Sovereign of the Three Realms - Chapter 1838

Chapter 1838: 1838

Forefather Goldenbell instantly felt an indescribable pressure . It transformed into an intense sense of danger, as if he straddling the border between life and death .

An expert’s instincts were very sharp . As soon as the forefather saw the Vermilion Bird cut in suddenly, he realized that there might be a trap involved . Rather than attempting to catch the dragon, he tried to retract his enormous golden bell with hand seals to shore up his defenses .

However, Long Xiaoxuan reappeared once more as he tried to do so . This time, the dragon’s body was several times bigger . He encircled the golden bell relentlessly, trapping it with his coiling ability .  

Forefather Goldenbell’s summons were met with dull thuds . Though the bell tried to move in the direction of its master, it did so at a snail’s pace . It would be of zero help in defending him .

The Vermilion Bird wouldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity . It blasted a firestorm of feathers in Goldenbell’s direction, blanketing the space several miles around the human in a meteoric shower .

The bird’s feathers burned with a heat that threatened to set the very air afire, and moved with a sharpness that could cut the fabric of space itself .

Without the golden bell, Forefather Goldenbell’s defenses were lowered by at least two-thirds . He didn’t expect the Vermilion Bird to mobilize such a lightning-fast offense .

He had only barely fended off the bird’s talons with his physical defenses before . The feathers were several degrees of magnitude more dangerous .

His rhythm having been interrupted, the forefather began to feel out of his element . In his haste, he tossed several defensive talismans into the air to fend off the vermilion feathers’ crazed onslaught .

However, the Vermilion Bird wouldn’t give him a chance to come back . Before the talismans could even activate, the bird swept them away with a flap of its wings .

Forefather Goldenbell paled in fear . He finally moved himself to try to evade the attack, but it was already too late . He was swept into the vortex of fiery feathers in the blink of an eye .

The forefather clearly had no intention of giving up . Despite his predicament, he tried his best to avoid certain death . What surprised him was that despite the feathers’ density, he could just barely stay alive within the vortex .

Are these vermilion feathers just for show? A hint of joy crept into his heart .

He had been ready to succumb to despair . The blanket bombardment of the feathers made it look like he was a goner for sure . Survival was unexpected! Truly, a stroke of fortune . He felt the barest glimmer of hope .

“I have to live! I want to live!” The desire to survive hardened Forefather Goldenbell’s resolve . He continued dodging the razor-sharp feathers within the firestorm . At the same time, he called for his seven companions to assist him .

“You lot, hurry up!” he demanded out angrily .

The cultivators behind him had been speeding up as they approached . When they saw the heart-stopping intervention of the Vermilion Bird though, a natural fear slowed their pace .

The forefather’s shout eliminated any excuses they might have had for delaying . What they had encountered far exceeded their imaginations .

If they hesitated out of fear and Forefather Goldenbell died, they would be indirectly held responsible . If they hadn’t been nearby, that wouldn’t be the case, but they couldn’t use such a reason now .

“Friends, that Vermilion Bird is a terrifying fowl . We must fight and retreat as a unit . If we act selfishly, we’ll be easily defeated!”

“You’re right . Let’s help Forefather Goldenbell out of his bind first . Then, we’ll have a real chance!”

“What should we do? Shall we attack it together?”

“Are you confident you’ll be able to withstand those feathers?”

The seven weren’t in consensus . In particular, they were quite wary of the Vermilion Bird’s devastating attacks .

“Friends, hear me out,” a man in white spoke .

“Do you have an idea?”

“Look, the forefather’s golden bell is a powerful defensive treasure . That dragon is coiled around it to prevent it from returning . If we send two people to attack it so the bell can return, the forefather will be in a much better spot . Isn’t that a better plan than attacking the Vermilion Bird?”

Evidently, there was serious wariness of facing a powerful divine spirit creature . Thus, this suggestion was met with unanimous approval .

“You’re right . It’s decided then . That dragon is far weaker than the Vermilion Bird . It seems its strength is not yet perfected . We can take it out with no problems!”

