Chapter 896: Bringing Hope
Translator: Sigma_ Editor: SSins
Center of Utmost Eight Purgatories City, Perpetual Night Forest.
Since the Divine Sword had torn the sky and left, the firm city in this forest didn't have a complete defense anymore.
However, in spite of what happened, the Utmost Eight Purgatories City was still the safest shelter for the Human Clan in the Grace Mainland where many experts gathered.
Dozens of years ago, Shi Yan, Corpse Chief, Kante, Zenith, Bao Ao, and Jie Ji had disappeared from the Grace Mainland. From that moment, the war between the clans in the Grace Mainland gradually ceased.
After the purge of clans in the Grace Mainland, the Human Clan had to bear the greatest losses. Not many members of that clan had survived, and they were all recovering in the Perpetual Night Forest.
All warriors of different clans could feel the shortage of earth and heaven energy. After their leaders had left, the hotshots of those clans didn't dare to declare war.
If they fought, they would need to consume energy. The essence crystals, which were generated by thick energy, became the most expensive consumable goods. Once a war started, the warriors would have to use all the essence crystals. As this continent didn't have much energy left, essence crystals were no longer generated.
With essence crystals, people could endure for a while. Without them, they would fall into a worse situation for their realm and their power would decrease massively.
Thus, after Shi Yan and the others disappeared, no war was started on the Grace Mainland anymore.
As all clans understood this situation, they stayed in their area, trying to gather the essence crystals to supplement their powers. No one dared to provoke others. Those recent years were the calmest times in the Grace Mainland.
Currently, the Utmost Eight Purgatories City of the Perpetual Night Forest was a strange place where the remaining members of the Human Clan lived together with the Dark Demonic Clan and the Winged Clan. They even had a part of Monster Clan in the city.
The Utmost Eight Purgatories City had become a strange place that was significant for its tolerance in the Grace Mainland. Many who didn't have a place to go or survivors from different clans gathered here.
Yang Tian Emperor, Long Zhu, Yun Hao, Cao Qiu Dao, Yi Tian Mo, Di Shan, Yu Rou, Yu Wan Jiang, Tang Yuan Nan, Li Zheng Rong, and other experts of the Grace Mainland guarded this place. Since Zenith, Kante, and Corpse Chief, the leaders of the strongest forces, had disappeared along with Shi Yan, the forces of the Perpetual Night Forest were relatively strong in the Grace Mainland. Not many people dared to provoke them.
Under the management of those experts, the Utmost Eight Purgatories City's defense was still firm even without the Divine Sword.
However, what they had to face now wasn't the experts of the pagan clans. It was energy exhaustion.
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A corner inside the city.
Yang Tian Emperor stooped with his eyes closed. His slim face was cold and solemn as he concentrated on searching something.
Long Zhu, Yun Hao, Cao Qiu Dao, Di Shan, Li Zheng Rong, stayed beside him, their faces excited. They walked back and forth restlessly as if they were waiting for something.
After a while, Yang Tian Emperor opened his eyes with immense divine light. His face stretched into a smile. "He's back."
As soon as he finished, everybody burst out cheering. They felt joyous as if they were about to celebrate the New Year.
"Are you sure? Is he really coming back?" Bing Qing Tong of the Ice Emperor City thinned her lips, her charming face blushing and her voice trembling.
Just like her, the other three snow flowers were shivering. Beautiful light sparkled in their eyes, which enchanted people.
"He's back. We will meet him soon," Yang Tian Emperor nodded, appraising, "He's a good kid. It has been so long but he can still make someone miss him every night."
"It's good that he came back. It's good..." Bing Qing Tong muttered while her white neck blushed. "Whether the energy will be exhausted or not, it's enough that he came back."
Han Cui, Shuang Yu Zhu, and Leng Dan Qing stooped quietly, their charming bodies trembling. Their curves were mesmerizing like the strong waves.
". . . I wonder if he will bring us hope?" Yun Hao held a cup of tea in his hand, taking sips. His eyes were dark and profound although his heart was seething.
Long Zhu, Cao Qiu Dao, Li Zheng Rong, Yu Wan Jiang, and others warriors of the Divine Great Land quieted down, their visages gloomy.
Time flew fast like a shutter. Ten years had passed like a blink of an eye since Shi Yan had left.
This period of ten years was the toughest time of their lives. They couldn't do anything but watch the earth and heaven energy slowly run out. Their hands were tied. They were desperate and hopeless, struggling in the dark. They thought that they would never see the light again.
As Yang Tian Emperor cultivated Desperate power Upanishad, under this erosive, torturing circumstance, his realm was increasing continually. He had reached the Peak of True God Realm.
He was very close. He just needed a full supplement of energy to step into King God Realm.
However, the only scarce thing in the Grace Mainland was energy at this moment.
Yang Tian Emperor was not the only one to reach Peak of True God Realm. Long Zhu, Yun Hao, and Yu Wan Jiang had also had Third Sky of True God Realm. They hadn't been idle for ten years. Their realms and power had increased more or less.
However, they were all stuck.
Without sufficient energy support, what could they do with their high realms?
It was like a thug with a sharp weapon in his hand, but with tied limbs. He could only lie there and watch himself die.
