When Jiang Chen had first been reincarnated into the Divine Abyss Continent, he'd felt no real sense of belonging to this place. But after all these years, he had taken deep root in this world. He had parents, brothers, lovers, a daughter, friends, and so many like-minded companions.
Just like in his previous life's world of myriad realms, Jiang Chen had come to view this Divine Abyss Continent — this human world — as his home.
But the terror of the demon race? He knew it all too well.
In his previous life, in the grand world of myriad realms, with a figure as powerful as his Heavenly Emperor father presiding over it, no matter how fearsome the demon race's threat might be, it was ultimately insignificant. Under the Heavenly Emperor's banner, there were countless powerhouses. Even the demon race's strongest didn't dare act rashly in his father's presence.
But this Divine Abyss Continent — while Jiang Chen sensed that something about this place was different, even catching faint hints that it might be connected to his previous life — when it came to confronting the demon race, the Divine Abyss Continent, and especially the human domain, was far too weak. In terms of true strength, it simply wasn't enough.
Jiang Chen knew how terrifying the demons were, and he had been preparing for the demon calamity all along. In the Demon Sealing Wasteland, he had been monitoring the demon race's movements the entire time.
He was fairly certain that within the next hundred years, there wouldn't be a catastrophic outbreak from the demons sealed within — though they were already stirring restlessly, they wouldn't be able to unleash a truly devastating storm for at least another century.
And then, without warning, a Heavenly Demon Lord had appeared.
It was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
If this Heavenly Demon Lord broke free of his seal and restored his peak strength, no one in the entire human domain could possibly stand against him.
Jiang Chen activated his Evil Golden Eye to its fullest, shooting a beam of golden light deep into the heart of the formation.
Through the shimmering, hazy flow of light, he saw the human cultivators huddled inside the formation like quails, their faces tight with apprehension.
It was clear that even now, these people had no idea they had already fallen under the Heavenly Demon Lord's control — and that they still viewed the Vermilion Bird as their primary threat.
At this point, Jiang Chen no longer cared about maintaining his disguise. He tore off his mask, revealing his true face, and channeled his divine sense. His voice boomed like a great bell: "Yunlan! Long Baxiang! Look at me — do you recognize who I am?"
The moment Jiang Chen revealed his true appearance, many people recognized him.
"Jiang Chen!" A murderous glint surged in Emperor Yunlan's eyes, his teeth clenched. "It really is that brat. I knew it — that boy's ghost won't leave us in peace!"
Long Baxiang stared at Jiang Chen, thoroughly confused. In his view, Jiang Chen revealing his identity at this point seemed utterly pointless. If he'd truly been cornered by the Vermilion Bird and wanted to flee into the formation for shelter, the last thing he should do was show his face.
For a moment, everyone was caught off guard, unable to figure out his angle.
Jiang Chen had no intention of wasting words. His gaze locked onto the Emperor-realm powerhouse from the Nine Sun Heavenly Sect: "Shao Yang, your Nine Sun Heavenly Sect's Great Emperor Haotian has some history with me. I don't want to watch your people walk to their deaths. If you value your lives, take your Nine Sun Heavenly Sect's experts and charge out with everything you've got — right now."
Shao Yang was the Nine Sun Heavenly Sect's second-in-command. When Jiang Chen had visited the sect to borrow their artifact-forging formation, the two had crossed paths before.
Shao Yang froze, then let out a bitter laugh: "Young Master Jiang Chen, are you joking with me? That Vermilion Bird is savage, and this formation is where it's safe. If I charge outside, wouldn't that just be walking into my own death?"
"You think that formation can actually shelter you? Don't accuse me of being an alarmist — right now, at this very moment, you're already trapped in a dead end, and you don't even know it. Do you know what this place is?"
"This is the ancient Holy One Sect's sacred ground."
Jiang Chen nodded. "That's right — it is the Holy One Sect's sacred ground. But this place is the Ancient Boundary Stele Realm, the battlefield where the Holy One Sect fought the demon lords of the ancient demon race. The so-called protective formation you're hiding in is precisely the seal that confines the ancient Heavenly Demon Lord. And you — you're nothing more than lambs being led to slaughter, lured step by step into his clutches by the Heavenly Demon Lord himself!"
"What?" Shao Yang's face went pale with shock. "Young Master Jiang Chen, that's not a joke you can throw around lightly!"
"Hmph! Do you really think I have the leisure to joke around with you at a time like this? The people from Pill Fire City are irreconcilable enemies of my Myriad Crystal City. If they want to stay inside and die, that's none of my concern. But if you allow yourselves to become food for the Heavenly Demon Lord — if your flesh and blood help him break free of his seal — then even in death, you'll be sinners for all eternity!"
Jiang Chen's expression was grave, not a trace of jest on his face.
Shao Yang wavered, his heart unsettled. Truthfully, Jiang Chen's words had genuinely shaken him.
He looked at Jiang Chen, then at the Vermilion Bird, his heart still pounding.
The sight of the Vermilion Bird killing moments ago had been far too terrifying. Every martial artist present — including the Emperor-realm powerhouses — had been shaken to their core.
"Young Master Jiang Chen, it's not that I don't believe you. But how do you know all of this? Could it be... that the Vermilion Bird told you?"
Jiang Chen didn't deny it. "I know a smattering of the ancient Beast Language. The Vermilion Bird and I have had some communication. It has ties to the ancient Holy One Sect — it was stationed here specifically to keep the Heavenly Demon Lord suppressed. It tried every possible way to keep us from entering this place because it feared the Heavenly Demon Lord would devour our bloodlines, accelerating his awakening and the recovery of his power. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Demon Lord has been working against it, continually manufacturing opportunities for us to enter. Have any of you ever stopped to wonder why our journey in here has been so... smooth?"
It was true — their path in had been fraught with scares but ultimately uneventful. Without that final strike from the Vermilion Bird, they would have suffered virtually no casualties.