Chapter 458: Chapter 285: Heart Slayer_2

Thus, another sixty years have passed, bringing us to the grand junction of a century!

In the Wandao Era, which has spanned a hundred years, how has the Wandao School, which holds sway over forty-five domains and hundreds of billions of people, evolved?

Chen Baihu does not know, but according to covert and overt investigations and reports from all sides, within the Sky-reaching Tower of Wandao, the six primary lists on the Wind and Cloud Stele have two lists already filled with names. Although it is only the Hidden Dragon List and the Talent List at the very bottom, the number is still astoundingly high.

After all, the Hidden Dragon List takes Immortal Path Nascent Souls and Divine Bridge Martial Artists and multiplies by the Earth Sha by a hundredfold, totaling seven thousand two hundred people. The Talent List takes those below the Nascent Soul and Divine Bridge, within the first three realms of the Divine Martial, and also multiplies by the Heaven Gang and Earthly Evils by a hundredfold, making for ten thousand and eight hundred people.

That is to say, as things have developed to this point, the Wandao School now has seven thousand two hundred Nascent Soul Cultivators, Divine Bridge Martial Artists, and ten thousand and eight hundred Golden Core Cultivators, Yuan Core Martial Artists…

No, no, no, this is just the ranking on the lists, not the actual numbers.

Isn’t it true that back in the days of the Divine Martial four lists, with thirty-six on the Heaven List and seventy-two on the Earth List, there were only thirty-six Divine Bridges and seventy-two Yuan Cores in the world?

Of course not. It means that, looking at the whole world, only one hundred and eight Martial Artists, with thirty-six being Divine Bridges and seventy-two being Yuan Cores, are recognized on the Heaven and Earth Lists. In reality, there are many more Divine Bridges and a vast number of Yuan Cores that haven’t made the list.

Similarly today, the Hidden Dragon List having seven thousand two hundred rankings does not mean that there are only seven thousand two hundred Nascent Soul Cultivators and Divine Bridge Martial Artists in the Wandao School. It simply indicates that these seven thousand two hundred individuals are the strongest Nascent Soul Cultivators and Divine Bridge Martial Artists within the Wandao School.

If we extrapolate from this…

Even though he has entered the Divine Intent Realm, Chen Baihu still feels a chill go down his spine.

And these are only the Hidden Dragon List and the Talent List. Above them, there’s the Human Martial List, which includes Soul-transforming Cultivators and Divine Intent Martial Artists. Even higher, there’s the Earth Martial List for those in the Return to Void Union and Heaven and Earth Tribulation Realm, and the ultimate Divine Martial List for those in the Divine Martial Mahayana.

Although the Divine Martial List and the Heaven and Earth Martial List have yet to be filled with names, the Human Martial List already has, just not yet reaching the three thousand six hundred marks of a hundredfold Heaven Gang.

Luckily, it is not full. If it were, what would be the point of fighting?

Three thousand six hundred Soul-transforming Cultivators and Divine Intent Martial Artists?

One might as well surrender immediately!

How many Divine Intent Venerables do the combined forces of both the Righteous and Evil Paths have?

Just over a hundred, that’s all!

Although the rankings of Soul-transforming Cultivators and Divine Intent Martial Artists on the Human Martial List haven’t yet reached the hundredfold Heaven Gang number, with not even thirty-six of the Heaven Gang filled, it still exerts immense pressure on the Righteous and Evil Paths.

After all, it’s only been a century, just a century!

In a hundred years, the Wandao School has developed the strength to nurture Divine Intent Martial Artists, with countless Nascent Souls, Divine Bridges, Golden Cores, and Yuan Cores waiting to advance.

If this development continues, the number of Soul-transforming Cultivators and Divine Intent Martial Artists on the Human Martial List will inevitably keep increasing until the entire list is filled.

When will this “eventually” come?

No one knows, but the Iron Heart Fortress has already felt the pressure and is preparing to relocate again, into the Demon Realm, to gather all its forces and steadfastly defend the Demon Clan Main Altar.

Only by doing this, do they have a hope of enduring the final hundred years, supporting until the Temple of War God opens, when Sect Hierarch Leng Aotian and the Supreme Elders of the Demon Sect, along with Tribulation Realm Experts, will return.

This is the only way, the only hope left.

But…

Again, that saying: the human heart, the human heart!

Chen Tianjie, as the Great Protector, rallied the major forces of the Evil Path and all the sects and factions of the Demon Sect, consolidating them into the territories of the Demon Realm, which inevitably led to many twists and turns and bloodshed.

On top of that, as Chen Tianjie developed Iron Heart Fortress, he also seized a good deal of resources. Under such governance, how could the various sects and factions not harbor any grievances?

Hunkering down for defense, they abandoned their homesteads, with each sect making sacrifices. Meanwhile, only Iron Heart Fortress kept expanding, nurturing two newly-minted Venerables. How could this be deemed fair?

It’s not the lack of wealth that causes discontent, but the uneven distribution of it!

The sects hold grudges and resist cooperation.

For Chen Tianjie, this is a dilemma. He can’t really use ruthless measures to purge the sects and factions.

Not to mention whether he could even purge them successfully, even if he could, what benefit would it bring him?

It would only result in mutual destruction, draining the strength of the Demon Sect for nothing.

