Chapter 157: The Man Clan Rises, the Guardian Dao Flourishes

Fairy Qingyun comforted Fox Meini. By now, Fox Meini had practiced cultivation for over a millennium. Having begun her cultivation in the era of the Ghost King, she had only recently comprehended the true essence of the Great Dao she pursued, cultivating eight tails over a thousand years.

However, nine tails was the ultimate limit for the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, and only by reaching this ultimate state could one transform into a demon and ascend to immortality. Now, driven by her life-or-death devotion and self-sacrifice to save Jiang Pingchuan, Fox Meini had perceived the true essence of the Great Dao, growing her ninth tail and reaching the ultimate limit of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan to achieve immortal transformation.

"Forget him, or wait for him."

Fairy Qingyun looked gently at the sorrowful Fox Meini beside her. Fox Meini's bright eyes flickered as she looked at Fairy Qingyun and nodded. There was nothing more she could do for Jiang Pingchuan now. The moment she comprehended the Great Dao, she had seen many things she had long forgotten from her past, as well as the heavy burdens currently resting on Jiang Pingchuan's shoulders.

Jiang Pingchuan was the hope in their hearts, yet simultaneously an obstacle in the eyes of others. Some wished for Jiang Pingchuan to grow rapidly, while others hoped to nip him firmly in the cradle during his ignorance before his memories could awaken.

All of this ultimately depended on Jiang Pingchuan himself. Fewer and fewer people were able to interfere along this path, but every single person who did manage to intervene and disrupt Jiang Pingchuan's journey possessed strength that could not be underestimated.

"I will wait for him."

A shy blush graced Fox Meini's face as she gazed at Jiang Pingchuan on the ground. Fairy Qingyun smiled and nodded. Although she did not know whether the Fox Meini before her would truly be able to wait for Jiang Pingchuan, she knew that one day, Jiang Pingchuan would surely ascend to see her.

Fairy Qingyun took Fox Meini's hand and turned to leave. Jiang Pingchuan's expression froze as he hurriedly shouted out to Fairy Qingyun, but she simply shook her head at him.

"I have met you before."

Jiang Pingchuan looked at Fairy Qingyun and said. In his impression, he had seen this woman before, yet watching Fairy Qingyun shake her head left him momentarily at a loss for how to explain.

"I am not her. Our fate has not yet matured," Fairy Qingyun said with a slight smile at Jiang Pingchuan. With that, she playfully arched her eyebrows at him, turned, and pulled Fox Meini away, vanishing into the sky. Fox Meini looked back at Jiang Pingchuan with tear-reddened eyes, a single tear rolling down the corner of her smile before she disappeared from Jiang Pingchuan's sight.

All of this felt like a dream. Jiang Pingchuan felt as though he were in a haze, catching glimpses of something, yet every time he tried earnestly to recall the memories, they were abruptly interrupted.

"War... General Pingchuan, take good care of yourself."

Standing behind Jiang Pingchuan, the Black Crocodile Eagle knelt on the ground, cupping its fists toward Jiang Pingchuan's back. When Jiang Pingchuan turned around, the Black Crocodile Eagle had already transformed into a patch of cyan soil on the ground, completely vanishing.

Jiang Pingchuan reached down to scoop up a handful of the cyan soil, holding it in his palm to examine it for a long while before suddenly flicking his hand upward. The cyan soil scattered into the wind, and Jiang Pingchuan saw a majestic eagle within the dust, spreading its wings to soar high and disappear into the distant horizon.

In that parting glance, the sharp hawk-like eyes conveyed a deep, lingering longing to Jiang Pingchuan. Jiang Pingchuan looked at the cold-faced Barbarian King standing nearby. A smirk played at the corner of the Barbarian King's mouth as he walked toward Jiang Pingchuan, his hands wreathed in illusory black Qi.

Suddenly, a violent gale rose, and an overwhelming aura swept Jiang Pingchuan and the Barbarian King away from the spot. This was yet another mystery encountered by Jiang Pingchuan; he could not comprehend why so many individuals were still able to unleash such terrifying power under the suppression of the Changfeng Continent's laws. Before Jiang Pingchuan could ponder further, the scene before him had completely shifted.

He and the Barbarian King arrived inside a magnificent palace. An elderly figure, hazy and illusory, sat smiling as he looked at the Barbarian King and Jiang Pingchuan. Upon seeing the old man, the Barbarian King hastily cupped his fists in a deep salute.

"Greetings, Ancestor."

The Barbarian King saluted the illusory figure. The old man waved his hand, gesturing for the Barbarian King to dispense with formalities. The Barbarian King raised his head and stood respectfully to one side. The old man looked at Jiang Pingchuan with a gaze no different from someone scrutinizing a peerless, priceless treasure.

"Royal Descendant, go ahead to the front hall first. I have some matters to discuss with him."

The old man said in a low, rumbling voice as he looked at the Barbarian King standing nearby. The Barbarian King grunted in acknowledgment, cast a cold glare at Jiang Pingchuan, and then respectfully withdrew from the chamber toward the front hall.

