The consciousness found this a bit odd. âA million years? Has it been that long?â
âYes, after the primordial age came the ancient age. In the ancient age, the demon race invaded and changed Divine Abyssâ history forever. The Divine Abyss Continent of today is in its weakest and most abject time. Maybe we need a resurgence of a primordial race like the Primordial Stone Golems. Your reintroduction may be the catalyst that revitalizes this world!â Jiang Chen offered the tribe a timely bit of praise.
âThe ancient age? What age is that? Does it come after the primordial age? The demon race? Where did that race come from? The Divine Abyss Continent has no such race.â
The Primordial Stone Golem Tribe had been born in the primordial age, but hadnât experienced the ancient age. Therefore, it was no wonder that it neither knew what the demon race was nor what had happened during that era.
âThe demon race is a race from the outer planes that invaded Divine Abyss Continent.â
âDivine Abyss has many powerful races. How strong are these demons to dare invade like this?â
âHaha, thatâs a long story. Maybe you should find out for yourselves whatâs happened after you reawaken. The demon race is one known in the heavenly planes, and Divine Abyss cannot rest a single day while it remains unextinguished. The other races canât possibly peacefully coexist with it.â
The tribesman was furious. âHow can this have happened? Do these demons have three heads and six arms?â
âNot just that, but numerous abilities and methods.â Jiang Chen intentionally provoked the tribesman. âYou Primordial Stone Golems were one of the strongest races in the primordial age, but perhaps these demons exceed even you in their capabilities.â
âImpossible. There were very few races stronger than my tribesman in the primordial age. Hmph, if not for our tribeâs honesty and low reproductive rate, we should have been the rulers of the continent!â There was a deep loyalty to his race in the golemâs voice.
Jiang Chen chuckled in tacit agreement. âAlas, your race had neither the ambition nor the boldness to conquer the world. Alright, enough with the small talk. Iâm going to use the secret method required to revive you. I do need your cooperation, though. If the secret method fails, your consciousness and body will never reunite ever again.â
âOf course, of course,â the consciousness agreed hurriedly. âYou are a junior of Saint Dan, and thus the Primordial Stone Golem Tribe is indebted to you. We will do what you say.â
A Golem always repaid his debts. He returned even the smallest favor ten times over, and the gravity of Jiang Chenâs life-saving actions was much weightier than that.
âDonât worry,â nodded Jiang Chen. âI will use my full strength to revive all eight brothers of your clan.â
As long as there was a secret method available, he was confident he could pull it off. He had always been sure of his own skills.
In his previous life without cultivation, heâd still been able to become a pill dao master renowned in the heavenly planes. Now, he had more than sufficient cultivation and talent to back his knowledge up.
Following his prior actions, Jiang Chen found the sealing points on the giant statue. Because the larger statue held the tribesmenâs bodies, the resolution of the bindings was considerably more difficult.
Under his concerted efforts, more and more of the seal broke.
âAlright, the seal on your outer body is no more. Prepare yourself. I will use the secret method to transfer your consciousness back into your body. Remember, this is the most key component of the revival ceremony. If anything is done improperly here, your mind and body will never be united for the rest of eternity!â
Jiang Chen emphasized the importance of this fact again and again.
This was no idle threat. The final step was also the deadliest. Since consciousness and body had been separated for so long, whether they could return to their prior states was a very good question. If there was a misstep somewhere along the way...
Because of this, utmost caution was required for the entire process. Using the figurine, Jiang Chen guided the Stone Golemâs consciousness out. Making a series of hand seals, he cried out, âGo!â
A streak of bright light surged into the larger statue under Jiang Chenâs supervision and impetus.
Whoosh!
There was a rapid ripple on the exterior of the body as its consciousness entered, countless cracks visibly forming on the surface. These cracks tore away multiple layers of discarded granite, revealing new skin and runes beneath.
This was a sign that life had returned, and that the body had regained a modicum of vitality.
Jiang Chen let out a long breath. He understood that this dangerous process was over. More importantly, he had succeeded!
After soul was joined to body, the giantâs form began to slowly rumble into movement from his previous paralyzed state. Vigor and cadence began to flow within the giantâs body once more. Blood pumped through the veins, and organs roared to life. Gradually, the senses began to return as well.
