Chapter 1637 - Reluctance

The city was extremely large, but it lacked life force, because the number of people here was too small.

The ancient city was majestic. Even though it was starting to break apart, it still didn’t lose its imposing and awe-inspiring aura. Unfortunately, only some women, children, and weak elderly were left. The city was too large, people too few.

“This is the kings’ place of residence.”

The single-armed elder brought Shi Hao to a short mountain. It was inside the city, only, the foot of the mountain was full of weeds, this place completely silent.

On the mountains, there was a dried black bloody trace, withered and lacking life force.

There was still a single king left. What was he like now? Was he still alive? Not even the people in the city knew the details.

He was already in a critical state, the Seven Kings’ last survivor rarely took action. It was because keeping this lonely city standing was extremely difficult. As long as he was still alive, only then would this city not fall, only then could they use the power of Heaven Abyss!

“I pay my respects to the king!” The single-armed elder carried reverence, full of sincerity as he bowed before this short mountain.

“Shi Hao pays his respects to the ancient ancestor!” Shi Hao was also extremely serious, his face carrying a respectful expression.

Regardless, the Seven Kings were all incomparable heroes, worthy of respect. They led the clans’ people in battle here, never cowering back, holding the enemy back beyond Desolate Border, using blood and lives to defend the Nine Heavens Ten Earths.

He couldn’t forget the scenes he saw on the black ancient ship’s altar. The Seven Kings roared, fighting into the heavens and down to the earth, bringing their clansmen, including the women and children, old and weak, fighting the enemy to the end.

Corpses fell one after another, blood soaking the ancient city. Their contributions were incomparable, yet no one in the outside world knew about them. After endless years passed, their efforts and names were completely buried.

Suddenly, the short mountain shone, extremely gentle, and extremely calm, the radiance spreading outwards.

“I am already aware of your intentions, bring those children out of this place.” This was what he said to the single-armed elder. There was no pressure, no energy fluctuations, everything just that calm.

However, Shi Hao felt a type of incredible grandeur. It didn’t oppress others, but was definitely surging with vitality, inviolable, powerful and grand.

The single-armed elder’s old eyes immediately became sore, turbid tears tumbling down. He immediately knelt down, saying with a trembling voice, “Thank you, great king!”

“It is I who was useless, wronging those children.” The last of the Seven Kings said, releasing a light sigh. It was full of melancholy, like a fallen yellow leaf.

Then, the short mountain’s radiance receded, but the voice sounded one last time, directed at Shi Hao. There was only a single word: Live!

Was this a warning, or something more serious? Or maybe he foresaw something?

It was just one word, yet Shi Hao felt like this was the night before the storm. Great waves were about to stir! What it foretold were rivers of blood, mountains of corpses. Perhaps many will die!

Only one of the Seven Kings remained. He was extremely downcast, seemingly not optimistic about the Nine Heavens’ side. Was this a type of advice for Shi Hao, telling him that surviving was the most important?!

Even after they left the mountain for a long time, the single-armed elder still didn’t say anything, absent-minded, expression in his eyes a bit sluggish.

He knew that the last king carried endless exhaustion and sadness. After fighting for endless generations, his fighting aura had completely dried up, blood and soul about to return to the yellow earth.

In the city, the children were all extremely sad, rarely speaking. They were all extremely quiet. Even though it was the first time they saw Shi Hao, they still all quietly watched.

This was caused by the pressure of the great battle. Normally there were no cheers or laughter in the city. They didn’t have their naivety, their immaturity, no joy, only the struggle for survival, protecting this city.

These children all lost their fathers, lacking the warmth they should have. What they faced was a cold land, ice-cold weapons, as well as blood and bones.

Dang…

A bell sound rang out. Everyone’s eyes immediately shone brightly, even the children starting to quickly run, rushing towards the city walls.

In their hands were various magical artifacts, all of them extremely mysterious and extremely powerful!

Shi Hao was immediately shocked. These children were extremely strong and vigorous, far exceeding their counterparts of the outside world. They were fast like small leopards, the killing intent they released not any inferior to vicious beasts!