It was an extremely desperate and hopeless feeling...
"We will get an answer soon." Yang Tian Emperor was calm, looking at the void in front of them. He watched the thick cotton gray clouds. "He'll be here shortly."
Instinctively, people came outside, walking to the city walls.
Many warriors in the city realized that something would happen soon. They lifted their heads, looking at the sky and frowning.
This crowd included Cao Zhi Lan, He Qing Man, Qu Yan Qing, Yang Mu, Li Feng, Yang Meng, Fan Xiang Yun, Jie Mu, Yue Ying, Yun Xiu, Lao Li, Lao Lun, and Cai Yi...
Shi Yan didn't know many of them. They were standing on the city walls, on the high floors inside the city, or on some balconies, watching the precursors of the city walk out out the city as if they had an appointment. Then, they waited for something in silence.
Many of them didn't know what was about to happen. They were skeptical, guessing which force would come to the city.
In the Grace Mainland, currently, there were no pagan hotshots that could threaten this area. There was no character at a level so high that Yang Tian Emperor, Long Zhu, and Yun Hao had to come and receive him personally.
Who was going to come?
Many questions popped up in people's minds. However, no one could solve their questions. They could only focus on the event that was to happen.
The sun, moon, and stars still hung high in the sky. It seemed like darkness would never fall on this continent.
Yang Tian Emperor squinted, standing in the front. Suddenly, his eyebrows twitched. He lowered his voice and spoke to Shi Jian next to him. "He's back."
Shi Jian had entered the Third Sky of Spirit Realm. His firm and persistent face slightly shivered. He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palm. He said in a throaty voice, "Painstakingly, he is."
Nodded, Yang Tian Emperor sighed, "Yeah. He shouldn't bear the responsibility for this continent. To him, it must have been tough and laborious."
"I do hope I could help him," Shi Jian clenched his jaw. "What a pity that we don't have such powers."
"I think we will have powers later," Yang Tian Emperor smiled brightly.
At this moment, space waves rippled in the void in front of them. Those ripples were like fish scales expanding and contracting, something they could observe.
In layers of wavelets, sharp space power was clear enough to sense. Fine electric strikes appeared inside those space ripples, tearing space, flashing and then disappearing.
Boom!
The void seemed to explode. A figure moved through layers of space doors that emerged in front of Yang Tian Emperor.
"Shi Yan!"
"It's Shi Yan!"
"Didn't he disappear ten years ago?"
"He returns!"
". . ."
Yang Mu, Cao Zhi Lan, He Qing Man, Qu Yan Qing, Lao Lun brothers, and Cai Yi gawked. They screamed disbelievingly.
More and more clamorous noises stirred up from every corner of the city. For the time being, the Utmost Eight Purgatories City became the most excited and clamorous food market. People unceasingly discussed. The name Shi Yan was repeatedly heard everywhere.
Many warriors inside the city had flown up, floating inside and outside the city like a flock of birds. They were so stunned, looking at that area.
Long Zhu, Yun Hao were shocked, but their faces were excited. They didn't know they were smiling.
They could see that Shi Yan's realm had surpassed theirs.
"It's good that you're back," Yang Tian Emperor's face relaxed, smiling. "It must have been very hard for you."
Shi Yan bent his body slightly, speaking solemnly. "I'm back. I want to take you guys out of this exhausted continent."
All of the people were dumbstruck.
"You… you found a new continent?" said Long Zhu, his voice trembling.
"Much better than this place," Shi Yan smiled and nodded.
Everybody was thrilled.
"It's good that you're back now," Bing Qing Tong had been struggling in her mind for a while before she gathered the courage to step in. She studied him with her beautiful eyes. Her snow-cold face became indescribably beautiful and vivid.
Han Cui, Shuang Yu Zhu, and Leng Dan Qing gritted their teeth. Seeing their shy big sister have such courage, they also gathered around Shi Yan, their hot eyes lingering on him.
Shi Yan smiled brightly. "It was worth the labor of holding onto my flame of hope. Now I see you guys here. Seeing you live well, my mind is finally eased."
He Qing Man, Qu Yan Qing, Cao Zhi Lan, were women who stood far from him, their faces upset. They wanted to come and talk to him, but they decided not to do. They just stood there and watched people talk.
"Everybody should prepare. The Ethereal Extent is in Cold Wind Island in the Endless Sea. I will build a Teleport Formation to connect to Cold Wind Island." Shi Yan smiled casually. "You don't need to bring many things like essence crystals and spiritual herbs. In our new place, those toys are cheap."
"They don't use essence crystals as money?" Long Zhu was surprised.
"They use divine crystals," Shi Yan nodded smilingly. "You have to adapt to the new place. However, I believe you will break through shortly. Since you can reach the peak in this place, you can shine anywhere else."
"What realm do you have now?" Yun Hao asked weakly.
"Third Sky of King God Realm. I'm just one step away from Original God Realm," Shi Yan said sincerely, "My competence in the new area is still weak. There are three major realms above King God Realm: Original God Realm, Ethereal God Realm, and Incipient God Realm. I'm still far behind."
The other people then smiled miserably.