Book 10: Chapter 5 – Decision
“Xue Ying, you should be aware of how incredible Crimson Rock Mountain is. Even many of the powerful individuals from the Deity World and the Dark Abyss have taken an interest in its various wonders, lusting for the treasures inside. Why didn’t the Sorcerer God and the Great Demonic God spare any expense on their campaign? Wasn’t it because of Crimson Rock Mountain?” Palace Head Chen rhetorically asked. “You know what Ancestor Black Wind returned with from there.”
Xue Ying nodded. The treasures which Ancestor Black Wind acquired from there were indeed shocking. He had found seven Deity warriors, three of them at the peak of the Demigod realm. It was too bad that one of them, Gold Man, had been trapped and stolen by the Spider Queen in battle back then. Due to the Oceanic Forest World’s fortifications, Xue Ying could not rescue him even with the help of the Xia Clan Demigods. Their defenses were high enough such that even his attack from the Mirage would be repelled!
Palace Head Chen continued, “It would be trivial to get rid of the Six Ghosts Resentment hexing poison in Crimson Rock Mountain. The only issue is how dangerous it is!”
Xue Ying agreed, “Indeed, it is dangerous. Even an existence who can suppress an era only has a slim chance of getting out alive.”
“In the entire history of our Xia Clan, there have only been a handful of Crimson Rock Mountain survivors. Alas, we can’t even be sure Chao Qing will come out alive.” Palace Head Chen sighed.
Xue Ying’s heart ached slightly. Old Chao… Before his departure for Crimson Rock Mountain, he had given his farewell to Xue Ying on his wedding. There had been no news of his return. If Chao Qing was still alive, he would have to be over 3,000 years old, which exceeded the lifespan of a Demigod…
“Chao Qing left behind a Qi Avatar before he entered the Crimson Rock Mountain. It kept its form for nearly a year before it depleted its reserve of Qi and dispersed,” Palace Head Chen began. “From that, we can infer that Chao Qing remained alive for that period of time. As for the hundred years since then, who knows…perhaps he became a Deity inside the mountain?”
Xue Ying gave a slight nod. These were just throwaway comments. After all, just how hard was it to become a Deity? They were both aware of how slim chances were of Chao Qing still being alive.
“What do you mean? After condensing his True Deity Heart, Vice Head Chao Qing’s strength was similar to that of Mountain Lord He’s. Even with his rich experience, he still hasn’t returned. You just mentioned how even an existence who can suppress an era only has a slim chance of surviving,” Jing Qiu anxiously interjected.
An existence who could suppress an entire era? The current Xia Clan had no member with such strength.
“That’s why I went ahead and made a request to a certain group from the Temple of the Earth God,” Palace Head Chen said. “They’re going to send a group of Demigods inside, consisting of three powerhouses with profound strength. The weakest of the three is comparable to a suppressor of an era. Their leader, the strongest one among them, is even more formidable. When I chatted with them before, I could tell that neither of the two dared to defy their leader in any way.”
Xue Ying and Jing Qiu were surprised to hear this.
Three powerhouses, the weakest of which was comparable to an existence who could suppress an era?
Palace Head Chen explained, “In the end, we’re inhabitants of the mortal world, while this group is made up of elites nurtured by the Temple of the Earth God. The scheme of the Sorcerer God and the Great Demonic God…was sort of an ultimate battle for those from the Deity World and the Dark Abyss, so there’s a possibility that they will send powerful troops over. This group from the Dark Abyss can at least easily handle some of the dangers of the Crimson Rock Mountain. Xue Ying, if you go with this group, you could easily reap gains; you might even be able to treat the Six Ghosts Resentment hexing poison, enabling you to come back alive!”
“It would be a breeze if you go with this group. But if you went alone, it would be difficult for you to survive,” stated Palace Head Chen.
“They’re willing to take Xue Ying with them?” Jing Qiu asked. “Palace Head Chen, from what you’ve told us, Crimson Rock Mountain is really dangerous, while this Temple of the Earth God group already has three powerful members. They’re bound to have great teamwork as well. Would they really be willing to take another person along?”
