Chapter 4864 The Severity of the Situation  

Xing Wujiang was a decisive person. Halfway through their drinking session, he directly walked out, leaving Long Chen and Mo Nian behind.

“Tell me the truth. Were you after Big Brother Wujiang from the start?” asked Long Chen.

“Hehe,” Mo Nian simply chuckled. After all, they were all old acquaintances, so there was no need to beat around the bush.

“Here, let me pour you another cup as compensation,” Mo Nian said, pouring Long Chen another drink before he could refuse.

Long Chen was speechless. This fellow was truly treacherous, even plotting against him. If Mo Nian hadn’t mentioned Heaven Screen Mountain, Long Chen would have remained in the dark.

Back then, Mo Nian had been exploring the Sovereign Emperor Heaven and was intrigued by Heaven Screen Mountain. He spent a long time observing the water flow and analyzing the wind and clouds, deducing that there was definitely something shocking buried beneath this place.

After asking around, Mo Nian quickly learned of Devil Fall City and how Heaven Screen Mountain was a place of treasures for them. However, he didn’t know anyone in Devil Fall City who could open a backdoor for him, nor did he have enough patience to wait for the next opening.

Confident in his own skills, Mo Nian decided to directly enter. The outer barrier of the mountain was unable to stop him, but he was caught off guard by another barrier inside the underground tomb. To his surprise, these two barriers were interconnected.

The moment Mo Nian broke the inner barrier, the outer barrier was triggered. This one miscalculation nearly cost him his life.

As a result, Mo Nian had to come with Long Chen if he wanted to pull this off. While he dealt with the inner barrier, Long Chen would control the outer barrier. That way, they could safely enter the tomb. However, Mo Nian then thought of another possibility—using Long Chen’s charisma to get what he wanted.

Mo Nian might refuse to admit defeat to Long Chen in other regards, but he couldn't help but admire Long Chen's ability to draw people toward him. Anyone with a similar temperament to Long Chen was inevitably drawn in by his charisma.

Mo Nian found himself wondering if Long Chen could capture the attention of the city lord. Given Long Chen and Mo Nian's power, any random fights they were involved in would undoubtedly attract attention in Devil Fall City.

However, Mo Nian realized that due to his constant underground archaeology work, he had accumulated a strong aura of death qi and resentment. This made it much more challenging for him to form a positive relationship with the city lord.

Thus, he had set his sights on Long Chen. However, Mo Nian hadn’t had high hopes for such a plan. After Long Chen met Yu Tong and Yu Fei, their warm invitation to their territory let Mo Nian see how strong the Feather Spirit race was. He thought to ask the Feather Spirit race for aid.

However, when he sensed the pure and sacred feelings from them, how could he possibly bear to drag down such a kind race to his level? Wouldn’t that make him a beast who repaid kindness with enmity?

Mo Nian immediately gave up such a thought and decided that it would be best to just rely on himself. However, when Xing Wujiang and Long Chen formed a friendship, practically becoming life-and-death brothers due to Xia Guhong, Mo Nian’s previous thoughts made a comeback, which was why he brought up the backdoor.

“You really do think of sly ideas...” Long Chen was speechless, but he wasn’t really angry.

Mo Nian shrugged helplessly. “What else could I do? Who doesn’t want to be unrivaled in this world? Who doesn’t want to sweep through the lands, making people submit with the wave of their hand? Unfortunately, the people I’m dealing with are dead people, not living ones. The power I have isn’t enough. Without some brains, do you think I could be sitting here drinking with you?”

Long Chen thought about it and agreed with Mo Nian’s principle. Both of them had their own paths. After all, once an arrow was shot, there was no taking it back.

“Furthermore, the dead people I’m dealing with are far more terrifying than the living ones you see. They’re existences that can blast me to death just by breathing. I’m the one who’s really dancing on the tip of a blade here. However, I like how stimulating this feeling is. Do you think that I’m somewhat abnormal?” asked Mo Nian.

“Can I tell the truth?”

“No, nevermind.”

Mo Nian knew that Long Chen wouldn’t say any nice words to console him—that wouldn’t be Long Chen’s style.

As they were chatting, Xing Wujiang returned, his expression looking rather grave.

“What is it? Did the Square Heaven Seal refuse?” asked Mo Nian. “No. It consented.” Xing Wujiang shook his head and sat down.

“Then you should be happy, no?” asked Mo Nian.

“You’re the one who should be happy. But how could Big Brother be?” Long Chen’s expression also grew serious. The fact that the Square Heaven Seal consented meant that the situation might no longer be within Xing Wujiang’s control.

When Long Chen told Xing Wujiang to test the Square Heaven Seal, both of them were hoping that it would refuse. If it didn’t consent, that meant the Square Heaven Seal’s bedevilment wasn’t too deep yet, and there was still a chance to drag it back.

After all, the Square Heaven Seal was the protector divine item of the Xing family, a legacy divine weapon, as well as a symbol of faith. The Square Heaven Seal’s bedevilment meant a collapse of the Xing family’s faith, and this kind of pain was something Mo Nian couldn’t understand.

It was like one day the High Firmament Divine Sword stopped being the High Firmament Academy’s divine weapon. If that happened, the High Firmament Academy would no longer be the same.

Seeing how serious their expressions were, Mo Nian stayed silent, and the three of them silently drank. In the end, it was Xing Wujiang who broke the silence. “Brothers, having met you two, I have no regrets in this life. I’ll raise this toast to both of you.”

“Big Brother Wujiang?” Long Chen and Mo Nian were startled.

“I’ve decided. When the Square Heaven Seal opens the Heaven Screen Mountain, I will send everyone outside of the city. While its power is exhausted, I will use my ancestral blood’s sacrificial ceremony to destroy it,” declared Xing Wujiang resolutely.

When Long Chen and Mo Nian heard this declaration, their hearts shook. Although they didn’t know what this sacrificial ceremony was, it didn’t sound like anything good. Furthermore, it was as if Xing Wujiang was saying his final farewells.

Xing Wujiang patted Long Chen’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. The situation is pressing, and I won’t be able to protect the two of you. I can send you into Heaven Screen Mountain, but when you come out, you’ll definitely face the attack of Brahma Pill Valley’s people. So, it would be best if you alert the High Firmament Academy and have them send their experts over.”

In other words, when they came out of Heaven Screen Mountain, Devil Fall City would no longer exist. Long Chen and Mo Nian hadn’t expected the situation to be this bad.

“Big Brother Wujiang, calm down for a moment. Isn’t there any other way?” asked Long Chen.

Xing Wujiang shook his head and replied, “The Square Heaven Seal’s bedevilment is too deep. Although it is hiding it, my ancestral blood has sensed it. This sense is mutual, so it knows that I know it has become bedeviled. Right now, the one who acts first has the advantage. If it obtains the power of the devil corpse in Heaven Screen Mountain, it will completely escape the seal. A calamity will then descend upon the human race.”

“Big Brother Wujiang, if it is as you say, perhaps I have a method.” Mo Nian suddenly spoke up.