ragginovel Chapter 2537 Descendants of the Vermilion Bird
Chapter 2537 Descendants of the Vermilion Bird
Chapter 2537 Descendants of the Vermilion Bird
Since the war in the forbidden lands of the Five Great Kingdoms, the half-demon kingdoms have been embroiled in a chaotic world that has lasted for more than two hundred years. The situation has not shown any signs of returning to stability, but rather has become increasingly volatile.
The five great kingdoms were all drawn in, and the other half-demon kingdoms were naturally not spared either; chaos became the eternal theme.
From the initial siege of the Zhu Qian Dynasty to the current chaos of five kingdoms embroiled in war, the situation has been constantly shifting and dizzying. None of the five powerful states have gained an advantage in the war; instead, they are continuously weakening themselves. Among them, the Zhu Qian Dynasty is in the most difficult situation.
The source of this chaos was the Zhu Qian Dynasty, which initially faced the fiercest siege and paid an unimaginable price to hold out until the era of warring states arrived.
Although the Zhu Qian Dynasty has gained a temporary respite, its former glory is far from what it once was. It is outwardly strong but inwardly weak, becoming a piece of meat that everyone wants a piece of. Not only are the four kingdoms still eyeing the Zhu Qian Dynasty amidst the chaos of war, but the surrounding countries also covet its dragon veins.
As dragon veins began to appear in the world, the legend of dragon veins became known to all. Only by controlling the dragon veins could one have the opportunity to replace the five great kingdoms and become the hegemon.
Surprisingly, none of the three dragon veins that finally appeared in the world, including the dragon vein of the Horned Kingdom, were seized by the five superior kingdoms. The masters of these dragon veins were originally unknown, but they rose to prominence during this chaotic period, adding fuel to the already turbulent situation.
Furthermore, chaos also frequently occurred within the Five Kingdoms. The so-called master of the dragon vein did not actually have absolute control over the dragon vein, but only possessed greater power than the master of the national artifact.
The king and the princes complement each other. The princes are appointed by the king, and the king also needs the princes' help to stabilize the dragon vein. If the princes harbor disloyal thoughts, it will cause the dragon vein to fluctuate, shake the foundation of the immortal kingdom, and may even lead to the dragon vein splitting.
In times of peace, the ruler and the royal family can command respect from all sides. However, once the nation weakens or the royal family becomes vulnerable, long-accumulated conflicts will erupt.
The first instance of a falling out between the king and the other kings occurred in the Celestial Fox Kingdom, between the Celestial Fox clan and the Moon Fox clan.
Chief Yue Lingshuang of the Moon Fox Clan died in the forbidden area, losing the Heavenly Fox Token and dragging the Heavenly Fox Upper Kingdom into the quagmire of war. Although the Moon Fox Clan later reforged a Heavenly Fox Token, it became an excuse for the Heavenly Fox Clan to accuse and suppress the Moon Fox Clan.
The Moon Fox clan, having reached its limit of tolerance, finally launched a rebellion. The two clans were already evenly matched in strength, and the Moon Fox clan, having allied with many other fox clans, possessed the power to rival the Heavenly Fox clan.
Because of this internal strife, the Tianhu Shangbang hastily withdrew its troops, pulling the Zhuqian Dynasty back from the brink of destruction.
The Celestial Fox Kingdom is now beset by powerful enemies on the outside and internally confronted by the Celestial Fox and Moon Fox clans. Fortunately, the two clans have not lost their minds and have not divided the dragon vein, but the split of the immortal kingdom is a foregone conclusion, and the Celestial Fox Kingdom exists in name only.
The most severe internal strife occurred in Xingtu Guizhou.
At the beginning of its founding, Xingtu Ghost Continent did not have a true ruler, but only ten ghost domains and ten ghost kings. At that time, the status of countries such as Da Geng was already stable. Fearing that the four countries would come to compete for the dragon vein, the ten ghost kings put aside their grudges and formed Xingtu Ghost Continent. From then on, Xingtu Ghost Continent only had one ghost king, and the position of ghost king was rotated.
For many years, the Ten Ghost Realms have been rife with conflict and unresolved grudges, and new grievances have been added.
Now that old and new grudges are being settled together, Xingtu Ghost Continent has split once again, with the ten Ghost Domains each taking control of a portion of the dragon veins and falling into a chaotic war. It seems that they will not stop until a true Ghost King is decided.
