Chapter 1878 (Raw 1889): Abyssal Underworld
The military camp?
Xiao Chen’s face revealed a trace of misgiving. Could it be that the transportation formation leading to the Divine Dragon Empire is in a military camp?
Seeing the doubt in Xiao Chen’s eyes, the Soaring Dragon Marquis explained, “The trans-realm transportation formation of the dynasty is controlled by the Yanwu Emperor. People can come out but not go in. The requirements to use it are extremely high, and the usage is also limited. Although I can use it, it would be problematic to bring you along.
“After thinking about it, I decided to bring you to the military camp to use the transportation formation of my Scarlet Blood Army.”
Curious, Xiao Chen asked, “There is also a transportation formation in the military camp?”
The Soaring Dragon Marquis replied calmly, “That is natural. The Formation Masters that the dynasty nurtures are not there for nothing. They invented a portable transportation formation long ago. All that’s required is some special chariots. When one wants to use it, they just need to plant the formation flags and activate it using Spirit Jades.
“In a fight, one can use it to retreat or give chase.”
The Soaring Dragon Marquisate was only one of the Yanwu Dynasty’s one hundred eight provinces. It was the northernmost province of the dynasty. All the generations of the Soaring Dragon Marquis’s clan were generals who guarded the borders.
According to history, an ancestor was once conferred a king t.i.tle. Later, he went into decline. Even so, among the one hundred eight marquises, the Soaring Dragon Marquis still held military authority and a high and respected position. This was something exceptional.
This was the reason why Duke Yun wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Soaring Dragon Marquis.
Upon hearing the gravity in the Soaring Dragon Marquis’s tone, Xiao Chen felt surprised. To think that there was still a need to fight wars.
Xiao Chen asked casually, “The Yanwu Dynasty is so strong. Could there be any enemies that dare to offend it?”
The Soaring Dragon Marquis appeared serious as he said softly, “The Central Great Realm is not as peaceful as you imagine. The age of Fiendish Demons wreaking havoc is somewhat distant, only recorded in ancient texts. However, the previous war between the righteous and demonic is not too far back, just ten thousand years ago.
“Furthermore, the Yanwu Dynasty is strong, its territories boundlessly broad and vast. There are always places beyond its influence. In the northern regions, the greatest enemy is the Barbarian Race, which is uncivilized and naturally loves fighting. The tribes often come to hara.s.s the borders.
“The places where the Barbarian Race sets up tribes have harsh environments with poisonous gas everywhere, thin Spiritual Energy, and tall mountains. The Barbarian Race has a very strong lifeforce, and it is difficult to bring out the dynasty’s advantage in numbers against the tribes. Until now, there is no way to eradicate them.
“Yet, it would clearly be not suitable if the Yanwu Emperor personally took command and went to war, kicking up a big fuss.”
The Soaring Dragon Marquis paused for a moment before continuing in a serious tone, “However, even though the Barbarian Race is problematic, it is not a huge danger. After all, it is just a group of uncivilized savages; they can’t do anything big.”
The Soaring Dragon Marquis’s words seemed to suggest that there was a scarier enemy, which was the great danger troubling them.
Xiao Chen did not pursue the matter. He already saw the military camp below.
“Hah! Hah! Hah!”
Soldiers trained in formations at the military camp, shouting vigorously and in unison.
The sound shook the clouds, stirring up a vague mysterious phenomenon.
This made one feel slightly dizzy and their blood rush faster. The heart thumped heavily as if it was about to leap out of the chest.
These soldiers were elite cultivators. Although their cultivation was not high, they were many, all of whom were decisive in killing, hiding boundless killing Qi in their bodies.
Under the unified drills, the soldiers’ Qi, minds, and essences merged into one. Their breathing was synchronized as they shouted and roared together.
The shouts were vast and mighty, even shaking up the clouds.
This was not a rabble. An individual’s martial prowess seemed quite insignificant before this sea-like momentum.
As Xiao Chen observed the Scarlet Blood Army’s drills, they somewhat overturned his traditional understanding of the army.
Originally, he had thought that no matter how many Major Primal Core Venerates there were, if they ran into one Holy Venerate, they would only end up slaughtered.
However many that came would be however many that died.
