Chapter 142: Xu Zhe, It's You Again (Long Chapter)

Xu Zhe’s eyes shone brightly. The more he thought about it, the more viable his plan seemed.

Originally, he and Chu Xiaotong had planned to go along with the scheme, letting Lan Zhen clear the path and force the demon army to break their own formation. Once the demon army routed, they would properly settle scores with Lan Zhen.

However, Xu Zhe now felt that this was somewhat unnecessary. As long as he disguised himself as Lan Zhen, he could accomplish the task just as well, and perhaps even reap greater rewards under that identity.

Without further ado, he hurried toward Lan Zhen’s tent.

To his surprise, he drew a blank.

Lan Zhen had already led the main army to the battlefield and was busy making preparations.

"What a pity. Otherwise, using the venomous pill obtained from the Divine Pill grotto-heaven, combined with the power of the Violet Firmament Thunder Tribulation, I might have actually assassinated him," Xu Zhe thought with genuine regret.

Now that Lan Zhen was on the battlefield right in front of tens of thousands of troops, it was hardly the place to launch a covert attack.

"Perhaps I could have Chu Xiaotong issue an order calling him back, and then team up with her to deal with him?" Xu Zhe pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

That probably wouldn't work. Knowing Chu Xiaotong's personality, if she found out he intended to impersonate Lan Zhen and infiltrate the demon ranks, she would refuse a million times over.

Thus, this matter had to be done by himself alone.

Left with no other choice, Xu Zhe departed, followed the route to the Fifty-First Battalion, and quietly slipped into its ranks.

To avoid drawing unnecessary attention from an overly prominent aura, he casually used a transformation technique to adjust his facial features until he looked completely unremarkable, successfully blending into the Fifty-First Battalion.

The Fifty-First Battalion was currently divided into five companies, all boarding a massive flying warship together.

The middle-aged battalion commander and Qin Wurong stood side by side at the very front of the formation.

Compared to the veteran commander, Qin Wurong, as the prospective battalion commander, appeared spirited and imposing, her youthful vigor brimming with energy and drive.

She was delivering the pre-battle mobilization at the head of the formation, shouting impassioned words that stirred the soldiers' blood.

This instantly boosted the morale and fighting spirit of the entire Fifty-First Battalion.

Xu Zhe hid quietly at the very back of the crowd, looking entirely inconspicuous as he occasionally joined the surrounding soldiers in roaring cheers.

"Boom!"

A short while later, the flying warship started up, carrying the battalion's soldiers forward toward the frontline battlefield to rendezvous with the main force.

Standing on the deck, Xu Zhe gazed at the vast fleet of enormous flying ships surging forward together, feeling the various battle cries echoing around him. Even he could not help but feel his blood stir.

A vast, desolate expanse gradually came into view ahead.

Close up, the neatly arrayed main army stood in dense, orderly phalanxes, exuding a majestic aura.

Looking into the distance, a long black line could be clearly seen on the horizon. As the distance closed, that black line gradually thickened—it was none other than the enemy of this battle: the demon army.

Composed of densely packed swarms of ferocious beasts resembling a tidal wave, they were aggressively pressing forward in this direction.

A massive battle was about to erupt.

"An all-out war involving entire races feels quite different," Xu Zhe sighed inwardly.

This could be considered his very first time on a battlefield in his life.

Even back in the Azure Firmament Realm, whether as the Immortal Emperor's son or the Immortal Emperor himself, he had never personally set foot on a battlefield or experienced such a spectacle.

Now participating in it firsthand, Xu Zhe felt a sense of novelty.

"Fiery Feather Galleons, form up!"

At that moment, a deafening command rang out from the front.

A general holding a massive banner emblazoned with a Vermilion Bird totem gestured with flag signals while his voice boomed like a bell, commanding the thousands of massive warships across the sky.

The flying ship carrying Xu Zhe instantly drifted closer, aligning with other vessels to form a unified battle array, ready for action.

The overall strength of the soldiers in the Fifty-First Battalion was relatively weak, making them unsuited for close-quarters combat against ferocious beasts on the ground. Therefore, they were assigned to operate a flying warship, attacking ground-based demons while also defending against airborne beasts.

However, most of their offensive methods relied on the various immortal spirit cannons mounted on the Fiery Feather Galleon.

This meant that the majority of the soldiers on the ship simply acted as operators responsible for firing and controlling the spirit cannons.

Only a handful of powerful individuals were tasked with engaging flying beasts in direct combat.

"Everyone, take your positions!"

At this moment, Qin Wurong also shouted in a deep voice.

Her crisp voice sounded powerful and imposing.

The numerous soldiers immediately rushed to their respective stations with well-trained precision. Most of them charged toward the spirit cannons on both sides of the ship, operating in groups of ten per cannon.

Xu Zhe suddenly found himself in an awkward position.

He had originally thought that hiding in the crowd would keep him unnoticed.

But under the current circumstances, where should he squeeze himself?

The areas responsible for the spirit cannons were definitely out of the question; each cannon was strictly manned by a fixed group of ten, and there were neither vacancies nor excess personnel.

A small fraction of those with higher realms and cultivation levels remained in place.

Clearly, this group was tasked with dealing with flying demons in close-quarters aerial combat.

Yet they too were divided into squads. Although the numbers weren't as uniform, members of each squad seemed to know one another well, making it difficult for him to randomly insert himself into a team.

