Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 718: Swordsages, Report For Duty!

The Revered Ancient mainland was a vast place. The Holytide Region, which was located in the south, was only a small corner of the larger continent. And it was far from the central region. Before the catastrophe of the broken face, it was relatively famous. It was connected in the north to the Spiritsky Region, in the west to the Moonhope Region, in the northwest to the Firedark Region by means of an ancient desert road. It bordered the Sea of Endlessness both in the south and the east, and thus, was very wealthy because of shipping and products that came from the sea. In its heyday, it was one of the top ten regions controlled by humans.

However, after the broken face of the god came, everything changed. The never-ending Forbidden Sea didn’t bring abundant wealth to the Holytide Region anymore, but instead, nonstop mutagen and other dangers. And that was just the beginning. The brilliant light of the Holytide Region faded into darkness. The human species declined, and as the human emperors came and went, they ultimately became weak.

The Moonhope Region became the Moonrite Region. Spiritsky Region became the home of the Nightshades, and came to be called the Nightspirit Region.

As for that ancient desert road that led to the Firedark Region, it became a no-man’s land. That was because the Firedark Region... didn’t belong to humans anymore. Instead, it was a frontier region connected to the lands of the Firemoon Darkheaven people.

Eventually... the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan rose up, and what had come to be a region of darkness and gloom again shone with dazzling light, striking fear into the hearts of the countless other species in Revered Ancient. But that glory was short-lived. After the ignominious death of the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan, human splendor drifted away like smoke in the wind.

Eventually, Seventh Prince came, and as humans and Nightshades warred, Dawning Suns were unleashed. The Nightshades were defeated, and the reigning Grand Duke Holytide chose to return to humanity. That said, this development wasn’t very monumental. When taking into consideration Revered Ancient as a whole, it didn’t attract much attention. Things like that weren’t enough to give rise to a storm of controversy.

No one knew what would happen in the future. No one knew if the Holytide Region would manage to cast dazzling light over Revered Ancient, the way that the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan had done in the past.

At the moment, war was spreading like wildfire north of the Holytide Region, in the Nightspirit Region, which had once been called Spiritsky. Beneath what was now a brightly shining sky, the Nightshade species suffered setback after setback. Although the Nightshades had many top experts, the fact was that Dawning Suns were profoundly debilitating to them. In fact, Emperor Nightshade and other top-level experts were actually assassinated by a mysterious cultivator.

All of that put the Nightshades in a passive position. Then the red moon disappeared, and though it would take time before outsiders knew the truth of what happened, there were plenty of pious Nightshades who sensed it immediately. To the Nightshades, that development was like hail added to snow, and sent them into a state of deep sorrow and grief.

The Nightshades were in a position of unprecedented weakness. In contrast, the warring humans shone with scintillating majesty. King Heaventide wasn’t the only one on the warpath. The human emperor had sent a total of thirteen heavenly kings to surround the Nightshade’s two major regions.

Then, they invaded those two regions, from thirteen different directions.

Most notable was King Eastcauldron, who was a heavenly king from the maternal clan of Princess Anhai. His battle prowess was astonishing, and he personally led his troops into battle, leaving the Nightshades feeling deeply oppressed.

At the same time, he put pressure on King Heaventide, whose clan paid a huge price to earn tacit approval from the emperor for Seventh Prince. There was a stipulation in the agreement, and that was that King Heaventide needed to conquer half of the Nightspirit Region. That was why King Heaventide conscripted so many cultivators after arriving at the Holytide Region. To him, it didn’t matter if the humans in the Holytide Region lived or died. Worst case scenario, the population could be replenished later. The most important thing was to win the war. Only in that way could Seventh Prince permanently secure his fiefdom.

The subordinates King Heaventide had brought with him weren’t sufficient to secure victory. To do that, he needed to gain access to taboo immortal skills. And those techniques required the blood and souls of countless living beings.

Therefore, Seventh Prince issued conscription orders one after another, and sent conscription officers throughout the region to gather troops. Seventh Prince was notified of anyone who refused to cooperate, and he would send troops to deal with the offenders.

This had already been going on for about half a year. Living beings from countless species in the Holytide Region were giving their lives to push the Nightshades back inch by inch. That included the forces of Sea-Sealing County.

