Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 710 - 689: Elephant Country

Outside Xiong City, Zhao Palace.

The study room.

Zhao Hao’s hair was black, with only slight graying at the temples, broad-faced and high-browed, his gaze stern.

Sunshine streamed into the study, but in Zhao Hao’s eyes, a faint shadow lingered.

All his children were dead.

A hint of suspicion flickered in his eyes.

How could this be?

According to the original plan, everything should have gone smoothly.

Could it be that the Supreme Court and other martial clans joined forces against the Zhao Family?

But all information indicated that the Supreme Court remained inactive, and the martial clans didn’t tear their disguises apart.

The Supreme Court has a tradition, one of luring snakes out of the hole.

It didn’t emerge; the Supreme Court restrained itself from action.

The world has never been a monolith.

During the time against the Eagle Alliance, domestic compromise forces were immense, and even after Saint Zhao defeated the Eagle Alliance, he didn’t utterly dismantle the ideas lingering in people’s minds.

Over the years, the Martial Mansion has never lacked administrators who admired the Eagle Alliance.

Moreover, the current opponent of Dragon Country is the Demon world, far surpassing the Eagle Alliance in threat.

The current Zhao Family is not merely the Zhao Family.

It’s the banner of forces compromising with the Demons, and it cannot fall.

Even most neutral forces have admitted that the compromising faction might have its utility, in case the Human Race fails...

Only the hardline forces staunchly oppose this erroneous notion.

Not only the forces within the Martial Mansion, but some old martial saints also support the Zhao Family.

Zhao Hao thought over and over, examined every detail, yet found no issues.

But if there were no issues, why did all three of his sons die?

Even his beloved niece was dead.

What exactly was the force?

The Huang Meng Sect?

Zhao Hao shook his head.

He knew the strength of the Huang Meng Sect well; they could only resort to assassination and would struggle to kill even Zhao Tong.

Zhou Leng?

He could only kill Gao Tianfeng and seemed to have never targeted the Zhao Family.

The Celestial Calamity Envoy?

Zhao He’s death was merely an accident, as he himself, for the White Lake Mother Fruit, angered the Divine Spirit — blinded by greed.

Li Shenkong?

He seemed more like an angry rebel, as rumors said he kept calling Brother Cong.

He seemed like a passionate young man trying to save a former brother.

Just an accident.

Wang Boxiong, Chen Shouhu?

Indeed, they viewed the Zhao Family with hostility due to Ma Xingkong, but that’s all, not outright opposition.

Zhao Hao’s instincts told him many coincidences clustered together, indicating some undetected inevitability.

What was that inevitability?

Suddenly, he recalled something Saint Zhao once said.

Martial Artists are not destined to always follow the Zhao Family.

Could it be... Martial Artists and common people act spontaneously?

Impossible.

Zhao Hao’s lips curled into a smile filled with self-mockery and disdain.

He sat silently behind the desk, looking out the window, contemplating this issue repeatedly.

His gaze was profound, strength formidable, experience extensive.

Like every last emperor of a dynasty, pondering which traitors and bandits had turned a good country into its current state.

After a long pause, his throat moved, and he reached for an ordinary paper bag from the Magic Spirit Bag.

A simple red paper bag, with a hint of festive atmosphere.

Upon opening it, only an empty plastic bag remained inside, inscription reading "locally-produced specialty."

Zhao Hao frowned slightly.

"In the future, it’ll be hard to taste the flavors of home..."

Zhao Hao recalled Gao Tianfeng, tossed the item into the wastebasket, and retrieved a better-packaged paper bag from the Magic Spirit Bag, unwrapping the foil.

Revealing a shriveled, bean-shaped dark red fleshy object, about the size of a baby’s fist.

He took a bite, tearing off a part, slowly chewing.

From the severed edge, crimson blood droplets emerged.

Having eaten the Magic Bag Beans, Zhao Hao sighed lightly.

Nostalgia for the Magic Bag Beans of his hometown.

He then reminisced about years ago when he was defeated and captured in the Demon Purgatory, eating his first Magic Bag Beans alongside a seductive Succubus.

At that time, among those captured were also some acquaintances from the Martial Mansion.

Several were already in high positions.

Zhao Hao recalled the news from the Demon Worship Sect.

The death of the Celestial Calamity Envoy had shaken the Demon Purgatory.

The Demon Purgatory Lords were furious.

With the Celestial Calamity Envoy alive, the resources and blood pearls required for the Celestial Calamity God’s descent wouldn’t be much.

But now that the Envoy was dead, the bridge between the Celestial Calamity God and the Demon Purgatory severed. The following divine descent would be all new.

This meant the Demon Purgatory had to expend a hundred times the previous resources.

Previously, merely slaughtering various living beings to refine blood pearls sufficed.

Now, beings from all realms weren’t enough.

A massive slaughter of Demons was necessary.

They cared not for the Demons’ survival, only the tally on the ledger; a lower figure made them displeased.

As to why it was lower, they would set that aside for now.

This time, they’d lost patience.

Before His Majesty the Celestial Calamity God descended, they planned to set off a grand display of fireworks to appease the Divine Spirit.

Zhao Hao quietly contemplated.

Grand Commandant Zhao’s courtyard.

Before the dressing table, a young and beautiful woman, appearing around twenty years old, gazed at her reflection in the mirror and gently touched her face.

Soft, smooth, and elastic.

The woman’s eyes were intoxicated, and she repeatedly caressed.

