Swallowed Star 2: Land of Origin: Volume 11: [The Hunyuan Blade Dao]: Chapter 16 (401): [The Icepeak Faction's Decision]

Subscribe to the MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel.
***********************************
Swallowed Star 2: Land of Origin
Volume 11: [The Hunyuan Blade Dao]
Chapter (401): [The Icepeak Faction's Decision]
(16th of Volume 11)
Translator: Shadow Knight AK
Editor: Shadow Knight AK
***********************************

"Let the war begin!"

"This is going to be spectacular!"

"I bet the Practitioner Faction loses the first battle. But if this drags on, the Icepeak Faction won't be able to hold out."

"Haha! It would be great if the 3,600 world clusters in Practitioners' Domain are reduced to ruins!"

"Hmph! If that actually happens, the eight Lords will have nothing left to hold them back. That's when things will get truly terrifying!"

"Now that's what I call entertainment!"

In the Eternal Land, a crowd of thrill-seekers had gathered, eager for the spectacle.

Besides the eight Lords of the Practitioner Faction and the twelve Immortal beings of the Icepeak Faction, nine other Immortal beings had sent clones to the Eternal Land.

They are Infinite Serpent Hunyuan Ancestor, Yanhuo Hunyuan Ancestor, Chu Shi Hunyuan Ancestor, and Hunyuan Ancestor of Time and Space from the Innate Hunyuan Lifeform Faction!

There are also five Immortal beings who have not joined any faction!

They are Mogus, Kafuxiu, the Feather Emperor, Moxu, and the Yin Shi (Hermit).

Among these five, four ranked among the top ten strongest in the Infinite Hunyuan Space.

The Hermit's power remained unknown, as he is the only being in the Infinite Hunyuan Space whose true form could not be located by anyone.

These five had no need to join any faction, living as they pleased.

"The fiercer the battle, the better!" Kafuxiu, clad in white battle armor, roared with laughter.

"Infinite Serpent, your Innate Hunyuan LIfeform Faction fought the Practitioner Faction for so long, losing many Hunyuan Ancestors! If the Icepeak Faction launches a full-scale war against the Practitioner Faction, they'll likely lose some Hunyuan Ancestors too."

The Infinite Serpent Ancestor remained unconcerned.

"Only after going through life-and-death trials, one's strength can grow. Those who perished simply weren't strong enough."

Unlike the Practitioner Lords, who are all Immortal, only a handful of the hundred-plus Hunyuan Ancestors who initially joined the Innate Hunyuan LIfeform Faction possessed true immortality. Most faced the constant threat of death.

Under this threat of death, they have fought countless battles against the Practitioner Faction. Many surviving Hunyuan Ancestors gained insights that required time to digest slowly.

"There are too many Hunyuan Ancestors!" Mogus, radiating a chilling aura, also said, "The weak ones deserve to be eliminated! The Icepeak Faction has twenty-six ordinary Hunyuan Ancestors- some of them should die!"

"Mogus, if my senses are correct, you've lost over ninety-five percent of your power, haven't you?" Kafuxiu taunted.

"Can you even defeat Xingmang?" Mogus sneered.

"Although I can't defeat him, he can't harm me either," Kafuxiu retorted, shaking his head, "Unlike you, who only bullies the weak! You're utterly helpless against Xingmang."

Mogus scoffed.

"Chu Shi," the Strange Cubic Moxu said, seated beside the Chu Shi Hunyuan Ancestor in his perfect spherical form.

The two shared a deep bond.

"I heard you recently ventured to the Hell Fire Prison Wall?"

The Infinite Hunyuan Space contains many mysterious realms. And these realms also varies greatly in power, and some are so formidable that even the Hunyuan Ancestors had no hope of refining or controlling them.

The Hell Fire Prison Wall is one of these mysterious realms.

This Hell Fire Prison Wall is a colossal and majestic wall that stretched across the length of roughly a hundred world clusters, its width comparable to an entire world cluster!

Among all mysterious realms, its sheer size ranked among the top three.

Over 99% of Hunyuan Ancestors who dared to touch the Hell Fire Prison Wall would be reduced to ashes.

Lord Wu Lan had once ventured to the Hell Fire Prison Wall, only to be severely burned and forced to retreat, not daring to delve deeper.

The only being capable of traversing the Hell Fire Prison Wall is the Chu Shi Hunyuan Ancestor himself!

The Chu Shi Hunyuan Ancestor replied, "Yanhuo, Shazhou, and several other old friends asked for my assistance. I took them with me to the Hell Fire Prison Wall."

In ancient times, before the formation of factions, Shazhou, the Chu Shi Hunyuan Ancestor, and Moxu had all been well-acquainted.

"Did you find the Origin of the Hell Fire Prison Wall?" Moxu Hunyuan Ancestor asked.

"No," the Chu Shi Hunyuan Ancestor replied.

The Yanhuo Hunyuan Ancestor, on the other side, also added, "We traversed the entire Hell Fire Prison Wall this time, but still couldn't sense the Hell Fire Prison Wall's Origin."

