Volume 10: The Hundred Saints War Chapter 14: The Situation of the Powerful
The Old Demon King's deep voice echoed outside the Demon Realm: "Some of you may have once broken into the Other Shore and know what kind of place it is. I have gathered you all here this time for no other reason than to have you prepare yourselves, ready to attack the Other Shore at any moment. For tens of thousands of years, the conflict between the Other Shore and the Tianyu Continent has never ceased. The Tianyu Continent has lost more often than it has won, suffering heavy losses. Many Martial Saints have been reduced to False Patrol Envoys. The vast majority of you have dealt with these False Patrol Envoys – those pitiful souls who have lost their free will and become slaves."
"The Other Shore was once a pure land, but everything changed after powerful Saints shattered the void and broke in. Countless original inhabitants were driven out of the Other Shore and came to the Tianyu Continent. Tens of thousands of years have passed since these events; perhaps those who came to the Tianyu Continent from the Other Shore have forgotten the nightmare of the past. But the Saints who live eternally in this world have not forgotten; what happened tens of thousands of years ago remains vivid in their minds. The war between the Saints who seized the Other Shore and those who opposed them began at that time."
"The Other Shore is much smaller than the Tianyu Continent, but it is indeed like a paradise on earth. Those ambitious fellows delusionally sought to transform it into a divine land, proclaiming themselves as gods. They wanted to remake the Other Shore into a territory exclusive to gods – Heaven. This is the origin of the 'Other Shore'. This is the true face of those self-righteous, ambitious schemers. Many of you have already experienced several major battles and possess rich combat experience. I order those who have participated in major battles to tell everything you know in detail to the Saints who have not yet experienced such battles, so they may have more understanding and more experience."
"This time will be the final decisive battle. For this last war, the Saints of both the Other Shore and the Tianyu Continent have been meticulously preparing for tens of thousands of years. In this battle, many old monsters who previously did not participate will join the fierce conflict. This time, I will be no exception; I too will participate. Success or failure rests on this single action. However, do not worry. Although the Other Shore is powerful, our side is not weak either. When the time comes, legendary figures will emerge one after another."
The people outside the Demon Realm still knelt on the ground, not daring to even breathe heavily. Although nearly ten of them were the Old Demon King's direct disciples, even with their heaven-defying abilities, they were filled with fear towards him. When the Old Demon King was teaching them martial arts all those years ago, he had not yet shed his original form and still had a kind and amiable appearance. But after tens of thousands of years, the Old Demon King had completely changed, taking on the form of a peerless Demon King that reached up to the sky and propped up the earth. They couldn't see his massive, dozens-of-zhang tall demonic form clearly, but they could feel it palpably. The towering demonic body emitted an intangible pressure that made it hard for them to breathe.
The Old Demon King seemed to know that everyone was somewhat afraid of him. He couldn't help but sigh. Although his Demonic Arts had succeeded, he had lost much. Even his closest disciples feared him so, let alone others. What good was having peerless might? He did not feel happy; he felt he had lost too much. However, the current situation did not allow him to dwell on such sentiments; there were many matters requiring his direction.
"My good disciples, are you really that afraid of your master? The few of you, stand up."
Seven people stood up from the crowd, their auras as powerful experts unmistakable.
"Master, we are somewhat afraid of you because your presence is too overwhelming, involuntarily giving rise to fear in our hearts."
"Master, we actually miss you very much, but you never allow us to step into the Demon Realm."
"Master, we disciples have always been concerned about you." ...
Their feelings were genuine; it was clear they truly held affection for the Old Demon King.
"Alright, enough of this. This Demon Realm I reside in is filled with too much dark demonic energy. With your level of cultivation, if you were to force your way in, you would surely suffer great harm. I know you are filial towards me; that is enough."
Then, the Old Demon King began his pre-war mobilization and preparations, explaining some important matters to his disciples and grand-disciples.
"You see, these seven standing here are my direct disciples. They are either your masters, martial uncles, or your grand-masters. Those with skills like theirs are already considered powerful experts in the upcoming great war. You are all the descendants of powerful experts; you should have confidence in yourselves..."
Finally, the Old Demon King spoke to one of his direct disciples: "Do you still remember Mo Tian from back then?"
"Ah! Him..." "I remember, hailed as the strongest among the Ancient Martial Saints." "We... we were all defeated by him." ...
The Old Demon King smiled and said, "There's no shame in losing to him; he was indeed very strong. Actually, he has another identity. He is a fallen ancient powerhouse who managed to be reborn against the heavens, but he never awakened until recently. It was only recently that he learned his true identity."
"What!" "What!" ...
The Demon Ancestor's seven direct disciples exclaimed in astonishment one after another. The Saints kneeling on the ground were also visibly moved.
The Demon Ancestor said, "Now, I will use Mo Tian's strength to classify the power levels of experts. In those days, aside from the ancient old monsters, there was probably no one who could defeat him. You probably still have some impression of the first great confrontation between the powerhouses of the Tianyu Continent and the Other Shore. The ancient old monsters did not participate directly that time; the main participants were the strongest of the Ancient Martial Saints. At that time, the Tianyu Continent had eighteen top experts, all Ancient Martial Saints, and Mo Tian was among them. The cultivation levels of the others were not much different from his. It can be said that, aside from the ancient old monsters and the reincarnated Mo Tian, those seventeen are the strongest experts currently in existence."