Even children who were only a few years old appeared extremely vigorous!

However, children were still children in the end. Holding weapons in their hands was only the fostering of a type of willpower, even more so because there really was no one left in the city. The strong men had all died in battle!

“What happened?” Shi Hao asked.

“There are enemies invading.” The single-armed elder replied.

He brought Shi Hao with him, rushing in a direction, traveling through the void, quickly arriving on one side of the wall, looking downwards.

A layer of light already surged, protecting the entire ancient city. This was a barrier of light formed from symbols, able to block the attacks of the undying existences.

Below the city, there was a vicious beast that was incredibly massive. It had two heads, one was an alligator head, golden and resplendent, the other a Peng head, fierce and sinister.

Its body was extremely large, having an alligator body, but also had a pair of giant golden wings behind him, these being Peng wings.

It was clear that this was an extremely powerful race. When the single-armed elder saw this creature, his expression immediately became serious.

Shi Hao had previously heard that the creatures who could arrive before the city walls were all undying beings. Was this a true undying creature?

Fortunately, Sanzang and Shenming were not at this side of the city, or else they would undoubtedly be in danger!

“Luckily, it is just a corpse. Someone is using its body to test Emperor City.” The single-armed elder released a breath of relief.

This was only the body of a vicious beast. The undying beings borrowed the corpse of a creature to attack the ancient city, moreover frequently doing this recently. According to the elder’s suspicions, the great decisive battle was arriving soon!

The elder waved his hand, having the children make their moves. Their exchange was extremely simple, practically not needing any words. 

Meanwhile, even though this wasn’t an undying being great enemy, it was still extremely terrifying. However, the single-armed elder actually handed the task over to the children, had them attack.

The group of children were silent, but they were all decisive. They had long occupied different spots on the wall, holding magical artifacts, silently activating symbols, stirring on divine power.

Hong!

This wall seemed to be reviving. It released weak light, and then powerful sword radiance hacked outwards, striking towards that ancient beast!

Secret treasure!

Those children were all using special secret treasures that could resonate with the walls, activating the defensive symbols and offensive techniques.

However, those small faces were all pale, lacking color. Soon afterwards, one of them sat down, quietly chanting sacrificial text, connecting with the ‘flames’ within the city.

Those flames were extremely special. They were all bones, undying power released from them. They were borrowing wisps and strands of divine light, releasing them through magical artifacts.

“They have to do such dangerous things even when they are this young?” Shi Hao frowned. This looked simple, but it was actually extremely dangerous.

Those undying beings’ skeletons, even though they were restricted by the symbols of formations, each time only a small amount of power borrowed, if a single bit of undying flames erupted, it would be enough for them to die ten thousand times over.

Moreover, if anything happened when those magical formations were being transmitted out, then it would be a great disaster.

Of course, Shi Hao had to give credit to the people in the city, creating a secret method that allowed even children to participate. They all had this type of courage, not cowering at all in the face of the enemy, all of them firm and persistent.

“Can this be considered dangerous? Their fathers, ancestors, tens, hundreds, thousands of people sacrificed their lives, carrying the undying creatures’ bone flames while rushing out, following the kings together in battle.” The single-armed elder calmly said.

This really was cruel and bloody, completely using their own lives as the price, yet the elder said it so calmly.

“The price for summoning the power of Heaven Abyss is even greater.” He said with a sigh.

During those dangerous times, it was perhaps only used to deal with undying kings!

Pu!

There were some children’s small faces that became deathly pale. Even though their strength was far greater than those of ordinary people, in the end, they were still too young. They spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing onto the ground.

Someone walked up, bringing them away, carefully caring for them.

“Being born here, what kind of lives could they lead?” The single-armed elder said. This simple sentence explained everything.

Reality was just that cruel. Being carefree and without worries, growing up with bright smiles, that was impossible!

In this place, just surviving was a blessing.

Qiang qiang qiang!

The city wall continuously shone, releasing sword energy, blasting that ancient beast back.

