Chapter 1809: The Battle Begins
Chapter 1809: The Battle Begins
After reading Xushun’s record, Wang Wei finally had an idea of how cultivation in the Tribunal Saint Realm operated. He also had the idea of condensing his second Quintessence in the future. However, in the spirit of keeping things grounded, he decided to keep this information in the back of his mind. His current priority is still the battle with Lin Fan.
"Fangjin, why are you still here?"
"I have other matters to report."
"Oh?"
"First, it’s about Emperor Kong," Fangjin uttered. "I’ve done as you ordered. I kept him in a constant state of injury to prevent him from healing and cultivating. The Primordial Chaos Saints have secretly deployed Saints to retrieve him, and I have kept them at bay."
"That’s good," Wang Wei nodded, feeling no remorse for his actions. The relationship between competing lineages has always been as such. While they are friendly in times of peace and cooperation, they try to kill and weaken one another during war. Even if Kong knew it was Wang Wei’s doing — which he probably will since he’s not stupid — he won’t say anything or even blame him. On the contrary, he might even thank him because Wang Wei could have killed him. Before the power of the Saints, the power of his destiny means nothing.
"Keep it like this until a few years before the battle," Wang Wei nodded. The Heaven-Splitting Holy Land went above and beyond to reassure their "Holy Son." Without showing up to claim credit or even complaining, they dispatched Saints at Wang Wei’s whim just to deal with Kong. If it were any other cultivator, they might have already lowered their guard by such sincerity.
"What else?" Wang Wei asked.
"It’s about the young man named Wangchen."
"Hmm?" Wang Wei glanced at him, wondering whether the Holy Land wished to use Wangchen and his mother as a means to threaten him. If that were so, they would be heavily disappointed. As much as he was secretly fond of the boy, ultimately, he was still a pawn used to access this world. If he dies, Wang Wei only needs less than a Yuan Epoch to raise another one.
"Our holy land usually recruits disciples around the time of the Holy Son Battle. And in this generation’s recruit, Wangchen passed the test," Fangjin explained. "Given his relationship with you, I was wondering if you need me to make special arrangements for him?"
"No need," Wang Wei shook his head. "And if he ever comes to see me, send him back."
"I understand."
Wang Wei dismissed Fangjin because he had nothing else to report, then focused on his work. There was still plenty of time to get some things done. Whether it was copying knowledge to bring to the sect or continuing to update his Soul Mark, all of them required much work. Additionally, Wang Wei was also using the knowledge from previous battles to deduce Lin Fan’s strength and abilities. Of course, he knew his prediction had a major flaw: the existence of the true Hundunxi. Regardless, it was still a good method to understand at least 50% of Lin Fan’s Divine Abilities.
Time passed, and without even noticing it, the next day was the final battle. Typically, such big events do not faze him, but today, he felt a looming cloud over his mind. After trying a few unsuccessful methods to calm down, he decided to take a walk through his mansion. Besides the first day, he had never truly taken in the sight of this magnificent palace.
While deep in thought and walking through the corridor, Wang Wei suddenly bumped into someone. The person’s life level was so low compared to his own that he never registered them as a threat. Had he not controlled his strength at the last minute, the individual would have exploded into a blood mist.
"L-L-Lord, I’m sorry," the maid swiftly said before wiping out the tea spilled over Wang Wei’s clothes. However, the stain had long disappeared due to the cloth’s self-cleaning ability, so she was just rubbing her hands on it.
Swish!
Fangjin materialized himself. "Lord, I apologize. I didn’t manage the maids properly." Who would have thought his act of trying to appease the lord by asking a maid to bring out tea would cause such an accident? This was such a disgrace.
"It’s not your fault," Wang Wei calmly stated. Fangjin was a diligent servant who always tried to anticipate his master’s mood and act accordingly. Many things, he had called people to bring Wang Wei things. Although he never touched them, Fangjin’s attitude remained the same — always diligent and doing what was in his best interest.
"I’ll get rid of her immediately," Fangjin said.
"No need for that since this is my fault."
"How can that be? It’s one thing for the lord to be distracted, but she should know better."
"No need for violence and create an omen sign right before this fight. Just dismiss her," Wang Wei ordered before walking away.
"Why don’t you quickly thank the lord for his benevolence?"
"T-Thank you, lord," the maid swiftly said.
Wang Wei nodded without uttering a word; his mind was still preoccupied with the battle, so this small event was insignificant. The shot was therapeutic, allowing Wang Wei to calm his raging mind. In this state, he only needed a short meditative night, and he’ll be in peak state for tomorrow’s battle.
The Holy Land had never been so loud and quiet at the same time. Numerous disciples headed to the designated areas to watch the battle, making the situation a bit boisterous. However, no one dared to raise their voices too loudly because all the Saints made their presence felt. Even Wang Wei — who had never been able to detect these Saints — not only sees countless of them, but he also senses their unrestrained gaze.
Standing before a towering black gate, Wang Wei had his hands behind his back, acting as if nothing bothered him; he perfectly displayed the demeanor of a master. He knew these gazes were the last test of the Holy Land and also a warning. If he couldn’t pass, the consequences might be dire.
Time passed, and Wang Wei remained composed, not even displaying a drop of sweat. His mind remained calm and serene, just like a beautiful lake: he had no thoughts, no desires, and embodied Taoism’s state of inactivity. Finally, two hours before the gate opened, all the gazes disappeared. Two hours were more than enough for him to recuperate from whatever mental or spiritual strain he had suffered. And after such tempering, his mind would be at its sharpest for the battle.
"It’s time," Mengyunjun’s voice echoed between Heaven and Earth. "Young man, a lot is riding on this conversation. Do not disappoint us." The man did not say what would happen if Wang Wei disappointed him, but anyone who listened could understand the underlying threats.
"I understand," Wang Wei calmly nodded. The gate opened, and he walked through it. The world on the other side was nothing special — at least, at first sight. Wang Wei stood in this vast plain with nothing in sight for millions of miles. However, this was not the full extent of this world.
In his senses, he was now in this vast continent with countless mountains, rivers, forests, oceans, but no human construction or even life. Above his head stood another universe with countless planets, stars, and galaxies. Upon closer observation, this world resembled the combination of a [Continent Universe] and a [Starry-Sky Universe], and nothing else. However, Wang Wei has already detected the hidden power of this world.
"One force is the embodiment of Primordial Chaos, and the other is a manifestation of Force Dao," Wang Wei analyzed. "They seemed to be competing for dominance. So, is this the truth about this battle? Whoever wins will grant the advantage to whatever force they represent?"
Things were not clear to him. He represented the Force Dao, while Lin Fan represented the Primordial Dao.
"For today’s battle, these forces may have waged everything. Whoever wins today will dominate this world," Wang Wei concluded. "But is this world that important?" He waved his hand to test the spatial integrity and shook his head. According to his analysis, this world will be in ruins by the time the battle ends. So, what’s the point of controlling a ruined world? What’s the point of controlling a world that even a Great Emperor can create?
"There must be something higher at play since Pangu and Hundunxi wish to be the final winner. The issue is what?" Numerous ideas flashed through his mind, and many of them were viable, but nothing was conclusive. As such, Wang Wei decided to gather more data during the fight.
A gate appeared before him, revealing Lin Fan dressed in purple pants and shirts, and black boots. Without revealing his aura, Wang Wei could tell his achievements in this world could compare to his. After all, in this secret realm event, he and Lin Fan were the protagonists — not Kong or anyone else.