Book 6, Chapter 77: Going Upstream

On this day, Eternal Night suffered the heaviest blow that he had suffered to date.

During his previous duel with Su Chen, he had managed to endure the incredible pressure, bearing a veritable mountain on his back in order to drag Su Chen off of his high horse and force Su Chen to work under him instead.

That day had been his peak.

Afterwards, he had anticipated that Su Chen would not lower his head that easily. More likely than not, Su Chen was brewing up some kind of scheme behind the scenes.

Eternal Night had spent quite a bit of time trying to predict what Su Chen would do.

However, there was one possibility that he had failed to consider from the very beginning: seizure by force.

It was only natural that his thought process was guided by what he was accustomed to.

A person who typically preferred to solve problems with their fists would have a hard time puzzling their way out of a complicated situation.

And a person who was in the habit of thinking deeply about things and resolving issues with brains instead of brawn would often overlook simpler possibilities.

Eternal Night had underestimated Su Chen's strength and decisiveness, allowing Su Chen to deal him a blow that sent him reeling.

If Serene Dream Lotus Crown had been present, Su Chen wouldn't have been able to take Zhu Xianyao away so easily.

Unfortunately, this single misstep had cost him his opportunity altogether.

At that moment, Eternal Night was still being suppressed by Gu Qingluo. After Su Chen killed Kelesda, he laughed loudly, "Eternal Night, I will not forget your kind treatment of my wife these past few years. Our former agreement is still in effect, and I will do my best to obtain the Immortal's Soul for Your Majesty and fulfill my end of the bargain."

What?

Eternal Nigh was taken aback.

Su Chen's figure flickered as he teleported next to Gu Qingluo and said, "It's time to go!"

The three of them and the Beast slipped into the void, disappearing without a trace.

Eternal Night stared at the place that Su Chen had just disappeared into, speechless and dazed.

"Your Majesty, what happened?"

Serene Dream Lotus Crown had just arrived on the scene. When she saw the state of disarray that the palace was in, she was stunned.

Eternal Night, however, didn't reply. He turned around and glanced at the Neptune's Eye lying not far behind him on the ground.

“Neptune’s Eye?” Serene Dream Lotus Crown saw it as well and couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment.

Eternal Night’s gaze, however, remained on the Neptune’s Eye as he muttered to himself. “He was just here a moment ago......”

“Who was just here?” Serene Dream Lotus Crown asked.

“He could have taken the Neptune’s Eye with him before he left,” Eternal Night continued to mutter to himself. “But he didn’t...... Could he be telling the truth? But why? Why would he still choose to do so?”

Eternal Night began to mumble incoherently to himself.

Serene Dream Lotus Crown hurried forwards to support Eternal Night, who weakly fell into his chair like an old man. “Why? I just can’t figure it out!”

This was the first time that Serene Dream Lotus Crown had ever seen Eternal Night so distraught.

Two hours later, Eternal Night’s guesses were confirmed.

Su Chen sent word that his agreement with the Harpies was still in effect, and that he would do his best to accomplish it regardless.

In other words, Su Chen had only come just to take Zhu Xianyao with him a bit ahead of schedule.

Of course, if he had told Eternal Night from the beginning that this was his plan, Eternal Night would never have believed him.

As such, he could only get his way by force.

There was no way that Eternal Night could doubt his words now, though.

The only thing he couldn’t understand was why Su Chen would do this.

“Why are you still going to help him take the Immortal’s Soul?” Zhu Xianyao asked, somewhat peeved.

Even though the Harpies had taken good care of her these past few years, she was still a hostage. Everywhere she went, she was supervised, and there were many things she was not allowed to do. She didn’t even have a close companion at her side; it was only natural that she felt that her life was quite difficult.

For this reason, Zhu Xianyao’s attitude towards the Harpies was still quite lacking in goodwill.

But she couldn’t understand why Su Chen was still interested in fulfilling his end of the bargain.

“Would you believe me if I said that I am a person who upholds his end of the bargain?” Su Chen laughed as he asked.

Zhu Xianyao rolled her eyes. “Big Sis Qingluo, do you think our husband is that kind of person?”

