The golden bell had once belonged to Forefather Goldenbell, yet Jiang Chen had refined it with trivial ease.
The instrument was truly sublime, blessed by both heaven and earth. It was an immensely powerful treasure. Because of Jiang Chenâs exceptional gift at refining treasures, the bell was no less powerful than itâd been in its previous ownerâs hands.
In fact, itâs very nature had been improved.
When the bell crashed down in Forefather Tongxuanâs direction, the old man sweated bullets. He used his art of escape once more to attempt to struggle free from the bellâs influence.
Frankly, Jiang Chen found it remarkable that his ambush was avoided in the heat of the moment. Forefather Tongxuan possessed more than a modicum of skill and ability.
The old man wasnât proud of his feat though. He couldnât begin to fathom how heâd been trapped by an ambush, and yet heâd done precisely that.
Meng Qianqiu stretched out both arms, conjuring a crystalline tide that walked the border between reality and illusion.
Forefather Tongxuan knew his former comradeâs methods well. Even he couldnât take on such an attack easily. He was prepared to retreat further when the space all around him broke apart, revealing a figure.
An enormous claw seized at the forefatherâs torso.
With inhuman speed, Forefather Tongxuan slipped out of the clawâs clutches like a slick eel.
Alas, he didnât expect the suddenness of the follow up. The second grab came immediately after, and the old man wasnât so lucky this time.
The forefather was stuck inside an iron grip. No matter how much he tried to struggle free, his efforts proved in vain.
The Vermilion Bird wouldâve been able to take down its prey quickly one on one, much less when helped by so many others. It broke off one of the forefatherâs bloody arms with a vicious pull.
Another followed with another tug.
Following this, the bird opened its beak and crunched savagely on both limbs.
The rebels were uniformly stunned. How could this have happened? Why had Forefather Meng Qianqiu suddenly attacked Forefather Tongxuan with no provocation?
Moreover, the latter had been captured despite his strength as a demigod within seconds. And now, even his body wasnât whole anymore!
A psychological blow like this was much more effective than any physical one. The naked truth was more threatening than any words of intimidation.
Prime Puresmoke materialized with somber splendor.
âYou rebels have been deceived by malicious actors into doing these evil things,â she declared solemnly. âThe Martial Sacred Land will pardon those who surrender immediately. Only the instigators will be punished. However, if anyone resists henceforth, Forefathers Goldenbell, Yuchi, and Tongxuan will serve as your examples.â
Three out of the four demigod forefathers had perished, and the remaining one had defected. These were fatal blows to the rebel armyâs morale.
The reason it had been able to remain orderly here for so long in the first place was due to the stabilizing presence of those forefathers. What future did it have without the powerful leaders? Prime Puresmokeâs appearance here was convincing enough by itself.
Many cultivators dropped their weapons immediately.
âWe surrender, we surrender! I wanted to stop a long time ago, but those bastards forced me to fight.â
âExactly. They only know how to fool us into doing what they want. None of them are reliable.â
âThereâs no need to throw our lives away for them.â
âIf the last demigod forefather has surrendered, why hold out?â
When the winds changed, they took the hearts of the rebels with them. The remaining troops were as good as done for.
Jiang Chen didnât have to say anything himself. Prime Puresmokeâs speech alone was enough to shatter the shaky alliances between the rebel factions.
Many factions clamored to defect.
There were a few stubborn rebels who tried to rebuke their fellows and salvage the situation, but Jiang Chen and his companions ruthlessly cut them down one by one. Eventually, the ones who objected were either too dead or too afraid to voice their opinions.
Everything was proceeding with unexpected smoothness.
The rebel army had always found it difficult to invade the sacred land proper. The recent rumors thatâd spread through its ranks only added insult to injury.
Meng Qianqiuâs desertion was the straw that broke the camelâs back. The only forefather left, Forefather Tongxuan, was slain on the spot.
These successive blows dismantled the rebelsâ morale and fighting spirit completely, causing the rebel armyâs fractures to develop into full-fledged breaks.
Meng Qianqiu used this opportunity to launch a counterattack with the Dreamhaze Sectâs cultivators. The most intractable adversaries were struck down with lethal force. He knew that this was a chance for the Dreamhaze Sect to show its merit. The more rebels killed, the more the sect would redeem itself.
The danger was finally past for the Martial Sacred Land.
Two-thirds of the rebels surrendered on the spot. The ones who were left were either cautiously observant, or had arranged avenues elsewhere.
The most adamant insurgents had been wiped out.
Internally, the Martial Sacred Land was incredibly excited and overjoyed at Prime Puresmokeâs arrival. After all, she came with reinforcements and crushed the rebel armyâs encirclement and alliance.
Jiang Chen and his friends were hailed as heroes.
The young man himself hadnât expected the smoothness that heâd proceeded with. Still, he remembered the deal heâd made with Prime Puresmoke. She was obligated to bring him to view the Martial Sacred Landâs heritage of formations â especially the part about the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement.