His conversation with Emperor Jingzhong had truly opened Jiang Chen's eyes, deepening his understanding of the human domain considerably.
"As the saying goes, a single conversation with a wise man is worth ten years of reading. Brother Hui, I never imagined your knowledge of the human domain ran so deep. It's genuinely impressive."
Jiang Chen's admiration was entirely sincere.
"Embarrassingly so. Your brother here has lofty ambitions but limited talent. I lack the abilities of the Peacock Great Emperor and can only theorize on paper, rarely putting anything into practice. If every cultivator in the human domain could treat the fate of the human race as their own responsibility, the way the Peacock Great Emperor did — then why would our race ever fear decline? Why would we fear failing to eradicate the demonic calamity?"
When the topic came up, Emperor Jingzhong was visibly anguished.
In his view, the various factions within the human domain turning on each other, waging wars, scheming against one another — it was nothing short of courting destruction.
The legacy had already been fractured across generations, and the strength of the human race compared to the ancient era was already dismal. If they kept fracturing from within, they wouldn't even know how they died.
Jiang Chen offered some reassurance. "Don't worry too much, Brother Hui. From what I've observed, though the demon race has begun showing signs of resurgence, the coming few decades should still be safe. Even if some demon remnants surface and stir up trouble, they won't be able to build any real momentum."
Having visited the Sealed Grounds, Jiang Chen was able to analyze the broader situation.
Right now, the demon race was mostly in a dormant state, far from the point of restless agitation and imminent eruption.
Once they reached that threshold, it would signal a full-scale demonic invasion — the true outbreak of the calamity.
At the very least, for the next thirty to fifty years, Jiang Chen remained fairly optimistic.
No major demonic calamity should erupt within that window.
That said, small-scale demonic incursions would absolutely continue appearing in various regions. His recent battle against the Blood Sunflower Demon Emperor in the territory of the Red Cauldron Central Region was proof enough.
Not all ancient demons were necessarily sealed within the Demon Sealing Grounds. Some had been scattered across the human domain, locked away in other locations.
These ancient demon remnants, dispersed throughout the land, could flare up one after another in different places.
If they weren't taken seriously, they could evolve into a catastrophic threat.
After all, the most terrifying aspect of the demon race wasn't their destructive power — it was their ability to assimilate through bloodline.
A single demon could, through various means, manipulate and corrupt large numbers of humans, transforming them into demonic puppets and vassals.
In truth, the demon race was a species with limited reproductive capability. Their true strength lay in the aggressive nature of their bloodline and its assimilating properties.
A single demon could give rise to thousands upon thousands of demonic thralls.
"Brother Hui, focus on refining and absorbing the Sky Whale bloodline first. There will be ample time ahead, and a body as strong as yours will surely have its use in the future."
This trip to the Phoenix Cry Lower Region, Jiang Chen did not plan to bring Emperor Jingzhong along.
The Peerless Emperor and the two Jiaos from Huaishan would be sufficient.
…
These days, before every departure, Jiang Chen exercised the utmost caution. Just before setting out, he conducted another inspection of the Nine Subtle Flight Formation at the Young Lord's residence.
Everything was running smoothly, which finally put his mind at ease.
Whenever he had free time, Jiang Chen had been continuously refining and improving the Nine Subtle Flight Formation, making it ever more robust.
With each upgrade, its defensive rating climbed higher.
Now, even if Emperor Danjia himself led a squad of Great Emperors to attack the Glazed King City, they might not be able to crack the awe-inspiring formation.
Once all preparations were complete, Jiang Chen departed the Glazed King City quietly alongside the Peerless Emperor and the two Jiaos from Huaishan.
The Phoenix Cry Lower Region was indeed one of the more remote corners of the human domain.
And within it, the Purple Smoke Sect could fairly be called a major power. But by the standards of the Upper Eight Regions, such a faction barely warranted a glance.
Jiang Chen arrived at the Purple Smoke Sect without fanfare, slipping in silently.
The moment he entered the sect's territory, he sensed the location of the Purple Smoke Sect's ancestor. He made straight for the entrance to the old patriarch's cave dwelling.
For someone of Jiang Chen's caliber, the Purple Smoke Sect's defensive formations might as well have not existed. At a single glance, he identified numerous flaws in the protective arrays and slipped through them with ease, entering the sect's restricted grounds without alerting a soul.
The Purple Smoke Sect's ancestor sat within his cave dwelling, deep in closed-door meditation.