Seven-Colored Stone, A Ten-Thousand-Year Plan

Underground cave at the border of the Central Region.

"Finally found you."

"I went to far too much trouble to find you."

Chen Changsheng stood in the center of the cave, Old Sword Strip in hand. At the cave's center lay a Seven-Colored Boulder the size of a house.

The four old men stared fixedly at Chen Changsheng before them, each bearing a terrifying wound across the chest.

"Chen Changsheng, when did you start laying your plans?"

One of the old men demanded loudly.

Chen Changsheng smiled. "I began planning from the Reincarnation War onward."

"When the Desolate Heaven Emperor went on his expedition, he surely made quite a few enemies along the way."

"I knew that once I left the Eight Desolations Nine Regions, someone would certainly come seeking revenge."

"Besides, during the Reincarnation War, I had already noticed the existence of those beyond the Eight Desolations Nine Regions."

"It was only that, at the time, I wasn't sure who would come looking for revenge first."

"To kill a chicken and warn the monkeys, to let those beyond the Eight Desolations Nine Regions see what I, Chen Changsheng, was capable of, I deliberately strutted around in front of Desperate Valley."

"The purpose was to make them come fight me. Besides, I knew perfectly well that Desperate Valley alone, one Forbidden Ground, could not kill me."

"So they would definitely seek out a powerful helper. Sure enough, you took the bait."

Pfft!

Upon hearing this, the old man spat out blood. Panting heavily, he said, "Then was your getting captured after failing also part of your plan?"

"You could say that. Your alliance with Desperate Valley was simply too powerful, and things nearly slipped beyond my control."

"Originally, I intended to lead Xu Hu and the others in crushing everything