"Do you have any certainty of winning this war?"

The old man looked at Jiang Pingchuan and asked with a smile. While the old man had been scrutinizing him earlier, Jiang Pingchuan had also been carefully observing the old man before him. He could not sense the slightest trace of aura from the old man, as if the person standing there simply did not exist at all.

"If no one else interferes, Pingchuan believes the Barbarian King lacks the capability to trample over my body and conquer the border city."

Jiang Pingchuan's eyes were clear and resolute as he looked straight at the old man. He possessed the absolute confidence to slay the Barbarian King and halt this war.

"Heh, you cannot kill him. He harbors the intent to kill you because he is a beast; you harbor no intent to kill him because he was once Wang Man, and you cannot bring yourself to strike. Therefore, you cannot win."

The old man walked right up to Jiang Pingchuan, staring directly into his eyes. As the old man approached, Jiang Pingchuan distinctly felt a faint breeze brush against his face. Though the breeze was weak, the hidden killing intent concealed within it was enough to tear him apart alive.

"I feel no burden whatsoever about killing him."

Jiang Pingchuan's expression turned cold. The old man had seen right through his thoughts; in battle, the Barbarian King was merely Wang Man, the person Jiang Pingchuan had once known. In truth, Jiang Pingchuan had long known that Wang Man was the Barbarian King, and he had believed he could clearly separate Wang Man from the Barbarian King emotionally. But he had been wrong.

When Wang Man transformed into the Barbarian King, Jiang Pingchuan was someone who had to die in the Barbarian King's eyes. Yet conversely, in Jiang Pingchuan's eyes, the Barbarian King ought not to die—not because he didn't deserve death, but simply because Jiang Pingchuan could not bring himself to deliver the fatal blow.

"Indeed, perhaps you could kill him. At the very least, you could harden your heart and use that spear of yours to end him. But what of it? Hundreds of royal beasts have already seized the advantage on the battlefield. Even if you win the war in the end, how many lives will be lost?"

The old man laughed as he watched Jiang Pingchuan attempt to argue. This person before him was still far too young; despite possessing an extraordinary background and talent surpassing ordinary men, he had seen and experienced far too little of the world, leaving an unmistakable trace of naive immaturity that the old man could easily perceive.

"There is no war without bloodshed."

"Heh, you are right. There is no war without bloodshed. Then tell me, what is the meaning of this war?" Hearing Jiang Pingchuan's retort, the old man turned, walked back to his seat, and sat down, looking at Jiang Pingchuan with a smile as he softly asked.

"The meaning of it? Pingchuan believes that your hearts are far clearer on that than mine."

Jiang Pingchuan looked at the old man sitting in the chair as if looking at a fool. The old man belonged to the Barbarian King's faction, and the war had been initiated by the Barbarian King himself. Asking such a question made Jiang Pingchuan feel that either the old man was toying with him or his brain had short-circuited.

"Heh, you are merely a chess piece upon this board. Let us not speak of meaning, then."

Hearing Jiang Pingchuan's slightly sarcastic remark, the old man did not grow angry; instead, he uttered those words with an inexplicable tone. Jiang Pingchuan froze slightly upon hearing the phrase "chess piece."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Jiang Pingchuan stood before the old man and demanded an answer. The old man smiled, waved a hand toward Jiang Pingchuan, and gestured for him to take a seat in the chair.

"A war of this scale must be initiated by every generation of the Barbarian King. Everyone knows war brings bloodshed, but if this war is not unleashed, it will bring ultimate catastrophe to the Changfeng Continent."

With a flick of the old man's large sleeve, the ground beneath Jiang Pingchuan's feet suddenly transformed into an illusory, shifting panorama. Within the projections, Jiang Pingchuan witnessed battle after battle, and the leader commanding the beast armies in every single instance was the Barbarian King of that era.

In the final flashing image, Jiang Pingchuan saw the Barbarian King of his own generation. The old man standing beside him slowly began to speak, narrating the history of the Changfeng Continent as the projections continued to shift.

Originally, the Changfeng Continent operated without restrictions. Later, a catastrophic God-Demon War brought devastating destruction to the realm. At that time, there were two guardian clans on the Changfeng Continent: one was the Lan clan, and the other was the Barbarian clan. To save the continent they inhabited, the patriarchs of both clans were forced to initiate a sacrificial ritual, summoning divine entities from the heavens to assist in defending the realm. It was precisely because of the appearance of these divine beings that the Changfeng Continent narrowly escaped destruction during the God-Demon War. However, those deities also suffered a devastating backlash. At that very moment, the Demon Realm descended into chaos, and an entity calling himself the Demon God appeared, devouring all the lingering divine auras left behind on the Changfeng Continent.

