Ambush

"Do you really believe that so-called story: 'Divine Lord Taihuan met with disaster and fell, and before he died, he sent out 129,600 Taihuan Tokens to find fated individuals to inherit his techniques and cultivate a new Divine Lord Taihuan'?"

For a Taihuan Token Envoy to ask such a question was truly earth-shattering.

However, Jiang Yao was not particularly shocked; instead, he felt a sense of the other shoe finally dropping.

"Why wouldn't I believe it?"

To be honest, Jiang Yao certainly had his doubts, but wasn't he in the world of Swallowed Star? Any suspicious inheritance placed in this world gained a few points of credibility out of thin air. The powerhouses of this world not only had an extremely strong sense of belonging to their race, but when they encountered something, it was a genuine inheritance! People of the same race didn't deceive their own.

"Pfft, that old scoundrel spent countless kalpas reaching the peak of the Tianhuang Ancient Continent. Just because he met with disaster, you think the thing he cared about most before dying was finding a fated person to inherit his life's work? Do you take that old scoundrel for a philanthropist? Even his own disciples within the sect didn't get the full inheritance; you think he'd be willing to give it away to you little bugs before he died?"

Jiang Yao muttered to himself. Good heavens, he vaguely remembered that when the Taihuan Token first appeared, this Envoy kept calling him "His Excellency Divine Lord Taihuan," and now he was just an "old scoundrel"? The resentment ran deep.

However, Jiang Yao continued to probe: "Even if there is some incredible conspiracy behind it, wouldn't they wait until the prey is fattened up before killing it?"

The Envoy sneered: "That is exactly why, even though it's a story no one would believe, there is no shortage of people taking the bait. Because all the token holders think the same way—they all think they can eat the sugar-coated shell and spit the poisonous pellet back out.

Heh, but what if the sugar coating is poisonous too?

Have you ever heard of 'Laws having primordial spirits'?"

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

The Envoy's expression was solemn: "Things far more bizarre than that exist! The Gouchen God Emperor has a divine ability called 'Wanxiang Huaxin', which can split into 129,600 thoughts, each of which then evolves into a set of techniques or secret arts.

Once someone starts practicing these techniques or secret arts, these thoughts will awaken in their soul, and then, without the host feeling any discomfort or anything unusual, they will complete a replacement without the host ever knowing.

That old scoundrel being schemed against was indeed true, and the Taihuan Sect being wiped out in a single day was also true, but to say he fell just like that? I don't believe it for a second!

Sigh, the law structure of your world is slightly rigid, and the people's hearts are a bit too simple. How could you know the terror of the Tianhuang Ancient Continent?"

Not knowing if this was a compliment or an insult, Jiang Yao could only remain silent.

He felt doubt once again. The world of Swallowed Star also had fierce struggles, from the Primal Universe and Universe Ocean down below, to the Origin Continent up above, but they were basically all open and aboveboard, straightforward.

Even that World Beast that caused the fall of Giant Axe was considered cunning.

But this Tianhuang Ancient Continent was simply a world of old schemers; the style was just too different. Were they really all Source Worlds under the same Hunyuan space?

Damn it, why was it that no matter how dangerous the "old grandfather" inheritances Luo Feng encountered were, they were always sincere, while his own golden finger was so unreliable?

The Tianhuang Ancient Continent really lacked the simple hearts of the past.

The Envoy continued to intimidate him: "If you were any other token holder on the Tianhuang Ancient Continent, that old scoundrel would indeed wait until you were fattened up before killing you. But this is a new Source World, different from the Tianhuang Ancient Continent.

Do you know what this means to the powerhouses of the Tianhuang Ancient Continent?

I am certain that once those thoughts of the old scoundrel, which are parasitic on the techniques and divine abilities, realize this is a new Source World, he will not hesitate for a moment—he will immediately possess your body!

No matter how different Source Worlds are, they eventually lead to the same destination. With that old scoundrel's high level of cultivation, even if only one thought awakens in this world, this Source World is destined to be his. No existence can stop him.

When I first realized this was a different Source World, I kept a low profile just to wait! To wait for that old scoundrel's reaction!

That old scoundrel must have realized that one Taihuan Token was not on the Tianhuang Ancient Continent, but he had no reaction. Do you know what that means?

Haha! Separated by a Source World, that old scoundrel really can't do anything to me! He can't control me anymore!

Hahaha! That old scoundrel enslaved me for I don't know how many kalpas! I finally waited for this day! It is the will of heaven! It is the will of heaven!"

Although the Envoy still had the body of a little pig, the ferocious aura he revealed at this moment made Jiang Yao feel terrified.

