Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 72

Volume 6 Chapter 72: The Final Battle Begins (1)

While "Tian" sighed, "Di" simply gazed at the strange and evil blood pool below, his expression neither happy nor sad, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"Tian," remaining silent, seemed to be waiting for something. After a long time, seeing "Di" still silent, he softly sighed and said, "Old friend, we have known each other for more than ten thousand years. At this moment, are you not going to say anything to me?"

"Di" did not move his lips, but his old, hoarse voice echoed in the cave.

"Yes, it has been over ten thousand years since you saved me, but I do not know what you expect me to say."

"Tian’s" gaze suddenly became icy and dark as he stared at "Di" nearby and coldly said, "Did you not find it surprising when I guessed Zhang Xusheng’s next plan? Many years ago, you told me that you had killed Zhang Xusheng with your own hands."

After a moment of silence, "Di" slowly asked, "How did you come to know that Zhang Xusheng was not dead?"

Tian said softly, "Not all of the masters in the Righteous Alliance are truly on the right path. Through an old friend, I learned some news. Two years ago, Zhang Xusheng appeared at Ronghua Mountain and personally took away the Four Spirit Sky Map that the Righteous Alliance had painstakingly created."

"I see."

Di replied softly but did not say anything more.

After waiting a moment, seeing that Di still had no desire to explain, Tian frowned slightly and asked again, "My old friend, do you truly have nothing to say to me? We have been friends for thousands of years. With your current state, you cannot be considered a stranger. All this time, I have treated you with sincerity and never thought of using you. Now, if you explain the situation clearly, no matter what you thought back then, I will forgive you."

"Sincerity?" Di’s voice carried a hint of sarcastic laughter as he looked at the blood pool below and softly asked, "If it is sincerity and you consider me one of your own, why did I only find out now that the Shura Clan has returned?"

"Even among our own, there can be betrayal. Even with sincerity, we must hide our deepest secrets in our hearts. It has been proven that I was right to do so, hasn’t it?"

Tian slowly replied.

"Yes, everyone in the world has been fooled by you. When everyone believed you would let the Shura Clan return in half a year, no one expected that the Shura Clan had already been set free by you without anyone noticing. No wonder you were the wisest among them back then."

Di quietly watched the blood pool, as if trying to see what lay at its deepest depths, and said softly.

Rather than praise, this statement is more like self-mockery.

"Wise one?" Tian sneered, "In front of humans, no race dares to call itself wise. If I truly were wise, I would not have been tricked by humans back then, unaware that all my kin were sealed away while I alone managed to escape."

"There’s no need to be modest. Haven’t you toyed with humans for tens of thousands of years without them knowing?"

"Humans are indeed smart, but their desires are too strong. Their desires make them easy to control, and those desires blind their eyes. The so-called right path is, after all, driven by their desire to unify the world according to their ideas. This is a truth I understood tens of thousands of years ago. It was a little late, but still not too late."

"So, when were your kin released?"

Di asked.

"Thousands of years ago, when you went to ‘kill’ Zhang Xusheng."

A hint of pride was in Tian’s voice.

"I see."

"Di" responded softly but became silent afterward.

"Old friend, are you really not going to explain the things you’ve deceived me about over the years?"

"At this point, is there still a need for an explanation?"

While speaking, "Di" slowly stood up, and the array under his feet glowed brightly, just like "Zhou," who was killed before, was about to leave. However, unlike "Zhou," he didn’t prepare any defenses when leaving, showing an incredibly arrogant attitude towards the mysterious Shura Clan hidden in the blood pool and the inscrutable "Tian."

The calm blood pool suddenly surged, and faint cries of anger echoed from deep within it. Clearly, the Shura Clan, which had long been restored, was also angered by "Di’s" attitude.

Seeing "Di’s" actions, "Tian’s" expression darkened further, and his voice lost its usual calmness as he said harshly, "Do you really think you are still that fearless Demon Ancestor who could challenge the whole world by yourself? Back then, you were surrounded and killed by all the world’s cultivators, your very essence was destroyed. If I hadn’t acted to gather a trace of your consciousness and provided you with a Shura Clan body, would you have lived to this day? Even so, your current strength is less than half of what it used to be. Besides that weapon made from your former body, the ‘Yan Chi,’ you can’t use any other treasures. Do you really think you can escape safely surrounded by so many Shura Clan members?"

