Chapter 67: The Wise Know When to Yield!
Instant kneel?
How could she not kneel instantly?
That was her master's mother standing there!
Even the fiery-tempered Fiery Apricot Glory Dew had to soften her stance, forcibly suppressing the flames that had burst to life around her.
"Master, please—stop!" she pleaded.
Such reckless absorption would drain too much of the Eyes of Ice and Fire's power, harming the delicate balance that nurtured them all.
But before Ah Yin, not one immortal herb dared to act.
There was the Eight-Petal Ice Crystal Grass—one of the six great beasts of the twofold springs—possessing an eighteen-hundred-century cultivation; it once became Huo Yuhao's spirit and ascended alongside him.
The Black Jade Divine Bamboo—also one of the six beasts, with one hundred sixty thousand years of cultivation.
The Earth Dragon Gold Melon, the mightiest earth-element plant, with one hundred ninety thousand years.
The Dew of Piercing Autumn, with one hundred ten thousand years...
Together, the six great herbs stood around Ah Yin, faces contorted with worry. They didn't know why her divine consciousness was damaged—but she truly couldn't keep absorbing so wildly.
Finally, with visible distress, the Dew of Piercing Autumn produced a crystal droplet—a rare treasure that enhanced and restored spiritual energy.
Her own strength was meager as it was; this offering would weaken her further. But what choice did she have? Let this first-class deity devour their home?
The droplet fell upon Ah Yin's brow, glistening like moonlight. Gradually, the empty glassiness in her eyes began to fade, clarity returning bit by bit.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen was casually observing the twin lakes—the perfect mix of spices in a cosmic stew. Peppercorns, star anise, a hint of cumin—utterly fascinating.
"Ah Yin's consciousness was severely damaged," Jiang Chen explained lightly. "She needs the energy in this place to restore it."
The herbs exchanged glances. After the fall of the Divine Realm, the Sea God himself had commanded them to cooperate with Tang Sect's leader. That was how the Mark of Ice and Fire came to be—awards for each generation of Tang disciples, so the sect could remain powerful.
For without the Divine Realm's protection, the Sea God could no longer shield the dual springs directly.
The Tang Sect had become their custodians, until the Sea God's return.
But now… the Sea God's mother herself had descended, accompanied by two unimaginable soul beasts.
Things had gotten very strange indeed.
Still, their strongest, the Emerald Tulip King, barely held three hundred thousand years—and even then wasn't suited for fighting.
Against these three beings? Impossible.
There's a saying: the wise know when to yield.
So, clearly, surrender was the only option.
Feigning calm, the Emerald Tulip cleared his throat. "May I ask, honored one, what is your relationship with the Sea God?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Take a guess."
He snapped his fingers. Behind him, a faint, ethereal breeze stirred the air.
He'd come fully prepared this time—his miniature God Realm drifting behind him, exuding pure immortal energy.
At once, every herb turned toward it, trembling with awe.
The Eyes of Ice and Fire were rich in vitality, yes, but never to this degree. A year here equaled several in the outside world... yet still, they had never known the taste of immortal essence.
Only immortal qi could grant true undying regeneration—the power that defied the natural order itself.
Every living thing was drawn to it. For intelligent plants like them, the allure was irresistible.
The Emerald Tulip's vine-like limbs quivered. He was about to face his three-hundred-thousand-year tribulation, and even as ruler of the herbs, his frail plant body could never withstand such a divine judgment. Survival seemed impossible.
The last king of flora, the "Fragrant Jade Immortal Tulip," had failed the same test, severing part of its body to preserve what little of its mind remained—still not fully recovered after all this time.
As for Fiery Apricot Glory Dew, her core had been stolen thousands of years ago by Huo Yuhao to heal Ma Xiaotao. The foundation injury left her afraid to even attempt the two-hundred-thousand-year tribulation.
Immortal qi.
The foundation of godhood.
Jiang Chen watched their greed bloom like flowers on their faces. He smiled kindly.
"I intend to rebuild the God Realm. What say you—will you join my new Divine Domain? Together we'll found a new era. You'll all be its Primordial Seats—first-class gods."
The herbs exchanged disbelieving glances. The idea struck them dumb for a moment.
"I'll be honest with you," Jiang Chen continued. "We need the body of the Ice Dragon King beneath these springs. It will serve as the foundation for the new Ice God's ascension. Once we retrieve the remains of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, this entire land will collapse. You won't survive here long anyway."
"So why not join us, and become part of a realm ruled by soul beasts?"
(Official lore note: The Ice and Water Dragon Kings are one being—the Water Dragon King being female and youngest among the Nine Dragon Kings. The Fire Dragon King was slain by the Dragon God, and the Water Dragon King by the Bright Dragon King.)
The Emerald Tulip hesitated. "But… His Excellency the Sea God once said the Divine Realm would return, and we… we…"
"You really plan to wait to die?" Jiang Chen's tone sharpened. "Surely you're not that naïve."
They all fell silent.
He wasn't wrong. For tens of thousands of years, they'd been little more than labor tools.
"Tell me," Jiang Chen said with a cold smirk, "if the Sea God truly cared for you, would he have left you rotting here for eternity? You've been harvested generation after generation—stripped of your essence by every petty inheritor of that Tang family."
"I'm a soul beast," he said, pointing to himself, then at the Snow Empress. "She's a soul beast. That woman"—he gestured toward Ah Yin—"is the very essence of life itself. We will forge a sanctuary not for humans, but for god-beasts."
"The old God Realm is gone. This is our time to rise. You'd rather wait for the heavens to enslave you again? When Tang San no longer needs you, I promise you—he'll destroy you all himself."
"And when that happens… who will you blame?"
His words echoed across the valley, heavy as thunder.
Because deep down—every one of them knew it was true.
Thousands of years ago, the Eyes of Ice and Fire had suffered one great catastrophe, when the Sea God used them as resource stock, harvesting every herb and spirit.
After his ascension, he simply replanted what remained—keeping them here as tools. Each new generation, the same routine—forced to surrender their hard-earned essence.
Of them all, Fiery Apricot Glory Dew had the most right to hate—her body and cultivation exploited repeatedly by humans.
And among them, Earth Dragon Gold Melon, blessed with traces of dragon bloodline, was born defiant of fate.
Without another word, he uprooted himself and dove straight into Jiang Chen's miniature God Realm—his decision made crystal clear.
"Gua-Gua!" the others gasped, stunned beyond words.
Even Jiang Chen blinked in surprise.
Well, that one's decisive.
Next came Fiery Apricot Glory Dew. After all, her chances of surviving her own tribulation were slim. Rather than self-sever and fall into ignorance again, she might as well gamble.
She'd sooner trust her kin than any human.
And with the Sea God's own mother here—if things went south—Tang San couldn't possibly blame his dear mother now, could he?
(END CHAPTER)
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