Chapter 409: Confounded

Yuan Zhenchuan stared at the communication bracelet in his hand as its light dimmed. He remained silent for a long time.

Zhao Kunwu and the people of Great Shang had gone to lead the team to clear the Forbidden Lands.

The Star Alliance's Legends would inevitably have to focus their efforts on the Tenfold Heavenly Domains for some time.

Fu Qingtian had made the decision to enter life-and-death seclusion in an attempt to break through to the realm beyond Legendary.

It truly looked like the Special United Squad collapsed.

Yuan Zhenchuan, as the supreme commander, had nearly led the Special United Squad to dissolution in just two years. This left him incredibly exhausted.

He had poured heart and soul into the past two years, doing his utmost to care for the emotions of every team member.

He didn't know why things had turned out this way. Was it because he wasn't powerful enough to earn their respect? Did these Legends not have any regard for him because he was weak in their eyes?

Now that the Special United Squad, which was painstakingly assembled, had collapsed, what would be next? Would the Human Alliance disband?

In times of crisis, humanity might unite. However, before they did, they would inevitably endure turmoil and chaos.

Just like back when the great Astral God descended, wasn't there also a global reshuffle?

Back then, world wars erupted. Though they were forcibly halted due to the Astral God, the ensuing chaos lasted for thirty years. That was the first phase of the Astral God's descent.

Now that the second phase was about to commence... would history repeat itself?

Back when the first phase began, humanity lost vast territories and had to form the Six Extremities configuration to defend against demonic creatures. What about this time? Who could guarantee that Gaia's humans would still exist after the second phase?

Yuan Zhenchuan looked at the land beneath his feet, at the man-made structures in the distance that demonic creatures had destroyed. For the first time, he was confounded about whether humanity could survive the second phase of the Astral God's descent.

Yes, he was confounded!

Yuan Zhenchuan was a top-level person, a Legendary Astral Cultivator, the Special United Squad's supreme commander, and even a candidate to become the Human Alliance's chairperson. Yet, he was utterly confounded.

Everyone was trying. Everyone was taking risks. Some had even put their lives on the line!

However... none of this could mask the confusion in his heart.

Was what the others were doing correct?

Were the actions he had taken correct?

What would the future of Gaia's humans look like?

No one knew the answer to those questions.

***

Yuan Zhenchuan's confounded state only lasted for a moment. He knew that, as the supreme commander, he could not afford to feel dejected during these times.

He forcibly lifted his spirits and even managed a faint smile as he returned to Li Pin and Fan Xiu's side.

Fan Xiu couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "What's the situation? I just heard Fu Qingtian say he wouldn't participate in the Special United Squad's operations anymore!?"

"That's good news," Yuan Zhenchuan reassured, still smiling. "You must have heard over a decade ago that Fu Qingtian had been researching the path beyond the Legendary realm, right?"

Fan Xiu nodded.

It had been over forty years since the Legendary realm was discovered. Over the years, every Legend who reached the pinnacle of Legendary had been researching the path beyond the Legendary realm.

However, to this day, no one has claimed success. Even the Solar Radiance Sovereign, known to be the best in the world, was no exception.

"Even before the formation of the Special United Squad, Fu Qingtian had a vague idea regarding how to advance further. When the Ox Demon Temple was eradicated, he came into contact with dark magic power. Through his research, he suddenly gained inspiration. He claimed he was fairly confident he could break through in one go and step into the realm beyond Legend."

Yuan Zhenchuan said firmly, "He has gone to cultivate in seclusion. In as little as a few months, or at most a year or two, he will undoubtedly emerge from seclusion. Perhaps, when he does, he will have opened up an unprecedented realm beyond Legendary."

Fan Xiu froze in surprise, then asked, "Is what you say true, Commander Yuan?"

"Of course," Yuan Zhenchuan said solemnly. "If Fu Qingtian isn't confident, why would he risk his life to challenge the realm beyond Legendary? I've reviewed his path—failure would mean mortal danger. He wouldn't gamble with his own life!"

Fan Xiu nodded in realization.

A Supreme would not risk their life without considerable confidence.

For a moment, Fan Xiu's spirit lifted, and anticipation filled his eyes. "If Fu Qingtian can truly take one step beyond the limits of the Legendary realm... it would be an achievement of immense significance for the humans of Gaia, benefiting future generations.

"Even if he doesn't fully take that step into the realm beyond Legendary, it would still be monumental. His breakthrough would completely rewrite the global balance of power."

Yuan Zhenchuan nodded gravely. "As long as we can endure this period..."

Fan Xiu said, "There's no time to waste. Let's regroup with Wu De and the others. Once we get through this, they'll face the consequences they deserve."

If they succeeded, punishment would follow.

But if they failed... it would all be over.

Li Pin understood the implications of Fan Xiu and Yuan Zhenchuan's words.

Even though their actions had caused the deaths of thirty million people and displaced hundreds of millions... Wu De and the others couldn't die. That was precisely why they had the confidence to fake losing control of the perilous regions.

The bigger picture came first, and the Legends were the bigger picture!

It was ironic but true. Even if they were all ambitious, in the face of the threat of demonic creatures, humanity needed the power of every Legend.

Unless... there was someone more powerful than Legends and Supremes—someone who had the power to suppress and replace them.