"If we can't even sense it, there's no hope of refining it," Kafuxiu said.

"We've discovered twelve different types of supreme-tier flame power within the Hell Fire Prison Wall," the Yanhuo Hunyuan Ancestor marveled, "There's ice-cold fire that can freeze even Hunyuan Ancestors, there is also an endlessly scorching flames that incinerate everything, thunderous flames that shatter all, ashen flames that annihilate all matter, and violently explosive flames..."

With so many flames converging simultaneously, only the Chu Shi Hunyuan Ancestor could traverse it.

"If the Hell Fire Prison Wall possesses an Origin, it must contain at least twelve supreme-tier powers," the Infinite Serpent Hunyuan Ancestor said, "To refine it, one would need to master nearly half of these supreme-tier powers. Yet across the entire Infinite Hunyuan Space, no being has ever mastered more than two! Therefore, refining the Hell Fire Prison Wall is impossible."

"Indeed, it's impossible," the Yanhuo Hunyuan Ancestor nodded.

Every Hunyuan Ancestor skilled in flames harbored ambitions toward the Hell Fire Prison Wall.

Controlling such a terrifying and mysterious place would undoubtedly grant immense power.

The Yanhuo Hunyuan Ancestor, currently one of the Nine Sovereigns and slightly weaker than the Infinite Serpent Ancestor, believed that mastering the Hell Fire Prison Wall would allow him to surpass the Infinite Serpent Ancestor and perhaps even contend for the title of the strongest being in the Infinite Hunyuan Space.

Of course, renowned formidable places like the Hell Fire Prison Wall, the Eternal Land, and the Abyss of Destruction offered no realistic hope of refinement.

..........

Inside the colossal, majestic palace....

The Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor and eleven other Hunyuan Ancestor level beings had gathered here.

"Look at this," a massive figure said, pointing a finger. In the air before them, a scene materialized, showing the Eight Lords of the Practitioner Faction advancing.

"The Eight Lords of the Practitioner Faction are on their way! Their message is clear: if we seize these world clusters, they will declare war!"

This massive figure, with a body like yellow rock, glared around the room.

"I, Xiu Sawei, have never encroached upon a single world cluster in the Practitioner Territory, nor taken a single resource from them. Whether you join this war or not... I, Xiu Sawei, will absolutely not participate in the war against practitioners!"

"Xiu Sawei! The twelve of us are a unified group together. Once a collective decision is made, you must abide by it!" The Three Sovereigns of the Wind (Feng), Thunder (Lei), Sea (Hai) immediately rebuked him.

"We are ultimately a unified entity," the Wugu Hunyuan Ancestor added.

As the only one present in his true form, his stakes in this matter were the highest.

Xiu Sawei scoffed.

"If I refuse to fight, what can you possibly do to me?"

The Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor watched the scene with a headache.

In the Icepeak Faction, there are twelve Immortal beings, along with twenty-six Hunyuan Ancestors.

Their apparent strength seems to be overwhelming!

But it is precisely because the top leaders are immortal, they are nearly impossible to control.

Even the weakest among them, the Three Sovereigns of the Wind, Thunder and Sea, are notorious troublemakers.

"The Practitioner Faction has only eight Lords, which is roughly equal to our twelve. But we have twenty-six Hunyuan Ancestors! Once the war truly begins, we'll hold an absolute advantage. We can crush them like dry leaves and even seize vast area of their territory!"

"We must teach this Practitioner Faction a lesson! Make them understand that any alliance with the Icepeak Faction must be on our terms!"

"You two fools! When the Practitioner Faction was weak, they indeed followed our lead. But now they can wage war against over a hundred Hunyuan Ancestors from the Innate Hunyuan LIfeform Faction. Do you think they still fear us?"

"I haven't invaded any Practitioner Territory, nor do I need their resources. My position is clear: I will not participate in this war!" With that, the slender figure vanished without a trace.

"He's gone?"

"Pu Cheng actually left early?" The Three Sovereigns of the Wind, Thunder and Sea were furious.

"Silence."

The Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor glanced at the Three Sovereigns.

He considered expelling them from the Icepeak Faction, but the original alliance of twelve Eternal Land entities made it difficult without sufficient justification.

"Pu Cheng has departed," the Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor announced, surveying the assembly.

"His stance is clear: he will not participate in the war. What are your thoughts?"

"I also refuse to join," Xiu Sawei declared.

"Like the Innate Hunyuan LIfeform Faction, the Icepeak Faction requires vast resources to nurture our Life Cores. But the Eight Lords of the Practitioner Faction are Enlightened Beings. They care nothing for such material concerns. I see no reason to fall out with them over the conquest of world clusters."

"The Practitioner Faction has always relied on us! Now that they've grown stronger, they dare to turn against us?"

"I believe we should strike first. The Hunyuan Ancestors who pledged allegiance to us have grown complacent. It's time they earn their resources through battle."

Many present shared this desire for war.

Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor was deeply troubled. He could only send a silent telepathic message to Shazhou.

The gray-robed woman beside him, Shazhou, had been silent until now.

She glanced at Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor, then surveyed the hall before speaking.

