Chapter 330: Chapter 330 Wen Clan Lineage
WHOOSH!
Everyone stared at him, their expressions stunned, their minds reeling with the same thought: I still have a trump card!
Still?
After all this slaughter, he still frickin’ has a trump card?
The warriors from the Divine Clan vomited blood.
Soon, a young figure arrived. He was dressed simply, his face resolute, and only his eyes shone with a keen spirit. He had traveled through wind and dust, his hair disheveled. Most importantly, he was holding a dilapidated halberd, its entire body a drab, brownish-gray, bare of any writing or patterns, yet it emanated an oppressive Divine Might.
A Heaven Tao Divine Weapon?
The cultivators present were all aghast.
Huh? Chen Pingping stared at this fellow, a sense of familiarity washing over him—not in appearance, but in a certain feeling he got from him. He watched intently...
"It’s him!" someone exclaimed in shock, revealing the truth. "The Headmaster of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Academy, Ning Anran!"
This was what he looked like in his youth.
An old man, who had been of the same generation, recognized the Headmaster, his face etched with disbelief. "Wasn’t it said that his Dantian was destroyed? What’s going on?"
The Ning Anran before them radiated powerful fluctuations of aura. In his grip was indeed a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon, though it appeared incomplete.
「Within the Divine Clan.」
The Emperor Son’s eyes flashed open, his voice cold. "The Wen Dynasty."
"Indeed!" the Headmaster replied. "Descendant of Heng Ba, the First War God of the Wen Dynasty."
At this moment, a formidable figure from the Divine Clan arrived on the scene. It was a wizened old man whose life force seemed depleted, but whose eyes were cold. He wore extremely ancient robes, largely decayed, making him look as if he had just crawled out of a grave.
He grinned, revealing slimy teeth. "A dilapidated Heaven Tao Divine Weapon whose indwelling God perished long ago. What use is bringing it out now?"
The Headmaster remained silent.
The atmosphere across the battlefield grew increasingly somber. Everyone felt an unprecedented pressure, as if two Saints were about to make their move. The pressure was incredibly strong, piercing deep into their Divine Souls. All were left breathless.
Of course, the most shocked of all was Chen Pingping. He had spent some time with the Headmaster after the latter’s Dantian had been shattered and had even tried several methods to repair it, but all had failed. Now, the Headmaster appeared before him, unharmed, and he had even brought a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon with him.
This is truly moving, Chen Pingping thought.
Heng Ba? The Wen Dynasty? In a flash, a multitude of thoughts raced through Chen Pingping’s mind.
"I never imagined that the Wen Clan Lineage was not yet extinct." The Emperor Son’s expression was frigid as he glanced at the Headmaster, then turned his gaze to Chen Pingping.
Those profound eyes, like bottomless abysses, seemed intent on devouring Chen Pingping’s Divine Soul.
Chen Pingping snapped back to his senses as if waking from a terrifying nightmare. Looking at the Emperor Son again, a cold sweat broke out on him. Is this the Emperor Son’s true strength?
The Emperor Son had lived through that era; he must have witnessed the war between Heng Ba and the Divine Clan. Heng Ba had previously said that it was his Lord who dispatched him to the Spirit Realm to suppress the upheaval. And that Lord was Wen Yuqing.
In that case, he must know my Master’s true identity and origins, Chen Pingping realized.
"Brother!" Guang Xiaoyu came over, tugging at his sleeve. "What’s wrong with you?"
Me?
"You were just lost in thought," Guang Xiaoyu said.
He never imagined that the appearance of a system quest would entangle him in so many hidden secrets, Chen Pingping mused. He took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself.
The Emperor Son’s tone was chilling. "A pity. You cannot protect him."
Indeed. They were alone and outmatched.
The Divine Clan had mobilized their entire race for this war. With Jin Wushuang, the Emperor Son, and even that ancient ancestor all revived, theirs was a formidable lineup. Could they truly allow Chen Pingping to leave this place alive?
