The Attack

"Do you really believe that so-called story about 'Divine Lord Taihuan suffering a calamity and dying, then sending out 129,600 Taihuan Tokens before his death to pass on his cultivation techniques to those destined to receive them and raise up a new Divine Lord Taihuan'?"

For a Taihuan Token Envoy to ask such a question was nothing short of earth-shattering.

Jiang Yao, however, wasn't particularly surprised. Instead, he felt as though the other shoe had finally dropped.

"Why wouldn't I?"

To be honest, Jiang Yao had his doubts. But wasn't he in the world of Swallowed Star? Put even the most suspicious inheritance into this world, and it would suddenly become a little more believable. The powerful experts here had an intense sense of belonging to their clans, and when something happened, they really did pass on their inheritances! One of their own wouldn't deceive another of their own.

"Hah! That old bastard endured who knew how many tribulations to reach the pinnacle of Tianhuang Ancient Continent. And after suffering a calamity, the thing he cared about most before dying was finding someone worthy to inherit his life's work? Do you take that old bastard for a philanthropist? Even his disciples in the sect couldn't receive his entire inheritance, yet on his deathbed he suddenly decided to give it to you little bugs?"

Jiang Yao muttered to himself. Good grief, he vaguely remembered that when the Taihuan Token had first appeared, the Messenger had called Divine Lord Taihuan "that venerable old senior" every other sentence. Now he was an old bastard? The resentment ran deep.

Still, Jiang Yao continued probing. "Even if there's some incredible scheme behind it, wouldn't he fatten us up before killing us?"

The Messenger sneered. "That's why, even though it's a story no one should believe, there's never a shortage of people who fall for it. Every Token Holder thinks more or less the same way: eat the candy coating, then send the poisoned pellet back.

"Heh. But what if even the candy coating is poisoned?

"Have you ever heard of 'a technique developing its own spirit'?"

Jiang Yao's expression changed. "You mean that on Tianhuang Ancient Continent, divine abilities can develop intelligence of their own?"

The Messenger's expression turned solemn. "There are far stranger things than that! God Emperor Gouchen has a divine ability called 'Wanxiang Huaxin.' It can divide into 129,600 thoughts, each of which can then evolve into a cultivation technique or secret art.

"Once someone starts practicing one of those techniques or secret arts, the thoughts awaken in their soul. Then, without causing their host the slightest discomfort or feeling of anything amiss, they complete the replacement while the host remains completely unaware.

"It's true that the old bastard was tricked, and it's also true that Taihuan Sect was destroyed overnight. But as for him actually dying, I don't believe it for a second!

"Alas, the laws of your world are rather rigid, and its people are rather guileless. How could you know the horrors of Tianhuang Ancient Continent?"

Jiang Yao couldn't tell whether that was praise or mockery, so he could only remain silent.

Once again, doubts arose in his mind. The world of Swallowed Star had its share of fierce conflicts, from the Primal Universe and Universe Ocean to the Origin Continent, but they were generally open and aboveboard, with everyone dealing with one another directly.

Even the World Beast that had caused Giant Axe's death counted as cunning.

But Tianhuang Ancient Continent was practically a world of schemers. The style was so different. Were they really all Source Worlds under the same Hunyuan Space?

Damn it, how come Luo Feng's inheritances from old masters were sincere, no matter how dangerous they were, while the golden finger he'd awakened was such a pain in the ass?

Tianhuang Ancient Continent was truly a place where people's hearts had gone bad.

The Messenger continued to scare him. "If you were another Token Holder living on Tianhuang Ancient Continent, that old bastard would probably fatten you up before killing you. But this is a new Source World, one different from Tianhuang Ancient Continent.

"Do you know what that means to the powerful experts of Tianhuang Ancient Continent?

"I'm certain that the moment the thoughts the old bastard divided and embedded in his cultivation techniques and divine abilities realize this is a new Source World, he won't hesitate for a second. He'll immediately possess your body!

"No matter how different Source Worlds are, they all ultimately follow the same path. With that old bastard's level of attainment, even if only one of his thoughts awakens in this world, this Source World is as good as his. Nothing can stop him.

"When I first realized this was another Source World, I stayed put and waited! I waited to see how the old bastard would react!

"That old bastard must have noticed that one branch of the Taihuan Tokens wasn't on Tianhuang Ancient Continent. But he hasn't reacted at all. Do you know what that means?

"Hahaha! Separated by a Source World, the old bastard really can't do anything to me! He can't control me anymore!

"Hahahaha! That old bastard enslaved me for who knows how many tribulations! At last, I've lived to see this day! It's the will of heaven! The will of heaven!"

The Messenger still had the body of a little pig, but the savage aura he gave off now made Jiang Yao's heart tremble.

