There was a strange tension in the air.
Han Shuangâs heart pounded. Sheâd been forced to open up about her secrets. The only thing she could do now was to wait for Elder Zhenâs response.
Sheâd be doomed if Elder Zhen had something to do with the villain responsible for the chaos, and so would her plans. Fortunately, the godkings pulling the strings would remain in the dark. Her demise would disrupt the overall plan, but the others would be safe.
Finally, Jiang Chen laughed and applauded. âThis subordinate would like to express my deepest respects, Sectmistress. Whether your plan succeeds or not, youâve won my admiration. Donât worry. Iâll do all I can to help you. Itâll indeed be a wondrous feat for you to rescue Celestial Emperor Taiyuan.â
Han Shuangâs face lit up. âAre you telling me the truth, Elder Zhen?â
âI told you that I wanted a capable celestial emperor to rule over Taiyuan,â Jiang Chen responded solemnly. âBased on what youâve said, Celestial Emperor Taiyuan is indeed the most suitable candidate.â
âThatâs right. I said that roughly eighty percent of the public nurses the same belief. Theyâve been simply too scared to take a stand under the circumstances.â
Jiang Chen nodded. âAre the prison foundations hidden within the forbidden grounds of the Heavenly Crimson Lake?â
âYes, oneâs at the bottom of the lake, where a volcano lies buried. Within the volcano is a spirit vein, one of the five connected to the Divine Prison of Eternity. We donât have to destroy all five of them. Destroying just three will compromise the prisonâs structure. Five, and His Majesty will be able to stroll right out.â
âThatâs right. One spirit vein destroyed will impact the prison. Two will undermine its foundations. Three will damage its structure. Four will destroy eighty percent of the architecture. Five will collapse it all.â
âI didnât expect you to be so knowledgeable!â Han Shuangâs face lit up.
âAre you confident that youâll be able to enter the volcano, Sectmistress?â
âOf course. The godkings in charge have been preparing for tens of thousands of years, picking the right people and laying the groundwork. Iâm the one chosen to deal with the spirit vein in Heavenly Crimson Lake!â Han Shuang burst with pride. She clearly felt it a great honor to be entrusted with this mission.
âThe fact that there are godkings behind the scenes makes the plan more viable. They must have gifted you with godking-level treasures, which should make it easy for you to destroy the spirit vein.
âHowever, it wonât be as easy to sneak into the volcano from the Heavenly Crimson Lake.â
âHmph, weâve considered that as well. Donât worry. The only problem is how Iâm going to enter the forbidden grounds without alerting anyone. You know how heavy the godkingâs guard is on the place? Even I have trouble sneaking in.â
That was what frustrated her the most.
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. âI told you I can help. It may be difficult for you, but not for me.â
âOh?â Han Shuangâs eyes lit up with curiosity.
Jiang Chen didnât respond immediately. âWhen do you plan to sneak in, Sectmistress?â
âDuring the godking conference. Thatâs when defenses will be the weakest since Godking Crimsonwaters wonât be around.â
âHaha, thatâs not the full story, is it?â Jiang Chen smiled. âItâs also the best time for you to rescue Celestial Emperor Taiyuan and make his presence known. The godkings behind the rescue plan will be there to support the Celestial Emperor, wonât they?â
Han Shuang rolled her eyes. âArenât you clever. I canât hide anything from you, can I?â
âThis is undeniably a fine plan. However, thereâs no guarantee that itâll work. I worry that after His Majesty is rescued, the number of godkings who are brave enough to take a stand will still be limited.â
âYou underestimate their wisdom. Most godkings support the Celestial Emperor. They simply dare not show their support openly, but his return will give them the confidence to do so. Iâm sure plenty of them will take a stand then.â
âAre you sure?â
âI am. We know Taiyuan Plane and how the godkings think. They hate the current climate more than anyone. Their numbers drop continuously, coupled with an overall decline in the plane. If nothing is done, doom will be the only thing written in our future. The godkings will either die or become wandering ghosts. Thatâs not something anyone would want, is it?â
Jiang Chen nodded. âThe world was a better place when Celestial Emperor Taiyuan sat on the throne.â
âThatâs right. Celestial Emperor Taiyuan was always a wise leader. The only mistake he ever made is refining the Sun Moon Pill. Even that was an act out of his love for his son, and heâs willing to hold himself accountable for it. Heâs miles better than whoever is responsible for his fall!â
Han Shuang struck a chord in Jiang Chenâs heart. âWell said! Celestial Emperor Taiyuan is the man I respect the most in my entire life. Iâll be the first to support his return to power!â
His enthusiasm pleased Han Shuang.
âThen it seems our goals are in line, Elder Zhen.â
Jiang Chen nodded with a smile. âIndeed, what we want are exactly the same!â
âExactly the same? Are you going to the godking conference in order to rescue His Majesty?â Han Shuang blinked curiously.
It suddenly dawned on her how powerful the young elder must be. There must be a good reason for a mysterious figure like him to join the Fiendstar Sect.
Jiang Chen smiled. âAllow me to keep that a secret at the moment, but I can tell you that we share a common goal, and weâre working toward the same thing. Let us execute our plans respectively, and our paths will end up crossing!â
Han Shuang nodded without hesitation. âAlright, Iâll stop asking. I did lose the bet. Now I realize youâre more powerful than I am, Elder Zhen. The domain youâve created to trap me must be at godking level. Are you... a godking senior?â
Jiang Chen shook his head and answered slowly, âIâll become one sooner or later. Although Iâm not yet one, I donât fear any regular godkings.â
He wasnât exaggerating. With the four sacred beasts at his side, an average godking wouldnât be much of a problem.
With the progress heâd made in assimilating bloodlines, his cultivation had reached astounding heights, making him a half-step godking. He would cross the threshold soon.