Chapter 1857: The Beginning of the Opening
The expressions of all Fang Clan divine ability users tightened. They straightened their backs as they waited for the ninth toll of the bell.
Looking around, the divine ability users of the other nine alliances were the same. Even a faction as arrogant as the Jinyang Alliance felt a wave of tension as the battle loomed.
Perhaps to alleviate this sense of nervousness, Wang Chongsong began pointing out the most outstanding figures from each Saint Alliance to Fang Chen as though he knew them like the back of his hand. Thanks to that, Fang Chen gained a slightly deeper understanding of the Saints backing them.
The Ten Saints of the human race—Saint Wandao, Saint Fang, Saint Jinyang, Saint Luoxue, Saint Wangqing, Saint Chenxiang, Saint Duobao, Saint Heifou, Saint Danzun, and Saint Beixuan.
There was no definitive ranking of strength among these ten Saints, but there was a hierarchy of seniority. Saints like Wandao, Fang, and Luoxue were considered juniors, while Saint Wangqing was quite senior.
Following the passing of the Wang Clan's Saint, historical records noted that Saint Wangqing, Saint Duobao, and Saint Heifou became Saints one after another. As for who exactly preceded whom, it was impossible to know; only those Saints themselves kept it crystal clear.
"We also need to be careful around the divine ability users of the Chenxiang Alliance. Those fellows eat anything and everything," warned Wang Chongsong as he pointed at the Chenxiang Alliance, wariness flashing through his eyes.
Fang Chen glanced in their direction. He discovered that the divine ability users of the Chenxiang Alliance were all bursting with vitality, their spirit and energy appearing a notch more robust than those of the other divine ability users.
Fang Chen asked via voice transmission, "What divine abilities do they possess that require us to be careful?"
Wang Chongsong chuckled, his tone seemingly carrying both disdain and a hint of wariness. "What divine abilities? Heheh, I only know that the Chenxiang Alliance possesses a legendary divinity called the Five Viscera Temple. This divinity can swallow the heavens and accommodate the earth and is absolutely no ordinary feat. For them to be selected to participate in the Saint Tower Battle this time, I reckon the divine abilities of this bunch all belong to the lineage of the Five Viscera Temple."
"Five Viscera Temple?" mused Fang Chen.
Just the way Wang Chongsong was talking bout this divine ability was enough to discern how unusual it was. He would not have labeled it as "legendary" otherwise.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Before they knew it, the melodious chiming of the bell had already echoed eight times. Half Saint Zangling and the others stopped their conversation as well, preparing to welcome the ninth toll of the bell.
During that interval, Half Saint Jinwu's gaze fell upon the divine ability users of the Fang Clan, his eyes entirely filled with playfulness.
"Old Jinwu lost an opportunity to become a Saint because of Saint Fang. Who knows how many years he will have to wait if he wants to become a Saint again. He is bound to target us this time."
"There's also the Luoxue Alliance over there. You need to be careful when you go in later as well."
"Why remind me specifically?"
"Old Fang, haven't you figured it out yet? Your bloodline is exceptionally pure, and the news of you being a Third Generation Ancestor has long since spread everywhere. Even though your cultivation is low, every faction is paying quite a bit of attention to you."
"...Mhm, there are indeed some people secretly sizing me up. I understand, I will act with caution once I am inside."
Having said his piece, Fang Chen closed his eyes and quietly waited for the bell to toll.
Clang!
As the bell's final chime sounded, all the divine ability users carrying identity tokens vanished from their spots at the same time.
The massive front hall of the inn instantly became empty. Only a few Half Saints and Breaking Limit divine ability users remained.
Everyone from the Fang Clan had entered. Within the Wandao Alliance, however, Qin Baichuan stayed behind to accompany Half Saint Zangling.
Half Saint Jinwu said with a beaming smile, "Half Saint Zangling, you should have told your people to have less contact with the Fang Clan. If they stay together, the divine ability users on our side might not know when to hold back when they strike, and casualties will be hard to avoid."
Half Saint Zangxue swept a glance at Half Saint Zangling and said calmly, "The Luoxue Alliance could have been an ally to the Wandao Alliance. You shouldn't have chosen the Fang Clan."