No wonder that when the Messenger first realized this wasn't Tianhuang Ancient Continent, the madness in his disbelief seemed mixed with a trace of joy. Jiang Yao had started to grow suspicious at that very moment.

Jiang Yao asked, "So almost all the cultivation techniques inherited from Divine Lord Taihuan are poisoned? Only Xu Yuan Space and Nine Transformations of the Desolate God are safe?"

"Not so, not so." The Messenger shook his head. "Xu Yuan Opening and Nine Transformations of the Desolate God weren't techniques that old bastard stuffed into me all at once before he 'died.' They're techniques I already possessed."

Jiang Yao sighed. "So my choices now are either to be possessed by the Divine Lord or by the Desolate God? Doesn't make much difference."

"It makes a difference to me!" The Messenger bristled. "I won't pass on a single hair's worth of the techniques that old bastard left behind, so don't even think about it.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't let you practice Nine Transformations of the Desolate God if I hadn't made absolutely sure you'd be safe. At the very least, the Taihuan Sect outer disciples on Tianhuang Ancient Continent who practice Nine Transformations of the Desolate God don't have Xu Yuan Opening. As long as you can raise the Control Chapter of Xu Yuan Opening to the second level, you'll greatly strengthen your suppression of the Desolate Beast's will."

"Then what do you want?" Jiang Yao asked calmly. "You've guided me step by step to where I am today. What do you want?"

"Heh-heh, don't be nervous." The Messenger was back to his usual frivolous, grinning self. "Of course, I have something I need you to do: release me from the Taihuan Token.

"What I told you before—that I can't leave the Taihuan Token—wasn't a lie.

"As for when you'll be strong enough to release me from the Taihuan Token, I'll tell you when the time comes. In any case, you're nowhere near strong enough yet."

Jiang Yao still felt the Messenger was hiding something from him, but what he'd learned today had already far exceeded his expectations.

They said the best way to strengthen a bond was to trade or share secrets.

Now that Bajie had spilled everything, Jiang Yao really did feel closer to the pig. They were like two brothers in the same boat, facing the same plight.

"Bajie, you've been unusually honest today. To keep a schemer like Divine Lord Taihuan from wreaking havoc on this guileless world, we'll have to work together from now on. Don't act like some fortune-telling charlatan anymore, telling half the story and keeping half back, then steering people down the path you've planned. It really makes me want to get violent."

"Bajie? Who's Bajie?"

"It's an honorific in some language spoken somewhere in the universe. It's used for people of high status."

"I spend all my time in the Virtual Universe, and I don't think I've heard of it..."

"The universe is vast, with trillions upon trillions of races. There are countless languages. How could you know them all?" Jiang Yao calmly changed the subject. "We're almost at our destination. We're about to leave the Dark Universe!"

As soon as they emerged from the Dark Universe, the spaceship activated the detection systems positioned around the outskirts of the Yanhe star system. A C-class spaceship approached them.

This time, Jiang Yao didn't use the power of Xu Yuan Space to conceal the fluctuations from the spaceship's flight. Xu Yuan Space had become a prison for suppressing the Desolate God's will, and it couldn't spare even a little extra strength.

Besides, he had already entered the first level of Nine Transformations of the Desolate God, comprehended a Domain, and made great progress in the Origin Law. It didn't matter if they discovered he'd secretly slipped away.

Sure enough, the moment they reached Yanhe Planet, the Patriarch and Elder Luo both looked extremely displeased.

Jiang Yao naturally made up an excuse, saying he'd wanted to find a quiet, uninhabited planet to cultivate on.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You may be at the Stellar Level now, a strong fighter within a star system, but the Longshan Company could send anyone at all to kill you!"

The Patriarch, a tall, young-looking man, spoke sternly, but his voice was filled with concern. Jiang Yao didn't find it annoying. Instead, he felt deeply touched.

"Come on, nothing happened, did it? Kuman used to do the same thing. But you certainly gave us a fright this time. When we realized you weren't in the Yanhe star system, the clan searched for you for more than ten days."

Elder Luo chuckled as he smoothed things over. Geniuses often had their quirks, and Kuman, the former number-one genius, also frequently went off to cultivate alone on remote planets. He couldn't stand being around other people.

"Hahahaha, it's fine. The Old Patriarch takes this Genius Tournament extremely seriously. He even reached an agreement with Yinhu Island for it. The Longshan Company wouldn't dare defy Yinhu Island's wishes, even if they had a hundred times the nerve!"

The speaker was a middle-aged, bearded man even taller than the Patriarch. He looked to be nearly three meters tall. He was watching Jiang Yao as he spoke in a gruff voice, but his eyes were full of appreciation and appraisal. He seemed like a man who was rough on the outside but shrewd within.

