Chapter 263: Why Isn’t the Dragoncroc Emperor Here Yet?
Jiang He’s tone was calm and nonchalant as if he was describing something insignificant.
Even so, it was like a bolt from the blue for w.a.n.g Hou and Lin Tianzheng.
The two elites who were discussing away about their ‘plans’ both turned to look at Jiang He.
They were at once taken aback, stunned and unable to believe it...
After staring at Jiang He for three seconds, w.a.n.g Hou suddenly laughed weirdly and said, “Don’t joke around, Jiang He...”
Jiang He, killing the Dragoncroc Emperor?
Really?
From what he knew about Jiang He, since the kid had personally claimed that he killed the Dragoncroc Emperor, that could only be true.
It was great news, as the many Ferals of the Hua Nation would go leaderless with that beast’s death, just as Feral Swarms everywhere would be reduced to laughing stock...but even so, w.a.n.g Hou was a little afraid and unwilling to believe it!
When had he first met Jiang He?
Was it that time when the Blue King Drake, the Golden-Crowned Black Eagle, and the other Feral Kings had all showed up at the Jiangnan City base because of the Black King Drake’s death?
It was probably the thirtieth of September.
And today was just the twenty-third of October, less than a month since then.
Was Jiang He not a rank-eight pinnacle at the time?
His combat ability had barely reached the cusp of divine-tier just then. However, in less than a month and as if he had keyed in a cheat code, Jiang He killed the Red Toad King, the Golden-Crowned Black Eagle, the Violet-Crowned Golden Eagle, the Golden-Winged Roc, the Graywolf King and the Dragoncroc Emperor—four peak Feral Kings and two Feral Emperors...
Oh!
And then there was the two Sky Demon Cult cardinals in between.
Was he even human?
There was once a time when w.a.n.g Hou joked about how he was the ‘Child of Destiny’, gaining the legacies from multiple heritage sites, thus allowing him to cultivate and ascend as easily as eating and drinking. Though he was only in his forties, he had already reached the standard of elites the likes of Lin Tianzheng, Dong Haichuan, and Yang Luchan, who had cultivated for over 200 years.
But he was not even worth a fart compared to Jiang He!
The kid was only a rank-eight pinnacle when they first met, but he had even killed the Dragoncroc Emperor now. He, on the other hand...was still a Void-tier novice-pinnacle, having never made any breakthrough in his cultivation.
On the other hand, Jiang He gave w.a.n.g Hou a look as he lowered his teacup, a little upset at that. “I was merely telling the truth, Minister w.a.n.g. Why would you call it a joke?”
“And like you’ve guessed, the Dragoncroc Emperor was backed by an ancient daemon.”
“It had also cultivated daemonic arts and was able to a.s.sume human form, even possessing a superior daemonic armament called the Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud!”
“Oh, right!”
With a turn of his hand, Jiang He took out the Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud and placed it on the tea table, saying, “The Dragoncroc Emperor’s corpse is too huge to put inside this building, but I did retrieve the Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud and it’s sufficient proof that I killed the Dragoncroc Emperor.”
w.a.n.g Hou’s eyes widened as he stared at the palm-sized Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud.
After it had shrunk, the item was no different from a mini bronze bell.
“A superior daemon armament...”
Lin Tianzheng was rather shocked. “The treasure I obtained from that foreign heritage site was just inferior-grade, which is extremely rare even in the ancient era of qi refinists. Most Golden Pellet-tier cultivators would only use inferior grade soul items as well, but given that superior daemonic armaments are equal to superior soul items, how did the Dragoncroc Emperor manage to come by such an invaluable treasure?”
He sighed in awe, but suddenly shifted his gaze and exclaimed in surprise, “This Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud...why does it looked like it’s dented?”
Upon closer examination, he noticed several tiny fist prints on the Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud...since it was now palm-sized, the many fist prints on it appeared tiny.
“Are those dents?”
w.a.n.g Hou asked, “I noticed that it was right away, but I was afraid to ask since I don’t know much about mystic treasures and daemonic armaments and just a.s.sumed that it was already dented in the first place.”
“Haha...”
Jiang He chuckled then, and explained, “The Dragoncroc Emperor was so scared that it hid behind the Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud, so I had to keep hitting it from over the Shroud. I ended up denting it after just a few punches.”
Dented? There were actually hairline fractures on the Nine Dragon G.o.d Fire Shroud itself!
