Chapter 1385: Chapter 1386: True Colors
“Victory for the Central Origin Realm!”
“Sweep the battlefield!”
“Triumphant return!”
Angry roars and long cries echoed across the lands of the Central Origin Realm, lingering endlessly.
The Sword Sect cultivators were the first to emerge. They were all loyal followers of Li Xiaobai, their hearts always tied to the outcome of the battle. Hearing Ying Diao’s voice, whether true or false, they immediately tunneled out from the Underground World. Chen Yuan led the charge, taking hundreds of thousands of Sword Sect disciples toward the direction of the sound.
The fissures in the sky had vanished, and the Spider Woman was gone. Chen Yuan glanced over the battlefield briefly and immediately drew his conclusions. Without hesitation, he led the crowd in a unified shout: “Victory! Triumphant return!”
“This is the victory of the List of Villains!”
Chen Yuan’s team followed closely behind Ying Diao and Long Xue, heading toward the center of the battlefield. This area had already been flattened by the Spider Woman. In the final moments, the experts who intervened fought with no restraint, bloody and relentless, without any regard for what would become of the Central Origin Realm.
Ying Diao moved swiftly, arriving at the scene to find the ground littered with spoils of war. Everyone knew exactly where they came from and wasted no time hesitating. With a wave of his hand, Ying Diao claimed all the scattered riches into his own possession. These were treasures left by those who came before. Rather than waiting for the various Super Sect forces to stir and come to fight over them, it was better to collect everything in one clean sweep, leaving nothing for those cowards who fled the battle to even taste the broth!
“Senior, over here…”
Long Xue pointed to a spot where a massive purple crystal stood. Inside it was sealed a master who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Old Beggar.
“This is the terrifying being that battled the Immortal Gods earlier. He carries great mysteries but appears to be protecting our Central Origin Realm. Take him to the Sword Sect’s Second Peak and enshrine him with proper respect!”
“Soon, all the Sect Masters will surely arrive, hoping to claim their share of the spoils. The headache is just beginning!”
Ying Diao spoke indifferently. He was all too familiar with the pretentious behavior of the Super Sect forces. They fled with tails between their legs before the Spider Woman, but now, in the wake of the Central Origin Realm’s victory, these sharp-sensed opportunists would undoubtedly come seeking a slice of the fortune.
But things would not go so easily. Ying Diao harbored resentment over their cowardice during the crucial moments. Perhaps, had they joined the fray and delayed the Spider Woman just a bit longer, Li Xiaobai and the others might not have been completely annihilated.
“Their actions were entirely self-centered, only concerned with safeguarding their individual clan forces. They didn’t even observe or provide support from the sidelines. And now, here they are, shamelessly wanting their share?”
Long Xue’s expression grew grim. He could vividly imagine how the various Saint Realm experts would try to carve up the battlefield and take their slice.
“Where there’s interest involved, hesitation rules during chaos. But now that peace has returned, their petty schemes naturally spring to life.”
Ying Diao seemed unconcerned. In the treacherous, blood-soaked Cultivation World, such behavior was utterly commonplace.
Still, with Li Xiaobai and the top-tier Saint Realm experts freshly slain, even the most shameless sects wouldn’t dare immediately tear off their masks and start a confrontation.
Like a storm devouring the remnants, the battlefield was swept clean at breakneck speed. The shouts of victory and triumphant return from the cultivators grew louder and more magnificent across the Central Origin Realm. More and more cultivators emerged from the Underground World and joined Ying Diao’s ranks.
Ying Diao paused in place, hands clasped behind his back, looking toward the void, deep in thought.
In the distance, streaks of light swept across the horizon, and figures descended around him.
“Sect Master Ying, what’s the situation on the battlefield?”
“We have already stabilized and settled our sect disciples. We’re ready to assist Sect Master Li and ensure that Immortal Gods pay a devastating price!”
Saint Realm experts from the various Super Sects arrived, stepping through the void, their expressions anxious and indignant. Immortal Yuan Power surged around them, as if they truly intended to challenge the skies and engage the Immortal Gods in battle.
Ying Diao merely glanced casually at them. These people were all consummate actors, their performances flawless and convincing.
“Thank you all for your kind intentions, but the Immortal Gods have already been slain. The fissures in the sky have closed and disappeared. The Central Origin Realm is at peace!”
Ying Diao said flatly.
“Hiss!”
“Sect Master Li is truly a hero of his time, capable of such a divine feat. We are honored to call him the strongest!”
“And those illustrious seniors too—they must all be cultivation paragons, peerless and unmatched. Where are they now? I’ll organize a banquet to celebrate and welcome back the slayers of the gods!”
Upon hearing Ying Diao’s words, the Saint Realm experts finally relaxed their tense hearts. The Immortal Gods were indeed dead, and the fissures had closed, meaning no other Immortal Gods would cross realms anytime soon.
However, when they looked around, they couldn’t find a single familiar face. Not Li Xiaobai, nor the others, nor even the Spider Woman’s corpse—had they arrived too late, and the heroes had already returned to their sects for rest?
“Stop searching. Though you may have been in the Underground World, you couldn’t have been completely unaware of what was happening on the surface, could you?”
“To kill an Immortal God, how could it not come at a price? That price was extraordinarily severe—every single one of them perished!”
“They are the heroes of the Central Origin Realm, each playing a crucial role. They ought to be remembered, their deeds sung, and the people prayed for them to be champions of the world in their next lives!”
Ying Diao spoke slowly, his tone heavy with sorrow.
A silence settled over the scene. Every cultivator was digesting his words—perished? Every top-tier expert had fallen? At the cost of their own lives, they exchanged for the death of one Immortal God!
Yet the Saint Realm experts thought even further. With all the top-tier Saint Realm cultivators entirely wiped out, even the mighty Li Xiaobai gone, the stakes in the Central Origin Realm would surely shift dramatically!
With Li Xiaobai and Xueshenzi dead, they might have a chance to ascend and become rulers themselves.
“Sect Master Ying, our condolences. We couldn’t have imagined such a fierce battle with no survivors remaining!”
“Sect Master Ying, rest assured. Three days from now, we will bring all our sect disciples to the Sword Sect’s Second Peak to commemorate the heroes!”
“What are you all standing around for? Hurry and assist Sect Master Ying in cleaning up the battlefield!”
The Sect Leader of the Golden Blade Sect shouted sharply at the surrounding cultivators, snapping them out of their daze. In a panic, they swarmed into the battlefield, ostensibly gathering resources for Ying Diao, but in truth, each sect was scheming to seize their own share of the spoils.
Ying Diao and Long Xue watched coldly, standing by as the crowd’s futile scurry unfolded. Of course, they knew the resources had already been collected down to the last fiber—there was nothing left.
“Thank you for your kindness, fellow Daoists. See you in three days. Sect Master Li and the seniors’ deeds must be spread!”
Ying Diao cupped his hands and said mildly before turning to leave with his group of cultivators.
The experts from the Super Sect forces cupped their hands respectfully, watching him depart, but none rose to send him off. Instead, they stayed rooted, their hearts focused on treasure, postponing their concerns for formalities.
It wasn’t long before they realized something was amiss—the battlefield was completely barren. The cultivators had scoured the area and found nothing.
“The battlefield is empty. Ying Diao must have taken everything first!”
“So, what should we do? Should we…”
“No, focus on regrouping your sect disciples first. We’ll revisit this in three days.”