Even though Gu Qingluo and Zhu Xianyao knew about each other, this was their first time meeting in person. Zhu Xianyao knew how to behave herself, however, and correctly referred to Gu Qingluo as “Big Sis.” Not only had Gu Qingluo met Su Chen first, but she had also tagged along to save Zhu Xianyao, causing Zhu Xianyao to feel some gratitude towards her. In addition, Gu Qingluo’s Origin Beast Bloodline was not inferior to her bloodline in the slightest. Referring to Gu Qingluo as a senior wasn’t a loss of face at all.

Zhu Xianyao was quite good at buttering people up, so her and Gu Qingluo actually got along quite well.

Upon hearing Zhu Xianyao’s question, Gu Qingluo chuckled. “That depends on what promise he’s made. If his promise is to forcefully seize someone’s eldest daughter, he will definitely keep his word. But if he has promised to steal a treasure for someone else without benefit to himself, well, that promise doesn’t hold much weight.”

Su Chen smiled bitterly. “Come now. I’m still the Sage of the human race. My trustworthiness is not that terrible, is it?”

Gu Qingluo said, “Public morals and personal morals are different. Just because you have one doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily have the other.”

Su Chen gently patted her forehead. “So you have made some advancements.”

Then, he turned to face Zhu Xianyao. “So, Xianyao, why do you think I am doing this?”

Zhu Xianyao thought for a moment, then said, “I don’t know why, but I do know that every investment you make results in returns nearly ten times greater. Are you thinking of claiming Sky City?”

Su Chen shook his head. “Sky City belongs to the Harpies, and is closely linked to their bloodlines. I cannot try and steal Sky City just based off of controlling the core. My true goal is the Origin Energy Sea.”

“The Origin Energy Sea?” both Gu Qingluo and Zhu Xianyao cried out.

“Yes, the Origin Energy Sea. That is where every realm converges to, and the source of all energy. It is one of the most mysterious, profound locations ever conceived of. This is the conclusion that I reached when I was in the void for a year,” Su Chen replied.

The year that Su Chen had spent in the void, comprehending spatial Method Power and jumping between realms, had also given him a new understanding of the universe. Many of the universe’s secrets had been revealed to him.

Questions such as, “Why is the Origin Energy on the Primordial Continent disappearing?” and “Who is the old beggar?” were constantly present in Su Chen’s mind.

Su Chen’s dream in the past had been to establish the path of cultivating without a bloodline. As he began to bring that dream to fruition, his horizons began to expand, and it was only natural that he had taken an interest in the profound secrets governing the universe.

And the sea of Origin Energy was the means by which Su Chen would begin to comprehend them.

Because it was the source of the myriad realms that existed in this world, and the origin of all energy.

As such, only there would everything be made known to him.

And the only place on the entire Primordial Continent with a connection to the Origin Energy Sea was Sky City.

Back then, Su Chen hadn’t thought much of it, but now that he knew more, he was beginning to realize how incredible of an invention it was.

Not only did it result in the basically invincible Sky City, but it also opened a path to the source.

In order to continue his pursuits, Su Chen would naturally need to do his best to fulfill his end of the bargain.

Upon hearing where Su Chen’s ambitions lay, the two women were rendered speechless.

Gu Qingluo said with some anxiety, “I know that you are always striving to reach the peak, pushing the limits of knowledge, but I’m worried that your gaze is so far ahead that you’re missing the scenery below your feet.”

Su Chen could sense her worry and laughed, “The path to the top never ends. However, as I continue to ascend, I do it hand-in-hand with you both. I will never overlook this fact.”

As he spoke, he reached out to grab their hands and pulled them into his embrace.

They sat on the back of the Void Seahorse. Su Chen had one arm wrapped around each girl as he gazed off at the beautiful scenery before them.

Zhu Xianyao hadn’t seen Su Chen in a long time, and her being was filled with passion. If it weren’t for the fact that Gu Qingluo was next to her, she probably would have already made a move on Su Chen.

Su Chen, however, seemed to have no such considerations and leaned in.

Zhu Xianyao was deeply embarrassed. “Don’t!”

