DiploNovel #534 - Lock
#534 - Lock
Chapter 531: Locked Gate
Zhang Chen looked at his Goldfinger interface:
[6 Skills (Ultimate): Second Heaven (0/4,000,000)]
“Four million experience points, it’s not a lot, but it’s definitely not a small amount either.” Zhang Chen then looked at the accumulated experience points on his Goldfinger interface. He currently earns 100,000 experience points per day. To accumulate four million experience points, it would take at least a month. But how many ‘months’ does one have in life?”
“I won’t upgrade for now. The most important thing for me is to level up the Stealth Art or the Wood Element Authority.” Zhang Chen thought about it and decided that his own life was more important. Before finding a new source of points, it's best not to waste them recklessly. After all, points can often be life-saving.
The donkey cart continued on its way. After several more months, more and more refugees gathered together, forming a large group heading into the distance.
Zhang Chen didn't know the road south, so he could only observe the direction with his sparrowhawk while following the large group.
This journey was fraught with dangers, but Zhang Chen had Blood God Sons, and his methods were ruthless, directly killing all enemies in their infancy.
After this period of fighting, all seven Blood God Sons had stepped into the seventh-order realm, the same as his main body's Blood Path realm, which shows how tragic the fighting along the way was.
That night, the refugees sat together, eating dry food and chatting:
“In one more day, we should reach Tiger Soul Pass. Tiger Soul Pass is the last strategic pass in the territory of the Pacifying Border King. Once we pass Tiger Soul Pass, we will be in the territory of the Pacifying Rebellion Marquis. We can be considered to have escaped the influence of that dog thing, the Pacifying Border King.”
“We finally escaped from this mountain of knives and sea of fire!” Someone's voice was full of exhaustion: “Damn Pacifying Border King, this incompetent man caused the fall of our Northern Lands. I wish I could eat his flesh and drink his blood.”
“The Pacifying Rebellion Marquis and the Pacifying Border King have a dirty relationship. There are frequent frictions between the two sides, and the area where they border is not peaceful. As long as we reach the territory of the Pacifying Rebellion Marquis, we will be safe.”
“Yes! We are finally jumping out of the sea of fire, but my wife and children will forever remain in the Northern Lands.”
… …
At this time, sobbing sounds rang out in the darkness, adding a touch of desolate atmosphere.
“The Pacifying Border King deserves to die!” Cheng Yu gritted his teeth, his voice full of killing intent.
Zhang Chen, wrapped in a tiger skin cloak, listened to the resentful cries in the dark night. It was already late autumn, and the air was cold, making Zhang Chen, who was already sensitive, even more sensitive, as if he was sitting in an ice cellar, with a layer of frost hanging on his eyebrows.
“The Pacifying Border King is not simple. He is good at maneuvering and planning. Even the imperial court has been unable to do anything to him for hundreds of years. Now he has even introduced the demon race into the human territory, using the demon race to command the world, and with the Yellow Heaven Dao as a helper, it is even more difficult to deal with him now.” Zhang Chen sighed quietly.
After about a year of accumulation, the killing in the Northern Lands has gradually stopped, or rather, the killing that could be carried out in the Northern Lands has been completed. Zhang Chen's Blood God Sons are constantly collecting blood in secret, so he knows how many people have died in the Northern Lands this year.
It's a pity that those who died were ordinary mortals. Unlike the Wuzhuang Temple, where great cultivators constantly fell, otherwise Zhang Chen's Blood Path level should have been raised long ago.
“There is still a considerable distance from the 2 trillion mark.” Zhang Chen looked at his Goldfinger interface: [3 Skills (Seventh Order): Body Transformation Blood River (1,500,000,000,000/2,000,000,000,000)]
“Still 500 billion points away!” Zhang Chen gave the answer after scanning the Goldfinger interface: “Since the demon race has entered the pass, they will definitely not live in peace. After they have rested, they will definitely invade the territories of the various human princes. There will be no shortage of points at that time.”
However, the fact that the Northern Lands could provide him with 1.5 trillion points still exceeded Zhang Chen's expectations. How many people had to die? Even if one person provides ten points, that's 150 billion!
That's 150 billion lives!
In fact, the refugees' qi and blood are declining, and they may not be able to provide ten points. Moreover, this is after Zhang Chen opened the Blood Sea collection function after walking for several months.
On the contrary, when the demon race devours the human race, they will definitely become enlightened, and then swallow the essence of the sun and moon to evolve into demon beasts. The strength of the demon race will definitely usher in an explosive growth. The reason why the demon race is still shrinking in the Pacifying Border King's territory and has not invaded the surrounding principalities is because they have not yet digested the benefits brought by conquering the Pacifying Border King's territory. Those demon beasts have not yet completed their transformation. When those demon beasts complete their transformation, it will definitely be a catastrophe.
“The world is too chaotic. Ordinary people live in this world like weeds.” Zhang Chen thought to himself.
Even his donkey died of exhaustion on the road. It was constantly rushing on the road every day, wearing out its joints. In the end, Zhang Chen slaughtered it and made dried meat, and then used a horse demon to pull the cart.
Everyone was silent all night, each cultivating. Zhang Chen took out the alchemy furnace, which turned into the size of a palm. He lit the materials he had obtained from the ruins of the Patriarch's house and placed them in the alchemy furnace. A wisp of green smoke slowly rose, and the family sat around the alchemy furnace to meditate and cultivate.
The incense can nourish people's souls, which is very nourishing for cultivating the path of the soul, and it is very beneficial for Zhang Chen to nurture his Yuan Shen, and for the three little ones to cultivate their souls.