This was a matter of quality over quantity, since even one bad member could drag them down and ruin everything.
“That’s the troublesome part,” Palace Head Chen replied. “There are a few reasons for it, with the first being that the Temple of the Earth God looks favorably on you for your part in destroying the Demonic Faction Headquarters. The second reason is that this group needs our Xia Clan’s information regarding the Crimson Rock Mountain, and our request for handing that information over was for them to take you along. These are the two reasons which might allow you to enter Crimson Rock Mountain together with them. Before they make a decision, though, they want to meet you, but as long as they don’t find you a burden, they’ll certainly let you join. From my point of view, with your comprehension of the True Meanings, they will surely take you with them.”
Xue Ying looked somewhat hesitantly at Jing Qiu, who was standing beside him. He had already prepared himself to accompany Jing Qiu. If he were to enter the Crimson Rock Mountain, he would have to leave her behind. There wouldn’t be any problems if he succeeded, but if he were to fail and die inside Crimson Rock Mountain…
Palace Head Chen urged him, “Xue Ying, you still have a chance at the moment, but if you drag it out for too long, you won’t get another stab at it in the future. Soon, the medicine will become less effective, and perhaps there won’t be any powerful group like this willing to take you along.
“If you give up, only death awaits you, but if you take this chance, you will have the prospect of infinite profit. With your talent, you might even become a Deity.” Palace Head Chen tried to persuade Xue Ying, hoping he could overcome this hurdle. After all, if he failed, he could only embrace death. To him, the brightest talent in the entire history of the Xia Clan should not die like this.
“Xue Ying, you need to try it,” Jing Qiu said with a smile on her face. “I know you can’t bear to leave me, but I’m already content with the company you’ve offered me over these long years. Just take this gamble. If you succeed, we can be together for many more years without having to care for the hexing poison day in and day out. We could even have a child.”
Xue Ying gave her a slight nod. Children… The hexing poison made it impossible for them to have their own child. All those years of children coming to him in order to learn spearmanship caused him to yearn for a child of his own. He felt that Jing Qiu had the same desire.
“Fine!” Xue Ying’s eyes burst out with radiance. “I, Dong Bo Xue Ying, will take this gamble!”
Palace Head Chen laughed out loud. “Hahaha, that’s the way it should be! The young should be brimming with fighting spirit. Xue Ying, I believe you can return alive from Crimson Rock Mountain. When that happens, you won’t be the same again.”
Xue Ying agreed. “I’m also waiting for that day.” There was a fiery ember in his eyes. Having made his decision, he would follow it through completely.
……
Xue Ying didn’t have any loose ties. He had made arrangements for his other relatives long ago. Of them, only Jing Qiu and Qing Shi were Transcendents. Qing Shi’s breakthrough had been rather interesting. Soon after Xue Ying’s marriage, he had also gotten married. He had been stuck at the Legend rank for a long time before that, but two days after his marriage, he suddenly had a breakthrough and became a Transcendent. He had many children and grandchildren, so his parents were satisfied.
Other than his parents, Uncle Zong also became a pseudo-transcendent by using a Transcendent Seven Flavor Flower. As for Uncle Tong…that frank lionman failed to become a Legend ranker, so Xue Ying had no way to help him. In the end, he died of old age.
Xue Ying had visited him on his deathbed.
Thanks to the many elixirs he had consumed, he was able to live for up to 200 years before dying of old age. He had lived a content life and had been surrounded by his numerous descendants, even on his deathbed. That day, Xue Ying could feel his happiness. When he had finally closed his eyes, Xue Ying found that Uncle Tong to be of no significant difference to the Uncle Tong from his childhood, except for several new scars on his face and his once golden mane dulling to a yellow hue. Other than that, this Uncle Tong was the same as the Uncle Tong from his memories.
……
On the second day after Palace Head Chen left, Xue Ying went alone to the local headquarters of the Temple of the Earth God in the Xia Clan World.