Considering that this war was being waged for the honor of humankind, and that there was a heavenly king involved, there was no way Sea-Sealing County could refuse to cooperate. It didn’t matter that King Heaventide was holding back his own elite troops, and was using blood to unlock the taboo magic; they still couldn’t do anything.

During the half year that had passed, five waves of troops had been sent to the battlefield. Of those five groups, about half were swordsages.

There were many sects and species in Sea-Sealing County who, after the bitter war that had been fought, and all the other tumult, didn’t hesitate to offer loyalty to Seventh Prince. It had reached the point in which Sea-Sealing County couldn’t muster a sixth wave of troops, unless... they sent the best scions of the sects and swordsages. But if they did that, Sea-Sealing County wouldn’t have a future. Sadly, Sea-Sealing County wasn’t in the position to question orders.

Right now, a conscription contingent sent by Seventh Prince was closing in on the county capital of Sea-Sealing County.

The group was made of over 10,000 troops organized into two sections. The group in the front wore black robes embroidered with golden swords. Over half of that group was made of humans, although there were also nonhumans. They were all cultivators from sects that had once been part of Sea-Sealing County.

They had chosen to switch loyalties to Seventh Prince, and thus, their identities had changed. They now took orders from him, effectively making them imperial envoys. And they had come to conscript troops. They were all very relaxed, and were even chatting and laughing with each other. Most looked in the direction of the county capital with disdain in their eyes, and some even cracked sarcastic jokes.

The second group, which followed behind them, was made of warrior cultivators clad in blood-red armor and robes. They had cold expressions, and pulsed with baleful auras. Wherever they went, they were like dark clouds who weighed down oppressively on everyone around them. They were not cultivators from the Holytide Region, but rather, from the imperial capital. They were members of the imperial guard that Seventh Prince had brought with him. They rode gigantic black monitor lizards who were clad in black armor, and pulsed with a domineering air of pure destruction.

Among this conscription force was a white flying elephant with a fancy canopy over it.

Seated on the white elephant was a middle-aged cultivator wearing a suit of armor. He wasn’t very good-looking, and his eyes flickered with cold, sinister light. He was flanked by about a dozen figures in golden armor, each of which pulsed with terrifying Void Returning fluctuations that caused dark clouds to swirl around them.

There was also an old man seated on the elephant. His face was a mass of wrinkles, and his eyes had streaks that resembled shooting stars. He was looking at the distant statue of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity holding the county capital, his expression one of venom and hatred.

“Sir Bloodsmelter!” he growled through gritted teeth. “Zheng Kaiyi! And that scum Xu Qing!”[1]

Clearly, the desire for revenge burned hot in his heart.

The middle-aged man looked over at him and smiled faintly. “You have a lot of old friends here, don’t you, Soaring Cloud?”

The old man quickly ducked his head down, clasped hands and bowed. “High Commander, I hope you can allow me to have a very nice reunion with my old friends.” [2]

When the old man said ‘old friends,’ he was virtually gnashing his teeth.

The high commander smiled and nodded.

The old man was none other than Master Shengyun’s grandfather, Patriarch Soaring Cloud from the Soaring Cloud Sword Sect in the Eight Sect Coalition.

Because of what happened with Master Shengyun, he had been ousted from the senate and punished in other ways. However, after King Heaventide showed up and the coalition’s president defected, the president personally gave amnesty to the patriarch. After coming to understand the situation, Patriarch Soaring Cloud chose to follow the president and seek asylum with Seventh Prince.

He had pleaded fervently to be allowed to come along to the county capital. He wasn’t worried about running into trouble. Given his current circumstances, anyone who defied him would end up dead. In fact, he was actually looking forward to arriving.

Defy me, and you’ll die! Don’t defy me, and you’ll just delay your death! My poor grandson was clearly on the path to becoming an Ancient Emperor. But that scumbag Xu Qing was jealous and viciously persecuted him!

And my son died a horrible death thanks to Zheng Kaiyi! But the ultimate source of it all is Sir Bloodsmelter! The whole lot of you can just go ahead and die!

Killing intent glittered in Patriarch Soaring Cloud’s eyes. Glaring at the county capital, he waved his right hand. The clouds in the dome of heaven churned as lightning bolts formed, streaking together to create a lightning dragon. With a deafening roar, it shot toward the county capital. It was clearly about to tear the county capital to bits.