Elder Luo said with a smile, "Jiang Yao, meet the Old Patriarch."

Jiang Yao suddenly understood. This was the previous Patriarch of the Yanhe Lineage at Jiuyuan Holy Land. He hadn't expected Main Sect to send the Old Patriarch to escort him.

For branches like the Lingtong Race's Yanhe Branch, any Patriarch or Elder who broke through to the Universe Level and became a Domain Lord would be brought to Main Sect and enter the Elder Council as an Elder.

This was one way Main Sect kept control of its branches. Of course, some branches had long histories and considerable strength, and were more inclined to independence. Even if they produced many Domain Lords who didn't come to Main Sect, the Sacred Land wouldn't force them.

Although this was a way for the Sacred Land to restrain and control its branches, it also benefited the branches.

As the saying went, it was easier to get things done when you had connections above you. The Yanhe Branch currently had two Domain Lord-level Elders in Main Sect, and they could also secure benefits for the branch at the Sacred Land. Whether it was slots to study secret techniques or opportunities to inherit secret arts, people like the Old Patriarch had to make the effort at the Sacred Land to secure them for the branch they came from.

The Old Patriarch, who towered like a giant, sneered. "Even if the Longshan Company tries anything, even if those directors in charge dare to come here, I'll kill every last one of them!"

After saying that, the middle-aged bearded man gazed at Jiang Yao with eager anticipation. "I heard at the Sacred Land that our Yanhe Lineage had produced an extraordinary genius who'd found a Bloodline Divine Ability that had never been awakened before. People at Main Sect have been saying all kinds of things about it, making it sound almost mythical. I was the one who secured this opportunity. I wanted to see it with my own eyes."

Jiang Yao had kept his eyes closed ever since returning. After all, if he was going to act, he had to commit to the role. Now he looked a little embarrassed. "Old Patriarch, the beast my Bloodline Divine Ability comes from is called Bizhang. The will contained within the ability is extremely powerful, and it took a great deal of effort to suppress it. I'm afraid that if I use it, I won't be able to suppress it again."

The trick to telling a lie was to make nine parts truth and one part falsehood.

"Oh?" The bearded man wasn't disappointed. If anything, he was even more interested. "Just as I expected. A Bloodline Divine Ability that's remained hidden until now without ever being discovered must contain an extremely powerful and cunning beast's will. It's already impressive that you managed to suppress the will without letting the slightest trace of its aura leak out. Your willpower must indeed be exceptional. We'll take another look once we're back at the Sacred Land.

"There are several promising young talents this time, and we can't afford to delay any longer. The Genius Tournament is only three hundred years away. Every day we return to the Sacred Land earlier is another day they can grow stronger."

The Old Patriarch spoke gruffly and acted even more decisively. He'd arrived at Yanhe Planet more than ten days ago, and had been waiting all this time for Jiang Yao.

As soon as Jiang Yao returned, he immediately led the seven young geniuses eligible to go to the Sacred Land for "further study" aboard a massive D9-class Spaceship.

After saying goodbye to the Patriarch and Elder Luo, the spaceship left Yanhe Planet and began accelerating.

As a D9-class spaceship, it was usually a Domain Lord's vehicle. It needed only two minutes to accelerate to light speed and enter the Dark Universe.

As it began accelerating, Jiang Yao was already chatting with the other six geniuses.

There were seven of them in total: Jiang Yao, Prose, and Kuman had Domains, while the other four didn't. However, their awakened Bloodline Divine Abilities were powerful, so they'd also made the list.

The Lingtong Race's Bloodline Divine Abilities were divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, but a grade only indicated a divine ability's potential. It didn't mean that middle- or lower-grade abilities were weak at the Stellar Level.

Some powerful Bloodline Divine Abilities allowed Lingtong Race geniuses at the Stellar Level to fight above their level. After receiving Inheritance Secret Techniques at the Sacred Land, some could even match Stellar Level geniuses with relatively weak Domains. They had a chance of achieving a good result in the Genius Tournament.

Of course, having a Domain was even more noteworthy. A Domain combined with a Bloodline Divine Ability often produced an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Apart from Prose and Kuman, the other four young geniuses were also extremely curious about Jiang Yao. The fact that he'd possessed a Domain at the Planetary Level and awakened a Bloodline Divine Ability that had never been discovered before was enough to make him a legend in the history of the Lingtong Race's Yanhe Lineage.

As the geniuses chatted, the countdown to entering the Dark Universe began.

"The spaceship will enter transit mode in ten seconds... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3..."

"Boom!"

The alarm had barely sounded when the entire spaceship shuddered violently, halting its acceleration. The enormous spaceship tumbled through the void like a kicked soda can!