Both the Da Geng Kingdom and the Cang Wu Kingdom have their own problems.
As for the Zhu Qian Dynasty, because it was the first to be besieged, the royal family and princes could only unite against the enemy. However, as the immortal kingdom declined, people's hearts also began to yearn for change.
In times of chaos, new immortal kingdoms always rise, and this time is no exception. The Jiaosheng Kingdom to the west of the Zhuqian Dynasty is among them.
Based on the lifespan of cultivators, the rise of Jiaosheng Kingdom was as rapid as a comet. Looking back on the history of Jiaosheng Kingdom, everyone can't help but marvel at its extraordinary national fortune, as if it were divinely aided.
Luck is also a part of ability!
Since the Zhu Qian Dynasty's hasty military campaign two hundred years ago, it has been unable to protect itself and was powerless to attack the Jiao Sheng Kingdom. Since then, the Jiao Sheng Kingdom has had no rivals.
After the Zhu Qian Dynasty withdrew its troops, the Jiao Sheng Kingdom acted swiftly to recover its lost territory. Instead of immediately retaliating against the Zhu Qian Dynasty, it chose to swallow its anger and first target other smaller kingdoms. Knowing they were in the wrong, these smaller kingdoms sought help from the Zhu Qian Dynasty but were ignored. Ultimately, they had no choice but to surrender to the Jiao Sheng Kingdom, suffering a double loss in their attempt to gain an advantage.
People's attention was drawn to the great war between the five kingdoms, and they did not notice that the Jiaosheng Kingdom, located on the periphery, was constantly expanding its territory.
Ning Ye and Yuan Zuo each wielded a Mountain and River Thunder-Suppressing Pagoda, leading their respective armies east and north. Bai Ying'er, stationed at the Dragon Vein, coordinated with the two armies, achieving resounding victories.
During the period when the Zhu Qian Dynasty was besieged, the Jiao Sheng Kingdom almost annexed all the Xian Kingdoms to the south and west of the Zhu Qian Dynasty, and the territory of the Jiao Sheng Kingdom surrounded half of the Zhu Qian Dynasty.
Subsequently, the Kingdom of Kakosho could no longer tolerate it and declared war on the Zhuqian Dynasty in the name of revenge.
The declaration of war by the Kingdom of Jiaosheng further worsened the predicament of the Zhuqian Dynasty.
As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. In less than two hundred years, the two countries went from being attacked by the Zhu Qian Dynasty to launching a counterattack. The positions of the two countries were reversed, and the country of Jiaosheng became known to the world.
……
Southwest of the Zhu Qian Dynasty.
The former Dongjiao Royal Palace has been occupied by the Jiaosheng Kingdom.
Inside the main hall of the Prince's Mansion, Qin Sang, who rarely leaves the pass, came here in person and sat with her eyes closed, seemingly waiting for someone.
Suddenly, light and shadow flickered outside the hall, revealing two figures who stepped into the hall.
Both of them wore large cloaks to conceal their faces and auras. After entering the main hall, they took off their cloaks and were revealed to be Xuan Ying and another demon cultivator.
"Congratulations, fellow Daoist! After this battle, the Kingdom of Jiaosheng will be able to establish its rule over the land!"
Xianying smiled and cupped his hands in congratulations, then sighed, "When you first proposed to establish your career here, I never imagined that in less than a thousand years, you would have created such an unparalleled legacy!"
"Fellow Daoist flatters me. The Horned Kingdom and the Five Thunder Sect are like a sand tower, easily destroyed," Qin Sang said without the slightest hint of pride. He stretched out a finger and gently poked forward, causing the illusory sand tower to collapse completely.
The string and shadow remained noncommittal.
It is common knowledge that the foundation of the Kingdom of Horned Life is not solid. This is related to Qin Sang's actions. Almost all the disciples of the Five Thunder Sect are newcomers who were attracted by supernatural powers and secret techniques and chose to join the Five Thunder Sect.
In the land of the Horned Ones, they are at the height of their power; they can share wealth and honor, but they will not share hardship.
Just like the previous crises in the Kingdom of Horned Blossoms, once faced with a powerful enemy, the seemingly mighty immortal kingdom was on the verge of collapse.
