Chapter 2016

The channel didn’t allow Netherpassage experts to enter. Hence, if that old fellow heard him, he would definitely start smashing furniture and cursing in rage. Thinking of that, Long Chen smiled.

“Long Chen, I find that your ability in courting death is unrivaled. This is my first time seeing someone like you who courts death all the time yet is still alive,” said Evilmoon.

“Tch, if I didn’t court death, would the heavens let me gain any opportunities? Courting death is the only way for me to obtain anything and survive,” said Long Chen. His unrivaled ability in courting death only existed because he had no other choice.

If he didn’t risk death, where would he get what he needed to cultivate? If he couldn’t cultivate, he would have already died. The cultivation world was bloodier and crueler than the secular world. In the Phoenix Cry Empire, being bullied and oppressed was also not a rare sight, but it was not as direct as in the cultivation world.

Flying through the air, Long Chen just happened to see a disciple from the ancient family alliance walk out of a cave. Upon seeing Long Chen, his expression completely changed.

“What, did you not hear what I said?” Long Chen shook his head and flew off.

Seeing Long Chen leave, that disciple relaxed. He had just obtained something special in the cave, but it seemed Long Chen had no intention of taking it from him.

The only two people nearby were him and Long Chen. With Long Chen’s power, killing him would be as easy as swatting a fly, and no one would even notice. If it was another expert, they probably would have directly attacked. Seeing Long Chen leave, that disciple thought to himself that perhaps this was true pride.

Long Chen had said that as long as they paid the money and didn’t take the initiative to attack him, he wouldn’t attack them.

Long Chen saw quite a few experts searching through the surroundings as he flew by. However, they were disappointed by what they found.

They were currently in a barren land. There were some caves and buildings, but most of those had been abandoned for countless years. Even any formation runes had lost effect.

BOOM!

All of a sudden, the earth split open, and a terrifying flame dragon flew out, its golden flames igniting the air. A group of eight ancient race experts fled in terror.

One of those ancient race experts was instantly incinerated by a wave of fire that the flame dragon spat out.

“The Heaven Incinerating Flame!”

Long Chen was startled to see that flame dragon. He easily recognized its origin, as its aura was all too familiar.

This was an Earth Flame Spirit Beast that had matured who knew how many years ago. He didn’t know if those adventurers had released it or something else had occurred, but it was now chasing after them.

The Heaven Incinerating Flame was said to be able to burn all things in heaven and earth. This Earth Flame Spirit Beast was fully matured, and even Life Star Empyreans had to flee in front of it.

“Get out of the way! I’ll help you suppress it.”

Long Chen shot toward it. In truth, he was being completely shameless by saying this. He had already noticed that the Earth Flame Spirit Beast had turned toward him, having sensed the flame fluctuations coming out of his body.

Earth Flame Spirit Beasts devoured each other to get stronger. They were natural enemies. That flame dragon was already ignoring the others. Just as it was preparing to charge over to Long Chen, Long Chen took the initiative to attack it, making it look like he was saving them.

The flame dragon let out a heaven-shaking roar, and its flames surged toward Long Chen.

As for the ancient race experts, they had been running for their lives. The Heaven Incinerating Flame was too terrifying, and it incinerated even their divine items, while their attacks were unable to cause any damage to it. For Long Chen to appear now, he looked to be their savior. They almost wept. Those ten million spirit stones hadn’t been spent for nothing.

Long Chen punched out, and a black wave of flames smashed into the flame dragon’s head. The black and golden flames began to clash, and the ancient race experts were sent tumbling back. Everything on their bodies turned to ashes, while their bodies were burned black and smelled charred.

They hastily circulated their Heavenly Dao energy as they crawled up, only to find that a terrifying fire poison had invaded their bodies. If they didn’t erase it, it would burn away their very souls.

Long Chen hadn’t been holding back with his punch. This flame dragon was just that powerful. He sent it reeling back.

While it was still recovering, a giant flame dragon flew out of Long Chen, coiling around this flame dragon. Long Chen formed hand seals and space shook. The two flame dragons vanished together.

