Chapter 219: Using Arrogance To Counter Arrogance!
Boom!
The Divine Devouring Vine penetrated the last Blood Demon.
After the Blood Essence Pearl was retrieved, the Blood Demon’s physical body exploded into a rain of blood that covered the sky.
The fire enveloping Shen Tian’s body slowly dissipated. His lightning also faded as he gradually descended from mid-air.
In just a short time, the four Blood Demons in the valley were defeated by Shen Tian’s vines.
All was quiet in the vast Blood Demon Valley. Everyone stared at Shen Tian in a daze.
A single drop of blood did not mark his snow-white clothing. Pristine and dazzling. He took out a white jade bottle.
“This is Nirvana Holy Liquid, refined from the Divine Devouring Vine after undergoing Nirvana. It has miraculous healing abilities and can be used to replenish life essence.” Shen Tian tossed this bottle to Jin Yu with a smile. “There are five liters in here. Enough for you to treat your injuries.”
Upon catching the bottle of Nirvana Holy Liquid, Jin Yu looked very conflicted.
Would this fellow really be so kindhearted?
Noticing the suspicion on Jin Yu’s face, Shen Tian said in exasperation, “Who can I collect my IOU from if you are dead?”
Jin Yu, “...”
Shen Tian continued. “Also, you cracked my golden saber and damaged my golden armor. You need to compensate me for them.”
Jin Yu, “???”
Shen Tian tossed a ring toward Jin Yu. “This is your ring. Forget about the 2,000,000 conversion discount I offered you earlier. I think it is better you just pay me the full 52,000,000 Spirit Stones!”
Shen Tian added. “No hurry to settle the debt. You can pay me back when you manage to acc.u.mulate enough Spirit Stones. But there will be interest.”
Shen Tian turned and walked off as Jin Yu stared after his departing figure in a daze.
Is this some kind of trick?
Returning the golden saber and armor to me, as well as my ring? And he’s just going to charge me an additional 2,000,000 Spirit Stones?
Just this golden saber alone, even though it’s cracked, is worth more than that!
And this golden armor—these are all supreme-grade spirit artifacts. 2,000,000 Spirit Stones is nothing!
As Jin Yu continued to stare at Shen Tian’s back profile, he suddenly realized something.
So this fellow is giving me a way out? Is this a peace offering?
Looking at the Nirvana Holy Liquid in his hand, a smug smile spread across Jin Yu’s face.
You are quite sensible, after all!
Alright, since you know where you stand, I will reciprocate and not suppress you in the future.
Jin Yu opened the white jade bottle and gulped down the Nirvana Holy Liquid, replenishing his life force.
Jin Yu swallowed the silver liquid, consuming the bubbling energy of life, which was then refined and spread across his entire body.
Soon, his aura surged to very high levels.
A bright glow reappeared on his body, his golden wings fluttering magnificently in the wind. He gazed at Shen Tian with a cold smile.
“Shen Tian, you underestimate me. It’s just 52,000,000 Spirit Stones. I won’t need to delay payment! I will collect enough Spirit Stones within three months and deliver them to your Divine Firmament Sacred Ground!
“This battle was rather disappointing. If there is an opportunity in the future, we can battle again after you achieve the Golden Core Stage.”
Shen Tian stopped and turned back with a smile. “Good. I will be paying the Peac.o.c.k race a visit after I have reached the Golden Core stage. I will drop by and seek you out then.”
A drop of cold sweat trickled down Jin Yu’s forehead.
“Ahem, well... that’s settled then. Don’t worry. I will spare your life when you lose the fight!”
“Alright. If you lose, I will also spare your life!”
The corners of Shen Tian’s lips curled up slightly. He had a very high EQ and could easily tell what this Jin Yu fellow was thinking.
This proud eagle was just a stubborn duck putting up a forced brave front!
Agreeing to a battle with Shen Tian after he successfully reached the Golden Core stage? Jin Yu would probably “lose contact” with him then!
But never mind!
A proud and impulsive character like Jin Yu was a straight arrow through and through. He would never pull off any devious and underhanded schemes.
The best way to counter this arrogant freak was to be even more arrogant than him!
Since he had the chance to turn this fellow into a regular harvest, there was no reason for Shen Tian to reject. After all, Shen Tian was not someone who would kill the goose who laid the golden egg. He would rather slowly groom this eagle so that he could reap the benefits later.
His Archeon Sea Ring flashed again, and a coffin appeared on the ground.
“This is an ancestor of your Great Golden-Winged Eagle race. I heard Fairy Kong Meng say that he died during the ancient war against Evil Spirit. He was a true hero, and his body shouldn’t be left in the battlefield. Jin Yu, bring him back to your people to perform a proper burial!”
Looking at the body in the coffin, Jin Yu could feel the familiar aura of his own race emanating from it. He kept silent.
After a long time, he gazed at Shen Tian’s departing figure and called out loudly, “We owe you one!”
Shen Tian didn’t stop, but the corners of his lips curled up subconsciously in a slight smile.
He had another man... bird in his pocket now!
