On the mountain path to the highest volcano, Zhang Ping whose entire body was wrapped in black smoke silently walked towards some workshops situated above several lava pools.

In front of him appeared a figure that was similarly wrapped in black smoke, appearing incomparably tall and lofty.

In Purgatory Mountain, only Purgatory Mountain’s great elders with the most venerable statuses could wrap themselves in black smoke, continuously accumulating prestige.

During the battle of Wenren Cangyue’s death, two of Purgatory Mountain’s great elders who exceeded normal Sacred Experts were killed. In all of Purgatory Mountain, including Zhang Ping, there were now only four Purgatory Mountain Great Elders left.

At any time before, Purgatory Mountain Great Elders never disturbed each other. Even if it was returning to their own residences or palaces, they would choose different paths. However, right now, this Purgatory Mountain Great Elder instead directly walked up to Zhang Ping.

He not only stopped on a flight of steps higher than Zhang Ping, looking down on him from above, the black smoke surging from his body also appeared even more intense, appearing more powerful than Zhang Ping’s.

“The patriarch has decided to make you one of us, but do not think that you will ever truly be on equal footing as us.”

The voice of this Purgatory Mountain Great Elder sounded from within the surging smoke. It sounded like two pieces of bronze grinding against each other, ear-piercing and unpleasant.

Zhang Ping remained silent, but instead bowed his head slightly. The black smoke that surged from his body became a bit less, indicating his compliance.

The Purgatory Mountain Great Elder who looked down from above felt satisfaction towards his compliance, but still released a cold laugh, continuing to say, “There were some errors in your understanding towards some runes, I have already made changes. Also, several Divine Adjudicators’ supervising have been unfavorable, I have already switched out candidates that are more suitable. I believe the patriarch needs the obedient little things faster than you anticipated.”

Zhang Ping still didn’t say anything, only showing an even more humble and respectful stance.

This Purgatory Mountain Great Elder released a cold laugh, not saying anything else. Zhang Ping instead seemed to know what he ought to do. He bowed his body slightly, moving to the side.

Only when this Purgatory Mountain Great Elder walked past his side, disappearing into the path behind him, did he slowly raise his head.

He raised his head, but he didn’t look at that Purgatory Mountain Great Elder who gave him a demonstration, purposely humiliating him, instead silently giving the highest palace a look.

His eyes were filled with true respect.

It was because he understood extremely clearly that regardless of how much authority this Purgatory Mountain Great Elder displayed in front of him, in this entire Purgatory Mountain, all Purgatory Mountain Great Elders were merely dogs raised by the one in that palace.

The one who sat on that throne was the true great figure.

Moreover, after Vice Principal Xia’s death, when he brought back some cultivation methods from Sky Devil Prison Plains and exchanged them for his current position, the one in that throne was already an unparalleled existence in this entire world, already someone who could truly grasp the fate of this world.

Even if his current self in that palace was asleep, he could still make everything move as he wished.

Moreover, that highest level existence, the thinking of a true great figure also seemed to be entirely different from that of an ordinary person’s, even harder for one to grasp. Even if it was him who was already the closest to this Patriarch in all of Purgatory Mountain, he still couldn’t understand at all why Purgatory Mountain Patriarch would suddenly issue a decree, directly agreeing with all of Liu Xueqing’s conditions, using this to abruptly conclude negotiations.

Zhang Ping obviously understood that for truly great figures of Purgatory Mountain, the momentary gains and losses of a dynasty weren’t much at all. Even the things that were given out in the open could be seized back through some methods in the dark.

What made him feel true fear was that Purgatory Mountain Patriarch, after obtaining some Sky Devil Prison Plains cultivation methods from him, originally shouldn’t have been in a rush… Yet now, he seemed to have suddenly become rushed.

This type of psychological change, while leaving others confused during their speculations, also made many of his enemy’s plans go up into thin air.

Just like before, after examining several of Purgatory Mountain’s highest level secret workshops, knowing that because of that Purgatory Mountain Great Elder who normally resided in Devil Flame Cave and who was similarly a great craftsman proficient in runes and soul weapon manufacturing dao, that there was already no way for him to stall for any longer, Zhang Ping left these workshops, returning to the cave he resided in.

His cave was embedded with all types of fine jade and jewels unimaginable for the world, all types of blankets made from various rare fiend beasts’ fur, yet always wafted with a type of pungent smoke that was useful for a newly appointed great elder.

He walked into a room in this cave.

This was a workshop. There were quite a few Purgatory Mountain slaves and some Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicators busying about inside.

This was considered his private workshop. Even if the other three Purgatory Mountain Great Elders didn’t believe he had equal authority to them, he already had a private workshop, the authority to comprehend runes and refine soul weapons.

There were many parts that were being made.

These parts that were at different stages of progress, in the eyes of this workshop’s slaves and Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicators, were only some armor fragments or some meaningless things.

However, in his mind and in his eyes, these parts instead combined to form the world’s most powerful armor.

Only, this armor had no chance of being completed within two weeks of time, and some things were still lacking.

“There is already no time. What exactly are you doing?”

While silently standing by the edge of the magma river, looking at the armor that just finished having runes applied, Zhang Ping’s eyes narrowed slightly, inwardly saying this coldly and grimly.

