The Venerable Monster Tamer – Chapter 456

Section 77: Night Emperor’s Surprise Attack on Archipel

By: Gu Zhenren

June 18, 2014

Emerging from the Immortal Pouch World, the weather was bright and sunny.

“Ah! We’re finally out!” Chu Yun exclaimed, raising his arms in jubilation. Even the Wine King beside him visibly relaxed, a look of joy at regaining freedom gracing his features.

Four to five months had passed since the Immortal Pouch King had come to apologize. Yet for Chu Yun and the others, it felt far longer than two or three years. The experiences they’d undergone, their near-death struggles, their escape from the Sea of Chaos, and even the successful creation of the Immortal Pouch World and mastery of the Ultimate Immortal Pouch – it all felt like a dream now.

“Wait a moment, something’s not right!” Chu Yun’s expression suddenly turned grave. He noticed that Huode City around them bore the scars of a great battle; many places were in ruins. Despite the pleasant spring sunshine, the lingering scent of blood and the aura of slaughter from the recent conflict remained.

“Could it be that while we were gone, Archipel was retaliated against and conquered by the Night Emperor?” A surge of intense unease washed over Chu Yun. He hurried towards the City Lord’s Mansion, with the Wine King and Fairy Xingyu close behind.

“Young Lord!” As they reached the entrance, they ran into Wu Datou. He was covered in injuries, his head and left arm bandaged. Upon seeing Chu Yun, he cried out in surprise and delight.

“What happened?” Chu Yun asked urgently. Seeing Wu Datou eased half his worry; it seemed the situation wasn’t as dire as he’d feared. Wu Datou, however, was slow-witted and struggled to convey the essential information.

“Wu Datou, why are you yelling like that?”

“Young Master, am I seeing things correctly?”

“Heavens, it really is the Young Master!” Hearing Wu Datou’s shouts, the high-ranking officials of Archipel rushed over. Yan Que, Hua Ying, Ning Yiyi, Wang Zelong, and other civil and military officers, all bearing injuries and looking exhausted. Yet, upon seeing Chu Yun, their eyes filled with joy.

Chu Yun’s heart skipped a beat. He realized Shu Tianhao was not among them. “Where is my adoptive father?” Chu Yun asked anxiously.

“Young Lord, do not worry. The Country Lord is currently in bed with severe injuries, but his life is not in danger. The court assembly had just concluded when he heard General Wu’s shout and immediately dispatched us. The Country Lord will be overjoyed at your return,” Hua Ying said with a smile.

“For the past few months, myself, the Immortal Pouch King, the Wine King, and others have been dealing with the Night Emperor’s avatars. It was a perilous journey. You all shouldn’t rush off; tell me what happened during this time as we walk,” Chu Yun said, scanning their faces before leading the way towards the City Lord’s Mansion. The others quickly followed.

“With the Young Lord here, we feel reassured.”

“These past months, the two Emperors have been clashing, affecting the entire Xingzhou. The whole World has been in turmoil and chaos.”

“More than ten days ago, the Night Emperor suddenly dispatched elite troops to attack our defense line and capture Rainbow Island. Following that, the Dragon Emperor’s army also came to join the fray. Centered around Rainbow Island, we engaged in a massive battle. Just a few days ago, the Night Emperor sent thousands of elites through the Gem Secret Passage to sneak attack our Huode City. He almost succeeded.”

…As the crowd spoke their pieces, Chu Yun listened while walking. By the time he saw Shu Tianhao lying ill in bed, he had a clear understanding of the situation.

Months ago, when the Immortal Pouch King arrived, the Dragon Emperor, with Huang Wu as his Grand General, launched a full-scale invasion of Yao Shan Kingdom. However, it was foreseen by the mysterious Dream Weaver Master. The Night Emperor’s four King level avatars led an ambush, and a sea battle raged for three days and three nights. The Dragon Emperor’s army was defeated and forced to retreat to Great Wilderness Country for regrouping.

Returning victorious, the Night Emperor seized the opportunity. Using his previously assumed identity as an insider, he instigated small coups in Ghost Vine Country, An Ding Country, and Mermaid Country, seizing control of their leadership and power. The Nine-tailed Demon Lord discovered the truth: his father had long since died and attempted to take an avatar of the Night Emperor, Cold Sword King, with him, but failed, ultimately dying at Cold Sword King’s hands.

The Dragon Emperor, taking advantage of the Night Emperor solidifying his control over the three countries, launched another offensive. Yao Shan Kingdom could not resist, and the Dragon Emperor successfully occupied it, gaining the allegiance of the Black Mountain Barbarian Lord.

With Yao Shan Kingdom as a springboard, the Dragon Emperor personally led his army to conquer the island countries around Great Wilderness Country. His Emperor’s Might was irresistible; countless surrendered as his army marched. After more than a month, Iron Rock Country and Yuan Meng Country fell.

It was at this time that the Night Emperor, through cunning schemes, usurped control of Feng Xian Kingdom. Unwilling to give the Dragon Emperor any respite, and with his domestic situation stabilized, he personally led an army of 800,000 from four countries to attack Yao Shan Kingdom preemptively. The four Kings allied, and the defending general of Yao Shan Kingdom could not hold them back, fleeing in disarray. Yao Shan Kingdom changed hands. Upon receiving this news, the Dragon Emperor was enraged and immediately summoned the forces of Iron Rock Country, Yuan Meng Country, and Great Wilderness Country to counterattack Yao Shan Kingdom.

The two Emperors clashed again. Although the Dragon Emperor’s army was smaller in number, he had the assistance of the Wolf Fang Lord, who assassinated enemy generals. Furthermore, the commander was the leader of the Ironclad Alliance, who possessed the Blood Master Northern Desert Banner, one of the five great military banners, and was skilled in formations. As a result, they fought the Night Emperor’s army to a stalemate.