"You have all fought against Mo Tian and know the gap between you and him. Currently, aside from those seventeen top experts, the strongest are the Ancient Martial Saints at your level. There are roughly over eighty Martial Saints at your level. Combined with the seventeen top experts, that makes about a hundred people. You will be the main force in this upcoming war. The so-called legendary Hundred Saints War, I think, is somewhat related to this number. As for the remaining junior Martial Saints, although their numbers are not small, their strength is somewhat inferior, but they are still indispensable combat power in the great war."
"The Saints of the Tianyu Continent have been biding their time all these years, awaiting the final battle. From the strength on our side, we can infer the strength of the Other Shore; both sides should be roughly equal. The battle situation then will inevitably be exceptionally fierce. If all the Saints who have achieved sainthood over tens of thousands of years were to mobilize together, it would be a force capable of destroying heaven and earth. Therefore, this upcoming war will be the final battle for survival."
"Several old monsters will surely jump out of their coffins one after another. Perhaps even some old monsters previously confirmed dead will appear. Of course, such ancient, invincible powerhouses will be dealt with by old fellows like me. You just need to be able to prevail in battles against opponents of your own level."
"The Ancient Martial Saints know the Other Shore very well, but some recently ascended Saints are unclear about the situation, and some don't even know the enmity between the two sides. However, in the time to come, I believe the legendary old monsters and the strongest seventeen Ancient Martial Saints will also reveal themselves. They will surely explain things to their disciples, just as I have. When everyone has a deep understanding of the Other Shore, the great war will not be far off. After you return, make preparations and await my orders at any time."
Everyone before the Demon Realm voiced their assent.
Finally, one of the Demon Ancestor's direct disciples couldn't help but ask, "Master, I have a question."
"Speak."
"Back then, we once saw the strongest seventeen Ancient Martial Saints, but why, after the first great war, have we almost never been able to sense their presence again for tens of thousands of years? It seems only that mad old man from the Eastern Sea is still active. Why have the others seemingly disappeared? Even if they fell into slumber, it shouldn't be like this?"
The Demon Ancestor said, "In order to increase their cultivation, they performed self-sealing. The day their power reaches completion is the day they break the seal. I believe these people should emerge from seclusion before long. That fellow from the Eastern Sea grew too impatient with solitude, so he emerged early."
Another asked, "Master, how many Ancient Martial Saints are left in the Tianyu Continent?"
"How many are still alive, even I do not know for sure. Currently, besides myself, I only know of one other: the recently awakened Demon Venerable." The Demon Ancestor's face showed a heavy expression. "I hope there are no less than three!"
"And how many Ancient Martial Saints does the Other Shore have?"
The Demon Ancestor said gravely, "Currently, three are known."
The Martial Saints outside the Demon Realm also felt a sense of gravity. The number of Ancient Martial Saints and junior Martial Saints on the Tianyu Continent seemed to be no less than those of the Other Shore, but the comparison of Ancient Martial Saints was not optimistic. Although there are only a handful of Ancient Martial Saints, each one possesses earth-shattering capabilities; each is an invincible existence. One less person means a significant drop in overall strength.
One of the Demon Ancestor's disciples said, "Master, you are both an Ancient Martial Saint and have cultivated the peerless technique 'Sacrificing Oneself to Become a Demon'. I believe you are足以 enough to handle one or two, or even three enemies. Coupled with the assistance of another Ancient Martial Saint, you will surely be able to defeat the opposing three."
The Demon Ancestor sighed. "Which of the old monsters who have survived countless trials and tribulations to live until now is an easy opponent? I have cultivated this peerless Demonic Art, but those three must have also made great gains over these tens of thousands of years. They have never shown themselves, presumably preparing all along. They must have also cultivated some unparalleled, extraordinary techniques. However, in a one-on-one situation, I am absolutely confident I can kill any one of them."
The Demon Ancestor's eldest disciple was somewhat worried. "Does our side really only have two Ancient Martial Saints? If that's the case, then the battle Master will face is truly perilous!"
"There should be one more. I always feel he is still alive, but I cannot be certain. He is adept at concealing his aura; even with transcendent power, it is very difficult to sense him."
"If that's the case, then that person should still be alive. The number of our Ancient Martial Saints is no less than that of the Other Shore," one of the Demon Ancestor's disciples said optimistically.
The Demon Ancestor said, "Actually, what I worry about most is the appearance of a fourth Ancient Martial Saint on the other side. If that happens, it would be truly terrible. I have infiltrated the Other Shore with my divine sense to investigate more than once, but I only ever sensed the auras of three Ancient Martial Saints. If there is a fourth, his strength would undoubtedly be terrifying to the extreme, to actually evade my divine sense detection. That would absolutely be an ultimate, terrifying existence."