"This war is pointless. I won't participate."

The hall fell silent.

Shazhou wouldn't participate?

Shazhou and Lord Xingmang are ranked among the top two in terms of strength within the Infinite Hunyuan Space.

If Shazhou refused to fight, Pu Cheng and Xiu Sawei would likely follow suit, potentially jeopardizing the entire war effort.

Among the twelve Immortal beings present, the Three Sovereigns of the Wind, Thunder and Sea were the weakest, while the others grew increasingly powerful.

Pu Cheng's strength rivaled that of a Practitioner Lord, giving him the audacity to leave first without regard for anyone's feelings.

Xiu Sawei's power also placed him among the top thirty in the Infinite Hunyuan Space.

"If Pu Cheng, Xiu Sawei, and Elder Sister Shazhou all refuse to fight, I believe this war is too risky to proceed," Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor declared, his gaze sweeping across the assembly.

"We should return all the world clusters we previously seized to the Practitioner Faction. Does anyone object?"

No one voiced dissent.

...........

"They've decided to back down!" Lord Xingmang announced suddenly as Luo Feng and the others hurried onward.

"They're backing down?" Yuan's face lit up with delight.

To be honest, the Lords still cared deeply about the countless living beings within their territories. Over half of the twelve Immortal beings in the Icepeak Faction are warmongers who cared nothing for the lives of those beneath them.

Xiu Sawei and Pu Cheng are among the few who still valued their people. They too feared that a full-scale war would engulf their own territories.

"When we negotiate with Icepeak Hunyuan Ancestor later, follow my lead," Lord Xingmang instructed.

He had peered into countless possible futures, and knew that certain actions, once set in motion, were almost certain to come to pass.

"Okay," Yuan nodded. Following Lord Xingmang's guidance was always the right move.

Half a day later-

Led by Lord Xingmang, the eight Lords of the Practitioner Faction arrived at the border of the occupied territory.

Six figures from the Icepeak Faction appeared to greet them, led by Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor himself.

"Brother Yuan, don't be angry," Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor said with a smile as he approached.

"Your threat of war was quite intimidating. It took all my influence to unify our internal opinions."

"What opinions?" Yuan asked.

"Naturally, the return of all occupied territories," Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor replied with a smile.

"There's truly no need for war between us."

"Just a return of territory? I've investigated thoroughly. Your Bingfeng Faction acted ruthlessly, plundering indiscriminately and even devouring the origins of numerous Origin Worlds," Yuan said coldly.

"Do you think merely returning territory is enough?"

The Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor frowned slightly, displeased. He had secretly encouraged the avoidance of war, but even he had his pride.

"What do you want?" the Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor asked, his gaze fixed on Yuan.

"I don't demand compensation. Return every resource you plundered from the Practitioner Territory, and we'll consider this matter closed," Yuan declared, "Otherwise, I'll take back double what you stole!"

The Icepeak Hunyuan Ancestor nodded impassively.

"I can agree to that."

"Bingfeng!" The Wugu Hunyuan Ancestor and the Three Sovereigns of the Wind, Thunder and Sea, who had seized the most resources, grew anxious.

Are they really going to have to give it all back?

"I said I agreed," the Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor said, his eyes sweeping over them.

"Anyone who disagrees can negotiate with the Practitioner Faction themselves."

The Wugu Hunyuan Ancestor and the Three Sovereigns of the Wind, Thunder and Sea had no choice but to swallow their resentment.

Alone, they would be utterly crushed by the Eight Lords of the Practitioner Faction.

"Brother Yuan," the Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor said, turning to Yuan with a faint smile.

"Your Practitioner Faction has changed."

At least, their attitude toward him, the Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor, had hardened considerably compared to the past.

"I must also explain this to the other seven Lords," Yuan said, looking at Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor.

"I'm sure you understand."

"I do," Bingfeng Hunyuan Ancestor nodded.

They gazed at each other, both aware that things had changed.

Soon, the Icepeak Faction departed, while the Wugu Hunyuan Ancestor and the Three Sovereigns of the Wind, Thunder and Sea were ordered to return all their plundered resources within a short time.

"We're letting them off too lightly," Lord Jin said coldly.

"They invaded our Practitioner Territory, and all they have to do is retreat and return the stolen resources? If it were up to me, we'd plunder ten times what they took!"

"Our strength isn't sufficient," Lord Xingmang countered.

"Forcing them to return the plundered resources is the most we can achieve. If we push further, Bingfeng's pride will force him to declare war. And if he does, Shazhou will undoubtedly join the battle."

Luo Feng, newly ascended to Lord status, had little experience with the Icepeak Faction and silently observed the proceedings.

"Regardless, we've reclaimed all 3,600 world clusters of the Practitioner Territory," Yuan said with a smile, turning to Luo Feng.

"It's fortunate you broke through to become a new Lord, Luo Feng. Otherwise, who knows what would have become of our territory."

The other Lords were also in high spirits.

Only now could this war truly be considered a complete victory!

______________________________

END OF CHAPTER

Subscribe to MTL WORLD (@mtlworld1) YouTube Channel
*********************************