Yao Shan Kingdom became a true meat grinder, with both sides constantly pouring forces onto the battlefield. The front lines shifted frequently within a limited area, with neither side possessing enough strength to push forward. After more than a month of intense fighting, the Dragon Emperor and the Night Emperor engaged in frequent skirmishes. As both sides remained locked in a stalemate, the Tribulation Demon Soldier, with the Panlong Horn, leading ten Tribulation Demon Dragons, voluntarily joined the Dragon Emperor’s banner.

With this powerful reinforcement, the Dragon Emperor formed the Ten Absolute Dragons formation. At the cost of severe injuries, he defeated the Night Emperor. The Night Emperor’s defeat naturally led to a significant drop in his army’s morale. They could no longer contend with the Dragon Emperor’s forces. After sacrificing 350,000 troops, they withdrew from Yao Shan Kingdom, leaving behind devastated battlefields strewn with corpses.

Xingzhou entered a period of temporary peace, but beneath the surface, undercurrents surged intensely. The Dragon Emperor’s victory over the Night Emperor greatly boosted his reputation, attracting many heroes. Most astonishingly, the Mongol Yuan Nation’s Lord made a substantial commitment, leading his nation to voluntarily pledge allegiance to the Dragon Emperor. Mongol Yuan Nation was a top-tier power among the fifteen island countries. With this powerful aid, the Dragon Emperor gained a significant advantage in military strength. However, due to his severe injuries, the Dragon Emperor did not launch an offensive. The Night Emperor was also busy consolidating his domestic situation, preparing his troops, and accumulating strength.

More than a month passed in the blink of an eye. The atmosphere above Xingzhou grew increasingly tense. Just as people generally expected the two Emperors to resume their conflict, the Night Emperor suddenly dispatched an elite force to launch a surprise attack on Archipel, capturing Rainbow Island, located in the far east. Archipel and Dunhuang Country immediately mobilized their forces for defense. The Dragon Emperor, unwilling to stand by and watch the Night Emperor annex Archipel and strengthen his power, also joined the fray. Rainbow Island changed hands several times as the three parties engaged in a chaotic battle. Naturally, the primary struggle during the melee was between the Night Emperor and the Dragon Emperor, while Archipel and Dunhuang Country focused on preserving their strength and defending other islands.

“That’s the general situation. Currently, General Huang Xiao is leading the allied forces at the front line. Had the Night Emperor not launched a surprise attack on Huode City, and we had led our troops back to reinforce, you might not have seen us here,” Shu Tianhao said from his bed, adding some final details to the explanation. His injuries were severe, leaving him bedridden.

“The Night Emperor’s surprise attack on Huode City was likely aimed at me. One of his avatars infiltrated Huode City in secret to scheme against me, but I killed him instead. The Night Emperor’s dispatch of elite troops in a surprise attack on Huode City was a test to ascertain my presence,” Chu Yun mused, quickly grasping the Night Emperor’s motive.

Bai Mian’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Huode City was almost successfully attacked, but the Young Lord was nowhere to be seen. The Night Emperor must have assumed the Young Lord perished along with his avatar. We can take advantage of his miscalculation and launch a sudden strike to recapture Rainbow Island,” he said excitedly. The assembled generals also looked animated upon hearing this.

Although their opponents were two Emperor level powerhouses, they were currently tied down, in conflict with each other. If Archipel launched a surprise attack, with the King level combat strength of Chu Yun and the Wine King, they had a good chance of retaking Rainbow Island.

However, Chu Yun gently shook his head. Possessing King level wisdom, he saw further and deeper than the generals. He thought to himself, “What’s the point of retaking Rainbow Island? Either the Night Emperor or the Dragon Emperor has the capability to recapture it. Although I now possess the Ultimate Immortal Pouch and can contend with Emperor level powerhouses single-handedly, I certainly cannot withstand the combined might of two Emperors. The current situation is a three-way power struggle. If I rashly reveal my true strength, there’s a high probability of incurring the focusing attack of both Emperors. After all, the allure of the Ultimate Immortal Pouch is simply too great.”

With this thought, Chu Yun spoke, “Retaking Rainbow Island is not the main point. The real question is, why did the Night Emperor bypass Jianghan Kingdom and launch a surprise attack on our Archipel, specifically to occupy Rainbow Island? What is his true objective?” This question stumped everyone. The Night Emperor’s actions were indeed strange. If he wished to expand his influence, he should have targeted Jianghan Kingdom first. Why choose the more distant option?

Following the battle with the Land Whale King, Archipel’s military strength had gained widespread recognition across Xingzhou. It was on par with Jianghan Kingdom and Mongol Yuan Nation, and even surpassed them slightly due to the existence of the Heavenly Horse elite troops.

“I know why he wants to seize Rainbow Island!” At this moment, the Sleeping Old Man entered, pushing the door open. As National Teacher, he did not need to announce himself and had the privilege to move freely within Huode City. Everyone was overjoyed to see the Sleeping Old Man. He had been puzzled by the Night Emperor’s motive when he attacked Rainbow Island. He had entered a dream state to perform calculations, which took him over half a month, and only now had he awoken. In fact, the Night Emperor had previously used the power of his Dream Weaver Master avatar to deliberately muddle the heavenly secrets and conceal his intentions, making it difficult for other diviners to calculate. If that diviner avatar were still alive, it could have continued to interfere and conceal, but it had self-destructed within the Ultimate Immortal Pouch. This provided the Sleeping Old Man with an opportunity to perform his calculations.

“The Night Emperor went to great lengths to disrupt the heavenly secrets. However, over these past few days, I’ve painstakingly untangled the threads and finally glimpsed the truth amidst the chaos. It is… Sky City!”

(To be continued)