What a sweet feeling~
...
After finishing up with Jin Yu, he had to settle the six Evil Spirit sect members. He studied Hei Yuan, Hei Jin, Hei Mu, Hei Shui, Hei Huo, and Hei Tu—all of whom looked as if they were having second doubts about their lives.
Full of antic.i.p.ation, Shen Tian pulled off their special black robes and masks.
These objects all had aura-concealing properties and were considered very rare amongst the treasures of the same level. They were very valuable indeed.
Moreover, the six men were all wearing storage rings, which contained all their prized possessions!
Defeating this team was even better than raiding an entire city!
He kept all the equipment in his Archeon Sea Ring before putting all six rings on his own fingers. He would go back and take stock later.
Shen Tian gazed calmly at Hei Yuan. “You are from Evil Spirit, right? Secretly sneaking into the Primordial Battlefield... What devious scheme are you up to?”
Hei Yuan gave a cold laugh. “Do you think I am a cowardly traitor? Ha, kill me, and all of you will join me in h.e.l.l!”
Shen Tian glanced at their heads. “You are already my prisoners but still dare to spout such nonsense? What’s the point?”
“Brothers, who is willing to end their trial early and escort these six men back for interrogation?”
Members of the Evil Spirit Sect. They were more valuable alive than dead.
There were many fanatic Evil Spirit sect members, all of whom were willing to die for their cause.
An Evil Spirit sect member captured alive could be the key to helping the sacred grounds flush out even more members.
As a result, Shen Tian had immediately broken the dantians of these six men the moment he captured them. This was to prevent them from committing suicide by self-explosion.
News of their capture had yet to spread, and it was the best time now for them to be interrogated by the sacred grounds so that they could investigate and weed out this sect.
If they waited until the trial was over to bring these six back for interrogation and then launched a ma.s.sive manhunt for the sect—the hideouts known to these six would probably already be evacuated.
The disciples exchanged hesitant looks with each other. After all, to a normal disciple, the Primordial Battlefield Trial was a rare opportunity. If they could find some precious ancient herb here, it was enough to shave off years or even decades from their cultivation journey.
After all, even though they were all disciples from the sacred grounds, not all of them were as rich as Qin Yundi or Shen Tian.
Most of them had a very tight budget for cultivation. The more talented they were, the poorer they became. This was because they would have higher expectations of themselves and would naturally demand better quality resources.
If they left the Primordial Battlefield early, it would be very difficult to get another opportunity like this in the future!
Several moments pa.s.sed as they considered this. A voice piped up from the crowd. “Senior Brother Saint, I am willing to escort them back.”
Shen Tian gazed toward the source of the voice. It was the Divine Firmament Sacred Ground’s own disciple, Zhang San.
Zhang San looked resolute. “These Evil Spirit sect members dared to infiltrate the Primordial Battlefield and disrupt the sacred grounds’ combined training. They are just too audacious.
“If not for Senior Brother Saint’s efforts, this battlefield would have been the scene of a major tragedy. The consequences would have been unthinkable.
“Although we have already captured these men, who knows if other Evil Spirit sect members are lying in ambush.
“My cultivation level might be low, but I have spent many days and nights reciting Senior Brother Saint’s mantra: The sacred ground is my home. We depend on everyone to make it great!
“To ensure the safety of the other brothers, I am willing to give up my fortuitous opportunities in the battlefield and end my trial early. I hope Senior Brother will allow it!”
Looking at the morally upright Zhang San, Shen Tian was vaguely reminded of someone else.
Mmm, it was the same feeling... but just slightly off.
But never mind!
As long as someone was willing to escort these six men back. Otherwise, things would become very troublesome.
After some thought, Shen Tian took several stalks of Dragon Blood Gra.s.s out of his Archeon Sea Ring.
“Since Junior Brother Zhang is so n.o.ble, I cannot be stingy either.
“This Dragon Blood Gra.s.s only grows from the ground where a member of a pure-blooded Dragon race fell. It can be used to refine and enhance one’s fundamental physical quality.
“Now, I am giving this to you as compensation! Is Junior Brother okay with this?”
The other disciples stared in envy at the Dragon Blood Gra.s.s in Shen Tian’s hands. It was exuding an intense aura.
That was Dragon Blood Gra.s.s!
It was widely recognized as one of the most valuable herbs in the Primordial Battlefield.
It was rumored that by refining this herb, one could even cultivate a modic.u.m of dragon energy.
In addition, the stalks of Dragon Blood Gra.s.s that Shen Tian was giving out were not inferior quality ones. They were definitely superior-grade stalks of Dragon Blood Gra.s.s.
“Dragon Blood Gra.s.s. My goodness, it’s really Dragon Blood Gra.s.s!”
“Is this how Saints from other sacred grounds behave? Our own senior brothers would never be so generous with us. They would have us running errands instead.”
“That’s right! Your sect is not alone in this. Our senior brothers are the same. Instead of taking care of their junior brothers, they love to bully us! Boohoo hoo!”
“He is giving such a great reward just for escorting these pathetic Evil Spirit sect members back. The Divine Firmament Saint is so generous!”