Yet, the Demon God did not destroy the continent outright; instead, he penned up all its inhabitants, turning them into mere playthings in the palm of his hand. The Demon God informed the patriarchs of the two clans that if they wished to preserve the continued existence of the Changfeng Continent, they must never attempt to rebel against his rule.

Ultimately, this Demon God suppressed all overt strength on the Changfeng Continent down to the peak of the early Foundation Establishment realm. As for the old man before him, he had managed to evade the Demon God's suppression by hiding within this miraculous mountain, preserving his full power. Similarly, according to the old man, a painting hidden within the Lan Imperial Palace concealed two ancestral patriarchs of the Lan clan, while the Barbarian clan also had two ancestors left.

No one had ever attempted to break the Demon God's barrier. In the end, the Lan family ruled the surface of the Changfeng Continent, while the Barbarians were relegated to the outer barbarians beyond the frontiers—all arranged by the Demon God himself. He commanded that every successive Barbarian King must initiate a war, yet forbade them from ever winning it, ultimately forcing them to sue for peace.

Even if a Barbarian King managed to lead an army to conquer the royal capital of the Lan dynasty, he was required to retreat in the end. However, the Barbarian King could demand a single favor from the Lan dynasty, which the dynasty was obligated to fulfill within its capabilities.

It felt like an inescapable curse. No one desired war, yet the precedent of war could never be terminated; otherwise, incurring the Demon God's displeasure would result in him personally destroying the Changfeng Continent.

"If no one ever tries, how can anyone know the outcome?"

Jiang Pingchuan stared at the vanishing projections, his voice cold as he looked at the old man. The old man shook his head with a smile.

"It is useless. No one can find the location of the Demon God, so how could they even attempt it? Perhaps one day you will be able to do it. Your arrival was both an accident and a twist of fate, because your arrival has made many impossible things happen."

The old man looked at the three scars on Jiang Pingchuan's face. At the sight of those scars, he was reminded of the old man in the dark red spider-web robe. That old man was an extremely special existence; he could have killed the Demon God with a mere flip of his hand, yet he chose not to do so, solely because of Jiang Pingchuan standing before him.

"Knowing full well that this is a game of chess arranged by someone else, why does the Barbarian King still dispatch troops to start a war? Why not simply sue for peace directly?"

Hearing the old man's words, Jiang Pingchuan harbored many doubts. Since both sides knew the ultimate outcome would be peace talks anyway, why not bypass the fighting stage entirely and negotiate directly?

"Heh, the Barbarian King remains ignorant of the truth until the war draws to its close. Aside from fulfilling the rules laid down by the Demon God, the war serves another purpose: in every generation, the Demon God cultivates a heinous, unforgoven villain within the Lan family. War serves as the only method to unearth this individual and eradicate them."

The old man furrowed his brows. This was merely a game for the Demon God's own amusement, and all of them—from princes and generals down to common peasants—were nothing more than playthings in the Demon God's grip. Should they disobey his rules, death would be their only path.

"Will that person appear during the war?"

Jiang Pingchuan frowned as well. If what the old man said was true, Jiang Pingchuan suddenly realized that the true main battlefield of this war had never been the borders, nor was it in the hands of the Barbarian King; rather, it lay within the territory ruled by the Lan dynasty.

The old man had stated that no one knew the true purpose of the war until it concluded, yet once the war ended, memories of that true purpose would fade away. Thus, the cycle would begin anew—an endless loop resembling a curse from which no one could ever escape.

"Perhaps they are about to appear. You had best prepare yourself early."

The old man chuckled softly, his tone laced with a sense of helplessness. For he foresaw the true cruelty of this impending war: the stronger an individual was on the battlefield, the heavier the Demon God's rules would weigh upon them.

The old man had already caught a glimpse of what lay ahead for Jiang Pingchuan, but he could not speak of it; otherwise, all of this would be dismantled by the Demon God's rules and forced to reset.

"Can the truth be told to the Barbarian King?"

Jiang Pingchuan suddenly thought of a question. The old man pondered for a moment before nodding at Jiang Pingchuan. Although the old man nodded, Jiang Pingchuan could tell that since the war had not yet concluded, revealing the truth to the Barbarian King carried immense risks.

"If you wish to leave the Changfeng Continent, you cannot rely solely on the Lan clan. The formation requires our participation as well, but it is too difficult, far too difficult..."

Shaking his head with a bitter smile, the old man slowly paced toward the front hall. Jiang Pingchuan fell into deep thought as he listened to the old man's words. He had already deduced that the Lan family's initial promise to send him out must mean someone among them shared the same existence as the old man before him.

They understood the true purpose of the war, which was why, in the end, they would unite with the Barbarian clan to send him away. But why did the Lan family choose him to fight? Jiang Pingchuan felt that the old man had left many things unsaid; everything felt altogether too coincidental.

He had arrived on the Changfeng Continent, and now he was naturally taking the place of the Lan Imperial Family to fight this campaign. On the surface, everything looked seamless, yet Jiang Pingchuan felt problems lurking everywhere—so many that he could no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood.