Mang Qi's expression was extremely grim, his tone more serious than Jiang Chen had ever heard: "The desolate borderlands. During the ancient era, the Demon Race invaded, and their stronghold was located in the desolate borderlands. The place where we are sealed right now is the very edge of that territory. Don't tell me you're actually planning to venture into Demon Race territory?!"
"Demon Race territory? There are no demons on the Divine Abyss Continent now."
Mang Qi shook his head again and again. "Impossible. The Demon Race bloodline couldn't have died out that easily. Their current absence might just mean they're biding their time, lying low during a dormant phase. If there really are no demons, then why has the desolate borderlands remained desolate since the ancient era? Because you human cultivators simply don't dare set foot there! Because the Demon Race bloodline has never gone extinct! Jiang Chen... if you don't understand how terrifying the Demon Race truly is, you'd best stay far away from the desolate borderlands right now!"
It was clear that Mang Qi was extremely nervous and desperately did not want Jiang Chen to take the risk.
"I'm sorry, but I must go to the desolate borderlands. The Soul-Calming Wood — I have to obtain it." Jiang Chen would not change his plans because of anyone's objections.
Mang Qi's bell-sized eyes stared fixedly at Jiang Chen. He let out a soft sigh. "Do you even know that the Soul-Calming Wood doesn't exist on your Divine Abyss Continent at all? It's a species that the Demon Race brought here?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "That's fine."
In his previous life, across the myriad heavens, he had certainly encountered Soul-Calming Wood before. It wasn't an exclusive species of the Demon Race — many races across the myriad worlds cultivated it.
That said, Soul-Calming Wood was indeed a plant that the Demon Race was particularly fond of.
Jiang Chen, however, was absolutely determined to obtain the Soul-Calming Wood. If there were a tiger on the mountain, he would walk straight into the mountain.
Others feared the Demon Race, but Jiang Chen, blessed with memories of his past life, did not carry that bone-deep terror. To him, the Demon Race was merely one of the myriad races across the heavens.
They were powerful, yes — but not so powerful that every race would tremble at the mere mention of their name.
Mang Qi saw that Jiang Chen was set on his course of action and understood that this young man had already matured — grown into someone with firm, independent convictions that no one could sway.
He felt both surprised and gratified.
Mang Qi was happy to witness Jiang Chen's growth. The faster Jiang Chen grew, the greater the chance of Mang Qi leaving this place. In the end, that was a good thing.
"Mang Qi, let me ask you something — what is your true level of cultivation?" Jiang Chen naturally did not believe that Mang Qi was merely at the Spirit Realm.
Mang Qi gave an embarrassed smile, looking somewhat sheepish. "I did conceal my strength before. I was afraid of startling you, and worried you wouldn't be able to understand or accept it."
"Go ahead. I can handle it," Jiang Chen said with a smile.
"Back when we were chosen to serve as the leaders of the puppet warriors for the Demon Race, every one of us had received the recognition of the Heavenly Dao. Does that make sense to you?"
"Heaven-rank level?" Jiang Chen was shocked, his pupils contracting sharply as he stared intently at Mang Qi.
"That's right. Within the Myriad Spirits God-Locking Grand Formation, there are at least a hundred like me. As for those below the Heaven rank — countless. However, surviving such an impossibly long time below the Heaven rank is extremely difficult. Of course, each race is different, and those who managed to reach this place — even those below the Heaven rank — are by no means useless. They cannot cultivate, but if they've managed to survive, they are all absolutely terrifying existences."
Jiang Chen was speechless. He had already tried his best to overestimate Mang Qi's strength, and yet he had still underestimated him.
Heaven-rank power — and within the Myriad Spirits God-Locking Grand Formation, no fewer than a hundred such beings were sealed. The sheer scale of it meant that once they were freed, it would absolutely pose a threat to the Divine Abyss Continent.
Not necessarily. Not every one of them would necessarily bear a grudge against the Divine Abyss Continent the way Mang Qi did.
Jiang Chen's expression grew solemn. After a long moment, he spoke: "Mang Qi, I hope you'll keep our agreement a secret. If one day I truly manage to take you out of here, I also hope that no one else trapped here will be freed as a result, only to go out and bring calamity upon the Divine Abyss Continent."
Mang Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded. "I'll keep your secret. But I think — if you truly do reach the day when you can unravel this formation — the most practical approach might be to recruit them to your cause."
Jiang Chen considered this, then said: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. If they're all like you, that's one thing. But some might be proud and unruly, with ideas of their own."
Mang Qi sighed. "After being suppressed for such endless ages, if their personalities still haven't been smoothed over, then there's something wrong with their heads."
Personality was a tricky thing to generalize about.
Some people's edges would be worn smooth by the endless passage of time. Others were born defiant, and no amount of time could change them.
"If it took so many puppet warriors to serve the Demon Race's purposes, then when they invaded the Divine Abyss Continent, their armies must have been even larger?" Jiang Chen suddenly asked.
"The Demon Race controlling their puppets doesn't require a massive force to operate them. However, when the Demon Race invaded the Divine Abyss Continent, several of their legions were indeed sizable. But they clearly underestimated the strength of your Divine Abyss Continent, so those Demon Race legions didn't exactly reap any rewards. From what I can tell, they were probably suppressed by your continent's powerhouses. But whatever you do, don't think this matter is over." Mang Qi's tone was complicated.
"Once the trajectory of the Heavenly Dao overlaps once more with the Demon Race's invasion route — once they have a celestial corridor to enter this realm again — that will be the moment they invade anew."
Jiang Chen was well acquainted with the workings of celestial trajectories.
As the son of the Celestial Emperor in his previous life, he naturally understood the principles of the Heavenly Dao. A great myriad-heaven world contained countless material planes and numerous lesser realms.
All these worlds belonged to a grand myriad heavens, governed by the laws of cosmic operation. Every plane had its own interconnected celestial corridor.