Just as the lightning dragon was about to hit the county capital, a figure appeared in front of it. The figure reached out and touched the dragon. The dragon struggled in resistance, but it did no good. An instant later, it exploded, becoming a shower of sparks that rained down onto the city below.

All of the streets and alleys in the capital were silent and empty. The mortals had been told to stay indoors. Only cultivators from the three palaces were visible, as well as elite experts from the sects that had remained loyal to Sea-Sealing County. Eyes burning with anger, they looked up into the sky.

Among them were Yao Yunhui, Li Shitao, as well as Seven Blood Eyes disciples. There were plenty of people that Xu Qing would recognize. [3]

Kong Xianglong was nowhere to be seen. [4]

As the oppressive army loomed overhead, the dark clouds seethed. From a distance, the county capital looked like a rowboat in angry waves, just on the verge of capsizing.

Within that army, the high commander atop the white elephant yawned and then said, “You know more than me what reserve powers Sea-Sealing County has. I’ll give you an incense stick’s worth of time to conscript the troops. I want to get moving to the next stop.”

With that, he took out a book and started reading; clearly, he wasn’t interested at all in what happened next. The warrior cultivators all held their positions with cold expressions.

In contrast, the former Sea-Sealing County cultivators let loose wild war cries. That included Patriarch Soaring Cloud. He looked down at the person who had destroyed his lightning dragon, his eyes pulsing with killing intent.

“Zheng Kaiyi!”

The person who had stopped the lightning was none other than Master Seventh. Looking up at the army with a grim expression, he waved his hand, dispelling the sparks that were raining down. At the same time, the air behind him rippled as several people appeared.

First was Marquis Yao, followed by the three palace lords, the honor guards from the various palaces, and the top experts from numerous sects. Every single one of them was a Void Returning expert.

Sir Bloodsmelter was there with Yanyan’s grandmother Guru Eastnether, along with three sect leaders from the Eight Sect Coalition. [5]

All of them had serious expressions on their faces.

There were fewer people than before Xu Qing left. Some had switched loyalties, others had died in battle.

Also in the crowd was a woman wearing a plum-colored gown. She looked like a blooming bauhinia tree, and was spectacularly beautiful. She was none other than Plumdark. She stood out from the crowd, making it obvious that her position was far above those around her. However, there was a touch of worry visible on her brow, making her seem anxious. At the same time, she wore a cold frown as she looked up at Patriarch Soaring Cloud and the army with him.

The county capital was silent. The arrival of the army had cast a pall over the city. It wasn’t that the people of Sea-Sealing County weren’t willing to help the war effort. Rather, they had already given everything they could.

“Yao Tianyan! Zheng Kaiyi! You two have got a lot of gall!” Patriarch Soaring Cloud strode off the elephant to hover in front of the army. His eyes pulsed with killing intent, but inside, he was feeling wonderful. He smiled coldly. “It’s been seven days since Seventh Prince sent you new conscriptions orders. Here in Sea-Sealing County, you just watch while the forces of humankind suffer on the battlefield. All you know how to do is protect yourself! You refuse to send even one soldier to the front lines! Behavior like that makes you the same as the enemy! You people are the garbage of humanity!

“The high commander personally led his forces here, yet you obstinately persist in going about things the wrong way. Are the people of Sea-Sealing County even human anymore? Do you still serve the emperor? Do you still care about humankind?”

Patriarch Soaring Cloud had a lot of experience in life, and was both astute and circumspect. Every single word he spoke carried a lot of meaning, and emphasized loyalty to humankind. There were few people who could compare to him.

As his proudly spoken words echoed out, the High Commander on the white elephant looked at him with praise in his eyes.

Meanwhile, the people of Sea-Sealing County were starting to get angry. The cultivators from the three palaces gritted their teeth, their faces ashen and their eyes burning with fury.

Up above them, Marquis Yao stepped forward, his expression one of fury. “You say that Sea-Sealing County only knows how to protect itself? That we’re not willing to give one soldier? Over the past half year, we’ve sent five waves of troops to the front lines. That’s millions of our young ones. We also sent the palace lord from the Administration Palace, as well as numerous honor guards from all of the palaces!

“The millions of young ones we currently have here are the future of Sea-Sealing County, and they’re the only reserve troops we have! Every sect, especially the human ones, are lamps about to run out of oil. You’re turning black into white here!

