Chapter 443 ·Jade Shedding and Name
Chapter 443: Jade Shedding and Name
Three hundred li outside Severed Dragon Cliff。
Dense streams of escaping light continuously swept through the rosy clouds，looking from afar like a meteor shower falling。
“Elder Shu，look quickly，the sky in the direction of Severed Dragon Cliff is completely crimson，there must have been a major upheaval！” Jiang Yuyan’s eyes revealed surprise。
She had originally not thought highly of the Dao Child’s plan to assault the pass。
Severed Dragon Cliff Main Pass was difficult to breach，and the Mirror Moon Army had chosen to march at midnight for a surprise attack，possessing no advantage whatsoever，so failure had been the most likely outcome。
But judging from the celestial phenomenon changes in the distance，something had definitely gone terribly wrong at Severed Dragon Cliff。
Could it be that，in order to take this fortified pass，the sect had secretly dispatched another batch of reinforcements to coordinate with the Dao Child？
“No matter what is happening at Severed Dragon Cliff right now，we must act according to the Dao Child’s decree，the entire army is to advance at full speed。”
Shu You’s expression appeared calm，but a trace of anxiety was hidden deep in her eyes。
One should fear not the ten thousand possibilities，but the one possibility that went wrong。
The Dao Child attacking the pass alone and attempting to break through Severed Dragon Cliff’s formations was simply far too risky！
If she had not personally received the Dao Child’s decree and learned part of the inside story behind tonight’s night assault，she probably could have racked her brains without ever imagining that the Dao Child would do something so insane。
Without bringing a single cultivator from the sect，he had silently charged into Severed Dragon Cliff alone，intending to seize the pass by fighting ten thousand enemies by himself！
To speak frankly，it was only because Shu You understood the Dao Child’s personality and knew that he never did anything without confidence that she did not truly think he had already resolved himself to die and was deliberately charging into the pass to seek death。
“There are fifteen Azure Spirit Sect cultivators fleeing a hundred li ahead，three of them are Foundation Establishment cultivators，while the rest are all Peak Qi Refining cultivators，I do not know whether there is a trap。” Yu Pan warned。
With the Heaven-Eye Blackhawk responsible for reconnaissance and searching，nothing within a hundred li could escape her eyes and ears。
“They may be scouts responsible for patrols，capture them directly and interrogate them，prevent the news from leaking。”
Shu You issued the order while simultaneously increasing the speed of her escaping light。
Compared with those dozen or so scouts，she cared far more about the Dao Child’s safety。
“Understood。”
Yu Pan nodded and commanded the Heaven-Eye Blackhawk through thought to launch a surprise attack。
The battle ended in an instant！
Before a Golden Core Beast General，a group of shallow-cultivation Azure Spirit Sect Cultivators possessed no power to resist。
Yu Pan decisively separated from the sect army and activated her escaping light to interrogate this group of Azure Spirit Sect Cultivators。
“What！Severed Dragon Cliff has already fallen，are you certain？”
After learning of the upheaval inside Severed Dragon Cliff，Yu Pan could not help raising her voice as she pressed them for confirmation。
There was no other reason，what this group of Azure Spirit Sect Cultivators had said was simply too fantastical，making one instinctively suspect it was false information。
According to these cultivators，the Dao Child had single-handedly launched a night assault on Severed Dragon Cliff，not only successfully suppressing and killing two Nascent Soul True Monarchs，but also completely destroying the numerous high-level formations deployed within Severed Dragon Cliff by the three sects。
“No，this must be false information！” Yu Pan’s eyelid twitched，instinctively suspecting this was deliberate misinformation released by the three sects。
In single combat，with the Dao Child’s strength，he could easily suppress and kill True Monarch Blood Origin，but True Monarch Crimson Dragon Sun Tianyi was no ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarch，and there were more than eight thousand cultivators of the three sects inside Severed Dragon Cliff presiding over the formations。
Even if the Dao Child’s Mystical Abilities were overwhelmingly powerful and a casual strike could suppress and kill hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators，on a battlefield he would still be trapped to death by more than eight thousand cultivators using Fourth-Tier Profound Formations，with no power to reverse the situation。
To put it unpleasantly，unless the Nascent Soul True Monarchs stationed at Severed Dragon Cliff and the more than eight thousand cultivators of the Three-Sect Allied Army were all stupid pigs capable only of waiting for the butcher’s blade to fall，Yu Pan could not imagine how the Dao Child，a newly advanced True Monarch，could possibly slaughter his way through the entirety of Severed Dragon Cliff。
Could this be a deception created by the Three-Sect Allied Army to annihilate the Mirror Moon Army by luring the Mirror Moon cultivators into Severed Dragon Cliff？
No，that was not right！
Yu Pan frowned slightly，her thoughts changing again。