Xiao Chen had felt that the dynasty’s army was a negligible existence without much meaning to it.
However, he now felt differently.
With so many Venerates tempered into a strong, cohesive unit, their combined power with super-strong willpower was terrifying. When their killing Qi merged, just the shout, which contained their essence, Qi, and minds and gathered their Qi and blood, could shock and scatter a Holy Venerate’s attack.
Before this might, a lone Holy Venerate would be quite insignificant.
Furthermore, the army could lay formations and use chariots as well as formation flags.
After long periods of training and killing, eliminating many people, truly ferocious soldiers were forged. Any expert would avoid meeting with such an army.
This was actually the principle of a quant.i.tative change producing a qualitative change. These seemingly insignificant people would experience a qualitative change after they reached certain numbers.
The Scarlet Blood Army was posted at the border, a desolate region.
The environment was harsh. Occasionally, one could see army officers organizing troops to go into the surrounding mountains to hunt ferocious beasts and train soldiers.
The Marquis’s Residence’s wars.h.i.+p slowly landed.
The countless huge wars.h.i.+ps parked in this place, flying their banners, which flapped loudly in the wind, presented a very majestic sight.
“Lord Marquis! First Young Master!”
The moment the Soaring Dragon Marquis’s trio disembarked, a group of armored military leaders immediately walked over with large strides. Their backs were straight and their footsteps heavy. As they walked, their armor pieces clashed with each other, producing clangor.
The Soaring Dragon Marquis nodded and said casually, “Long Yan, bring Xiao Chen around to take a look at the army. After that, send him off. Don’t take too long.”
“Yes, Father.”
The Soaring Dragon Marquis looked like he still had many things to do. After giving some instructions, he left in a rush.
The group of military leaders quickly followed, reporting all the recent developments.
Xiao Chen’s senses were sharp, so he heard some of it.
“Lord Marquis, recently the Underground Demons repeatedly appeared. It seems rather strange. I feel that we need to bring people down to sweep through the place.”
“It is almost winter. Those Barbarians are not behaving well. They tried to cross the border several times, causing the deaths of several of our brothers.”
“The latest resource delivery of the royal court still has not arrived. We need to send someone to check on it.”
These were all important military matters. That group walked hurriedly, gradually getting farther away. Soon, Xiao Chen could no longer hear anything.
Long Yan said, “Young Master Xiao, if you are in a rush, I can directly bring you to the transportation formation. If you are not in a rush, you can remain in the military camp and look around.”
“I’ll take a look around, then.”
This was Xiao Chen’s first time in a military camp, so he was rather curious. A military camp was a strategic location. It was normally off limits to outsiders.
However, the Soaring Dragon Marquis did not treat Xiao Chen as an outsider, being exceptionally gracious to him.
Naturally, Xiao Chen would not miss out on such an opportunity.
He could not help comparing the remote military camp with a Martial Dao sect.
In essence, the two were rather similar; they were places where cultivators gathered.
However, the differences were also stark.
The strongest impression that the army gave Xiao Chen was of exceptionally strict discipline. Every soldier was like a precision component, able to bring out the greatest might only when set together.
No mistakes were permitted.
Under such circ.u.mstances, everything was uniform; individuality was stamped out. Clearly, such a place was not suitable for the Martial Dao’s inheritance.
Nevertheless, everyone’s strength and willpower would improve rapidly through killing.
However, one’s personal comprehension and intelligence might be slowly suppressed in the army.
In comparison, sects had a much greater degree of freedom. They emphasized personal strength. No matter what the rank of the sect was, the organizational structure of all large sects would generally be similar.
Through positions like outer sect disciples, inner sect disciples, core disciples, and true inheritors, they used many layers of selections to pick out the most excellent cultivators.
This system guaranteed that those with talent and good comprehension ability could stand out, drawing out their potential to the fullest.
Purely from the perspective of the Martial Dao, the path of sects was more suitable for inheritances and produced powerful experts more easily.
This was also why all of the n.o.ble Clans sent their scions to sects.
When comparing the two, both had advantages and needed to exist.
“Clip clop! Clip clop! Clip clop!”
Ten-odd war chariots moved past on a broad road, forming a procession that attracted Xiao Chen’s attention.
