Chapter 1674 Entering the Middle Void
A long while later, the Bloody Battles recommenced.
A pie falling from the sky was impossible; the only chance was to fight into the top ten.
Within the Ancient Barbarian City, action was taken. All the Barbarian Warriors selected to enter the Middle Void needed to be registered one by one, documented meticulously, and appropriately rewarded.
This process did not take long.
Very quickly, the basic statistics were compiled.
Honestly, most of the Barbarian Warriors chosen to enter the Middle Void were renowned figures; their records were very complete. Awarding prizes to their tribes was a simple matter, especially since most tribes had many more warriors present.
The sole exception was Jiang Xiaoshan of the Jianghe Tribe. His record was extremely sparse, just a name and his tribal affiliation.
However, after the Void-Piercing Shuttle departed, absent-minded Barbarians suddenly realized they faced a problem. The Teleportation Arrays in the Ancient Barbarian City offered no route to the Jianghe Tribe. This was a tiny, truly savage tribe the Ancient Barbarian City had never heard of, one that had never been seen within its walls.
After nearly a dozen days of investigating, the Ancient Barbarian City finally tracked down the origin and allegiance of the Jianghe Tribe. It was an impossibly tiny Barbarian tribe. The nearest Teleportation Array led to the Nine Star Li Tribe.
The Ancient Barbarian City activated the array linked to Nine Star Li. Warriors were dispatched to inquire. The truth emerged: the Nine Star Li Tribe had been destroyed by the Jianghe Tribe! Jiang Xiaoshan was none other than the Jianghe Tribe's Saint King, known previously as the Headless Savage.
He had a so-called Divine Dog at his side, and his head had inexplicably grown back!
The somewhat careless Barbarian Warriors casually gathered a few accounts of the Headless Savage's exploits and sent the report back to the Ancient Barbarian City. An announcement was made at the site of the Nine Star Li Tribe: Saint King Jiang Xiaoshan had successfully entered the Middle Void; the Ancient Barbarian City would deliver rewards on-site.
The manager of the Ancient Barbarian City casually registered Jiang Xiaoshan's information. Following protocol, he awarded the Jianghe Tribe the prizes they were entitled to. That settled the matter.
Jiang Xiaoshan was a pure-blooded, authentic native savage of the Jianghe Tribe. Yep, that's all there was to it.
Their Brute King had become a Barbarian glory, entering the Middle Void. The Jianghe Tribe celebrated extravagantly for several years.
When Barbarian City warriors muttered about the Saint King merely getting lucky or having pie fall from the sky, the Jianghe tribesmen just laughed uproariously at the sky. The might of their Saint King was beyond the comprehension of ordinary Barbarian Warriors; they wouldn't stoop to the level of arguing with city folk.
While registering Jiang Xiaoshan's information, the manager of the Ancient Barbarian City had felt a slight nagging doubt. This Saint King seemed more than just a head grower; his combat prowess probably wasn't as lacking as appearances suggested. There were whispers that the kid had a record of exterminating a Peak Golden Wild beast, though it was unclear if it was a solo hunt or a victory with his tribe's elite.
If it was truly a solo kill, then this kid's entry into the Middle Void promised to be… interesting.
Ultimately, after some woolly thinking, the manager decided it didn't matter what feats the kid might’ve pulled off. He was indisputably a Barbarian Warrior; otherwise, he wouldn't have entered the Ancient Barbarian City. Fine, that settled it.
When kicking Sun Hao’s Physical Form into the Ten Thousand Extinctions Ancient Graveyard, the White-Haired Cultivator had stated: If Sun Hao did not die, the destiny of the Human Clan would survive.
Jodan understood this logic perfectly well as well.
A First-grade Purple-Gold Belt in the Void Realm wasn't something easily acquired by a Cultivator. Once a Cultivator from a certain race obtained it, it signified that race's imminent, forceful ascent.
Thousands of years had passed. Jodan prioritized intercepting Sun Hao more and more intensely.
The reason was simple: a genuine explosion of talent had emerged among Human Cultivators. The most striking manifestation was the inexplicable surge of Ascension Cultivators.
Unknown changes had occurred in the Human Lower Realm. Over these millennia, a group of Ascension Cultivators had become the backbone of the Human Clan's advancement.
Ascension Platforms were the crown jewels of every race. Even Jodan couldn't access detailed information on the Human Ascension Platform; he could only see the total number of Ascension Cultivators each race produced per millennium.
It was startling. For several consecutive millennia, the number of Ascension Cultivators descending from the Human race ranked consistently within the top ten.
Jodan knew: Sun Hao wasn't dead. He was still hiding somewhere, lying dormant in the Lower Void.
Consequently, Jodan steeled himself. He mobilized all resources of the Winged Human Race. Guarding the passage connecting the Human Lower Void to the Middle Void became an ironclad imperative. They actively sabotaged attempts to guide Human Lower Void Cultivators into the Middle Void. Anyone suspect of being a potential Sun Hao vessel was preemptively eliminated; they would rather kill ten thousand than risk one escaping.