Such a celestial kingdom, even if it becomes the overlord, will find it difficult to last long.
Xianying couldn't fathom what Qin Sang was trying to achieve by expending so much energy to create a celestial kingdom that could collapse at any moment. One thing was certain: the greater her actions here, the more important the Qingluan Clan was to this place.
Under the guidance of the half-demon True Lord, Qin Sang used the dragon vein to conceal the origin of the altar. Now that the Five Thunder Sect has landed and is completely relying on the power of the dragon vein, the inherited thunder magic has long been unrecognizable. Since Xian Ying believed that Qin Sang was a blue phoenix, she did not suspect that there was anything wrong with the thunder magic inherited by the Five Thunder Sect.
In Xianying's view, if the Qingluan Clan intends to take over the Dafeng Plain, since the Zhaofeng Clan is no match for the Qingluan Clan, surrendering to the Qingluan Clan would be acceptable, except for losing their autonomy.
For some reason, Feng Jiuyuan and his clan elders were always wary whenever the Qingluan Clan was mentioned.
Qin Sang slightly raised her eyes and looked at the two demons, Xuan Ying and Xian Ying.
For two hundred years, these demon cultivators have been restless, disguising themselves in various identities and stirring up trouble everywhere. The current situation of the half-demon kingdoms is partly due to their efforts. Qin Sang had agreed to help Xuan Ying scheme against Long You, so Xuan Ying and the other demons had been very cooperative with the Horned Life Kingdom.
"King Zhilian has secretly allied himself with the Moon Fox Clan, and King Chuxu did not directly refuse the offer from the Great Geng Kingdom, indicating that his heart has already wavered..."
After recounting their gains, Xianying asked in return, "How is the situation on your side, fellow Daoist?"
As they spoke, Qin Sang and the two demons rode away on their escape lights, leaving the palace and flying north.
After traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, they sensed a chaotic atmosphere ahead and could see the Kingdom of Jiaosheng marching in the distance.
The battlefield was filled with figures, and all sorts of large magical artifacts were lined up one after another.
"It's about to begin! Please allow me to keep you in suspense for now; you'll find out soon enough!"
Qin Sang revealed a mysterious smile.
They immediately pressed the escape light and landed on the clouds to gaze into the distance.
The army of the Horned Kingdom gradually slowed down, and an endless expanse of red clouds appeared on the horizon, blocking their path.
The stalemate didn't last long. Yuan Zuo and Ning Ye, who commanded the army, could no longer contain themselves. With a command, countless streaks of light shot out from the battle formation, covering the sky and heading straight for Hong Yun. At the same time, thunder roared in the sky as the disciples of the Five Thunder Sect unleashed their thunder magic, sending countless bolts of lightning shooting into the heavens.
Where the thunder converged, two giant phantom towers suddenly appeared, which were the Mountain and River Thunder-Suppressing Towers, the national guardian artifact of the Five Thunder Sect!
At the same time, Bai Ying'er, far away at the Five Thunder Sect's headquarters, also activated the dragon vein. Immediately, countless thunderclouds gathered in the sky above Jiaosheng Kingdom, and thunder resounded throughout the entire territory of Jiaosheng Kingdom.
The people of Jiaosheng Kingdom were already used to this and were not afraid at all. On the contrary, they were full of expectations because every time such a celestial phenomenon occurred in the past two hundred years, good news would come back.
It was as if a thunder dragon was coiled above the Kingdom of Horned Life, spewing thunder at the Zhu Qian Dynasty, while the two Mountain and River Thunder-Suppressing Towers shone brightly.
Immediately afterwards, two more lightning vortexes formed next to the two lightning towers, and two more lightning towers appeared, causing a stir among the crowd.
Although Qin Sang forged eight Mountain and River Thunder-Suppressing Towers at the same time, he did not reveal them all. Instead, he gradually brought them to light, creating the illusion that the Horned Kingdom was gradually forging national protective artifacts.
The four Mountain and River Thunder-Suppressing Towers appeared simultaneously, threatening the red clouds, which immediately stirred up a wave within them.
While this battle raged here, in the distant east, the Zhu Qian Dynasty was simultaneously facing fierce attacks from the three kingdoms of Tianhu Shangbang, Da Geng, and Cangwu.