“You talk of a war of honor? Let me ask you, of the five waves of young ones we sent, how many are still alive? The palace lord of the Administration Palace died in battle! Multiple honor guards have died and been buried in foreign lands. Didn’t they die honorably?

“In recent years, Sea-Sealing County has dealt with many things. We fought back against the Holytides all on our own! We had three palace lords die at almost the same time! The governor died mysteriously, and then Seventh Prince swooped in and reaped the rewards. On the surface, it seemed like he was coming to the rescue, but everybody knows what really happened!

“Isn’t it enough that millions of young ones from Sea-Sealing County have died? Don’t tell me you want to take our final wavering spark and extinguish it?”

Marquis Yao stood tall and straight. As he spoke, he wasn’t looking at Patriarch Soaring Cloud, but rather, at the high commander. He spoke from his heart, clear and loud for everyone to hear.

Then Master Seventh stepped forward. Looking at the white elephant, he calmly said, “We all care about the honor of humankind. And we can make sacrifices. But only if it’s worth it. High Commander, let me ask you something. How many of Seventh Prince’s subordinates have been sent to the battlefield?”

The high commander didn’t even look away from his book. Speaking to Patriarch Soaring Cloud, he said, “You have half an incense stick left.”

Patriarch Soaring Cloud’s eyes flashed. After looking over the county capital, his gaze came to focus on Master Seventh and Marquis Yao.

“Swordsage Palace. Administration Palace. Justice Palace. All three palace lords. All of the deputy palace lords. All honor guards. Every single swordsage cultivator. However many of you there are, that’s how many will mobilize. The sect leaders of all sects will fight.

“Also... in His Majesty Seventh Prince’s first conscription order from half a year ago, he demanded that Xu Qing participate in the fighting. You made the excuse that he was in seclusion, but this time, that won’t work. Xu Qing must fight! You have the time it takes half an incense stick to burn. Xu Qing and everyone else I just mentioned must be assembled in ranks by then!”

Patriarch Soaring Cloud took a step forward. That step resounded like heavenly thunder. Winds screamed as a huge vortex spun into existence above. Below, everyone in Sea-Sealing County seethed with anger.

Meanwhile, Marquis Yao’s eyes gleamed with determination as he shared a glance with Master Seventh.

“Three palaces!” he said. The three palace lords floated up into the air, where they called out similar orders to muster their forces.

Most noteworthy was Palace Lord Li Yunshan of the Swordsage Palace, who had been the deputy palace lord not too long ago. Speaking in a somber and desolate voice, he called, “Swordsages, report for duty!”

As his words echoed through the county capital, figures appeared one after another.

“Swordsage Sun Chenwu, reporting for duty!”

“Swordsage Zhang Hao, reporting for duty!”

“Swordsage Lu Tao, reporting for duty!”

As the voices rang out, they were joined by a particularly distinct voice that echoed like thunder into the ears of everyone present.

“Swordsage Xu Qing, reporting for duty!”

1. Last time I saw a lot of comments from readers who forgot that Zheng Kaiyi is Master Seventh. So... here’s another reminder. We last heard his name in chapter 538. That chapter has links to the previous references. ☜

2. The title that I’m rendering ‘high commander’ is a title that was primarily used by provincial military governors during the early Republic of China. It does not contain any of the same characters used in the titles that I’ve rendered as ‘governor’ or ‘lieutenant governor’ in this translation, so I’m refraining from using ‘governor.’ It’s basically a military title of very high rank. ☜

3. Yao Yunhui is Zhang Siyun’s mother. She last appeared in chapter 701.2. That chapter has links to her previous appearances. Li Shitao is “Lady Peachy,” the friend of Plumdark who is the Captain’s love interest. She was introduced in chapter 428, and last appeared on screen in chapter 528. ☜

4. The author mistakenly made a reference to “Second Elder Brother.” In the comments, the Chinese readers jumped all over this to point out that it’s a mistake. Perhaps Er Gen was thinking about Second Highness a.k.a. Second Sib a.k.a. Second Elder Sister who is with Huang Yan. Many Chinese readers jumped to that conclusion, while simultaneously pointing out it wouldn’t make sense to expect her to be present in this scene anyway. The other possibility is that he was thinking of Third Elder Brother. Either way, it’s a clear mistake on the part of the author so I edited it out. ☜

5. The last we saw Yanyan’s grandmother was in chapter 542.1 and 542.2. ☜

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