No wonder when he first discovered this world was not the Tianhuang Ancient Continent, the Envoy's disbelief seemed to be mixed with a hint of ecstasy. It was at that moment that Jiang Yao's heart began to harbor suspicions.

Jiang Yao asked: "So almost all of Divine Lord Taihuan's inheritance techniques are poisonous? Only the Xu Yuan Space and the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God are not?"

"Not so, not so." The Envoy shook his head: "These Xu Yuan Opening and Nine Transformations of the Desolate God were not techniques that old scoundrel shoved at me before he 'fell'; they are techniques I possess."

Jiang Yao sighed: "So my current situation is that I will either be possessed by the Divine Lord or by the Desolate God? There's not much difference."

"To me, there is a difference!" The Envoy bristled: "I wouldn't pass on a single hair of the techniques that old scoundrel left behind to you, so don't even think about it.

Rest assured, I dared to let you practice the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God because I have made thorough preparations. At the very least, those outer sect disciples of the Taihuan Sect on the Tianhuang Ancient Continent who practice the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God do not have this Xu Yuan Opening. As long as you can raise the Control Chapter of the Xu Yuan Opening to the second level, your suppression of the Desolate Beast's will will be greatly enhanced."

"Then what do you want?" Jiang Yao asked calmly: "You have guided me step by step to where I am today; what do you want?"

"Heh heh, don't be nervous." The Envoy returned to his playful, unserious appearance: "I naturally have something for you to do, and that is to let me out of the Taihuan Token.

I told you before that I couldn't get out of the Taihuan Token; I wasn't lying to you.

As for when you will have the ability to let me out of the Taihuan Token, I will tell you when the time comes. In any case, with your current strength, it's still a long way off."

Although Jiang Yao still felt that the Envoy was hiding some things from him, the gains he had made today had already far exceeded his expectations.

They say the best way to deepen a bond is to exchange or share secrets.

With such a massive secret laid out by the Envoy, Jiang Yao really did feel a closer connection to this pig, a feeling that the two of them were brothers in misfortune on the same boat.

"Bajie, it's rare for you to be so honest today. In order to prevent an old schemer like Divine Lord Taihuan from wreaking havoc on this simple world, the two of us must work together from now on. Don't act like a charlatan anymore, saying half and leaving half, inducing others to follow the path you planned. That feeling is really infuriating."

"Bajie? Who is Bajie?"

"An honorific in a certain dialect of the universe, used for people of high status."

"I spend every day in the Virtual Universe, I don't think I've heard of it..."

"The universe is so vast, with trillions of races and countless dialects. Can you know them all?" Jiang Yao calmly changed the subject: "We are almost at our destination; we are about to exit the Dark Universe!"

Just as they exited the Dark Universe, the spaceship triggered the detection system deployed on the periphery of the Yanhe star system, and a C-grade spaceship flew up to meet them.

This time, Jiang Yao did not use the power of the Xu Yuan Space to mask the fluctuations of his ship's flight. The Xu Yuan Space had now been repurposed into a prison to suppress the will of the Desolate God, and it could not spare a shred of extra power.

However, since he had already mastered the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God, comprehended a domain, and made significant progress in the origin laws, it did not matter if he was discovered sneaking away.

Sure enough, as soon as he arrived at Yanhe Planet, the Clan Leader and Elder Luo looked extremely grim.

Jiang Yao naturally fabricated an excuse, claiming he wanted to find a quiet, uninhabited planet to cultivate.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Don't look at yourself as a Stellar Level powerhouse within a star system; anyone sent by Longshan Company could kill you with ease!"

The Clan Leader, who appeared as a tall, young man, spoke with a tone of severity mixed with concern. Jiang Yao did not feel annoyed; instead, he felt a sense of warmth in his heart.

"Alright, nothing happened, did it? Didn't Kuman do the same thing back in the day? But you really gave us a huge scare this time. When we discovered you weren't in the Yanhe star system, the clan spent over ten days searching for you."

Elder Luo laughed heartily to smooth things over. Geniuses always had their quirks, and Kuman, the "former number one genius," often went to remote planets to cultivate alone, disliking the company of others.

"Hahahaha, it's fine. The ancestors attach great importance to this Genius Tournament and have reached an agreement with Yinhu Island for it. Even if Longshan Company were given a hundred guts, they wouldn't dare defy the will of Yinhu Island."