…

Many people knew that Green Luan Academy was going to face a true battle to the death. Even though most people didn’t know that this was all because of Purgatory Mountain Patriarch’s mysterious and incomprehensible change of attitude that led to Green Luan Academy not having much time left, most of those people were wondering what Lin Xi was doing.

Lin Xi never saw himself as a savior, so he formlessly overlooked his influence towards the current Yunqin and Great Mang, overlooked the fact that he was already viewed as a more formidable opponent than even Yunqin Emperor.

He brought Big Black with him, following Chi Xiaoye through the Great Desolate Swamp and entering a true unknown land Yunqin cultivators had never stepped foot in to request help. Apart from those true friends of his and the ones closest to him, no one else knew.

However, a lot of time had already passed since Big Black appeared.

Compared to how Lin Xi did some things before, carrying out continuous assassinations against Great Mang, eventually even killing Wenren Cangyue… Compared to the appearance of Big Black before the peace negotiations began, just this alone made it so that even though they didn’t know that Lin Xi went beyond Great Desolate Swamp to seek help, they all keenly discovered that Lin Xi went missing.

Even if Lin Xi thought of this and left Big Black in Bian Linghan’s hands, it was still useless. It was because Big Black was this world’s publicly acknowledged most powerful soul weapon, similarly one of the hardest soul weapons to control. Even that Tangcang high ranking officer who previously held onto Big Black couldn’t be like Lin Xi, able to make the arrow radiance spin in the air for a long time, and then strike the opponent’s body at the best timing.

Bian Linghan couldn’t do this either.

Lin Xi’s most powerful enemies, through just the slightest differences, could deduce that Lin Xi already went missing.

…

In the chilly Yunqin Imperial Palace, Yunqin Emperor who, because the peace negotiations already succeeded, moreover Great Mang agreeing to sign a humiliating agreement, regaining quite a bit of prestige, instead suddenly became extremely furious.

Aside from Purgatory Mountain Patriarch, he was Lin Xi’s most powerful enemy. That was why he could instead understand some of Purgatory Mountain Patriarch’s sudden change in intentions.

Right now, everyone was certain that Lin Xi was indeed an existence with Divine General talent.

Someone like Lin Xi suddenly disappearing was naturally the plotting of something major.

Perhaps in Purgatory Mountain Patriarch’s eyes, it was precisely because of the threat he experienced due to the things Lin Xi did that he would suddenly change his mind on some matters.

This meant that Purgatory Mountain Patriarch might have already viewed Lin Xi as an opponent of equal footing as himself. Or perhaps it could be said that even if he had to take some risks, he still had to slaughter this opponent before he truly grew up.

Lin Xi was viewed with even greater importance than himself?

Purgatory Mountain Patriarch didn’t feel like Yunqin’s Emperor was a threat, instead already feeling the fear of Lin Xi’s growth?

Yunqin Emperor felt extreme anger because of Purgatory Mountain Patriarch’s contempt.

During this period, there were still no traces of the imperial princess, this even more so making him constantly irritable.

Only, between Lin Xi and Purgatory Mountain Patriarch, he even more so didn’t wish to see Lin Xi and Green Luan Academy come out victorious.

That was why he decided to completely cooperate with Purgatory Mountain Patriarch’s sudden change in mood, even further shortening Green Luan Academy and Lin Xi’s time.

A Crimson Dragon Scorched Tail level order[1] was passed down with his rage, rushing towards South Tomb Province’s front lines and Dragon Snake Border Pass at the fastest speed.

…

Great figures were great figures, which was why the thoughts in their heads would forever be different from ordinary people.

When Yunqin Emperor’s order had just left Central Continent Imperial City, Ni Henian walked out of his ice cave.

The instant he walked out of the ice cave, there already wasn’t any chilliness leaving his body, nor were there any terrifying aura being released. However, his eyes that had been burned to the point where they became like a frozen preserved egg flickered with ice-cold radiance, as if his two eyeballs both became cold ice.

He left Central Continent Imperial City.

He left Central Continent City.

Not a single person noticed.

It was because right now, he was the most powerful existence in all of Central Continent City, as well as perhaps all of Yunqin.

No one knew what he was truly thinking either.

…

The peace negotiations were already set. Even though Great Mang Emperor was still on his way to Thousand Sunset Mountain, moreover encountering the disturbances of some furious Great Mang people, the process not smooth, Great Mang’s withdrawal of troops was smoothly underway.

Thousand Leaf Pass’s final group of Great Mang soldiers were currently leaving. The most elite Yunqin forces in South Tomb Province previously transferred over from Dragon Snake Border Army were currently taking over.

Suddenly, on Thousand Leaf Pass’ highest lookout tower, a Yunqin black-armored high ranking officer’s eyes rapidly contracted.

It wasn’t because something abnormal happened with the Great Mang Army’s retreat, but rather that in Yunqin’s territory, there was a troop currently heading in Thousand Leaf Pass’ direction.

This troop was still extremely far from Thousand Leaf Pass. If it was an ordinary army, there was no way this Yunqin black-armored high ranking officer would be able to see it.

This was a troop whose figures were exceptionally massive, all of their bodies flickering with golden light. Even while being extremely far away, it still made him feel a powerful pressure.

“Divine Elephant Army!”

The instant his breathing stopped for a moment, this Yunqin black-armored high ranking officer coldly spat out these three words.

1. Yunqin Empire’s most urgent information relaying grade B4C32