Yet Jodan never foresaw this: Sun Hao had stealthily boarded the Void-Piercing Shuttle bound for the Middle Void. Utilizing an identity Jodan completely failed to detect, he was already en route to the Middle Void.
At this moment, inside the Void-Piercing Shuttle, Sun Hao hurtled through a spatial tunnel, continuously advancing towards the destination ahead.
This was Sun Hao's second voyage through a spatial tunnel.
Compared to the first, this journey was considerably easier. The distance was shorter; the target was clear. The Void-Piercing Shuttle also flew much faster.
Within the shuttle, all the newly recruited Barbarian Warriors stood before the windows of their respective rooms, observing the scenery outside in the Void.
If their future cultivation failed to reach a certain level, perhaps this voyage through the Void would be the only such extraordinary experience in their entire lives.
Sun Hao stood like the other Cultivators, gazing from inside the shuttle into the remote and profound Void.
However, unlike the others, upon entering the Void itself, Sun Hao abruptly felt a faint, elusive connection linked to a specific point within the Void. He concentrated, trying to trace the sensation's source, but it remained elusive.
Only after the shuttle had flown for three full days did the answer materialize within his Sea of Consciousness.
The faint sense of connection emanated from the Chenxiang Sword. Perceiving this connection, Sun Hao suddenly understood. Somewhere within that distant Void, the sword spirit, Granny Que, was likely trapped there.
During his Lower Realm Ascension, Sun Hao chose to trust Granny Que, merging into the Chenxiang Sword. In the final, desperate moment, when his energy faltered, Granny Que had stepped forward. She helped thrust the Chenxiang Sword through the boundary wall. Yet, Granny Que herself had become lost within an unknown part of the Void. Her current state and mode of existence remained a mystery.
Over the years, Sun Hao recalled a strange vision during a Sword Soul test: a woman sleeping peacefully within the vast emptiness of the Void. He had believed then that it was Granny Que, slumbering within the Chenxiang Sword in some way unknown to him.
Later, when Sun Hao forged his five Sword Pills and solidified the Chenxiang Sword, Granny Que still hadn't awakened. Only then did Sun Hao suspect something was seriously wrong, though he could never pinpoint the reason.
But now, within the Void itself, Sun Hao finally comprehended. Granny Que must be confined within a specific location in the Void.
Gazing into the Void, Sun Hao sighed softly. With his current strength, traversing the Void was still impossible. It seemed Granny Que would have to remain asleep for quite a bit longer.
The shuttle flew rapidly through the Void for roughly half a month. A deep blue light sphere appeared ahead.
Germain's voice echoed throughout the shuttle: "Warriors, ahead lies the domain of our Warlock Clan. Please be seated; we are about to transcend the Void..."
As he spoke, the shuttle appeared to hesitate, halting momentarily in space. Then it accelerated violently, shaking and shuddering intensely.
Sun Hao staggered slightly with the shuttle's convulsions, feeling a brief wave of dizziness.
Once the shuttle stabilized completely, blindingly white light poured down from above. Sun Hao instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes.
A gentle female voice drifted through the shuttle: "Welcome back, Prince Germain. Welcome, warriors, to the Middle Void, welcome to our Kaelmen Dragon Domain..."
Sun Hao drew a deep breath.
From his back basket, Border Collie poked its head out, barking excitedly: "The Middle Void! I, the Divine Dog Border Collie, have arrived!"
From outside the room, Gerlane's voice called out: "Come on, Xiaoshan, let's get out! Damned stuffy shuttle."
Sun Hao thought inwardly, Middle Void, I'm here. Outwardly he declared, "Jodan, the day of reckoning will come. I will repay you for blood spilled." He turned and strode towards the exit, adding aloud, "Little Lan, as the local here, you must show me around. Take me to explore the streets, grab a meal..."
Gerlane replied cheerfully, "No problem! Let's go!"
Border Collie sprang out of the basket onto Sun Hao's shoulder, barking eagerly: "Any Border Collie tribe here? Pretty dog sisters?"
Gerlane looked at Sun Hao, puzzled. "The dog's speech is too profound... I don't understand..."
Sun Hao shrugged. "You can just ignore the mutt's nonsense."
Gerlane simply nodded and shot out of the shuttle.
Sun Hao followed close behind, stepping out into the open air.
Bathing in sunlight, looking down from high altitude, Sun Hao felt he had truly arrived in a mythological world. Tall cliffs bathed in sunlight, piercing through clouds. Numerous flying dragons circled and danced in the sky; some bore riders of diverse forms.
Beneath the cliffs sprawled a vast, mystical kingdom radiating a blue glow. Monumental structures rose from within the White Clouds, forming what looked like streets of cloud between them. These streets teemed with bustling crowds.
On the largest structure, directly below the shuttle, giant characters inscribed in the ancient script of the Void declared: "Kaelmen".