Chapter 973

Wang Mang stiffened as he now understood just how pathetic he was . Why had he provoked a fiend like Long Chen?

Guo Ran had explained why there were so few disciples from the Eastern Wasteland, and now he knew what kind of person Long Chen was .

“This… this isn’t my fault . I was…” stuttered Wang Mang .

“What hostility is there between the Law Enforcement Hall and the Elder’s Hall?” said Long Chen . He wasn’t interested in what bribe Wang Mang had received or who had used him .

“There does seem to be some conflicts between them, but I don’t know the specifics,” said Wang Mang . How could he, a small disciple, have the qualifications to learn about the matters between the higher-ups?

“The Xuantian Dao Sect’s interior is extremely complicated . Learning about those things right now won’t do anything for you . All you have to remember is that as long as you don’t break the rules, you’ll be safe . If other people want to fight, that’s their issue,” said Elder Sha .

“No wonder you always talk about the rules,” laughed Long Chen .

This joke of Long Chen’s caused everyone’s hearts to shake . Although it was said with laughter, they all felt that it also contained some ridicule .

But surprisingly, Elder Sha didn’t get angry . He looked into the distance for a long time before saying, “I was once like you as well, young, full of energy and hope for the future . Hehe…”

Long Chen took over, saying, “Hehe, regretfully, things never go as people want . There are always all kinds of obstructions, impediments trapping you like net after net . Day after day, year after year, a person eventually gets lost .

“Some people have long since forgotten their original hearts in the fight for fame, for profit . Then there are some people who end up like senior, becoming a puppet that only knows how to follow the rules . Thinking about it, it really is sad!”

“Long Chen…” Meng Qi tugged on Long Chen, indicating that he should be careful with his words . He had no enmity with Elder Sha, so why would he offend him?

Even the senior disciples trembled with fear . Long Chen was far too brazen .

But what they found curious was that the cold Elder Sha didn’t get angry at all, nor did he reprimand Long Chen . Instead, he just calmly looked into the distance .

The flying boat was still rapidly flying, and the mountains below quickly passed . However, the inside of the flying boat was completely silent .

“These are the rules . ” After a long while, Elder Sha indifferently tossed out some words .

“Hehe, disciple doesn’t believe so . Rules are things the strong use to control the weak . The strong can infringe upon the rules, and the stronger ones can completely ignore the rules . As for the strongest ones, they are the ones who can change the rules whenever they want .

“In the Phoenix Cry Empire, I was to comply with the Phoenix Cry Empire’s rules . In the Xuantian Monastery, I was to comply with the Xuantian Monastery’s rules . In the supermonastery, it was the same .

“But I didn’t comply with those rules, because if I had, I’d have long since died a tragic death . So, once I reach the Central Plains, I’ll follow the rules that are favorable to me . But as for those rules that suppress me, I’m afraid that disciple will be unable to comply,” said Long Chen .

“Then you will be mercilessly exterminated,” said Elder Sha .

“If I’m to be exterminated, then let me be exterminated . None of the Dragonblood Legion’s warriors are afraid of death . We have our own principles and our own aspirations . I’m not worried they’ll die, but I am worried they’ll become the same as senior, losing themselves within the crushing rules and becoming a walking corpse,” sighed Long Chen .

The Dragonblood warriors all understood Long Chen’s meaning . He was using Elder Sha as an example of what not to do in order to warn them .

Even someone as strong as Elder Sha had been turned into a machine because of the Xuantian Dao Sect’s rules . Rules killed people without them even noticing, erasing a person’s will and devouring their ambitions . The most frightful thing about it was that it was like boiling a frog in water . It erased a person’s heroism without them sensing the danger .

The Dragonblood warriors thought about how they had followed Long Chen from the 108th monastery, to the thirty-sixth supermonastery, and then to the Xuantian Dao Sect . Hadn’t all those monastery heads and all those Elders been silently sacrificed to these rules?

They had also been young and full of hot blood once . But that hot blood and youthful vigor had been erased without them even knowing it . As a result, they ended up with some tired days of nothing . They schemed against each other in a game of mutual deception, caught in the web the rules had created for them . They had forgotten their original hearts .

The 108th monastery, the thirty-sixth supermonastery, the Eastern Wasteland’s branch sect, they had been like vats of dye, each bigger and more contaminating than the last .

According to that pattern, the Central Plains’ Xuantian Dao Sect would be an even larger vat of dye . Even Kings were silently lost to it .

Looking at how a terrifying expert like Elder Sha had been turned into a puppet that was simply doing what he was told, it was like they were seeing their futures, and a cold chill ran through their bodies .

If Elder Sha’s present was their future, then they would rather die in a blazing fire of passion than become like him . Without goals, cultivation didn’t have any meaning .

“Boss, we’ll never forget our original hearts . No matter what realm we cultivate to, no matter what robes we wear, we will still be the same youthful men . If others refuse to allow that, we’ll go all-out against them,” shouted the Dragonblood warriors . They knew that Long Chen was warning them to forever maintain their passion, their fervor .