“I mean to say that only two should take on the true dragon . The remaining five can distract the Vermilion Bird and take the pressure off of Forefather Goldenbell . ”

“Who would like to volunteer for that?”

“I think we should focus our efforts on the dragon . The Vermilion Bird will hesitate to take further action against us once we capture it . ”

“Hmm, if the true dragon and the Vermilion Bird are in cahoots with each other, that will be a good strategy . ”

“We should move together . Let’s take down that dragon!”

The seven cultivators had decided their plan of action . They avoided confronting the Vermilion Bird head on, transforming into seven streaks of light toward the true dragon instead .

They’d underestimated the bird’s capabilities, however .

The maw of the Vermilion Bird opened to unleash a crimson ball of energy . It blasted across the air, scorching a long trail behind it that blocked the seven’s path . The sea of flames was a barricade that prevented them from crossing . They were caught between a fire and a hard place .

Forefather Goldenbell was furious . “You lot, what’re you standing around for?” he yelled . “Hurry up and attack the Vermilion Bird! Hurry!”

The seven cultivators had wanted to pick on an easier target . But alas, the Vermilion Bird didn’t give them that chance . Their way forward was completely cut off . The only option left was to face the bird .

Suddenly, the sacred fowl uttered a piercing cry . The feathers on its wings and tail bristled into full blooms of fire, becoming blindingly radiant before suddenly vanishing into thin air .

Forefather Goldenbell hadn’t yet fully recovered when the fabric of reality nearby began to ripple slightly .

The patch of space opened to reveal the wave-riding Vermilion Bird, now in close proximity . In fact, it was so close that the forefather could see the runes and patterns all over the bird’s feathers .

Goldenbell felt his wits leave him . He instinctively wanted to flee, but his fate was already sealed . The gigantic fowl picked him up by the torso like an eagle would a small rabbit .

The forefather could no longer move . His body was locked into place, and no amount of struggling would get him free again .

The Vermilion Bird shrieked once more before consuming the forefather in a single gulp .  

There was a snap; the bird’s beak clamping together .

Blood gushed from the cracks between its teeth . The forefather didn’t even have a chance to make a noise before disappearing into the abyss of death .

The Vermilion Bird unfurled its wings in another fluid motion . Another wave of feathers assaulted the group that remained .

The cultivators in question were far weaker than Forefather Goldenbell . They were horrified enough after witnessing the forefather being eaten . The sight of new feathers in the sky prompted them to make a break for it .

Was it really possible for them to get away now, though?

The answer was a decisive no . They were trapped within the sea of flames from before . Countless vermilion feathers rained down from the sky like comets, heralding their demise .

For another moment or so, howls of pain preceded the seven cultivators’ consumption .

After Goldenbell’s death, his eponymous treasure had lost its light . It now descended to the ground with a muffled honk .

Someone darted out from the side, then shoved the bell into his sleeves .  

“This golden bell is pretty remarkable . I’ll take it!”

It was none other than Jiang Chen . He had lain in wait to lend a hand at a potentially crucial moment, but his presence had clearly been unnecessary . The ambush had been basically perfect . All the rebel leaders had been slain in one fell swoop, and treasure had literally fallen into his lap!

But Long Xiaoxuan was a bit upset . “Old Brother Vermilion, why didn’t you leave one or two for me?”

The Vermilion Bird chuckled . “Sorry, sorry . I couldn’t help myself . Don’t worry, I’ll leave the rest for you . I won’t intervene there unless you specifically ask for it, alright?”

The bird was quite friendly to the young dragon . It didn’t use its seniority as a cudgel . The four sacred beasts generally didn’t differentiate their associations based on age .

Long Xiaoxuan nodded without much fuss . “Young master Chen,” he glanced over to the young man, “the leaders are dead . We can rampage through the rest of the rebels now, right?”

Indeed, the Martial Divine Nation rebels around here were now leaderless . It was time for a slaughter!