Given the horizons of this group of Azure Spirit Sect Cultivators before her，they absolutely could not fabricate such absurd false intelligence！
Moreover，if these were not events that had actually happened，the reactions of this group of cultivators could not possibly be completely identical and without the slightest flaw。
That meant that，even if it lacked any basis in common sense，there was perhaps a seventy to eighty percent chance that this outrageous information was true。
Thinking of this，Yu Pan’s pupils contracted slightly。She looked toward the Heaven-Eye Blackhawk and tossed out a jade slip。
“Quickly deliver the information to Elder Shu！”
“Shriek！”
Watching the Heaven-Eye Blackhawk gradually turn into a black dot and disappear from sight，Yu Pan gritted her teeth，fully activated her escape art，and headed straight for Severed Dragon Cliff。
At the same time，Shu You and the others had already led the Mirror Moon Army to the outside of Severed Dragon Cliff。At a glance，they could see the fortified pass engulfed in raging flames，with the earth veins continuously exploding，resembling purgatory。
“Surround Severed Dragon Cliff，do not let a single cultivator of the three sects escape！”
Seeing this scene，Shu You’s eyes flickered，and she immediately issued the Dao Child’s order。
“Shriek！”
The Heaven-Eye Blackhawk swooped down and dropped a jade slip。
Shu You swept it with her Divine Sense，and an excited smile appeared on her face。
Now that she had personally witnessed the miserable state of Severed Dragon Cliff Main Pass，Yu Pan’s information could almost certainly be confirmed as true。
“True Person Jiang，you and I will enter the pass together to search for the Dao Child。” Shu You said。
At this moment，for Foundation Establishment cultivators to enter Severed Dragon Cliff would be no different from seeking death。Only Golden Core True Persons could guarantee their own safety。
Jiang Yuyan nodded，her gaze toward Severed Dragon Cliff carrying a trace of astonishment and shock。
There was no need to capture nearby fleeing cultivators for interrogation。Merely looking at the scene before her，she already understood what kind of unbelievable achievement Dao Child Chen Ziang had accomplished。
Sure enough，her choice had not been wrong！
If she could remain by Chen Ziang’s side and earn his trust，then proving the Dao as a Nascent Soul True Monarch in the future would not necessarily be an illusory dream。
……
Severed Dragon Cliff，above the Earthfire Cavern。
Chen Beiwu met the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon’s eyes，and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy。
“What，do you still want to fight me？” the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon said impatiently。
With its current Cultivation Years，if it simply turned around and left，the Mirror Moon Dao Child absolutely could not keep it here。
But what it feared was not the current Mirror Moon Dao Child，but True Monarch True Martial，whose Immortal Path was visibly bright！
It was better to resolve enmity than to create it。
Chen Ziang was so young，yet he could already seize a pass alone and easily suppress and kill True Monarchs across realms。If he cultivated for another thousand years，how terrifying would he become！
In the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon’s view，when facing an unrivaled prodigy like Chen Ziang，one either had to strangle him in advance，or settle all grudges beforehand and keep to separate paths，lest one suffer retaliation in the future。
Without confidence that it could kill Chen Ziang，it could now only choose to show weakness and settle their grievances。
“Whether this ends here is not for you to decide。”
Chen Beiwu raised his eyes toward the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon，his expression calm as he said：“If you are dissatisfied，then what harm is there in fighting right now？”
The Crimson Flame Chi Dragon possessed more than four thousand years of Cultivation Years。Even if a Peak Nascent Soul True Monarch personally attacked，they might not necessarily be able to kill it，and could at most severely wound it。
Chen Beiwu also clearly understood that，even if he brought out his trump cards，he might still be unable to cross two realms and suppress and kill a thick-skinned，profoundly cultivated Fourth-Realm Beast King。
But with the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon already showing weakness，if he did not obtain some benefits，would that not be wasting the opportunity。
“Such audacity！”
The Crimson Flame Chi Dragon stared fixedly at Chen Beiwu，roaring as blazing flames burned through the sky。
The terrifying heat waves from the sea of flames distorted the space within ten li，erupting with pure and violent dragon might。
Chen Beiwu stood upon the void without moving，while Golden Egg、Iron Egg and Snow Bridle took positions according to the Three Talents，surrounding the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon and preparing to strike at any moment。
“Speak，what do you want？”
Seeing Chen Ziang remain unmoved，the flames around the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon receded，and it took one step backward。
“I want the shed remnant of your reverse scale。” Chen Beiwu said。
Chi Flame transforms form，the shed shell preserves truth。