Zhang Chen manipulated the water vapor in the air to form an invisible barrier, locking the green smoke inside the barrier to prevent the smoke's aura from spreading out and causing unnecessary trouble.
He could sense that there were also capable people and strangers among these refugees. Many of these refugees obtained dragon ball fragments, and many of them possessed martial arts, obviously not ordinary refugees.
In front of Tiger Soul Pass
A dirty man, hugging a little girl, stared intently with his one good eye at the bonfire in the distance, watching the men eating meat and drinking wine, a trace of grief and despair flashing in his eyes.
Just then, one of the men took a piece of meat and threw it on the ground like he was feeding a dog, his voice full of mockery: "Come on, eat your meat, you little dog!"
Seeing the meat rolling on the ground, Chen Ping's only remaining eye turned red. He put the little girl down and lunged forward like a dog:
"I, Chen Ping, must not die here! I want to live! I must live to reach Jinling! I want revenge!"
"Bang!"
Just as he approached the roasted meat, the man kicked it away. Chen Ping knelt down expressionlessly and chased after it, causing the group of men to laugh uproariously, kicking the roasted meat around like a ball. After a long while, when the men were tired of playing, Chen Ping finally managed to grab the dirt-covered roasted meat and crawled back to the little girl.
"Live! I, Chen Ping, must live!"
The night passed, and Cheng Yu was the first to finish his practice, gently exhaling a mouthful of stale air. With the help of Zhang Chen's incense for several months, his cultivation was about to break through, from the realm of object manipulation to the realm of possession.
The path of the Divine Soul was not inherently difficult. As long as the foundation was solid and there were enough natural treasures, one could improve infinitely.
Only reaching the Yang God realm was considered a major hurdle, blocking all cultivators in the world. Or reaching the Corpse Seizing realm, which could be considered a minor hurdle.
The two little ones had also awakened their souls and could now project their spirits, but they still needed careful nurturing.
The morning sunlight sprinkled down, and the family finished their practice and began to prepare breakfast.
Zhang Chen draped a tiger-skin cloak over himself, his eyes sweeping over the refugees in the distance. It seemed that because they could escape the Northern Lands at any time, the entire group had gained a bit of vitality, and the faces of the people were no longer numb, as if they had a glimmer of joy.
Zhang Chen put away the pill furnace and sent it into the Bashe space. This pill furnace was a good treasure, and he couldn't just leave it lying around lest it be lost.
Today's breakfast was dried meat. Zhang Chen gnawed on a piece of dried meat, looking at the withered yellow leaves in the air, a trace of longing flashing in his mind: "What do you think Jiangnan is like?"
Cheng Yu, who was next to him, gnawing on lean meat, said: "I've heard people say that Jiangnan is picturesque, with green grass all year round, and the water doesn't freeze in winter."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen swallowed the dried meat and wiped his hands: "I've heard people say that Jiangnan is a land of water, full of mountains and rivers. I really want to see it for myself."
After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he stood up: "Let's get on the road!"
By this time, many refugees had already set out, dragging their families towards the Xiong Pass.
Zhang Chen's family rode the demon horse, sitting in the carriage towards the Hupo Pass, but before they had gone half an hour, they saw the people gathered ahead, countless refugees gathered in a chaotic mass, their eyes full of panic.
"What happened? Why aren't those refugees moving?" Hearing the noise ahead, Zhang Shi opened the curtain of the carriage and asked.
Zhang Chen drove the carriage forward and heard a series of chaotic sounds:
"Damn Pingbian King, he actually sent troops to block the Hupo Pass, not allowing us to pass, wanting to keep us penned up here."
"The Pingbian King, that damned bastard, won't let us leave his territory. Is he trying to trap us here to die?"
...
The crowd gathered in one place, cursing incessantly.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen's face changed. If there really was a Pingbian King's army blocking the way, what would happen to his family?
He did have the means to get through the Xiong Pass, but what about his family?
His family didn't have that ability!
Zhang Chen took a breath and drove the carriage forward. All along the way, he saw densely packed refugees everywhere, gathered together like a tide.
Not only Zhang Chen's group, but also many other groups that had already arrived were blocked in front of the Xiong Pass, and everyone was unable to break through and escape.
Zhang Chen drove the carriage around the crowd, and in the distance, he saw a majestic pass standing tall. The pass was connected to the Great Wall, looking like the Tong Pass of his previous life, located in a dangerous and easily defended position.
Soldiers were guarding the Great Wall, holding bows and arrows, driving away the approaching people.
At this time, a general stood on the Xiong Pass, looking at the people gathered in front of the Xiong Pass who were reluctant to leave, and said loudly: "The King has ordered that all passes in the Northern Lands be closed, and no one is allowed to enter or leave. You must not move around at will, and all must return to your hometowns!"
"Our hometown has been captured by the demons. We are already homeless. Please, General, have mercy and let us pass," a refugee knelt on the ground and begged.
The general's face remained unchanged: "That is your hometown. Since it has been captured by the demons, you should fight bravely and take back the lost land. Your hometown is your foundation. How can people live without a foundation? Go back!"
"General, you are forcing us to our deaths, to become food for the demons. Those demons possess all kinds of incredible abilities. We are just ordinary people, how can we have the ability to fight the demons?" A refugee roared.
"That's none of my business. I am only ordered to guard this place and not allow anyone to pass. If you do not listen to my advice and insist on rushing through the pass, then don't blame this general for not considering our kinship and using iron-blooded methods to suppress you," the general said coldly from the city tower.