This battle was a result of a secret alliance formed between the Kingdom of Jiaosheng and them, with an agreement to divide up the Zhuqian Dynasty!
Qin Sang and the two demons, Xuan Ying and Qin Sang, stood with their hands behind their backs and looked out. They saw lightning flashing like a forest and flames raining down on the battlefield. Heavenly thunder and earthly fire covered the entire battlefield, endlessly.
The battle became extremely fierce shortly after it began.
Suddenly, Qin Sang and the two demons sensed something, withdrew their gaze, and looked at a thundercloud beside them.
The thunderclouds churned and transformed into a person.
The man's face was ashen. When he saw Qin Sang, a complex look flashed in his eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Does what the sect leader said in his previous letter still stand?"
Xianying looked him up and down and recognized him as the King of Beilu, one of the eight kings of Zhu Qian. He guessed that the king had come at this time because he felt that the situation was hopeless and wanted to surrender to the Jiaosheng Kingdom.
He could understand the feelings of the King of Beilu. Back then, the Eighth King of Zhuqian looked down on the Kingdom of Jiaosheng and never took the man beside him seriously. Now, the Zhuqian Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, while the Kingdom of Jiaosheng was showing signs of becoming a hegemon.
"My word is my bond! As long as you lead your people to surrender, the Northern Lu Royal Palace will remain the Northern Lu Royal Palace. In the future, there will always be a place for the Northern Lu Royal Palace among the two dragon veins of Jiaosheng Kingdom, which you can choose!" Qin Sang promised decisively.
"And there's also the Serpent King, who wants to surrender to the leader with me," the Northern Reed King brought even better news, pausing slightly as he spoke, "In addition, we have one more condition: we hope the leader will allow us two juniors to join the Five Thunder Sect and learn its true teachings!"
Qin Sang stared at the King of Bei Lu for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Alright! You may each choose one person to become Ying'er's disciple!"
The King of Beilu bowed respectfully, his figure fading away. Soon after, the strange phenomena on the battlefield gradually disappeared, and the army of the Zhuqian Dynasty completely gave up resistance.
Not long after, a shocking piece of news spread, causing an uproar among the half-demons: the Zhilian King of the Zhuqian Dynasty had submitted to the Tianhu Shangbang, the Yelan King and the Chuxu King had joined the Dageng Kingdom, and the Beilu King and the Shechi King had actually come under the command of the Jiaosheng Kingdom.
Once one of the five great kingdoms, it has been torn apart!
The princes' betrayal meant that the dragon vein of the Zhu Qian dynasty was also split, with the royal family and the princes each controlling a portion, but the royal family's control of the dragon vein power remained the strongest. The question now was whether the royal family would choose to hold out or willingly become subjects and submit to a wise ruler.
Just then, Qin Sang was greeted by an uninvited guest, who turned out to be Zhu Que.
"You want me to protect the royal family of the Zhu Qian Dynasty?"
Qin Sang did not expect that Zhuque would emerge from seclusion at this time and make such a request.
“It’s not about protecting their entire clan, but about winning over some of their direct descendants,” Zhuque’s expression suddenly turned somewhat somber. “Although their bloodlines are mixed, they still possess a trace of genuine Zhuque blood.”
The royal family of the Zhu Qian Dynasty were actually descendants of the Vermilion Bird!
Qin Sang was greatly surprised, as there had been no such rumors before. "You should know that the demon bloodline in their bodies has long been integrated with the human bloodline, and they have become another race. It is impossible for them to become Vermilion Birds. Unless the Vermilion Bird bloodline can gradually become pure, just like the Dragon and Phoenix bloodlines."
"Of course I know, but they are the only ones I've ever seen with the Vermilion Bird bloodline," Vermilion Bird sighed, a hint of indescribable sadness in his voice.
When the ancient demon court was destroyed, the four sacred beasts and the demon emperor Qilin suffered together. Except for the dragon clan, which was at its peak, the other three clans almost disappeared.
The Xuanwu clan left behind the Xuanwu Sacred Palace in the demon realm. It is said that the city of Kanzhou was built on the back of a Xuanwu statue, making them the clan with the most information among the three.
The White Tiger clan seemed to have been wiped out.
The Vermilion Bird clan also disappeared from the forest of all races. Qin Sang has only ever seen this one Vermilion Bird, and it survived in the Purple Palace.