“Are you using me as an example of what not to do?” said Elder Sha indifferently . But there was clearly a slightly bitter tone to his voice .

“Sorry, disciple was rude . ” Long Chen bowed slightly . He did feel a bit apologetic .

There was no way around that . Through Elder Sha’s words, Long Chen felt that the Xuantian Dao Sect was definitely a muddled place . That reduced his excitement and anticipation by quite a bit . The Central Plains was definitely the playing field of the world’s experts, but this beautiful field was constructed through the bones of countless geniuses . It was unknown how much merciless killing was behind it .

Long Chen didn’t wish for the Dragonblood Legion to become lost in these kinds of ideas . Once they were lost, it would be difficult to extricate them . That kind of ending was a sad one as well .

If he wanted the Dragonblood Legion to stay complete, he had to lead them forward without hesitation and without submitting to anyone, including those unreasonable rules .

Fighting against the rules might cause the entire legion to be destroyed, but they had to have that courage . They had to have the courage to risk their lives, to show their fangs, and only then would they be able to establish themselves within the Central Plains . Otherwise, they would be devoured by the countless heavenly geniuses present .

Elder Sha sighed . “The younger generation will surpass the old . Perhaps that kind of mentality is a good one . ”

After saying that, Elder Sha turned and left, his figure appearing a bit lonely . But he also clearly didn’t have a good opinion of Long Chen’s conduct . Perhaps it was because he had experienced a great deal and seen plenty of geniuses who had ended up with tragic endings . And so he was already weary .

Looking at his departing figure hardened the Dragonblood warriors’ hearts even more . They even felt that Elder Sha was pitiful . He was someone who had been trampled by the rules .

At the same time, they had to admire Long Chen for his vision . As the rudder of the Dragonblood Legion, Long Chen didn’t just need unrivaled power, but he also needed exceptional wisdom .

Those senior disciples were deeply shaken . Looking at the Dragonblood warriors’ fervent gazes, they felt like they were being affected as well .

“How many disciples were there in total from the four regions last time?” asked Long Chen .

“There were over three hundred and seventy thousand,” said the senior disciple .

“How many?” Long Chen couldn’t believe his ears .

“A bit more than three hundred and seventy thousand,” the disciple repeated .

Three hundred and seventy thousand? All of whom were Sea Expansion Celestials? This number gave Long Chen a fright . It was no wonder they said that the Eastern Wasteland was the weakest region . Of over three hundred and seventy thousand people, only twenty thousand had come from the Eastern Wasteland . That proportion made him speechless .

“There must have been quite a few heavenly geniuses amongst your generation, correct?” asked Long Chen .

“Yes, there truly were many . They were practically monsters, inhuman . We can only look up to them . ” That senior disciple bitterly smiled, clearly having received a great impact .

Of those three hundred and seventy thousand disciples, although these senior disciples couldn’t count as the weakest, they had still been on the edge of being washed out . They couldn’t even count as elites, let alone heavenly geniuses .

The most infuriating thing was that the Xuantian Dao Sect’s rules allowed many loopholes for senior disciples to bully them, and they could only endure it .

This time, they had been sent to greet the newcomers . Originally, they had been hoping to vent some of their resentment . But instead it was the newcomers who gave them a warm welcome .

After talking for so long, everyone became much more familiar with each other . The senior disciples didn’t dare to be arrogant any longer . Instead, they began to talk with the Dragonblood warriors, subtly fawning over them .

They found that each one of these Dragonblood warriors possessed extremely dense Spirit Blood . Such people would find it no problem to pass the trials and join the Xuantian Dao Sect . They should all become inner sect disciples .

These senior disciples were no more than outer sect disciples . They probably wouldn’t be able to go to the inner sect in their lifetime . So forming good relationships with the Dragonblood warriors might bring them endless benefits .

Even Wang Mang ran over to Long Chen to apologize, cursing himself for being deceived by other people’s lies . He even said that he deserved a thousand deaths for his actions .

Long Chen couldn’t be bothered to quibble with him . This was nothing serious to him, and he didn’t bother pressing him for more details .

Now that everyone was familiar with each other, they once more went out to exchange pointers . But this time, it was a friendly competition where both sides used their full power . The Dragonblood warriors used their Spirit Blood, while the senior disciples no longer suppressed their cultivation bases . These new battles were exceptionally intense .

What startled the senior disciples was the fact that the Dragonblood warriors were shockingly powerful . In these intense battles, the killing intent they released made it seem like this was no exchange of pointers . It felt like they would kill them at any moment .

But there were some senior disciples capable of fighting through the sensation of death . They released their true power, and in this kind of battle, the Dragonblood warriors were truly one level weaker . But if it was a true life and death battle, then that would have been a completely different matter .

On the seventh day, the scenery around them completely changed . The mountains and plains vanished, replaced by a vast roaring sea .