Chapter 2302: 2302

The Peng race’s ancestral lands were between the Western Xuan Region and the Northern Xuan Region. It was adjacent to the Martial Heaven Sea-Ring, as the Peng race liked to live next to water.

They were different from the other races. The Kunpeng was the original ancestor of the Peng race. Then there were the Azure Peng, Spirit Peng, Sea Peng, Cloud Peng, and even the most famous Golden Wing Great Peng. They were all descendants of the original Kunpeng.

The Kunpeng was legendary for transforming from a Kun to a Peng, just like how the dragon race transformed from a serpent into a python, into a drake, and then into a dragon.

It was said that whether it was the Kunpeng or the dragon, this kind of transformation was in defiance of the heavens. The Heavenly Daos did not permit it, so they would go all-out to destroy them.

Whether it was the Kunpeng or the dragon, in this world, their existence was a thing of the past. Any historical records about them were so distant that it was impossible to trace them back to their roots.

Aside from legends and stories, there were no official records of a Kun transforming into a Peng, or a serpent becoming a dragon.

That was why these transformations were normally used as stories to encourage and motivate people, making them feel like even a serpent could one day become a dragon if they worked hard enough.

Even a fish could one day become a soaring Peng, breaking free of the restrictions of heaven and earth.

Of course, most people felt that these were just fabricated motivational stories. A fish was a fish. A serpent was a serpent. No matter how hard they worked, they would just become a bigger fish or a bigger serpent. Those stories existed only to make someone believe their own lies.

However, the Peng race had its own sayings. According to them, the only ones capable of this transformation were the Kunpeng race. However, in their ideologies, only the original ancestor could be called the Kunpeng.

The original ancestor was an existence that had transformed from a Kun into a Peng. Only it was qualified to be called a Kunpeng.

For a Kun to transform into a Peng required undergoing countless tribulations against the Heavenly Daos. To not be destroyed even after ten thousand tribulations was what transformed the Kun into the Peng.

However, on the Martial Heaven Continent, there was no such thing as a Kun race, so it was impossible to give birth to a true Kunpeng.

In the past, the Kunpeng race had given birth to their greatest genius of their history. That genius had awakened a trace of the ancient Kunpeng’s bloodline, becoming the Kunpeng race’s strongest expert.

He was the Peng Emperor, the Peng race’s greatest expert who had once fought against a Sovereign of the human race.

At this moment, on the border to the sea, there was a glorious statue of the Peng Emperor with a giant sacrificial altar built around it. The towering statue was made of brilliant gold, emitting a majestic pressure.

The Peng Emperor’s statue was not just a symbol of the Kunpeng race, but it was also a symbol of the entire Xuan Beast race.

After the qi flow eruption, the Peng Emperor’s sacrificial ceremony was carried out. It was said that the Peng Emperor’s will had awakened and blessed the entire Xuan Beast race with karmic luck, allowing them to grow even stronger. The Kunpeng race’s disciples were quickly awakening their bloodlines.

In advancing to the Netherpassage realm, the geniuses of the Xuan Beasts had been blessed by the Peng Emperor’s will. This great blessing had resulted in eighty percent of the Peng race’s disciples successfully advancing to the twelfth rank.

As for the other races of the Xuan Beasts, they mostly maintained a fifty-fifty pass rate. As a result, the Kunpeng race had grown even stronger.

On the other side of the Peng Emperor’s statue, there was a giant palace. Peng Wanli was seated within. Below him were the various leaders of the Xuan Beasts. Even Long Juncang of the ancient races was present.

They were all smiling, as if they were awaiting good news.

“Reporting to the race leader, something major has occurred with the operation! Master Wanshan, his…”

Just at this moment, one of the Peng race’s experts came flying in, terrified.

Peng Wanli had originally been meditating, but his eyes flew open upon hearing something had happened to Peng Wanshan. “What happened?”

“Master Wanshan… his soul stone… it shattered.”

“Impossible!” All the experts let out startled cries.

Peng Wanshan was someone whose seniority in the Kunpeng race was second only to Peng Wanli. He had already touched the border of the Samsara realm. Based on their estimates, he would be able to enter the fourth step of the Netherpassage realm within the next few years.

Peng Wanshan had led a portion of their elites in a sneak attack against the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race. Hence, these experts were waiting for him to return in triumph. However, what had awaited them instead was this grievous news.

The soul stone was linked to the true body’s soul. When the true body died, the soul stone shattered.

“It’s not just master Wanshan’s soul stone, all the soul stones of the experts who attacked the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race shattered!” cried out that disciple.

“They all shattered? How is that possible?! How could all of them be killed instantly, and why did you only report it now?!” roared Peng Wanli, his gaze as sharp as blades.

That disciple shuddered in terror. He was in charge of the soul stone depository. However, for good or bad, he had a group that he was in command of. He hadn’t personally witnessed it. His two subordinates had been left to keep watch.

