Chapter 56: Everyone Has Arrived

Disguised as Jin Jiao, Qin Changsheng strolled leisurely toward the valley. Along the way, he encountered many members of the Desolate Clan, yet none of them noticed anything amiss with him; some even greeted him warmly with bright smiles.

Qin Changsheng smiled back in response, while secretly observing the strength and condition of these Desolate Clan members.

He discovered that after receiving the baptism of the Holy Fire, the strength of these clansmen had indeed noticeably improved, and their auras had grown much wilder and more tyrannical.

"Is this the power of the Holy Fire?" Qin Changsheng muttered inwardly, feeling an even greater anticipation to experience the baptism of the Holy Fire firsthand.

He could perceive the nature of the Holy Fire; it was essentially a powerful law-fire, bearing a striking resemblance to the fire of the sun.

Since the Desolate Clan seemingly possessed the bloodline of the Golden Crow, they were able to harness the power of this Holy Fire.

Qin Changsheng coveted such power immensely. Having perused countless ancient texts, he had a vague intuition that his Golden Core realm required precisely this kind of Holy Fire for condensation.

The Ocean of Origin within his inner world needed a sun to absorb and contain these forces.

Thus, upon laying eyes on the Holy Fire, he understood that his opportunity had arrived.

......

Soon, Qin Changsheng reached the entrance of the valley. He saw that many members of the Desolate Clan had already gathered inside, all of them meditating around the Holy Fire.

At the very center of the Holy Fire, a young maiden clad in a white dress sat with her eyes closed in meditation. An abstruse and formidable aura emanated from her body, deterring anyone from approaching rashly.

The woman in white was exceedingly beautiful, especially the pair of pink horns on her forehead, which lent her a hint of exotic charm.

"Could she be the Holy Maiden of the Desolate Clan?" Qin Changsheng thought to himself, while simultaneously sensing the terrifying aura radiating from her. He knew that the strength of this Holy Maiden was definitely not to be underestimated.

By all appearances, she had surpassed the Saint realm.

Furthermore, mastering the power of laws at such a young age, coupled with the blessing of the Holy Fire, meant the power this Holy Maiden could unleash was likely no less than his own when employing immortal Qi and the power of laws.

Qin Changsheng had no intention of making a move right away; he still needed more time to observe and learn.

At the same time, he was waiting for an opportunity.

An opportunity that would throw the entire Desolate Clan into a state of panic and distraction.

The Eastern Wasteland Mystic Realm was merely a pocket dimension. Vast though it was, without the Holy Fire burning in the past, it had produced no supreme powerhouses. Moreover, every ten years, the human race would march in and slaughter a generation, making it impossible for the Eastern Wasteland to ever truly rise in power.

This time, the Holy Fire had vastly boosted these people's strength, and unable to suppress their urge to strike down the human explorers venturing into the Eastern Wasteland Mystic Realm, they would inevitably provoke a siege by human experts.

Therefore, he was waiting.

Finding a secluded corner, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes to meditate, and covertly monitored the surrounding situation.

As time ticked by, Qin Changsheng noticed that every so often, a member of the Desolate Clan would emerge from the Holy Fire, their strength visibly heightened.

Before entering, each person would receive a blessing from the Holy Maiden, which protected them from being scorched by the terrifying power of the Holy Fire.

As for the Holy Maiden herself, she remained perpetually in the center of the Holy Fire, deep in cultivation, and had never once stepped away.

"It seems that if one wishes to receive the baptism of the Holy Fire, obtaining the Holy Maiden's consent is mandatory," Qin Changsheng thought to himself, while also pondering how to get closer to the Holy Fire.

After all, the Holy Maiden was keeping a watchful eye on the area. Even from afar, the woman gave off an overwhelming sense of might, and right in the heart of their territory, Qin Changsheng dared not act recklessly.

At critical moments, caution must always come first.

Just then, Qin Changsheng suddenly sensed a formidable aura approaching the valley. He immediately opened his eyes and looked in the direction from which the presence came.