"Saint Fang forcing back Saint Jinyang and Saint Luoxue with a single strike of his sword has already proven that our clan's Saint made no mistake in his choice. The Fang Clan was our ally in the past, and they will remain our ally in the future," replied Half Saint Zangling.
She stood up, her face expressionless, and dissolved into the void, vanishing from sight.
Qin Baichuan vanished along with her.
Half Saint Zangxue let out a cold snort before opening her Inner Domain and stepping inside accordingly.
In an instant, all the Half Saints within Longsheng City opened their Inner Domain in unison.
At the same time, countless Inner Domains connected to Longsheng City.
The void within the Inner Domain seemed to turn into a scroll of a painting, reflecting the scenes inside that Saint Tower of Longsheng City.
***
Fang Clan Inner Domain.
The divine ability users of the Fang Clan had gathered together on the open ground and were gazing into the void. Their eyes held anticipation, curiosity, and excitement.
In a corner, Fang Qiurou and her two companions stood together, conversing in low, excited whispers. They knew that Fang Chen was also participating in the Saint Tower Battle, so they hoped to catch scenes of him.
***
The Wang Clan Inner Domain was just as bustling and extraordinary as the Fang Clan's.
Chen Feifei watched with emotion the scenes playing out in the void. "I wonder if the lord's image will appear..."
***
Shi Clan Inner Domain.
The human race's Half Saints weren't the only ones to open their Inner Domains to watch the Saint Tower Battle. Even the Saints had done the same.
Virtually every foreign Half Saint and Saint in the Divine Realm who possessed an Inner Domain did not miss this battle, choosing to connect with the ten major Holy Cities to observe the Saint Tower Battle that took place once every five hundred years.
The battle would not only determine how many rewards each family could obtain from the Qingming Supreme Alliance and whether anyone could stand out to be chosen by the alliance, but it would also allow all sides to truly understand the strength and foundation of each race, preventing them from being completely blind and acting like frogs at the bottom of a well.
***
The scenery before Fang Chen's eyes blurred for a moment. He then found himself in an unfamiliar place. The sky was vast and hazy, and there seemed to be a streak of divine light spanning across like a flyover, forming a semi-arched shape that covered the ground.
"This barrier will keep shrinking, forcing everyone to eventually cross paths and slaughter one another to determine the victor."
Fang Chen withdrew his gaze from the enormous dome and looked around. In the vicinity, there were a full hundred or so unfamiliar figures. They were currently sizing each other up and watching, none of them making any reckless moves.
Fang Chen understood exactly what they were doing. They were picking soft persimmons among them. At the same time, everyone was trying to determine whether they themselves appeared to be a soft persimmon in the eyes of others.
As long as no one attacked, this delicate balance would remain unbroken for the time being.
A divine ability user of an unknown race slowly spoke up. "Everyone, right now is only the beginning of the Saint Tower Battle. We should conserve our strength to strive for a spot within the top hundred thousand. I have a suggestion, I wonder if everyone is willing to listen to it?"
This divinity user was eight feet tall, his stature not much different from most races, but he had black wings growing from his back. The smooth feathers opened and closed along with the gentle breeze, appearing as if they were breathing.
The divine ability users present did not answer his words, but they all looked toward him, clearly waiting for him to deliver the rest of his piece.
Seeing that, the black-winged divine ability user let out a light cough and said, "We can form a temporary alliance to cope with the subsequent battles. If we are fortunate enough to break into the top hundred thousand, we can then choose an opportunity to concede and withdraw safely. This way, we secure a ranking without harming our lives, achieving the best of both worlds."
None of the divine ability users spoke up. A faint, cold mockery merely surged into their eyes one after another.
A divinity user mocked directly. "Where did this scoundrel come from to be so naive?"
"Even if we were of the same race, who would truly dare to form an alliance with another? Aren't you afraid of someone suddenly launching a fatal strike from behind? Moreover, we are complete strangers. There's no need to mention this alliance matter further."
The instant those words fell, everyone suddenly noticed hundreds of illusory gateways appearing in the void. It was as if countless pairs of eyes were staring at them simultaneously.
The expressions of everyone present abruptly changed!