The war chariots were laden with corpses, the trophies of the soldiers.
These corpses were different from those of ferocious beasts. Instead, the corpses on the war chariots were all humanoid.
More accurately, they were mostly the strange, scaled people that Xiao Chen met in the thunderclouds that day.
Xiao Chen pointed to the corpses on the chariots and asked, “What are those?”
Long Yan looked in the direction that Xiao Chen indicated and explained, “That is a kind of Underground Demon, the Flood Dragon Humans.”
“Underground Demons?”
“That’s right. In ancient times, after the predecessors defeated the Fiendish Demons that were causing chaos, the Fiendish Demons vanished without a trace. However, their descendants survived and occupied the Abyssal Underworld, commonly known as the underground world. These descendants of the Fiendish Demons are collectively called as Earth Demons.”
[TL Note: These Earth Demons are different from the ones that appeared in the Kunlun Realm, but they were given the same name.]
Yan Long nodded and continued, “The Abyssal Underworld has a total of nine layers, each of which has an Underworld Monarch. The farther down one goes, the more horrifying the strength of the Earth Demons.
“They have the blood of Fiendish Demons and possess astonis.h.i.+ng comprehension abilities. They cultivate Demonic Dao Cultivation Techniques and have many other advantages. Since they remained hidden, they actually managed to develop. By the time the people of the Righteous Dao realized it, the Earth Demons had already turned into a faction that was difficult to eradicate. Speaking of which, they are a much larger threat than the Barbarian Race. Fortunately, the nine Underworld Monarchs have conflicts with each other, so the underground world is not very peaceful.”
Xiao Chen entered deep thought. The Central Great Realm was indeed much larger than he had expected.
This Soaring Dragon Marquisate was merely the tip of the iceberg. The things that Xiao Chen saw somewhat dazzled him already.
“However, no matter how I look at them, these Flood Dragon Humans also have the Dragon Race’s aura aside from that of the Fiendish Demon’s blood.”
Xiao Chen s.h.i.+fted the topic back to the Flood Dragon Humans, which was what he was more interested in.
On hearing that comment, Long Yan looked at Xiao Chen. Finding it strange, he asked, “You don’t know?”
Xiao Chen felt depressed. What kind of expression is this? It’s as if this is something I should know.
Not knowing this is strange?
Long Yan smiled in embarra.s.sment. He said, “Sorry. Seeing that you have the Dragon Race’s bloodline, I thought that you would know about this. Back then, the Dragon Race’s Black Dragon King led troops and defeated the nine Underworld Monarchs. He became known as the Supreme Underworld Monarch and ruled the entire Abyssal Underworld, something unprecedented. I thought everyone in the Dragon Race knew this as it greatly impacted them.”
So, that is the case. Xiao Chen now understood. An ordinary Dragon Race cultivator would definitely know of this.
Unfortunately, Xiao Chen was no ordinary Dragon Race cultivator. No wonder Long Yan revealed such a surprised expression.
“Back then, the Dragon Race cultivators who followed the Black Dragon King into the Abyssal Underworld became the strongest race among the Earth Demons. After the baptism of the Underworld River, they became Flood Dragon Humans, having both the Fiendish Demon blood and the Dragon Race bloodline. They lived in the ninth layer of the underground world.
“While the Black Dragon King was alive, these Flood Dragon Humans naturally enjoyed glory. Their fame spread far and wide. Now, they are bottom-feeder existences among the Earth Demons.”
Long Yan stopped to breathe. Then, he continued, “When the Scarlet Blood Army sweeps through the underground world, Flood Dragon Humans make up the majority of the kills.”
For some reason, Xiao Chen felt some discomfort on hearing this.
Perhaps it was because Xiao Chen was also part of the Dragon Race. Seeing these people, who were once part of the Dragon Race, in such a miserable state stirred some compa.s.sion in him.
The Black Dragon King was a mixed-blood dragon. The ones that followed him were also mostly mixed-blood dragons. These people had also been bottom-feeders in the Divine Dragon Empire.
At the same time, Xiao Chen thought about the seal in the underground dragon city in the Soaring Dragon Great Realm.
He remembered the words of that senior about how the Black Dragon King would appear within one hundred years.