Within the Immortal Alliance，the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon’s shed reverse scale was also known as Crimson Flame Jade Shedding。It could ward off cold toxins，burn Heart Demons，and was also a top-tier supplementary material for refining Fire-Attribute Heaven-Reaching Mystic Treasures。
However，compared with these uses，what Chen Beiwu valued more was the essence of Forged Fire Chi Flame contained within the Crimson Flame Jade Shedding。
Iron Egg cultivated the Crimson Radiance Nine Luminaries Sun-Devouring Nirvana Scripture。Refining a strand of Forged Fire Chi Flame essence was equivalent to refining a Desolate-Tier Heaven-and-Earth Exotic Flame，and could increase his Cultivation Years considerably。
“Impossible，change the condition。” the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon refused immediately。
Chen Beiwu did not speak。His eyes calmly watched the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon，without the slightest intention of yielding。
One breath！
Two breaths！
Three breaths！
“Fine，I can give it to you，but you must swear，declaring that the karma between you and me has been concluded，that you will not seek revenge against me，including ordering or hinting for others to retaliate……”
The Crimson Flame Chi Dragon rambled on at great length，afraid that several hundred years later Chen Ziang might say something like ‘There have long been no grudges or entanglements between us，I came today purely to slay a dragon’，in which case its actions now would undoubtedly amount to aiding an enemy。
“Agreed。”
After weighing it in his heart，Chen Beiwu nodded slightly and agreed，reaching an agreement with the Crimson Flame Chi Dragon。
With his eyesight，he could naturally tell that although this Crimson Flame Chi Dragon had previously appeared furious and attacked with all its strength，it had actually concealed a considerable portion of its strength。
To put it plainly，True Monarch Crimson Dragon Sun Tianyi could also be considered unlucky。He had worked himself half to death his entire life，only to end up raising a Beast King unwilling to risk its life for its master。
“Very good，the grievances between you and me are now settled。”
The Crimson Flame Chi Dragon flicked its tail，rode the clouds and mist away，while simultaneously flinging out a stream of flowing flame。
As the firelight dispersed，a crystalline scale roughly the size of a water vat entered Chen Beiwu’s sight，and one could faintly see liquid crimson radiance flowing within it。
Chen Beiwu reached out and caught it，feeling only a warm and smooth texture。It was indeed a rare treasure。
“Should we kill them all？”
Golden Egg lowered his dragon heads and looked toward the scattered cultivators of the three sects fleeing below。
“Woof。”
Iron Egg barked softly。
Killing on the battlefield was only natural，otherwise one could easily be harmed by the enemy。
But now that the war had already ended，there was no need to create more slaughter。
‘There is no need，my target is the entire Southern Wastes，the cultivators of the three sects may yet be useful to me。’ Chen Beiwu transmitted through thought。
“Whoosh！”
“Whoosh！”
At that moment，two streaks of light landed before Chen Beiwu，revealing the figures of Shu You and Jiang Yuyan。
Glancing at the corpse on the ground，the pupils of Shu You and Jiang Yuyan contracted as they exclaimed in astonishment：“This is True Monarch Crimson Dragon’s corpse？”
“That is correct，your next task is to capture every cultivator of the three sects and bring them back to Blackstone Gorge。”
At this point，Chen Beiwu paused slightly：“Cultivators who practice demonic cultivation methods，resist fiercely，and are difficult to control may be suppressed and killed on the spot。”
Seizing a pass was easy，defending it was difficult。
After what he had done，the entire earth vein network beneath Severed Dragon Cliff had fallen into complete disorder，and it was no longer a suitable strategic stronghold。
Hearing this，Shu You and Jiang Yuyan revealed troubled expressions。
Although the Three-Sect Allied Army had suffered catastrophic casualties，they still possessed overwhelming numbers and could not be underestimated。
With only slightly more than two thousand Mirror Moon Sect cultivators，they could at most surround Severed Dragon Cliff from all directions and conduct searches，but it would be very difficult to capture the cultivators of the three sects who had already escaped Severed Dragon Cliff。
“Do not worry，they will cooperate with you in the search。”
The instant Chen Beiwu finished speaking，Shu You and Jiang Yuyan immediately nodded in acceptance。
Although the Three-Sect Allied Army was numerous，it was now nothing more than loose sand。With three Beast Kings assisting them，they were confident they could capture the overwhelming majority of the cultivators from the three sects。
……
Earth Evolution Realm，First-Line Heaven。
Although the Three-Territory Great War had considerable impact，it still failed to spread to First-Line Heaven。
There was no other reason。In order to decipher the Tai Void Formation Sect ruins and obtain the high-level resources within，ever since the avatar of a Divine Transformation True Venerable from Southern Evolution Realm descended，the Five Great Sects of Earth Evolution Realm had negotiated a ceasefire agreement with the Eight Desolations Sect，hegemon of Southern Evolution Realm。