Feeling helpless, Chen Tianjie could only sigh and stand up, saying, “You go again and clarify the crux of the matter to them. Tell them to prioritize the overall situation. Just endure for another hundred years. When the Temple of War God opens, any loss can be compensated. If we fall today, then truly, all will be lost!”

Seeing his own ancestor at such a loss, Chen Baihu’s heart sank even further. He hesitated before saying, “The White Lotus Sect and the Black Evil Sect are manageable, but I have observed the Mispirit Sect playing both sides as if intending to defect, especially with the strategy of the Wandao School…”

His words were laced with bitter helplessness.

Military strategists say: The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting, followed by disrupting their alliances, then attacking their army, and the last resort is to besiege their cities!

The Wandao School has strategies of sowing discord and attacking the mind!

A century ago, that person established laws and systems, and by naming the redemption of sins to offset crimes, released a large number of prisoners, including those of the various Divine Martial Heritages.

This move—truly malevolent, even more so than killing those people!

“To kill a man is more than to nod at the ground; those who were captured and died were dead, and the major powers could at best feel some heartache, but it wouldn’t touch their roots. If anything, it might spur on morale and unite them against a common enemy.”

“But by releasing these people, he was striking at the heart of the major powers, digging at their very roots!”

“Amend for sins?”

“Balance merits and demerits?”

“Doesn’t that mean they can surrender?”

“If they surrended, they would just have to sit in jail, do some labor, and not only would they avoid annihilation, but they would also have a day when their sins are deemed redeemed and they regain their freedom.”

“This…!”

“Such a move, mercilessly murderous in intent, directly shook the foundations of the major forces, causing military spirit to falter and fighting will to disintegrate.”

“This would be less problematic for us in the Evil Path; after all, people in the Demon Sect are extremely vicious, and most have exceeded the Wandao School’s threshold for tolerance; they have no chance for labor redemption or balance of merits and faults, so the influence on us is not too great.”

“But on the side of the Righteous Path…”

“Compared to us in the Demon Sect, the Righteous Path prides itself on being the proper way, relatively speaking, and still has some bottom line.”

“Hence, one could only imagine the impact of Wandao School’s move on the Righteous Path’s major forces.”

“Especially since ten years ago, he had released Shi Jinglong and four Divine Intent Venerables from the Evergreen Palace.”

“Even releasing Divine Intent warriors?”

“Too diabolical, far too diabolical, utterly despicable!”

“The return of Shi Jinglong and others dealt a blow to the morale of the Righteous Path forces, if not outright destruction, at the very least it was a heavy setback.”

“Now on the Righteous Path’s side, aside from a few Sacred Places whose ancestors were in the Temple of War God, other Sects like Dragon and Tiger Platform, Evergreen Palace and so on, likely all harbor ulterior motives. Although they have not yet defected, sending side branches to play both sides, even paving the way to surrender willingly, are things they can do. No, they have already done.”

“Striking at the heart, indeed!”

“Up to this point, it is not only the Righteous Path, even on our side in the Demon Sect…”

“Mispirit Sect?”

“Hmph!”

Chen Tianjie snorted coldly, his voice chilly as he said, “Since they seek their own demise, let’s use them as an example to others!”

A cold voice filled with murderous intent.

But unexpectedly…

“Boom!!!”

A loud explosion sent shockwaves in all directions.

“Huh!?”

“Is this… the Heavenly Tribulation Great Array?”

“No good!!!”

Chen Tianjie’s pupils shrank as he shot up in alarm and immediately rushed out of the study.

Chen Baihu’s expression also changed as he hurriedly followed his ancestor’s steps.

Chen Tianjie leapt into the air, with Demonic Qi tumbling around him and Evil Qi surging forward, merging into a set of terrifyingly ferocious Heavenly Demon armor, enveloping his emaciated and skeletal figure within. He then bellowed, “Bu Hongfu, you dare to betray the Holy Gate!”

“Heh, Old Ghost Chen, you were heartless first, and yet you blame us for being ruthless in return?”

A coy laugh echoed throughout the city, coupled with the emergence of a bas-relief and a shadow of a stone stele, its exquisite beauty concealing a sense of bewilderment, standing within the array to counter the Heavenly Tribulation.

Sect Master Bu is right. If you are heartless, don’t blame us for being ruthless!”

“What ruthlessness? You Evil Demons, oblivious to heaven’s will, act recklessly without reason. Now that the Celestial Soldiers are upon us, will you not kneel and surrender?”

“This time the Taoist Master is personally leading the charge; I advise you not to block the way and end up buried with Old Ghost Chen!”

“It’s not too late to turn back from the wrong path!”

As the coy laughter fell, a series of sharp reprimands was heard as two Divine Intent Venerables stepped out, jointly activating a set of the War God’s Atlas, holding up a corner of the array and responding to the earlier Mispirit Stele.

“Mispirit Sect, Heavenly Star Gate, you… deserve death!!!”

Chen Tianjie roared furiously, unleashing the form of the Heavenly Tribulation Demon God.

Meanwhile…

Outside Heavenly Domain City, a girl in light clothing, barefoot like jade, knelt halfway, facing the newcomer: “Mispirit Sect’s Holy Girl, Bu Meier, greets the arrival of the Angel, with the Sect Master and two Venerables from the Heavenly Star Gate joining forces they have opened a gap within the city, the Heavenly Tribulation Great Array has been suppressed, and the Angel may advance unhindered…”