Su Chen chuckled. “You are both my wives. What does it matter? You are going to experience it sooner or later, so why not here and now?”

As he spoke, he waved his hand. A cloudy mist surged forth, enveloping the three of them and obscuring them from sight. It was impossible to know what was taking place within the cloud, but fairy-like croons and groans would occasionally escape the confines of the cloud......

At the same time that Su Chen was enjoying himself in the skies after his long journey to save his woman, the battle in Long Sang had officially begun.

Naturally, the Boundless Sect and Long Sang Country were the primary participants in this battle.

During the past few years, Long Sang had been embroiled in a civil war. Lin Mengze and Lin Zuiliu were fighting for control of the throne, throwing the entire country into turmoil.

Under normal circumstances, Lin Mengze should have been able to quash Lin Zuiliu given the combined might of his army.

However, the Boundless Sect’s interference, and the matter with Long Pojun, gave Lin Mengze quite a bit of trouble. And after he had failed to kill Long Pojun and had even sustained a grave wound, Lin Mengze had once again lost control of the situation, giving Lin Zuiliu a chance to breathe and continue to delay.

However, Lin Mengze was still the emperor, after all. A big tree had deep roots, and after a few years of jousting, Lin Mengze reclaimed the advantage and pushed Lin Zuiliu all the way to the border.

On the other hand, Lin Shaoxuan fiercely held the southern border with the aid of the Boundless Sect. No matter how Lin Mengze’s armies tried, they were incapable of breaking through its defenses, resulting in a stalemate.

Lin Zuiliu had already asked Lin Shaoxuan for aid a number of times, but Lin Shaoxuan firmly claimed that the Boundless Sect was lacking in manpower and could send no reinforcements other than their well-wishes.

Only the Long Sang armies, who were locked in a conflict with the Boundless Sect, knew how troublesome their opponents were.

Even though the Boundless Sect didn’t possess more than a handful peak-tier existences, their mid-tier echelons were simply too strong.

Not only did they possess an insane number of Light Shaking Realm cultivators, but their pockets were seemingly bottomless, affording them an endless amount of support.

The Boundless Sect’s disciples never fought individually, but always in formation, and they would also carry a multitude of treasures on them every time they went into battle. Grade Five and up Origin Tools could sell for millions of Origin Stones in the outside world, but they were standard amongst the ranks of the Boundless Sect’s disciples, and often they were equipped with more than one.

The medicines they ingested were different too - they were not liquid medicines, but medicinal pills.

These medicinal pills were easy to eat and took effect very rapidly, regardless of what the actual effect was. Oftentimes, the disciple’s strength would immediately skyrocket as soon as they ingested the pill. In addition, they could afford to ingest multiple at once, then repeat once the medicinal effects had subsided.

They had both money and manpower, and they were more than willing to fight!

That was the Long Sang armies’ evaluation of the Boundless Sect.

They didn’t have experts capable of steamrolling an entire army all by themselves, but they did possess a large group of strong fighters who were seemingly impossible to kill. They always fiercely stood their ground and were impossible to drive off.

Today was no exception.

The Boundless Sect’s disciples were arrayed in formation, waiting for an attack to come.

They never took the initiative to attack. Instead, they utilized Origin Formations to defend themselves. This was somewhat dishonorable, but it was also incredibly effective.

“You useless bastards! If you have the ability to do so, come out and fight us!” the soldiers that Long Sang had sent out to demoralize the Boundless Sect cursed.

They were already quite used to this. Every time they fought, they would try to demoralize the Boundless Sect’s disciples. If they could somehow bait the Boundless Sect’s disciples into attacking, that was even better.

Both sides had won and lost battles during this period of time. The times when Long Sang won were usually because some of the Boundless Sect’s disciples weren’t able to hold in their temper and attacked on their own, disrupting their formation.

Today, however, the demoralization squad had only just begun their work when they suddenly got a response. “Fine. If that’s the case, we’ll come out and fight.”

Hm?

Why were they so successful today? The demoralization squad was delighted.

The Long Sang armies prepared to unleash a furious assault.

“Then come!”

“If you’re going to come, just do it!”

The army’s banners began to sway.

The situation suddenly changed!