Lin Tianzheng appeared weirded out then, and was looking at Jiang He as if he was a monster.
A superior daemonic armament...
From the information that he had gained from his own legacies, only a full-fledged True Child elite could have caused such damage.
Could Jiang He’s combat ability have reached the heights of a full-fledge True Child?
w.a.n.g Hou, who was beside them, was not too surprised.
He did not know how ‘tough’ superior daemonic armaments were, so with a casual change in tone, he said, “You mentioned that the Dragoncroc Emperor had an Ancient Daemon backing him? Can you confirm it? Or could he perhaps have obtained his daemonic cultivation and daemonic armaments from a heritage site similar to the one at Mount Dadong?”
w.a.n.g Hou a.s.sumed that Jiang He was basing his theory on how the Dragoncroc Emperor had displayed daemonic cultivation and wielded daemonic armaments.
In the bottom of his heart, he absolutely did not hope that a bunch of ancient daemon cultivators would suddenly pop up after the Dragoncroc Emperor was killed...
Even so, the truth is never how one wishes it to be.
In fact, Jiang He answered with both reason and confidence, “Of course I can confirm it. That ancient daemon cultivator was quite powerful and its Yuan Spirit clone alone could easily nullify my attacks, probably reaching Yuan Spirit in fighting strength.”
At that, Jiang He laughed coolly and cursed, “That wretch was such a pompous show-off. Not only did it show up and stopped me from killing the Dragoncroc Emperor, it even talked big and act all imposing in my face, but still ended up destroyed by a single swing of my sword!
w.a.n.g Hou and Lin Tianzheng were both rendered speechless.
Jumping to his feet, he could not help crying out, “You destroyed the Yuan Spirit clone of an ancient daemon eminence?!”
Jiang He nodded.
Lin Tianzheng’s face turned pale as he laughed bitterly, “If its Yuan Spirit clone could fight at Yuan Spirit level, I’m afraid that the ancient daemon cultivator must have been advanced in Yuan Spirit cultivation or perhaps even have grasped it perfectly. It wouldn’t let go of the insult from your destruction of its clone.”
“It’s fine.”
Jiang He appeared unconcerned and smiled. “It’s fine. Its Yuan Spirit would probably have been grievously hurt since I’ve destroyed its Yuan Spirit clone, and it wouldn’t recover without at least three to five months.”
And would Jiang He still fear it after three to five months?
Nonetheless, Jiang He actually took the problem seriously in his mind despite appearing carefree.
What if that ancient daemon cultivator had family or friends?
What if they come looking for him?
Better safe than sorry...
That bother must be resolved as soon as possible!
“By the way, the Yuan Spirit clone of that ancient daemon cultivator appeared from beneath the lake where the Dragoncroc Emperor resided...Could it be hiding beneath the lake to cultivate?” The thought occurred to Jiang He then.
He could visit Shennongjia again after he got stronger.
Either way, the remaining conversation had become much easier.
The trio continued chatting over tea for a while before w.a.n.g Hou excused himself in a hurry.
Now that the Dragoncroc Emperor was dead, it was the best time to subjugate every Feral across the land. All they had to do is kill a bunch of Feral Kings and the Hua Nation could sleep in peace over the next few years.
Meanwhile, Jiang He returned to his hotel and released Sora from his farm.
They had a huge battle at the hotel before going on a leisurely stroll at Jingdu city.
***
Meanwhile, at a great mountain in Xibei, shrouded in his black robes and faint black mist, the Sky Demon Cult’s Saint sat upon the peak.
The appointed day has arrived—this was where he would meet the Dragoncroc Emperor.
He did not move an inch and remained there from 3 pm to 6 pm before finally getting impatient.
Rising to his feet and pacing around the peak, he muttered, “Why hasn’t the Dragoncroc Emperor arrived?”
He waited for two more hours, but there was still no sign of the Dragoncroc Emperor even after night had fallen.
That was when a figure flew towards him, landed beside him and knelt on one knee, saying, “Your Holiness...I received word that the many elites of Hua Nation are on the move! They are charging into the wildlands, bent on taking the heads of every Feral King!”
“What?”
An astonished, hoa.r.s.e voice could be heard from beneath Sky Demon Cult’s Saint robes. “d.a.m.n it...the Dragoncroc Emperor is so useless!”
He already had a hunch.
The Dragoncroc Emperor...
Might already be dead.
If it wasn’t for that, the Hua Nation would not have the guts to make such a bold move.