Chapter 1: The Results
Li Xiaolong gazed into the distance. Several months had already passed, and here he was, still inside the Green Martial Valley Union, which was now called the Green Lotus Pavilion.
Extreme sadness, longing, and intense shock could be seen in his eyes because of the great changes that had taken place in the Sky Flame Kingdom—or perhaps it would be better not to mention the former kingdom that had once existed.
A great change had taken place in the land that had once belonged to the kingdom of the Sky Flame Kingdom and was now part of the Hollow Earth Kingdom.
In the blink of an eye, the kingdom that had once been home to many citizens had disappeared and dissolved.
The kingdom of the former Sky Flame Kingdom had now been divided into three parts. Twenty-five percent of its land had been completely seized and placed under the Wind Fury Kingdom, while another twenty-five percent of the land now belonged to the Hollow Earth Kingdom. The remaining fifty percent of the former Sky Flame Kingdom’s land was still owned by the noble members of the Royal Families of the former Sky Flame Kingdom, which was now called only the Sky Sword Pavilion.
This was truly a great change, because the power of a former kingdom had greatly weakened, and it had now become only a small force because of the pressure exerted by the two kingdoms.
As for the Sky Ice Kingdom, they failed to obtain even a small portion of land, especially since, at that time, extreme winter had also arrived and spread across the Sky Flame Kingdom.
Fortunately, the standing leader of the Sky Flame Kingdom’s army, Prince Nianzu, returned early, while his princely brothers also helped.
Although the members of the Blood Skull Alliance were driven away, the kingdom still completely fell. From being divided, it ultimately lost fifty percent of the land now shared by the Hollow Earth Kingdom and the Wind Fury Kingdom.
These lands became peaceful once more, along with the fall of the Sky Flame Kingdom due to its lack of defense.
The land of Green Valley and its neighboring territories fell under the kingdom of the Hollow Earth Kingdom. The lands here were extremely vast, and the warriors from the Hollow Earth Kingdom were the first to set up camps there, while the Wind Fury Kingdom was too reckless and aggressive because they had managed to fight head-on against the armed forces of the Sky Flame Kingdom back then. It could not be denied that defending their land had been difficult for the Sky Flame Kingdom.
With the strength of the Wind Fury Kingdom, the Sky Flame Kingdom would surely not have been able to withstand the sudden increase of their forces. If the Hollow Earth Kingdom was known for warriors trained through physical strength and attributes, the Wind Fury Kingdom trained the army they sent to become killing machines, cultivators whose cultivation was raised while they were trained to kill, much like assassins. However, it seemed they had not managed to penetrate too deeply into the Sky Flame Kingdom because of the preparations made by the former king, along with the excellent leadership of Prince Nianzu and his brothers, especially Prince Feng. They gradually suppressed the aggressive forces of the Wind Fury Kingdom with the help of the Hollow Earth Kingdom.
Li Mo was assigned to lead the contest for the lands of the Sky Flame Kingdom but Mister Li Mo had good intentions toward the land he would occupy together with the armed forces of the Hollow Earth Kingdom.
He used his position and authority in a good way. He protected the Green Martial Valley Union before what everyone feared could happen. The Hollow Earth Kingdom was closer to the Sky Flame Kingdom than the Wind Fury Kingdom. In only a few hours, the armed forces of the Hollow Earth Kingdom could immediately reach the said kingdom.
Because of the preventive measures, deep thinking, and strategies of Li Mo, he was able to protect his beloved land, especially the clan that had once also become his home. He would not have been able to do all of this if not for the help of Li Jianxin, as well as a strange young man who was a powerful cultivator.
Like him, this young man was also an Early Purple Heart Realm Expert. Their strength could be said to be equal but Li Mo was still richer in battle experience.
Because of this, the cooperation between the two sides became meaningful.
Only a few troops were sent by the Hollow Earth Kingdom compared to the armed forces of the Wind Fury Kingdom, which suffered great casualties in the bloody battle between it and the Sky Flame Kingdom.
The Hollow Earth Kingdom did not join the conflict between the two kingdoms that had fought in recent months, which ended with the Sky Flame Kingdom losing its title as a kingdom. Instead, its level of power declined but fortunately, it was not dissolved. Rather, it became a civilized place only for the nobles and wealthy families or clans of the former Sky Flame Kingdom.
Overall, it could be said that the battle between the Sky Flame Kingdom and the Wind Fury Kingdom had been bloody but because the Wind Fury Kingdom was too far from the said kingdom, it failed. In addition, the Sky Ice Kingdom, the Hollow Earth Kingdom, and even Dou City did not join the war between the two kingdoms.
As for Dou City, their only goal was to suppress the wandering members of the Blood Skull Alliance, which the authorities of the said great city successfully accomplished.
The captured Beast Tamer and his companions were executed and beheaded. Many sacrificed their lives in order to suppress and capture them, especially since that Ocean Black Bat was extremely dangerous, being a creature with the blood of an ancient beast.
The government of Dou City hid the sensitive information regarding these matters so that it would not bring even greater fear to the civilians.
They were wiped out because of the might of the powerful martial artists who had been prepared to undertake dangerous missions.
Li Xiaolong remained silent in his place inside this cave. It was the cave that had saved him back then, especially after what happened last month.
All the members of the Green Martial Valley Union had distanced themselves from him because he had nearly killed everyone here. He had lost everything: the happy family he had, now far away in the place they called Vermilion City, and his sworn sibling Li Zhilan was there as well.
Everyone considered him a plague, a demon, and more. Everyone had clearly seen how he had become a strange being who merged with the wind, releasing pitch-black energy and butterfly-shaped forms that took the lives of the countless enemies from the Wind Fury Kingdom.
This was also one of the reasons why he was being hidden here in the cave he had once mined. If not for the young man Cháng Shan, they said, perhaps all of them, including him, would have been reduced to ashes.
Li Xiaolong could not fully believe that he had done such a thing during the time he had lost consciousness back then.
He knew that there was a secret inside his body, and because of the danger in his surroundings, it had voluntarily controlled his body itself. He was certain that he could never hurt others or kill so many beings against his own will.
Li Xiaolong could only cry in one corner, visibly crushed. He had never thought that everything would change in an instant, that nothing important would remain for him.
He was feared but the truth was that his heart had been shattered by hopelessness. No one tried to touch him again or attempt to kill him because they had witnessed the terrifying transformation in his being.
Everyone clearly remembered how he had killed all the invading, countless troops of the Wind Fury Kingdom, and how only their bones had fallen to the ground.
Only Li Mo and Li Jianxin came here to visit Li Xiaolong after he had awakened in the past few days. Li Xiaolong had also locked himself inside this place for more than a month.
Li Mo covered up everything that had happened. He and Li Jianxin knew that it had not been Li Xiaolong. That being was extremely powerful but perhaps that being, or whatever it was, had only managed to awaken because of Li Xiaolong’s danger or intense fear.
