"Young man, what exactly is the story behind these eight stone sculptures?" The Vermilion Bird's voice was urgent, and its emotions were clearly running high.
By this point,
Hearing this, Jiang Chen felt a surge of joy. "Senior Vermilion Bird, whether that's the case or not, we have to give it a try."
"Yes, we absolutely must try!" This news was equally vital to the Vermilion Bird. It knew full well that this matter concerned its own fate—whether it could leave this place, whether it could seek the opportunity for a rebirth through fire.
If these eight beings of the Giant Stone Clan could be revived, then they could absolutely take its place as guardians of this location.
That way, it would no longer need to hold this post unto death.
"Let's go, let's go—right now! I'll watch your back!" The Vermilion Bird was tremendously excited. It had Jiang Chen fly directly onto its back and, carrying him, charged once more toward the palace.
Jiang Chen transmitted his voice: "Great Emperor Shaoyang, you and Zitan wait here for a moment. Don't act on your own."
Great Emperor Shaoyang and the Purple Smoke Sect ancestor were both trembling with fear, terrified that one misstep would cost them their lives. Though they didn't want to stay here for even a minute longer, leaving on their own now would be too embarrassing to bear.
After all, leaving at this point would be no different from deserting—far too shameful.
Most critically, they had already come to regard Jiang Chen as their sole lifeline. Seeing Jiang Chen chatting amiably with the Vermilion Bird only deepened their reverence and blind trust in him.
With Jiang Chen giving them such instructions, they certainly wouldn't dream of leaving on their own.
The Purple Smoke Sect ancestor's feelings were particularly complicated. In a backwater like the Fengming Lower Domain, he had been one of the most exalted figures. But the events of these past few days gave him the sensation of living in a dream.
He thought of the other powerhouses back in the Fengming Lower Domain—every last one of them had fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Demon Lord, becoming his puppets.
And he was practically the only top-tier expert from the Fengming Lower Domain who had been spared.
Not only that, he had even forged a connection with Young Master Jiang Chen of the Crystal Glass Royal City. From the way Young Master Jiang Chen behaved, it was clear he had no intention of casually abandoning him.
The Purple Smoke Sect ancestor could only count himself lucky that his earlier decision had been so wise.
Had he not chosen to follow Jiang Chen and stay behind, he would by now either be the Heavenly Demon Lord's lackey or already dead.
"Friend Zitan, is that right?" Great Emperor Shaoyang suddenly spoke up.
The Purple Smoke Sect ancestor was flattered and hastily replied, "I wouldn't dare—I am Zitan. Greetings, Great Emperor Shaoyang."
"Heh heh. We're in the same boat now, so let's drop the empty formalities. Friend Zitan, the way you so resolutely chose to follow Young Master Jiang Chen—that kind of judgment and courage is truly admirable."
This was genuine. Great Emperor Shaoyang was genuinely somewhat impressed by this Purple Smoke Sect ancestor. In that situation, when everyone else had fled for safety, this man had placed his trust in Jiang Chen and refused to go with the crowd. That was not something an ordinary person could do.
After all, at the time, it had been a matter of life and death.
The Purple Smoke Sect ancestor hastily deflected the praise. "It wasn't really courage. I simply felt, on a gut level, that Young Master Jiang Chen was someone worth trusting."
…
The Vermilion Bird carried Jiang Chen, piercing through the void, and descended like a bolt of red lightning before the gates of the Holy One Sect's palace once more.
Standing beneath the eight great sculptures, Jiang Chen could feel their imposing, towering presence even more keenly. Each one stood seven or eight times the height of a normal person, perhaps even more.
"Are all beings of the Giant Stone Clan this enormous?" Jiang Chen paced back and forth beneath the eight colossal statues, studying them carefully.
From what he knew of the Giant Stone Clan, although they were a race of giants, their bodies were not normally exaggerated to this extent.
Moreover, the Giant Stone Clan's physiques could expand and contract at will.
On the backs of these eight stone sculptures, dense inscriptions were carved—secret arts of the Holy One Sect. These were the arts for the separation and reassembly of divine spirit and physical body.
However, the secret arts on the backs of these eight sculptures were clearly in a scrambled order. It took Jiang Chen and the Vermilion Bird a very long time to sort through them and arrange them in their proper sequence.
Jiang Chen studied them repeatedly and confirmed that the secret arts were flawless before he felt at ease.
He then took out the eight small sculptures he had obtained. These were considerably smaller.
"Senior, when the forebears of the Holy One Sect sealed the divine spirits of the Giant Stone Clan into these eight small sculptures, to summon those divine spirits, we must first break the external seals on these eight small sculptures."
These eight small sculptures were not to be underestimated—Jiang Chen had once used them as supreme defensive treasures. The Eight Desolations Rock Formation used them as shields.
They were incredibly sturdy; many powerful attacks could leave nothing more than a faint mark on their surface.
So for Jiang Chen, without the secret arts, breaking through the exterior of these eight small sculptures and drawing out the divine spirits of the Giant Stone Clan would have been exceedingly difficult.
Fortunately, with the Holy One Sect's secret arts, the task became far more manageable.
As the saying goes, to untie the bell, one must find the one who tied it. Once you掌握了 the method of the one who tied the knot, untying it is no longer hard.