Chapter 282: Divine Relic

"Martial God!"

Cang Shengdao forced himself to calm down, shaking off the grief of losing his closest kin. His expression gradually settled as he glanced around.

In the crowd, Wang Qianjun, the Legendary Astral Cultivator from the imperial family, looked at him with discontent. Everyone understood that forcing Tianyuan to hand over Li Pin, who had opened the path to the Martial God, could easily escalate tensions between Great Shang and Tianyuan into a full-scale war.

As two of the Six Extremities with the greatest mobilization power, a conflict between these two nations could jeopardize the survival of the entire human race.

The other Master Astral Cultivators shared similar concerns. Their expressions seemed to silently ask,

who does Cang Shengdao think he is to make such demands?

Some even showed a hint of schadenfreude, including You Zhige, another disciple of Zhao Kunwu who had also opened nine Astral Palaces. It was clear that the sorrows of one man did not always resonate with others.[1]

"Junior Brother Cang, my condolences," said You Zhige, approaching with a false show of sympathy.

He was one of Zhao Kunwu's top contenders for inheriting his mantle and Cang Shengdao's greatest rival.

You Zhige continued, "But considering that he stepped onto Crimson Flame Island and participated in this great war, he must have been prepared for the possibility of sacrifice...."

"Senior Brother You, regardless of what you think, my brother died for our country. Don't you think your tone is a bit much?" said Cang Shengdao, his voice turning cold as he glared at You Zhige.

"Of course, Martial Saint Cang sacrificed himself for the Great Shang, and his contribution will be remembered..." conceded You Zhige.

His tone soon shifted sharply. "However, the extent of that contribution is questionable. According to our latest intelligence, all he accomplished was the loss of many Extreme Martial Saints who had the potential to become Astral Cultivators, along with countless top-tier and rare astral equipment. He accomplished nothing of real value. Knowing the opponent was unbeatable, he still led our Extreme Martial Saints to their deaths."

"Enough!" Cang Shengdao roared.

Having just regained his composure, hearing You Zhige speak ill of his younger brother ignited his fury once more.

He knew You Zhige was trying to rile him up using his brother, but hearing such slander still ignited a burning rage within him. "You Zhige! My brother charged at Li Pin, a Martial God, with unyielding determination and indomitable will. Such spirit deserves respect from every Martial Saint and practitioner! What gives you the right to criticize him?"

"Junior Brother Cang, I don't appreciate your tone. Your brother's so-called courage was nothing more than reckless ignorance. He couldn't see the situation clearly, leading our elites into futile charges against an invincible opponent and resulting in the deaths of forty Extreme Martial Saints. Forty!"

His words grew heavier. "That's two-thirds of Great Shang's Extreme Martial Saints. If they had been nurtured properly, perhaps two or three, or even four or five of them, could have become Astral Cultivators.

"And considering what Martial Saints-turned-Astral Cultivators can achieve, that's the loss of three to five Top-Tier Astral Cultivators. Such a heavy blow... You'd better pray that His Majesty doesn't hold you accountable for this."

Many of the Astral Cultivators appeared thoughtful after hearing his words.

As You Zhige walked away, several others followed. Even Wang Qianjun cast a cold glance at Cang Shengdao before departing.

Once the Legendary Astral Cultivator left, the others quickly dispersed as well. Soon, only Cang Shengdao remained in the estate hall.

His face was expressionless, but his gaze was as sharp and cold as a blade.

He stood motionless for a long time before turning and heading toward the room where Zhao Kunwu was resting.

Cang Shengdao knocked on the door.

"Master," he called.

He received no reply.

After a brief pause, Cang Shengdao spoke, "Master, I once acquired a rare treasure. When worn, it grants powerful regenerative and healing abilities. It can heal even the most severe injuries within a day or two. I suspect it's a divine relic."

Still, there was no sound from inside the room.

Cang Shengdao didn't rush, waiting quietly instead.

After half a minute, a voice came from within. "Come in."

Cang Shengdao pushed the door open and saw Zhao Kunwu sitting there, flipping through information on Li Pin while watching a live broadcast on a large screen.

On the screen, Li Pin had just finished explaining the Martial God realm. However, numerous Martial Saints still surrounded him, reluctant to leave.

Zhao Kunwu's gaze shifted to Cang Shengdao. "A divine relic?"

Cang Shengdao nodded. "Yes."

He then glanced at another screen in the room.

With Zhao Kunwu's nod of approval, he stepped forward and operated the controls, soon displaying a series of images.

The screen showed gravely injured individuals recovering rapidly. Their regeneration didn't just involve their injuries but also their primordial qi, stamina, and even mental spirit.

Zhao Kunwu's expression turned serious after watching for a while. "Is it that blue crystal?"

Cang Shengdao lowered his head and replied humbly, "Yes, I sealed it within a jade pendant."

Zhao Kunwu looked at Cang Shengdao. He didn't say anything about why he hadn't reported or handed over the divine relic.

Divine relics were wondrous treasures that possessed all sorts of power beyond imagination!

The current global balance of power among the Six Extremities was largely due to the existence of the Six Divine Rings.

For instance, Great Shang controlled the Destruction Ring, while Tianyuan held the Void Ring of Teleportation.