It's not hard to achieve this if I reach the Celestial Breaker realm, but... it's not enough to do so as a Supreme Martial God,

Li Pin thought.

Li Pin wasn't even sure if he could reach Celestial Breaker. Even with the power of the entire world, he wasn't certain it could be done.

He couldn't make any promises; placing everyone's hopes on an uncertain matter would make him no different from other rogue Legends.

***

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The Tenfold Heavenly Domains was an underground world far beyond anyone's imagination in scale. The gathering of numerous demonic creatures, coupled with mutual struggles between them, forced weaker demonic creatures to dig out more space to hide.

Over time, the Tenfold Heavenly Domains had been divided into ten massive spaces based on the main types of demonic creatures. Each of these spaces spanned over ten thousand square kilometers. Additionally, many areas were crisscrossed by slanted tunnels. If connected and straightened out, each layer's tunnels would stretch over ten thousand miles.

The ten underground spaces stacked layer by layer into the depths resembled the mythological heavens beyond the heavens, giving this perilous region the name Tenfold Heavenly Domains.

At this moment, due to the influx of demonic creatures into the Star Alliance's lands, the number of demonic creatures inside had decreased. Coupled with the bold advances of Star Alliance's Legends, Master Astral Cultivators, and Top-Tier Astral Cultivators, they had already secured a foothold in the fourth layer of the Tenfold Heavenly Domains.

They had almost exterminated the demonic creatures inhabiting the first, second, and third layers, which were the relatively weaker demonic creatures.

As Yuan Zhenchuan, Fan Xiu, Li Pin, and others delved deeper into the Tenfold Heavenly Domains, they encountered many members of the Special United Squad along the way. These people greeted the Legends one by one.

When they reached the fourth layer, they noticed that the number of Astral Cultivators from the Star Alliance had increased.

Resentment welled up in the hearts of the Special United Squad members when they laid eyes on these Star Alliance cultivators. This didn't escape the eyes of Yuan Zhenchuan, who quickly maintained order. He repeatedly emphasized that the loss of control in the Tenfold Heavenly Domains was not due to any conspiracy, but the oversight of the two Legends stationed here, Bai Ying and Zuo Xiangfeng.

He knew they could not let a conflict erupt between the Special United Squad and the Star Alliance's local Astral Cultivators until the demonic creatures in the Tenfold Heavenly Domains were completely eradicated.

***

In a spacious cave in the fourth layer of the abyss.

Upon seeing Yuan Zhenchuan and the others again, Wu De and Lin Ken displayed slightly unnatural expressions. However, they quickly suppressed these feelings.

They would never have imagined that—despite their meticulous planning—the Great Shang would choose this moment to trigger the Forbidden Lands.

At this moment, Wu De was inwardly cursing Ji Xuanyuan.

How much danger could the Forbidden Land pose? How much of Great Shang's resources could it occupy? It's so blatantly clear that they deliberately allowed it to erupt!

Had it not been for Great Shang allowing the Forbidden Land to erupt, the Human Alliance wouldn't have found the Tenfold Heavenly Domains' loss of control suspicious. Then the subsequent investigation on the Tenfold Heavenly Domains would not have been launched. In summary, it was all the Great Shang's fault.

"I heard that demonic creatures from the fifth and sixth layers have appeared in the fourth layer?" Yuan Zhenchuan probed.

The one responsible for liaising with the Star Alliance on behalf of the Special United Squad was Tu Tan. He was the Supreme of the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries and wielder of the Oblivion Ring.

With Darkmoon Island eradicated, nearly all of the Supremes of the East Sea's Thirty-Six Countries, except for one Legend left behind as a precaution, had been deployed.

Tu Tan was, of course, among them. As the wielder of the Oblivion Ring, he had already completed reconnaissance of the fourth layer.

Hearing Yuan Zhenchuan's question, he nodded and said, "Based on my investigation, there are currently four legendary demonic creatures. As for the other demonic creatures... there is an enormous number of them."

He added, "We have not found any demonic creatures containing dark magic as of yet.”

"Four Legendary-level demonic creatures!?" Yuan Zhenchuan was shocked. "Have all the demonic creatures from the Tenfold Heavenly Domains been unleashed?"

Lin Ken answered solemnly, "They're just part of the Legendary demonic creatures from the Tenfold Heavenly Domains. We know the Tenfold Heavenly Domains has at least twelve legendary demonic creatures, especially on the layer known as the Dragon-Slaying Hall, where there are as many as twelve Legendary demonic creatures! Inside... there's even a Dark Evil Dragon!"

He paused. "It is precisely because of that Dark Evil Dragon that we named that layer Dragon-Slaying Hall."

Yuan Zhenchuan glanced at him.

He understood why Lin Ken emphasized the abundance of Legendary demonic creatures in the Tenfold Heavenly Domains. It was a veiled complaint that the Special United Squad had yet to approve the proposal to clear the Tenfold Heavenly Domains.

"Have the specific strengths of the four legendary demonic creatures been determined?" Yuan Zhenchuan asked.

"No... but one of them is similar to the Evil Dragon. And there's one that seems to be of the Demon-Sealing Fortress' Supreme Blood Demon bloodline...." Tu Tan paused. "It's likely another Blood Demon Bishop."