After a long time, the woman took a red paper bag from the Magic Spirit Bag and retrieved a Magic Bag Bean from a plastic bag printed with local specialties.

She chewed slowly.

In the mirror, blood trickled down along her teeth.

"What a pity, Celestial Phoenix is gone. From now on, I can only eat those ordinary Magic Bag Beans. It’s all Zhou Leng’s fault..."

The woman’s gaze turned cold, began to disguise herself, and her skin slowly aged.

Before long, she had aged into the normal appearance of Old Madam Zhao, like a seventy or eighty-year-old.

She glanced down at the last three Magic Bag Beans, frowning deeply.

"My old man paid so much, how come in old age, he can’t let me enjoy life?"

Not far in the courtyard, Zhao Hao’s wife, Madam Zhao, was eating the last hometown Magic Bag Bean, sighing.

Her appearance also slowly transformed from a young girl into a middle-aged woman.

She glanced at the message and walked to Zhao Hao’s study.

Zhao Hao said, "Some things shouldn’t trouble you, but the Zhao Family really has no one trustworthy anymore. This time, we need to convene a meeting in Elephant Country, and then legitimately trigger the opposition between the two nations. After that, starting from Elephant Country, we will advance north."

Madam Zhao paused and asked, "Elephant Country? Northward?"

North of Elephant Country is Dragon Country.

"On the surface, it’s Elephant Country, but in reality, it’s our people primarily from the Seagull Alliance and Eagle Alliance. The Demon Worship Sect’s major forces will take action. As for the people of Elephant Country, they are merely cannon fodder to die."

Madam Zhao said, "Alright, I’ll go, but..."

As she spoke, Madam Zhao’s body transformed into the form of a Succubus, constantly changing into various women, stopping the transformation at the moment Zhao Hao’s heart beat faster.

It was the appearance of Gao Tianfeng.

Madam Zhao smiled, slowly approaching Zhao Hao.

Chang Da.

Two elderly individuals strolled beneath the cherry blossom tree.

One in the front, the other lagged half a body behind.

The one lagging was the first in charge of managing Chang Da.

Walking in front was the distinguished guest from Xiong City here for inspection.

As they walked and chatted, unconsciously, they talked about the past.

The elderly man from behind said, "Sir, back then, you fought side by side with the Zhao Hao patriarch..."

The elderly man in front suddenly spoke, gazing at the blossoming cherry blossoms, and said, "Being a Demon Spirit Master is good, always allowing me to see cherry blossoms."

The elderly man behind immediately stopped talking and gazed at the cherry blossoms on campus thoughtfully, "Zhang Sang, the cherry blossoms in our hometown have bloomed..."

After saying, he looked around, finding no one, and handed over a red paper bag.

"All are the freshest from Chang Da..."

The elderly man in front calmly reached out, skillfully took it, and placed it in the Magic Spirit Bag, showing no signs of smoke and fire.

Li Clan.

Li Shenkong gazed blankly ahead, his mind distracted from cultivation.

After slaying Zhao Cong, he carried a heavy burden of guilt, even feeling unable to hold his head high.

But a series of strange events left him bewildered.

Wang Boxiong and Chen Shouhu, whom he respected, praised his good deed.

The encouragement and support in their eyes were sincere and enthusiastic.

Returned to the Tree-man Base.

Martial Artists praised him one after another.

Returned to Shuizhou Base.

The applause and admiration from the grassroots Martial Artists left him at a loss.

He had received countless honors, achieving far more than his peers.

But before this, he had never encountered such treatment.

This gaze, he had seen before.

His grandfather Li Tianyuan often received such looks.

Seeing Saint Zhao, he also had this kind of gaze.

Left Shuizhou Demon City and returned to Xiong City.

Some people who used to have conflicts with him because of his background either sent messages through friends or called to admit they were wrong.

He recounted the events to his grandfather, initially accepting criticism, but after a sigh, his grandfather showed a gratified smile.

"I, Li Yuanhe, couldn’t match Zhao Dongjun in my lifetime. But my grandson is a thousand times better than his grandson!"

Hearing his grandfather say this, Li Shenkong was overwhelmed.

Because this was the first time his grandfather praised him so highly in his life.

Before, his grandfather, a Martial Saint, had too high a standard, no matter how good he performed, he would only receive ordinary praise.

"Not bad," was already a very high compliment.

But today, not only was his grandfather happy, during dinner, he opened a bottle of ancestral wine Saint Zhao had given him, and even poured him a cup.

Except for him, no one else in the family had ever received such treatment.

Li Shenkong’s gaze slowly calmed.

Now, he finally knew he had done right.

So, continue moving forward.

He remembered some friends talking about certain matters, mentioning the Zhao Family’s affairs.

Mentioned an operation.

He had heard about it vaguely before, but didn’t care.

But now...

He glanced down at his Dantian.

He recalled Wang Boxiong seemingly casually chatting.

"The time left for humanity is short. We should leave more time, more resources, a better future for the humans to come, rather than waving the malicious flag of hope for future generations, leaving them with an apocalypse."

Li Shenkong sat cross-legged, gently placing the Star-slaying Sword on his knees, stroking it lightly.

"The one you chose will never be wrong..."

Li Shenkong pondered for a long time, opened Martial Faith, clicked a friend’s invitation, and joined an anti-deception group.

The group was lively with discussions, seemingly all Martial Artists focusing on the Demon topic.

Occasionally, familiar avatars appeared.