They reappeared in the primal chaos space. The wild Heaven Incinerating Flame instantly went still, not daring to struggle.

Huo Long excitedly devoured it. In just a few seconds, it was gone. Huo Long immediately started digesting its energy. That was a huge harvest for Huo Long.

“Many thanks.”

The ancient race experts hastily expressed their gratitude to Long Chen. The fact that they hadn’t died was all thanks to Long Chen. Furthermore, seeing Long Chen subdue such a terrifying existence so easily, they could only feel great admiration for his power.

“You’re too courteous. That flame dragon was useful to me. Even without you, I’d have to attack it.” This time, Long Chen felt the slightest sense of shame and didn’t say that he had attacked to save them.

“Senior apprentice-brother, we might not be from the same side, but we feel great respect for you. Even if that flame dragon was useful to you, if you had just waited a few seconds, we would have been dead, and you could have killed it then. That would have been more profitable for you,” said one of the ancient race experts. The others also nodded.

“It seems a few people of the ancient races are still easy to talk to,” said Long Chen curiously. This was a bit different from the other times he had encountered members of the ancient races.

The ancient race disciples exchanged a glance. One of them sighed. “Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, you don’t know the inner workings of the ancient races. We have plenty of different views, and our internal disputes are much more intense than what you see. Are you busy? If you have time, I’d like to tell you some more about the ancient races.”

“I’d like to hear that. Wait a moment”

Long Chen took out a formation disc and activated it. It enveloped them and they vanished from sight.

This formation disc had been created by Xia Chen. It could temporarily conceal them. Other than a supreme formation grandmaster, people would have great difficulty noticing them. For amateurs, it was more than enough.

“Many thanks.” Those ancient race disciples thanked him for this. If others saw them talking to Long Chen, it would bring them endless trouble.

The disciple that had first spoken continued, “Senior apprentice-brother Long Chen, the ancient races aren’t as icily arrogant as you have seen. Some of us feel a sense of belonging to both the Xuan Beasts and the human race. But the ones in power see the human race as weak and they are constantly fighting amongst themselves. Hence, as the era of the human race’s Sovereigns passed, the human race has declined in their view. That’s why some of us look down on the human race and wish to rejoin the Xuan Beasts.

“In truth, this is a foolish view. The majority of the ancient races know that this is a gamble, a gamble that risks the very survival of the ancient races.

“Originally, our position was very awkward. The human race didn’t want us and neither did the Xuan Beasts. That was fine. After all, we don’t need to depend on others to survive. But others didn’t think so. If the Xuan Beasts had a fight against the human race, as long as we promptly joined the battle, we would benefit immensely, and the side that we helped out would have to show their gratitude to us. We couldn’t waste that chance. It was Long Juncang who pushed that viewpoint. His side has been in contact with the Xuan Beasts for many years, but the Xuan Beasts have not fully accepted them.

“There are countless races amongst us, however, the number of powers amongst the ancient races that can contend with Long Juncang’s forces can be counted on one hand. They are still waiting, not agreeing with Long Juncang, but not going against him either. They don’t join in any fights because until the very end, they are not willing to take that risk. It is us, the ones from lower level races and powers that have it the hardest. We don’t want to join the fight, but we’re too weak to resist. Whenever there is a battle, we take the most losses, while the ones to benefit the most are always those who stand at the peak of the ancient races.

“I am telling you this not so that you pity us. I simply wish for you to know that we have our own troubles. I hope that your hatred toward the ancient races does not spill onto the innocent. If a war does start, I hope you can let those people off and not destroy us to the root.”

That disciple actually knelt on the ground toward Long Chen, with the others following. They did not do this for themselves but for their people.

What they were afraid of was a war with the ancient races stuck in the middle. If the human race won, then the one with the authority to make this decision would definitely be Long Chen. If Long Chen gave the order, the ancient races would vanish from this world.

So there was a deep meaning behind their kneeling. With what little power they had, they wanted to preserve the slightest hope for the weaker members of the ancient races.