As he spoke, the blood pool erupted with towering waves, and amidst the surging blood, over ten figures of varying sizes suddenly emerged from the pool. Among them, four figures were enormous, towering six or seven meters high, with snake-like eyes glowing faintly green, long tongues flickering like serpents, and their bodies covered in black scales, silently guarding around "Tian." They were the powerful "Dragon-Snake Clan," the kings among the seventy-two clans of Shura from back then.

The remaining figures surrounded "Di," each looking different. Some were small with green skin and arms like giant blades, resembling oversized cockroaches, while others looked like burning rocks with red horns on their heads, or had human bodies and snake heads with tails swaying behind them, surrounded by misty green fog. They were several races known for their attacking power among the Shura clans of that time.

Regardless of their appearance, all these races emitted an overwhelming and fierce presence, each one rivaling the greatest masters among human cultivators, especially the four members of the "Dragon-Snake Clan," who could stand alongside Immortal Zizhen, Mr. Liu, and Zhang Xusheng.

"Di" carefully looked around at the Shura Clan people. After all, they were creations from tens of thousands of years ago. Even with "Di’s" long life, it had never really seen them before; this was a rare opportunity.

After a long while, "Di" and "Tian’s" gazes finally met in mid-air. "Tian’s" gaze was extremely cold, while "Di’s" gaze remained deep and mysterious.

"My strength may not be what it once was, but what about these Shura Clan people?" "Di" said slowly. "Why do you insist on having ‘Yu’ and ‘Zhang’ hold their positions for three months? Your people are all incredibly strong, but having been sealed in another dimension for tens of thousands of years, they surely cannot regain their strength quickly, right? Even the legendary ‘Immortal Body’ must not be effective now, correct? And the resources you have gathered over the years, aside from wanting to release your people, are probably also to help them regain their power in the shortest time possible, right?"

"So what?"

"Tian" asked coldly.

"Right now, I may not be able to defeat so many Shura Clan people, but if I fight with all my might, I could still manage to kill a dozen or so who are still weak. And your people are already not many. Destroying the blood pool where your people rest and recover wouldn’t be very difficult either."

"Di" continued to speak in that slow tone, showing no concern for the Shura Clan people who were watching closely around.

"You are threatening me."

"I suppose so."

As "Di" spoke, a bright light suddenly shone from the teleportation circle beneath his feet, clearly indicating that the teleportation was about to begin. The Shura Clan members around him were ready to act, but were stopped by a wave of "Tian’s" hand.

"Old friend, I have already helped you enough over the years. The kindness you showed when you brought me back to life, I consider that repaid. Now, I have the soul of a human and the body of a Shura Clan member, caught between two worlds. At this moment, the Shura Clan has returned. My plan with Zhang Xusheng has failed, and I do not wish to do anything more. In the days to come, I will live in seclusion somewhere in the Shenzhou Continent, not helping either side, calmly watching you and the humans fight. No matter who wins or loses, I will not feel sad. Of course, if you want to trouble me when you regain your strength, I won’t hold it against you, but right now, I just want to leave this chaos. After being involved for thousands of years, it’s time for a rest and to watch the show."

As "Di" finished speaking, the light scattered, and "Di" vanished before the eyes of the Shura Clan.

The Shura Clan looked at "Tian" with puzzled expressions, not understanding why "Tian" let "Di" leave, but "Tian" did not explain and simply said softly, "Everyone, go back and continue to recover. The human cultivators are coming. The sooner you regain your strength, the better our chances will be."

The Shura Clan members clearly trusted "Tian" very much. After hearing his words, they exchanged glances and nodded silently before diving back into the blood pool.

Meanwhile, "Tian" looked at the empty "Di" Demonic Figurine beside him and suddenly felt a bit out of place. After all, that silent old man had been with him for thousands of years.

"Old friend, my lifespan is coming to an end. I am still alive now and can control them, but soon, when I am gone, you will have to fend for yourself. This is the only thing I can do for you after accompanying you for so many years."

A deep sigh echoed in the empty cave, as "Tian" thought silently.

At the same time, Xu Qingfan was faced with one of the most difficult choices of his life.