A tall and handsome young man was striding over, emanating a robust aura that commanded respect.

This person's strength had already reached the Saint realm, making him somewhat stronger than Jin Jiao at the peak of the Deity Transformation stage.

"Jin Lin!" From Jin Jiao's memories, Qin Changsheng recognized the newcomer as Jin Lin, one of the outstanding prodigies of the younger generation of the Desolate Clan.

Arriving at the valley entrance, Jin Lin swept his gaze across the assembled crowd, finally resting it on the Holy Maiden. A flicker of fiery passion flashed through his eyes.

"Holy Maiden!" Jin Lin strode up to the Holy Maiden and bowed respectfully.

The Holy Maiden slowly opened her eyes, glanced at Jin Lin, and said indifferently, "You've come. Is something the matter?"

"Holy Maiden, the human race has recently been hunting in our Eastern Wasteland again, and they have already slain many of our people. Even though our strengths have greatly increased, some of our talented youths have still been killed by their prodigies. I request the Holy Maiden's permission to lead a squad to hunt down those human prodigies," Jin Lin said.

"Rules were imposed upon our Eastern Wasteland by the human race; we must not rashly dispatch powerhouses to hunt down humans, lest we provoke retaliation from human experts."

Hearing this, the Holy Maiden slightly furrowed her brows. After a moment of contemplation, she slowly spoke, "This matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with the other elders. You should return first and await our news."

"Understood, Holy Maiden." Jin Lin bowed respectfully, then turned and walked away.

Qin Changsheng had been secretly observing the entire exchange, calculating in his mind, "It seems the Desolate Clan is paying close attention to the movements of the human race. This might just be an opportunity."

He decided to take this chance to tail Jin Lin and gather intelligence regarding the conflict between humans and the Desolate Clan.

After Jin Lin departed, Qin Changsheng quietly followed behind him.

Because his immortal pupils granted him exceptional long-distance vision, he maintained a vast distance, preventing Jin Lin from noticing the tail. Striding swiftly, Jin Lin soon entered a dense forest.

Qin Changsheng followed him into the woods, but instead of revealing himself immediately, he continued to observe Jin Lin's actions from the shadows.

Jin Lin walked up to a large tree, drew a jade slip from his bosom, and began transmitting a message.

With a flash of insight, Qin Changsheng immediately shifted his gaze and read the contents inscribed upon it.

"Nangong Ruoxi, the Holy Maiden of the Academy, has appeared in the Eastern Wasteland Mystic Realm. Chen An, the monk from Lankedi Temple, along with the heretical monk Wuling, the little princess of the Fox Clan... The Holy Son of the Backing Mountain Sect? Even Sword-Obsessed from the Sword Graveyard is here? Heh, so many familiar faces. But what the hell is this little princess of the Fox Clan?"

Unaware of any anomaly, Jin Lin finished transmitting the message, put away the jade slip, and left the forest.

Qin Changsheng returned to the valley, sat cross-legged once more, and began absorbing the Holy Fire by imitating the others.

To his surprise, he could absorb the Holy Fire without needing the Holy Maiden's blessing—much like how he had previously been able to enter the Yin-Yang Mystic Realm, as if his constitution were completely compatible with such forces.

Without standing on ceremony, Qin Changsheng began to devour the energy.

He now pondered: if he were to relocate this entire mass of Holy Fire into his inner world, would the entire Desolate Clan go into an uproar?

It seemed he would need to find someone to take the blame.

Tsk tsk.

"This poor monk is Chen An, Amitabha."

Qin Changsheng chuckled softly.

He could easily replicate the aura of the Dao-robed youth, and as for that Indestructible Golden Body, there was no need to mimic it at all—coincidentally, Jin Lin's message had mentioned that the Dao-robed youth was also present.

Given that fellow's usual conduct, he was undoubtedly hiding somewhere to plot against others. If he didn't frame him now, when would he?