"Senior Vermilion Bird, back in the Chenxiang Valley secret realm, there were those who defected to the Heavenly Devil Lord. With your divine, all-seeing eyes, you must have witnessed every single one of them. If any face present here today is one you saw in Chenxiang Valley, that person is an impostor. I ask you, Senior, to act — and expose them for who they truly are!"
Jiang Chen spoke in the human tongue.
The Vermilion Bird divine bird radiated a terrifying aura, like a celestial furnace suspended in the sky, ready to pour down boundless fury that could scorch the entire earth.
Yes, this was the might of the Vermilion Bird — the most visceral impression it left on everyone present.
This was a realm they could only gaze up at, utterly beyond their reach.
Under the pressure of such a life-form's existence, even the Great Emperor Danji's eyes flickered with an almost imperceptible trace of panic.
The Vermilion Bird!
This was the ancient divine bird — the Vermilion Bird!
The Great Emperor Danji's heart shook violently, equal parts shock and fury. To this day, he still could not understand — Jiang Chen was nothing more than a petty mortal lord from the Sixteen Kingdoms Alliance. By what right did he enjoy such fortune?
As if every good thing in the world revolved around Jiang Chen? As if all the world's blessings had been claimed by him alone?
Dragon bloodline, Vermilion Bird bloodline — these were divine beast bloodlines from the primordial age. In this era, such bloodlines were considered extinct rarities, yet Jiang Chen possessed both.
The Great Emperor Danji was truly consumed by jealousy.
And the powerhouses of the other factions, under the crushing pressure of the Vermilion Bird, were filled with fear and regret.
At the same time, they suddenly understood why Jiang Chen had been so fearless.
Having such a terrifying tide of rats at his command was one thing.
To also have an ancient divine beast like the Vermilion Bird fighting alongside him — this completely overturned everything they thought they knew.
Sensing this ancient bird's aura, it was undeniably at the Heavenly level — a life-form far surpassing Emperor-level powerhouses.
Without question, if this ancient bird wanted to kill them, it could obliterate a whole bunch of them in the time it took to draw a breath.
It was even entirely possible that not a single one of them would leave alive.
In that moment, they finally understood why Jiang Chen had been so confident. Who wouldn't be, with a card like this?
Regret!
Even at this point, even the forces most loyal to Pill Fire City were beginning to feel remorse.
"Sigh, who could have imagined that one wrong step would lead to another? I shouldn't have heeded the Great Emperor Danji's goading to oppose Radiant Celestial City!"
"Pill Fire City competing with Radiant Celestial City for power — that's titans clashing. Why did we have to stick our noses into it and invite disaster? Sigh, now we're sinking in deep mud. Let's just hope we don't end up utterly destroyed."
"Damn Danji, damn Pill Fire City — they've led us straight into the abyss."
"This Jiang Chen truly is a dragon returned to the sea. His momentum is unstoppable. Going up against a genius like this, we might all end up nothing more than stepping stones on his path to greatness. Foolish, utterly foolish!"
They truly were regretful. This sentiment had become a near-universal resonance among all the powerhouses present.
They regretted listening to Pill Fire City's provocations. They regretted being unable to resist the Great Emperor Danji's combination of threats and inducements. None of this should have involved them in the first place.
Yet now, because of the Great Emperor Danji's personal ambition, they were paying with their lives. Everyone could do that math.
The more they calculated, the more unbalanced they felt.
At this moment, Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil, combined with his Evil Golden Eye, had already laid bare the thoughts of most of them.
Jiang Chen smiled coolly. "Given what you've done, I could kill each of you ten times over and feel not the slightest guilt. However, Heaven cherishes life, and the human race cannot afford this kind of repeated infighting. After careful consideration, I've decided to give you one last chance. Remember — this is your final chance!"
Jiang Chen's tone was severe.
"One last chance?" The crowd's eyes lit up.
"Excellent! It seems Young Master Jiang Chen really isn't the irredeemable villain the Great Emperor Danji made him out to be."
"He'll really give us one last chance?" Some still harbored doubts.
The Great Emperor Danji shouted: "Don't listen to his lies! This brat is trying to divide us so he can pick us off one by one! If you believe him, you're walking straight into his trap!"
The Great Emperor Danji was beside himself with rage. He knew Jiang Chen was attempting to sow discord among them, to turn every last one against him.
Their alliance had always been fragile. If Jiang Chen managed to sway these people, their remaining will to fight would crumble entirely.
If that happened, Pill Fire City would be left to fight alone. And in a situation like this, what good could come from fighting alone?
If not for the appearance of this Vermilion Bird, the Great Emperor Danji wouldn't have been particularly afraid. He was confident that with his own strength and the elite warriors of Pill Fire City, even if they couldn't turn the tide, they could at least escape with their lives.
But now that the Vermilion Bird had appeared, everything was uncertain.
How powerful was this ancient divine bird, really? Even the Great Emperor Danji couldn't say. Though it was clear the bird was not at its absolute peak state.