Chapter 5: A Top-Tier Cultivator Appears? Today... Is the Day You Die!
“What! The Great Tang Empire?!” Upon hearing this, Wu Shanggui’s face immediately turned ashen.
“All of them have been destroyed, and yet you still dream of becoming emperor?!”
“Your Majesty’s concerns were indeed well-founded.”
“If you don’t eradicate the roots, the grass will grow anew with the spring breeze...”
“Today—will be the day of your death, Li Muchen.”
With those words, Wu Shanggui respectfully approached the elite soldiers gathered near the quietly stationed carriage, lowering his voice a few degrees from before: “Master of the sect, we must ask you to take action personally.”
“Hmm.” A brief reply came from within the carriage.
Though just a single word, it caused Li Muchen, who was atop the city walls, to sense an unusual shift in the currents of the air.
This is bad!
Why did he feel... that the sect master inside the carriage was not someone easy to deal with?
If this truly was a formidable old hand, today would be troublesome indeed.
Though he had four divine beasts, some cultivators in this world were even more powerful than demons and divine beasts.
He wondered if the barrier would hold up under attack.
At that moment, the voice of the system suddenly sounded.
[Alert: Top-tier cultivator detected ahead, triggering a special side quest.]
“What? Another special side quest?”
The last special side quest had granted him the Heavenly Eye and contracts with four divine beasts.
He wondered what the reward would be this time.
“Hey! System?”
“What’s the task reward this time?”
“Never mind, you probably won’t tell me anyway.”
Just as Li Muchen was about to give up, the system’s voice sounded again.
[This time, the reward is rather special and can be disclosed to the host in advance.]
“Really?!”
“Then hurry up and tell me—”
[The reward for this special side quest: Ten Immortal Bone Pills.]
“Immortal Bone Pills? What use do those have?”
[Immortal Bone Pills can transform a mortal body without spiritual roots, fundamentally altering it to possess immortal bones, allowing one to embark on the path of cultivation like the cultivator clans.]
The system’s words left a radiant gleam barely contained within Li Muchen’s eyes.
“Tell me quickly, what’s the task this time?”
He had to get those Immortal Bone Pills.
Once the Great Tang Empire had cultivators, would they still fear being bullied by cultivator clans, demons, and the magical tribes of other kingdoms?!
[The special side quest: Have the Vermilion Bird consume the cultivation base of the cultivator clan sect master inside the carriage, upgrading it to a Level Two Contracted Divine Beast.]
[Reward upon completion: Ten Immortal Bone Pills.]
“If the Vermilion Bird devours that old fellow’s cultivation from inside the carriage, it can advance directly?”
“Yes, host.”
“System, tell me, how strong are the four divine beasts I contracted?”
“Can they defeat that old man in the carriage?”
Li Muchen’s tone grew anxious as he used his Heavenly Eye to scan the four divine beasts positioned at the four directions, then glanced at the aura intensity radiating around the carriage.
“That’s not right?”
“System, I feel like...”
“The aura of the person inside the carriage is stronger than my four divine beasts?”
[Host, you have only just activated the contracts with the four divine beasts; their current level is the lowest.]
“What!!” Li Muchen’s face fell sharply.
“If that old man attacks, won’t the city gates be breached?”
[Don’t worry, host.]
[As long as you don’t leave the city gates, the barrier formed by the four divine beasts’ array is very strong; the cultivation of that cultivator clan sect master is insufficient to break through.]
[However, having the Vermilion Bird consume that sect master’s cultivation will be difficult.]
[From here on, it depends on the host’s own wisdom.]
The system’s voice ceased and did not speak again.
No matter how much Li Muchen provoked it, the system remained silent.
“Damn it! Worthless system.”
“Right when I need it most, it goes missing?”
“What a lousy system!!”
There was no time to waste.
He had to quickly devise a way for the Vermilion Bird to consume the sect master’s cultivation and advance.
Li Muchen forced himself to calm down and rapidly contemplated strategies.
After a moment...
That’s it!!
According to the lousy system’s explanation, the soldiers Wu Shanggui had brought could not breach his city gate barrier.
That meant his nation and people were absolutely safe.
To have the Vermilion Bird consume the sect master’s cultivation, he could find a way to lure that sect master inside.
Inside the barrier, the four divine beasts were the strongest beings; no ordinary cultivation could rival them.
Besides, he could also lure Wu Shanggui in.
The attempted palace coup and rebellion were the work of that old scoundrel.
Li Muchen began using his mind to communicate with the four divine beasts he had just contracted.
“Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, White Tiger... can you all hear me?”
Vermilion Bird: “Master, I can hear you.”
Li Muchen smiled and looked toward the south where Vermilion Bird was, thinking how spirited it was!
Black Tortoise: “Master, Master, Black Tortoise hears you too.”
Li Muchen turned to the north at Black Tortoise, his eyes lighting up: Wow! Such a cute little thing.
Azure Dragon: “Hmph! This dragon hears you as well.”
Li Muchen’s face stiffened as he turned toward the east, the direction from which the voice came, lips twitching: This arrogant dragon!
White Tiger: “Mm.”
Before Li Muchen could recover his composure, a voice came from the west, quickly fading away...
He looked that way, wondering if he’d imagined it since he was communicating mentally with the divine beasts.
Just a single “Mm”... and silence?
The personalities of these four divine beasts were completely different.
Never mind, he had no time to dwell on it.
“Listen carefully, all four of you. The cultivator clan sect master in the carriage outside the city gate—if Vermilion Bird consumes his cultivation, it can immediately advance to Level Two.”
Upon hearing it could advance, Vermilion Bird flapped its fiery red wings vigorously, joyfully replying, “Master, Master, I want to devour cultivation, I want to advance, advance...”
Li Muchen immediately smiled fondly and, using his mind, gently patted Vermilion Bird’s obedient little head.
“Good girl—”
He explained the plan he had conceived to the four divine beasts and asked for their cooperation.
“First, you do this...”
“Then that...”
“And finally, that...”
“Did you all understand what I just said?”
Li Muchen was a little uneasy and asked the four divine beasts again.
Especially Azure Dragon and White Tiger—he trusted them the least.
Azure Dragon raised its eyelids, giving Li Muchen a long look, then rolled its eyes: “Hmph! Don’t take me for an idiot.”
Li Muchen clutched his chest, telling himself not to get angry.
Divine beasts—always a bit temperamental.
He then turned to White Tiger, forcing a smile and calling, “Mimiya...”
White Tiger’s expression remained cold and silent, turning its back to Li Muchen.
Li Muchen awkwardly cleared his throat to ease the embarrassment and once more turned his gaze toward Wu Shanggui and his group below the city wall...