As a result, those two had ended up drinking too much. The sound of a soul stone shattering hadn’t been loud enough to wake them up from their drunken stupor.

Later on, when more of them shattered all at once like firecrackers, they finally woke up. However, when they woke from their dreams, they found themselves in a nightmare. Frightened out of their wits, they had reported it to him.

When their leader saw the shattered soul stones belonged to the ones who had attacked the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race, he had immediately gone to report to his higher-ups.

However, with Peng Wanli glaring at him like this, he was completely terrified. In front of Peng Wanli, he didn’t even have the courage to lie.

“Die!” Peng Wanli roared furiously. With a pointing of his finger, that disciple was exterminated. In that instant, he learned what had happened in the soul stone depository. “Damn it all, how could this happen?!”

“Didn’t they say that the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race was cut off from any powerful reinforcements? It’s impossible for them to have drawn over any significant help! Did Pill Valley con us?” demanded Long Juncang.

This operation was a secret one, with very few people knowing about it. Even amongst the Xuan Beasts, only a few core experts knew of it.

After all, this type of affair couldn’t be stated openly. Although everyone would know who had done it, as long as the Xuan Beasts refused to admit it, there would be no direct proof. Who could do anything to them? Even the divine families wouldn’t be able to pursue it.

“Let’s go take a look at the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race. We’ll see who was so brazen as to kill the people of the Xuan Beasts.” Peng Wanli stood, killing intent surging out of him.

“Race leader, we cannot. The Heavenly Divine Writ has been extended. If we went over, it would be admitting that we launched the sneak attack despite it,” said one of the Xuan Beasts.

The Heavenly Divine Writ had originally been for half a year, but a month ago, the divine families had announced that it was being extended for another three months.

With the conflicts between the Martial Heaven Alliance and the others, the divine families had no choice but to extend the ceasefire. It was impossible to tell what was happening inside the Yin Yang World, so if the Martial Heaven Continent threw itself into chaos, it would be a huge joke.

If Peng Wanli charged over to the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing sparrow race, that would be publicly going against the Heavenly Divine Writ, which would be going against the divine families.

However, if they didn’t go, they wouldn’t even know who killed their people. How could they accept that?

“Peng Wanli, I, Long Chen, have come. Shouldn’t you get the fuck out and kowtow in greeting?”

Just at this moment, a powerful voice resounded through the palace. It was like the roar of a god, causing heaven and earth to rumble.

Peng Wanli’s expression instantly changed. He realized what had happened.

Suddenly, the Peng race’s ancestral lands shook. The earth was torn apart, with countless buildings collapsing.

Peng Wanli and the others flew out of the palace, only to see a black-robed figure standing atop the Peng Emperor’s statue. His hair and robes billowed around him as his killing intent raged.

“Long Chen!” Peng Wanli’s pupils shrank.

Long Chen stamped a foot on the Peng Emperor’s statue. His goal had been to destroy the head, but he found that rather than destroying the statue, it was his own foot that was almost injured. There was some kind of boundless energy within the statue.

“Long Chen, you dare to blaspheme the Peng Emperor?! Get the hell down!” shouted the other experts of the Kunpeng race.

“Who cares about the Peng Emperor? Is he worth me blaspheming? You’ve overestimated the worth of the Xuan Beasts,” sneered Long Chen.

The statue of the Peng Emperor depicted a Kunpeng spreading its wings, its head raised toward the heavens as if it wished to charge through them.

Killing intent and rage filled Long Chen. If it weren’t for Meng Qi and the other women, he really would want to pee all over the Peng Emperor’s head with his brothers.

Thinking of the corpses of the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race, he was overwhelmed by his urge to kill the Xuan Beasts. If he didn’t kill them all, those warriors of the Cloud Chasing Heaven Swallowing Sparrow race wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.

“Long Chen, tell me, were you the one who killed our people?” demanded Peng Wanli. At the same time, he gave a stealthy order to activate the grand formation.

“No,” answered Long Chen.

“If it wasn’t you, then who was it?!”

“I didn’t kill people. I only killed a pack of animals,” was Long Chen’s cold reply.

“Long Chen, you’ve gone against the Heavenly Divine Writ and now you wish to publicly provoke the Xuan Beasts? You want to start a war amongst the Martial Heaven Continent? Just what are you intending-”

“Idiot, your stall tactics are childish in my eyes. Did you think your formation would be able to kill me here? Keep fucking dreaming.”

Just at this moment, the Dragonblood warriors that had been concealed in their own formation came out from behind the statue of the Peng Emperor. All of their auras were fluctuating intensely. They had reached the limit of their current realm.

“Not good!”

Seeing their current state, Peng Wanli and the other experts’ expressions changed.

“Peng Wanli, I’ve received your gift. Now I’ll send you a bigger one.”

One aura after another exploded past its limits. The sunny sky instantly turned dark. An aura of annihilation filled the air.