HPDBC Chapter 254 Such a grand gift, the miner slaves
Chapter 254 Such a grand gift, the miner slaves
Boom!
Su Heng let out a cold snort, spread his five fingers, and clenched them fiercely.
A tremendous force compressed the air, forming white streamer-like gusts that dispersed in all directions. The surrounding bamboo forest quivered and shattered into pieces, exploding around him.
With wings outstretched, he was about to take off.
But a rustling sound from beneath his feet drew Su Heng's attention back.
He stopped in his tracks and looked down.
Amongst the cracked and sinking ground, in the midst of the scarlet chaos, strange, eyeless rats the size of calves, their claws and teeth gleaming with a metallic luster, were emerging from the fissures. These creatures seemed to lack any notable intelligence.
They relied entirely on their sense of smell and the two whiskers on their mouths to discern their surroundings, and at that moment, they lifted their heads to sniff the air outside.
Upon detecting Su Heng's presence, they opened their mouths and bit towards him.
Spurt!
Su Heng stomped down with his foot.
The rat-shaped demon exploded on the spot, turning into a splash of fresh red.
"These things are 'Mole Crickets'!" Su Heng frowned slightly, recognizing the origin of these rat demons by their external features.
Mole Crickets were a very common type of low-level demon in the Eternal Heavens.
Their individual strength was ordinary; even a normal person armed with a weapon could kill one on their own.
However, these demons were numerous, appearing in swarms. And Mole Crickets' sharp teeth and claws could penetrate the barriers around the Mythical Battlefield. If left uncontrolled, these demons could keep widening the cracks and expand the range of the Mythical Battlefield.
In the worst-case scenario,
Mole Crickets could pull an entire world into the Eternal Heavens.
Then, apart from a few mighty beings of the Heavenly Deceit, for the common populace of this world, it would undoubtedly be an absolute disaster.
When the nest is overturned, can any egg remain intact?
"It seems the situation is worse than I imagined," Su Heng murmured.
Everything happening here seemed premeditated. On one side, the Corruption Demon God Marpa had just escaped confinement, and on the other, some powerful beings couldn't wait to summon Mole Crickets in large numbers, seeking to pierce through the barrier and invade.
They really considered his side a pushover.
However...
On the other hand,
Without Su Heng, relying solely on the several immortal sects and noble families of the Jiang E region to hold off a sector of the God Demon Battlefield was indeed a hopeless endeavor.
After all, these people couldn't even pacify Skull Plain, engaging in an evenly matched, indecisive struggle with the three Esoteric Sects.
Let alone the Eternal Heavens' Mythical Battlefield, which was far more dangerous and bizarre than Skull Plain.
"But, since you are so eager. Then, I'll send you a big gift as well," Su Heng said with a corner of his mouth pulling into a fierce smile.
He took a deep breath.
And within his chest, his second heart beat slowly and heavily.
A dangerous buzzing sound filled the air, and the gathered dust in the sky dispersed, but the sunlight at dawn suddenly dimmed. Bits of dark red light floated in the void, then converged and collapsed in Su Heng's mouth, turning pure white, exposing the unstable core inside—
Boom!
But before He Xingyun could even knock on the door, they heard heated arguments coming from inside the meeting room.
Crack!
The door was opened by a disciple of the Fiery Sun Sect standing outside.
He Xingyun whispered a word of thanks and entered the room.
The small room was slightly dim, illuminated only by two candles on the table. The windows and doors were tightly closed, creating an unusually serious atmosphere.
There were three groups of people inside. One was Ling Weizi, dressed in red, standing by the window with a teacup in hand and an expression of slight helplessness on her face. Another group consisted of three young monks in tattered robes and injuries on their bodies, their origins unclear.
As for the last person, he was the most domineering.
This man had a rat-like face, a slight frown, and a gloomy air about him, wearing an exquisite brocade robe. Though not particularly burly in stature, the aura he exuded was quite strong. His eyes shone with a cold light, and every time he spoke, his unyielding refusals gave off an oppressive vibe.
Lin Xiaoye and He Xingyun, after briefly listening to a few exchanges, quickly understood the situation.
The man in the brocade robe with a rat-like face was named Wu Weihan, an elder of the Wu Family from the Northern Jiang Province.
In the land of Jiang E Seven States, there were three great immortal sects and four great families.
Among the three great immortal sects, Wuji Sword Sect, where He Xingyun belonged, was the strongest, with an exceptional Sword God residing above Heavenly Deceit.
And among the four great families...
The strength of the Wu Family from the Northern Jiang Province was undoubtedly number one, also presenting an ancestor above Heavenly Deceit.
The Northern Jiang Province was closest to Skull Plain, and the Temple of the King of Dharma had manifested there.
The Wu Family was hosting a temporary market outside the temple while recruiting a large number of people to excavate Daoist heritages within. A pact was signed between the two parties: the Wu Family would provide resource maps, and these Loose Cultivators would return an agreed portion of their findings to the elders of the Wu Family.
While the Wu Family oversaw the market—simply offering some mass-produced resources—they could continuously obtain precious Daoist treasures from within the temple, which seemed like a guaranteed profit.
But with the resurgence of the Corruption Demon God and Deceit Beasts running rampant,
not to mention the opening of the Mythical Battlefield and the repercussions of Su Heng's interactions with the demon god,
if at first some ordinary monks could try their luck inside the temple, by now, the temple had become a place of absolute peril. Even a top powerhouse in the third step of Heavenly Deceit like He Xingyun could encounter danger within, let alone those ordinary Loose Cultivators who weren't even at the level of Heavenly Deceit.
The dispute arose from this.
Those Loose Cultivators wanted to leave the temple, unwilling to venture further and needlessly sacrifice their lives.
But how could an elder from the Wu Family agree to such a thing?
Within the Jiang E Seven States, the four great families were high above; they never regarded these ordinary monks from humble backgrounds.
Moreover, among the noble families, the Wu Family from Northern Jiang Province stood alone at the top, exceedingly confident.
What you Loose Cultivators would lose are just your lives, but what my Wu Family would be losing are resources and money—where in this world would you find the strong suffering losses?
"You want to leave, you can," Wu Weihan said coldly.
The leader of the Loose Cultivators was named Guan Luo, from a small sect in Liuzhou.
Upon hearing this, he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a look of joy appearing on his face. But the next sentence from Wu Weihan made his heart sink, "However, you must return tenfold the resources you owe to my Wu Family, as listed."
"You merely provided some maps and charms, and you want us to pay such a price." Seeing his aggressive attitude, anger rose in Guan Luo's heart.
Yet he still suppressed his anger and humbled himself, "We are willing to do our best to repay, but the listed items are too extensive, beyond our capacity to bear."
"If you are unable to bear it, no problem," Wu Weihan seemed just to be waiting for this response, smiling, "You can ask for assistance from the elders of your sect, or alternatively, you can join my Wu Family's treasure digging team and become a miner. There are many ways to repay; there will always be one that suits you."
"Whether you'll be able to live through it..." Wu Weihan's mouth twitched as he spread his hands, "That I don't care about."