There was a distinct rumbling. The golemâs joints popped continuously like a wok of fried beans.
Suddenly, his neck moved from left to right. Enormous eyes the size of bronze bells opened wide, the celestial light emanating from them, brimming with spirit.
Freed from the shackles of a million years of being sealed away, a living Stone Golem had been restored to new life!
âDonât get overexcited, big guy. Calm down. Calm down. You have seven brothers who are still stuck. If you attract the celestial demon lord, thereâll be a lot of trouble.â
âWho is the celestial demon lord?â The golem waved his thick, powerful arms around. His voice was full of energy and strength.
âThe celestial demon lord is a lord of the demon race sealed away here.â
âHmph, is he strong? We braves of the Primordial Stone Golem Tribe arenât scared of a celestial demon lord. If he comes, he can eat my fist!â
âI donât know if heâs strong or not, but the ancient Primosanct Sect couldnât kill him. Thatâs why he was sealed away here.â
âImpossible. Saint Dan was ridiculously strong. How could he not kill a celestial demon lord?â The golem tribesman was in disbelief.
âSaint Dan was a primordial expert. There were innumerable generations between him and the ancient age,â Jiang Chen reminded.
âOh, that means youâve failed his heritage then. Pretty useless, if you ask me.â Stone Golems seemed to be quite brutish as a whole. Such words were harsh enough to make anyone actually from the Primosanct Sect cough up blood.
Thankfully, the ancient sectsâ forefathers had died out in the present day.
âHaha. By the way, big guy, Iâm Jiang Chen. Whatâs your name?â The human spoke like he was the big bad wolf luring in a little bunny.
The golem tribesman scratched his head. âWe Stone Golems are all called Stone. We donât have any real names. Iâm Big Stone, my second brother is Second Stone, third brother is Third Stone...â
Jiang Chen quickly stopped him. âAlright, thatâs enough. I know you have a lot of brothers. Your seventh brother is called Seventh Stone and the eighth brother is Eighth Stone, right?â
âHow did you know?â The big man reacted in unfeigned shock, as if Jiang Chen had solved the hardest problem in the world. The human didnât know what to say or think.
Were Stone Golems really this simple?
Was there a point to asking âhow did you knowâ to something so obvious?
âAha! Iâve got it. Saint Dan must have told you.â The giant looked very thoughtful. Jiang Chen was at a complete loss for words.
What was he supposed to reply with? His eloquence had no outlet here.
The Primordial Stone Golem Tribe was naïve enough to the point of being mentally handicapped. Jiang Chen even felt guilty, like he was tricking a three-year-old.
Alas, the present circumstances meant that he had to take hold of these tribesmen and exert absolute control over them, lying through his teeth if necessary. Otherwise, they would be extremely troublesome if mobilized by the celestial demon lord.
âBig Stone. Saint Dan saved your lives, and I returned them to you. Donât you think that you and your brothers should listen to me from now on?â
The big man nodded multiple times in quick succession. âOh, of course. You are Saint Danâs junior and heir, and our savior. Thatâs right, Jiang Chen, I hear that humans are a wily and crafty race. Not many good people. You arenât tricking us, are you?â
âOf course not. If I wanted to do that, why would I rescue you?â
âMm, I guess so.â The big man nodded. âGet my brothers alive first.â
Jiang Chen knew that the Stone Golems were a tribe of simple-minded creatures, but he estimated the one before him to be a child of that race despite his musculature. Otherwise, the race would have bordered on straight-out idiocy.
The Stone Golems could not possibly be that simple. How would they have survived in the primordial age otherwise?
Jiang Chen was even more pumped up when he considered this possibility. He had picked up a few younglings of the Primordial Stone Golem Tribe! While they were in this stage of their lives, they would be easy to guide and tame. Entities with more experience were far harder to brainwash.
The Vermilion Bird patrolling outside was overjoyed to see Jiang Chenâs revival of the Primordial Stone Golems and tittered with excitement. It also became a bit more curious about this human youth.
The secrets of these eight Stone Golems hadnât been uncovered by anyone in the ancient Primosanct Sect. How unexpected and quaint that this modern youth had revived them while his forebears could not!
A primordial secret that had passed through the long ancient age, then the hundred thousand years after that, without being revealed. This young man had practically pulled off a miracle!