“We are so envious of those Divine Firmament Sacred Ground disciples. I heard that to ensure everyone’s safety during this trial, the Saint gave all of them a share of the Nirvana Holy Liquid.”
“That’s not all! Did you see how when those Blood Demons captured those Divine Firmament disciples, the Divine Firmament Saint risked his own life to rescue them?”
“Able to defeat five Nascent Soul stage Blood Demons at just the Foundation Establishment stage, and so caring toward his junior brothers—what kind of extraordinary senior brother is this?”
“I would have joined the Divine Firmament Sacred Ground then if I had known the Divine Firmament Saint was so perfect! Sigh, so regretful!”
“Divine Firmament Sacred Ground, love it! When I go back, I will have my little sister train hard and try her best to get into the Divine Firmament Sacred Ground!”
...
Zhang San activated the teleportation jade pendant and was whisked away by a beam of light with those bound Evil Spirit sect members. They disappeared from the Blood Demon Valley.
Shen Tian shook his head with a smile on hearing the crowd’s discussions.
“Everyone, be quiet, please.”
Silence descended over the Blood Demon Valley on Shen Tian’s command. Everyone gazed at him with sparkling eyes.
Their expressions. Their att.i.tude. They had all become his fanboys and fangirls!
Shen Tian said, “Everyone, Junior Brother Zhang’s statement was not without merit.
“Although we have captured those six Evil Spirit sect members, no one knows if there are others hiding in ambush in the battlefield.
“For safety’s sake, I suggest for everyone to use their tokens and caution their own brothers to be extra careful during this training period.
“If you have no confidence in preserving your own safety, it is better to stop your trial now!”
Although there were many disciples with fortuitous opportunities at the top of their heads, Shen Tian knew it was impossible for him to harvest every single one of them.
Moreover, Shen Tian was not the kind of person who would risk the lives of others. He really had no idea whether there were any more Evil Spirit sect members in this battlefield.
As a result, Shen Tian advised everyone that they should make an early exit if they had no confidence in taking care of themselves.
After all, as powerful as Shen Tian was, he could not protect everyone at present. It was just not practical.
As for whether they heeded his advice, it was not Shen Tian’s problem.
No one would be able to rescue someone determined to die.
...
Everyone in the valley fell into deep thought at Shen Tian’s words. The joy they had felt from being rescued dampened significantly.
That’s right!
Although those six Evil Spirit sect members had been captured, who knew if they were other members secretly hiding elsewhere?
This time, the Evil Spirit sect members had underestimated Shen Tian’s powers. They had purposely leaked their divine consciousness transmissions in order to lure Shen Tian into a trap.
What about next time?
What if the Evil Spirit sect members didn’t just target the Divine Firmament disciples and annihilated everyone? What if they completely shut off all divine consciousness transmissions before doing so?
Wouldn’t they have died in vain then?
After all, as arrogant as these disciples were, none of them would claim to be able to handle a Nascent Soul Blood Demon while at the Foundation Establishment stage.
For a second there, quite a number of disciples were secretly regretting their earlier decision.
They should have volunteered when Shen Tian asked if anyone was willing to escort those Evil Spirit sect members back. If they had volunteered then, not only would they be able to leave this wretched place, they would have gotten Shen Tian’s gift. It was a wonderful deal!
d.a.m.n! That Zhang San fellow is such a cunning creature!
At that moment, those disciples in the Blood Demon Valley were filled with regret. The Divine Firmament Saint had offered them such a precious opportunity, but they had missed it!
...
Shen Tian no longer cared what everyone else was thinking.
He had already said all he had to say. He had done all he could for these disciples.
Stepping onto his Jade Water Sword, Shen Tian flew out of the Blood Demon Valley toward the Holy Dragon Valley. Kong Meng and Jin Yu followed alongside him.
The two of them gazed at Shen Tian with conflicted expressions, especially Jin Yu.
Even up till this very moment, he had no idea whether he and Shen Tian were friends, enemies, or rivals.
Nonetheless, he didn’t detest this human at all!
Kong Meng glanced at Shen Tian.
“Brother Shen, are you not going to leave this battlefield?”
Shen Tian shook his head. He gazed into the deeper regions of the Primordial Battlefield with a smile. “It is not time for me to leave yet. I feel like there’s a voice calling me from the inner regions of this battlefield. It feels like fate is calling me. You might not believe me, but I have very good instincts about this kind of thing. I have never been wrong before.”
Shen Tian chuckled at the doubtful expressions on Kong Meng and Jin Yu’s faces.
“How about it? Are you two interested in going on a risky adventure with me?”
Shen Tian was inviting Kong Meng and Jin Yu on his journey. He had even told these two such a “major secret”!
Kong Meng and Jin Yu couldn’t help feeling rather dazed by the sincerity in Shen Tian’s words.
Humans and demons had been at odds for so long. Only that tragedy 10,000 years ago had been able to briefly unite them.
Did this Divine Firmament Saint truly believe that there was no difference between humans and demons? That they could really become trusted companions?