The speaker was a middle-aged man with a thick beard, even taller and broader than the Clan Leader. At a glance, he stood nearly three meters tall. He was staring at Jiang Yao; though his words were boorish, his eyes were full of appreciation and appraisal. He seemed to be the type of person who appeared rough on the outside but was meticulous on the inside.

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

Jiang Yao suddenly realized. This was the legendary former Clan Leader of the Yanhe lineage from the Jiuyuan Holy Land. He hadn't expected the main sect to send the Old Clan Leader to escort him.

For branches like the Yanhe branch of the Lingtong Race, if a clan leader or elder could break through to the Universe Level and become a Domain Lord, they would be summoned to the main sect to join the Senate as an elder.

This was a means for the main sect to control its branches. Of course, some branches with long histories and significant strength had a strong inclination toward independence; even if they produced many Domain Lords, they would not come to the main sect, and the Holy Land would not force them.

While this was a method for the Holy Land to check and control the branches, it was not without benefits for the branches themselves.

Having someone in high places made things easier. The Yanhe branch currently had two Domain Lord-level elders in the main sect. They could secure benefits for the branch within the Holy Land, such as quotas for enlightenment or secret technique inheritances. These things required people like the Old Clan Leader to run around the Holy Land and fight for their home branch.

The giant-like Old Clan Leader sneered, "Even if Longshan Company wants to pull some tricks, and even if those directors in charge dare to show up, I can kill them one by one!"

After saying this, the bearded middle-aged man looked at Jiang Yao with anticipation. "I heard back at the Holy Land that our Yanhe lineage had produced an incredible genius who managed to awaken a Bloodline Divine Ability that had never been activated before. It was described as something miraculous, and there were all sorts of rumors back at the main sect. I fought for this opportunity just to see it for myself."

Jiang Yao had kept his eyes closed since he returned—after all, one had to be professional when acting. He now put on an embarrassed expression. "Old Clan Leader, the beast from which I awakened this Bloodline Divine Ability 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 unleash it, I won't be able to suppress it again."

The secret to lying is nine parts truth and one part falsehood.

"Oh?" The bearded man was not disappointed; instead, his interest grew. "As expected, a Bloodline Divine Ability that could remain hidden until now must involve a beast with an extremely powerful and cunning will. Hmm, the fact that you can suppress such an ability's will without leaking a single trace of energy is already remarkable. Your strength of will must truly be extraordinary. We'll see it once we return to the Holy Land.

There are indeed some good seedlings this time, so we cannot delay any further. There are only three hundred years left until the Genius Tournament. The sooner we return to the Holy Land, the stronger you can become."

The Old Clan Leader spoke boorishly, but his actions were even more decisive. He had arrived at Yanhe Planet over ten days ago, and the only reason he had waited until now was for Jiang Yao.

As soon as Jiang Yao returned, he immediately had the seven young geniuses who were to go to the Holy Land for "advanced training" board a massive D9 alloy spaceship.

After bidding farewell to the Clan Leader and Elder Luo, the ship departed Yanhe Planet and began to accelerate.

As a D9-class ship, typically the transport of a Domain Lord, it only took two minutes to accelerate to the speed of light and enter the dark universe.

When the acceleration began, Jiang Yao was already chatting with the other six geniuses.

There were seven of them in total. Jiang Yao, Prose, and Kuman were the three who possessed domains. The other four did not have domains, but the Bloodline Divine Abilities they had activated were quite powerful, which was why they were on the list.

Although the Bloodline Divine Abilities of the Lingtong Race were divided into high, middle, and low grades, the grade only indicated the potential of the ability; it did not mean that middle or low-grade abilities were weak at the Stellar Level.

Some powerful Bloodline Divine Abilities allowed Stellar Level geniuses of the Lingtong Race to fight above their rank, and after receiving inherited secret techniques in the Holy Land, they could even rival Stellar Level geniuses with weaker domains. It was not impossible for them to achieve a good ranking in the Genius Tournament.

Of course, if one possessed a domain, the synergy between the domain and the Bloodline Divine Ability often resulted in a one-plus-one-is-greater-than-two effect, making them naturally more worthy of attention.

Aside from Prose and Kuman, the other four young geniuses were also extremely curious about Jiang Yao. Possessing a domain at the Planetary Level and activating a previously undiscovered Bloodline Divine Ability were enough to make him a legend in the history of the Yanhe branch of the Lingtong Race.

As the geniuses chatted, the countdown to entering the dark universe began.

"Ten seconds until the ship enters transit mode... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3..."

"BOOM!"

Just as the alarm sounded, the entire spaceship shuddered violently. The acceleration was aborted, and the massive ship was sent tumbling through the void like a kicked soda can!