In a sense, the Six Divine Rings were the cornerstone of the Six Extremities' unrivaled status. Each ring was forged from a divine relic.

"What do you want?" Zhao Kunwu frowned. "Do you want me to kill Li Pin and avenge your brother? That's difficult, at least in the short term. We'll have to wait for the heat to die down before sending our Top-Tier Astral Cultivators assassins hidden in Tianyuan."

Cang Shengdao made no demands. He simply revealed, "That divine relic has fallen into Li Pin's hands."

Zhao Kunwu shot to his feet, his voice sharp, "What did you say!? A divine relic! And you let it fall into the hands of another nation!?"

"I was deeply worried for my brother's safety. To ensure his survival, I sealed away that divine relic and temporarily let him use it... I believed that with his strength, a full set of rare astral equipment, and the powerful restorative abilities of the divine relic, he could use a kiting strategy to single-handedly take down dozens, even hundreds, of Martial Saints without issue.

"In the King of the Century Competition, victory would have been assured. But... I didn't expect him to encounter a monster like Li Pin..."

As Cang Shengdao spoke, he knelt down. "Please punish me, Master."

"Fool!" Zhao Kunwu roared in anger, starlight bursting from him.

The kneeling Cang Shengdao was blasted away before slamming into the wall with a force that shattered it into pieces. Before he could even rise, blood spewed from his mouth.

A Legendary Mage? A Quasi-legend?

In the end, it was merely a special technique that relied on the peculiar combination and resonance of the Astral Palace to unleash Legendary-level attacks. Before someone as powerful as Zhao Kunwu, he was clearly far inferior.

Zhao Kunwu's fury blazed as he glared at Cang Shengdao. "A divine relic, and you gave it to a Martial Saint?"

Cang Shengdao ignored his injuries and kneeled before Zhao Kunwu again.

This scene only served to intensify Zhao Kunwu's anger.

Zhao Kunwu understood that Cang Shengdao's actions had been done in good faith. He had given Cang Shengjie the divine relic to ensure his safety and secure the title of King of the Century, allowing Cang Shengdao to rise to the position of supreme commander of the Special United Squad.

But still... How foolish!

Yes, it was foolish. Yet, wasn't it precisely this kind of foolishness that had caught Zhao Kunwu's eye, leading him to take Cang Shengdao as a disciple?

So... Cang Shengdao wasn't the only fool.

"Master, Li Pin might not have fully understood the relic's mysteries yet. But if he leaves Crimson Flame Island and joins forces with Fu Qingtian and the others from Tianyuan... recovering that relic would become nearly impossible."

Cang Shengdao lowered his head. "Every divine relic holds unimaginable power. If it's something like a Treasure Detection Necklace, Enlightenment Pendant, Memory Gemstone, or one of those auxiliary divine relics, it wouldn't be so concerning. But if it's something that can be used to forge treasures on par with the Six Divine Rings...."

The balance between the Six Extremities could be shattered. Especially now that Tianyuan had become the supreme commander of the Special United Squad, holding the moral high ground.

The Alliance reforms were planned to happen in the coming years. This unexpected turn of events could be detrimental.

"I only hope you'll let me go to Crimson Flame Island and retrieve what belongs to us," Cang Shengdao said firmly.

"No one is allowed within three hundred miles of Crimson Flame Island..." Zhao Kunwu replied.

He knew Cang Shengdao's goal in going back to Crimson Flame Island wasn't simply to reclaim what belonged to them

"But hasn't the King of the Century Competition already ended?" Cang Shengdao asked. "If it troubles you, Master, I am willing to exchange my life for his."

Zhao Kunwu's aura suddenly surged as he fixed a fierce gaze on Cang Shengdao.

However, a thought soon struck him. "You want to gamble on that object's recovery power? But what if—"

"Everyone must pay the price for their choices." Cang Shengdao lowered his head again. "Please, Master, allow me this."

Zhao Kunwu remained silent for a long time.

It wasn't until the ships at Misty Cliff Harbor were ready to set sail for Crimson Flame Island to retrieve the remaining Martial Saints of the Great Shang that Zhao Kunwu finally spoke. "You have a promising future ahead... just wait a few decades..."

"Master, do you think, with Li Pin's talent, that I will still have a few decades once he transitions to training as an Astral Cultivator?" Cang Shengdao responded. "In as little as ten years, or as long as thirty, he will inevitably become another Fu Qingtian!"

Zhao Kunwu's heart trembled.

Another Fu Qingtian...

For humanity, this would be a blessing. But for Great Shang...

"Humanity is still far from unified. The Human Alliance is just that, an alliance, not a singular entity..." Zhao Kunwu murmured to himself.

After a long pause, he finally waved his hand. "As for Fu Qingtian... I will have a word with him."

He hesitated briefly before adding, "But if he decides to take action against you... I won't stop him... I can't stop him. Do you understand?"

"If I die at Fu Qingtian's hands, then that is my fate," Cang Shengdao responded, bowing. "As your disciple, I would like to bid my farewell."

With that, he turned resolutely.

Instead of taking a ship, Cang Shengdao activated the secret arts from the Astral Palace, disregarding his astral energy consumption, and flew straight toward Crimson Flame Island.

1. schadenfreude means joy in others' misfortune. ☜