However, they were still only a group of children in the end. Even if they borrowed various powers of this place, the activation techniques were still insufficient.

In the end, there were still some elders who took action, operating it together. The wall erupted with endless light, forming a blood-colored war halberd in front of the city. It hacked outwards.

Pu!

The beast’s head was removed, a strand of willpower fleeing.

In the end, this ancient beast was dragged into the city. Of course, after passing through the city gates, symbol light shone, purifying its body, destroying all life force to prevent an accident from occuring.

At nightfall, a flame burned in the city, beast bones were burning, forming a bonfire.

Shi Hao sat on one side, watching the quietly sitting, completely silent children wait for food. He found it hard to remain calm himself.

“Have a piece, the taste isn’t that bad.” The single-armed elder handed a piece of meat to Shi Hao, precisely today’s spoils.

This meat contained astonishing essence energy, something only ancient beasts with terrifying bloodlines had. If the children wanted to eat it, the elders had to help them refine it first.

Shi Hao finally understood why even though these children weren’t old, they were all strong, strength far exceeding those their age.

Throughout the years, they were always eating vicious beasts.

If they were brought into the outside world and properly nurtured, they would definitely become a group of human shaped vicious beasts with extraordinary potential, all of them good saplings!

“The foreign vicious beasts have some inauspicious substance in their bodies, eating too much of it isn’t good, it will create a strange sickness. Some of the vicious beast corpses left behind from those ancient great battles are filled with even more astonishing divine force.” The single-armed elder said.

“Inauspicious?” Shi Hao was shocked.

“En, when eaten for a long time, if one doesn’t take the time to purify it, they will lose their minds.” The elder nodded, telling Shi Hao to pay attention to refining it.

According to the elder’s suspicions, it wasn’t just one or two types of vicious beasts in the other side who were like this, the other King Clans might also have a bit of inauspiciousness inside of them, it was just a matter of how much.

“Children, send your mothers and grandmothers your goodbyes today, tell them everything you want to tell them that is buried within your hearts.” The single-armed elder stood up, speaking towards those children next to the bonfires.

‘Tomorrow, when the sun rises, you all are leaving for another place to learn more powerful skills. When you all are strong enough, come back with your loved ones, and fight together with us old fellas!” The single-armed elder said with a loud voice.

However, Shi Hao could hear his voice shaking. These were words that carried emotions, soul moving. This was going to be an eternal parting.

A few older kids stood up, saying, “No, we want to stay here and fight! The city is still here, people are still here! We are going to fight together with the ancestors, our blood is going to stay here!”

“We are also going to stay behind!

“We aren’t leaving!”

“This is our home! Even if we die in battle, our blood and bones have to be buried here!”

A group of youngsters shouted, stirred up. It was because they knew the elders wanted them to leave alive, to not come back again.

“All of you, shut up! You all are to go back now! Properly accompany your mothers and grandmothers, talk to them a bit more. Gather here early tomorrow morning!” The single-armed elder shouted.

The bonfire stopped burning, the city becoming dusky.

This moment, for many of these children, had a huge impact. It was as if the heavens were falling. They were going to leave this place?

However, they had already lived here for so many years, born here, so they weren’t willing to go.

Early the next morning, a strand of multicolored light appeared.

The single-armed elder, together with some old comrades, raised these children one after another themselves, bringing them to the public square.

“It’s time to go. If any of you have skills like your ancestors, at the weakest able to shoot down a great star with an arrow, then you can come back!” An elder roared.

On the side stood the children’s mothers and grandmothers. Right now, they were also a part of the main combat force, couldn’t leave!

The children were crying, those women also crying.

Normally, they were all quiet, not saying much, yet now, they were all shouting, crying out, not willing to be separated.

The children all rushed towards their loved ones, as if they had too many things they wanted to say. They all burst into tears.

Their words while crying were much more than how much they usually spoke.

When the sun rose again, Shi Hao brought the children away from here. The golden morning multicolored light dragged out long shadows behind them, as if reluctant to let them go!

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