Ning Anran glanced at Chen Pingping, his expression serene, betraying neither grief nor joy. He merely tightened his grip on the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon. This battle... is perilous, he knew.
Without a word, a smile touched his lips.
The next moment, Ning Anran let out a soft cry, his wild hair dancing, the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon in his hand erupting with power. And a God still resided within. But it was not the original God. Instead, it was the last wisp of Heng Ba’s lingering obsession, which had taken possession of the Heaven Tao Divine Weapon to fight alongside Ning Anran.
"I am War God Heng Ba!" From the pitch-black halberd came Heng Ba’s roar, his target unmistakable: the ancient elder of the Divine Clan.
The Divine Clan elder was horrified. "You—you’re still alive?"
The Divine Brilliance intensified, and from it emerged a tall, armored figure radiating immense killing intention. He advanced with difficulty, striking out with his fist.
BOOM!
That fist mercilessly crashed into the Divine Clan elder, smashing with irresistible force, giving the elder no chance to resist. He was overwhelmingly powerful, like a true War God.
The Emperor Son’s expression changed drastically. He tried to activate his own Heaven Tao Divine Weapon, but Heng Ba struck again with another fist, roaring, "You deserve death!"
SPLURT!
His body was violently flung away, crashing into a great mountain. His face was ghastly pale, and blood trickled from his lips.
Yet, the Emperor Son was laughing, laughing heartily. "Heng Ba, you could have completed your Tao Verification and become an Emperor, yet you willingly served under the Wen Dynasty! Hahaha... Truly laughable! That woman was ready to abandon all of you, yet you pitifully still fight for her. Your obsession runs too deep!"
"Our Lord never abandoned us!" Heng Ba attacked again, his gaze resolute, his killing intent unwavering.
His massive fist slammed into the Emperor Son, who let out a bloodcurdling scream.
But just then, the Divine Clan elder activated his Sacred Soldiers, blocking Heng Ba’s path and preventing him from slaying the Emperor Son.
「Elsewhere.」
Jin Wushuang, the Divine Clan Leader, and others also attacked, targeting the Headmaster, while some experts kept their eyes on Chen Pingping and Guang Xiaoyu.
The scene was utter chaos.
The spectating cultivators all held their breath.
No one had expected that what was originally a dire situation for Chen Pingping and Guang Xiaoyu would take such a turn. The Headmaster of the Heavenly Phoenix Imperial Academy had intervened, bringing a Heaven Tao Divine Weapon into play. From the Divine Weapon emerged a peerless expert calling himself War God Heng Ba. Impossibly valiant, his strength could topple mountains and halt rivers. He alone held back numerous high-level experts of the Divine Clan. He had even come close to slaying the Emperor Son several times.
The scene was breathtaking.
At this point, the Headmaster, still in the throes of battle, looked at Chen Pingping. "You’re still not leaving?"
Huh?
Chen Pingping opened his mouth slightly and said, "I still have a trump card."
"Save it for the Little Princess!" the Headmaster said, his profound eyes seeming to see right through the supposed trump card Chen Pingping spoke of.
Chen Pingping fell silent.
That trump card was indeed intended for Lan Xiuzhi, to compensate for the matter of the Phoenix Cauldron, he thought.
But...
The Headmaster smiled. "You need not worry. This is the destiny of Heng Ba’s lineage. Our ancestor had already reached his end, with only this final wisp of obsession remaining. To have been able to see you means he has no regrets."
"So, am I the disciple of the Lord you speak of? A successor to the Wen Dynasty, is that right?" Chen Pingping asked.
"Yes, and no."
"Was what Predecessor Heng Ba said earlier true?" he pressed. He only cared about one thing: had the Divine Clan elder and the Emperor Son made a move against his Master?
What exactly happened in that era?
The Headmaster said no more, turning to charge into the Divine Clan ranks.
Just then, experts from the Spirit Palace began to join the battle. Mo Lai was at the vanguard, rushing in and shouting, "Brother Chen, you need to leave!"