Now within First-Line Heaven，even notoriously vicious demonic sect cultivators did not dare to rashly attack and violate the ceasefire agreement，otherwise they would certainly be collectively attacked by the various cultivation powers。
At this very moment，inside the council hall of the Five Great Sects。
Five figures as steady and imposing as deep pools and towering mountains occupied five directions，sitting opposite one another。
If an expert of Earth Evolution Realm were present，they would recognize the five at a glance as：Profound Sword Pavilion Master Lifeless、Greenwood Sect Master Verdant Firmament、Heavy Gold Sect Master World-Rending Gold、Blazing Flame Sect Master Battleflame and Mirror Moon Sect Patriarch Zhu Wuya。
Without the slightest exaggeration，these five Nascent Soul True Monarchs were all great figures whose every word could stir the winds and clouds of Earth Evolution Realm。
“I heard the Southern Wastes Sect intends to bring in the Three Great Demonic Sects of Western Evolution Realm and the Four Great Schools of Yellow Evolution Realm to jointly develop the Tai Void Formation Sect ruins，what do you all think？” Zhu Wuya asked。
His seniority among the Five Great Sects was extremely high。Even if only an incarnation had descended，it could still suppress a Late-Stage Nascent Soul True Monarch，so he naturally had the right to sit in the foremost seat。
Hearing this，the four sect masters exchanged glances and did not rashly speak。
Jointly suppressing the Mirror Moon Sect was their objective。
But no matter how fiercely the Five Great Sects fought among themselves，it was still not the Eight Desolations Sect’s place to dictate terms and forcibly divide the interests within Earth Evolution Realm。
“If we yield one step，we will yield step after step，this action by the Eight Desolations Sect is far too overbearing，we absolutely cannot agree。” Battleflame said decisively。
“Fellow Daoist Battleflame is right，but if a Divine Transformation expert of the Eight Desolations Sect acts，who will resist？” Lifeless directly pointed out the core of the problem。
Although their interests were currently aligned，none of the sects was willing to step forward and expend their sect foundations to contend with a Divine Transformation expert of the Eight Desolations Sect。
After all，a sect foundation was something that diminished every time it was used。Once too much was expended and the Divine Transformation expert of the Eight Desolations Sect saw through the true state of their sect foundations，it would create the danger of sect annihilation。
Fortunately，the Divine Transformation expert of the Eight Desolations Sect also understood the might of the foundations possessed by the Five Great Sects of Earth Evolution Realm，and only dared to probe their bottom line little by little。
To summarize it simply in one sentence，it was like beating a wolf with a hemp stalk，both sides were afraid。The Eight Desolations Sect and the Five Great Sects of Earth Evolution Realm each had their own misgivings。
For a moment，the atmosphere within the council hall immediately fell silent。
“The Eight Desolations Sect’s strength is extraordinary，since all of you have reservations，why not bring in another Divine Transformation power，using one wolf to drive away the tiger。”
Seeing that no one spoke，Zhu Wuya shook his head and proposed。
The four sect masters frowned slightly。
One Eight Desolations Sect alone was already troublesome enough。If they brought in another Divine Transformation power，would that not mean they would no longer even get to eat the meat and could only drink the soup？
At that moment，a burst of commotion sounded outside the council hall。
Every Nascent Soul True Monarch present was an expert。With merely a movement of Divine Sense，they could easily investigate the source of the commotion。
‘Mirror Moon Dao Child Chen Ziang charged into Severed Dragon Cliff alone，slew True Monarch Blood Origin Mo Buyun and True Monarch Crimson Dragon Sun Tianyi，routed the ten-thousand-cultivator allied army of the Azure Spirit Sect、Red Sun Sect and Blood Fate Sect，and reclaimed the Mirror Moon fortified pass。In terms of strength，he can probably reign supreme even among Peak Nascent Soul True Monarchs，and even the sect masters of the Five Great Sects of Earth Evolution Realm may not necessarily be his opponents！’
Hearing this，all four sect masters frowned，their eyes revealing absurd disbelief。
What nonsense？Where did this rumor come from？Rumors could not simply be fabricated without limits！
Mirror Moon Dao Child Chen Ziang was merely a newly advanced True Monarch。Being able to cross realms to slay a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul True Monarch and repel the Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator True Monarch Wondrous Desire was already outrageous enough，far beyond the scope of even the peerless prodigies of the Southern Wastes。
But to put it plainly，no matter what，a newly advanced True Monarch was not qualified to compare himself with Peak Nascent Soul True Monarchs like them！
Thinking of this，the four sect masters simultaneously looked toward Zhu Wuya。
The reason rumors were rumors was precisely because they contained a great deal of exaggeration。
The Mirror Moon Sect had truly spared no effort to build momentum for Chen Ziang，even fabricating something as outrageous as one man seizing an entire pass。
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