"Stragglers, quickly form temporary squads to support other teams and evacuate the wounded!" At that moment, Qin Wurong’s gaze swept over them as she spoke expressionlessly.

Hearing this, Xu Zhe realized he wasn't the only one left unassigned. Scattered among the various groups were a few other stragglers, numbering around several dozen.

It seemed their previous squads had broken up, leaving behind individual survivors who hadn't yet found a new team to join.

After all, other squads had undergone countless rounds of training and synergy, developing seamless cooperation. Adding newcomers on the temporary spur of the moment was hardly a good idea, as it easily dragged down the team's overall performance.

Consequently, stragglers were forced to form new temporary squads on their own.

"Brother, you look quite unfamiliar. Which company are you from? Care to team up?"

At that moment, a hand patted Xu Zhe’s shoulder, accompanied by a raspy voice.

Though raspy, it was still unmistakably female.

Xu Zhe turned his head to see a tall woman with slightly dark skin, fine features, and a bright, hearty smile.

"Sure, I'm from the Fifth Company," Xu Zhe nodded with a smile and replied indifferently.

The Fifth Company was the one led by Qu Hongxiu.

"My name is Jiang Zhiying, early Soul Formation stage, from the First Company," the woman introduced herself simply.

"What a coincidence, my surname is also Jiang, given name Wuque, early Nascent Soul stage." Xu Zhe smiled, not hiding his cultivation realm since he would inevitably have to act later on, at which point his true cultivation would be exposed anyway.

"Your surname is Jiang too? Like the Jiang that overturns rivers and seas?" Jiang Zhiying raised an eyebrow, asking with considerable interest.

"Ah, not quite. I'm the Jiang from 'the ginger gets spicier the older it is'."

"That surname is quite rare."

Jiang Zhiying found it somewhat unusual, but didn't dwell on it; there were plenty of rare surnames out there.

She patted Xu Zhe’s shoulder again. "Let's go, we need to find a few more people. Your early Nascent Soul stage is still a bit weak; you were probably assigned to the spirit cannons before, right?"

"Indeed," Xu Zhe replied casually.

The two of them quickly walked toward the other stragglers.

However, Jiang Zhiying was searching with a purpose this time. It seemed she had only approached Xu Zhe because he was close by, but upon remembering he was only at the early Nascent Soul stage, she specifically targeted those with higher cultivation levels to recruit.

Soon, five new partners joined, forming a seven-person squad.

Among them, three were at the late Nascent Soul stage, and two were at the early Soul Formation stage.

This could already be considered a squad with quite decent comprehensive combat power. After all, the number of stragglers wasn't large, with early Soul Formation being the highest tier among them—none of the mid Soul Formation cultivators were left unassigned, while late Soul Formation was restricted to the five company commanders in the entire battalion.

Therefore, comparing cultivation realms, the only obvious shortcoming in Xu Zhe's squad was Xu Zhe himself.

After introducing themselves, the others didn't mind Xu Zhe's low realm; on the contrary, some kindly reminded him to be careful later on.

"Everyone, since we've formed a temporary squad, we undoubtedly lack tacit coordination. Let's communicate as much as possible later," Jiang Zhiying said briefly before looking at Xu Zhe and adding:

"Also... Jiang Wuque was previously in charge of the spirit cannons and might lack experience in fighting ferocious beasts. Please look out for him where conditions permit."

"Naturally," a man immediately replied.

"Jiang Wuque, your name is quite unique. Don't worry, big brother will cover you later," another burly man at the early Soul Formation stage said, patting Xu Zhe's arm.

The burly man was named He Han. He was holding his helmet without wearing it yet, his bald head gleaming brightly, giving him a somewhat honest look. However, his robust and bulging muscles also lent him an imposing aura.

Even the others had rather sturdy builds. Even Jiang Zhiying, despite being a woman, possessed a physique full of power.

By comparison, Xu Zhe's build—slim in clothes yet muscular without them—suddenly made him look like a little brother in front of them, appearing somewhat "fragile."

This was probably the reason why the group showed extra care toward Xu Zhe.

Xu Zhe didn't mind these details, finding the group friendly and of good character, so he smiled and thanked them.

Shortly after, the group held a brief discussion, simulating cooperative positioning based on their respective strengths and favored cultivation techniques.

Unsurprisingly, Xu Zhe was assigned to the safest position, effectively becoming a dispensable presence.

Xu Zhe raised no objections to this.

After all, he planned to slip away later anyway. Had they assigned him an important position, it would only hinder them.

...

Before long, as the various battalions of the Vermilion Bird Army finished forming up, the demon army on the frontline pressed forward in a dense swarm.

The demon army, also numbering in the tens of millions, completely overshadowed the Vermilion Bird Army in terms of sheer area covered.

The various ferocious beasts were massive in size; even the smallest among them rivaled two or three human soldiers.

Among them, airborne beasts hovered high in the sky, the largest of which possessed wingspans rivaling half a warship.

Facing such a force, the atmosphere among the Vermilion Bird Army turned somewhat solemn.

Previously, relying on command and tactics, the Vermilion Bird Army could outmaneuver the demon army, winning more often than losing.

However, in these recent major battles, the demon army had suddenly risen in power, causing the Vermilion Bird Army to suffer repeated defeats and dealing a heavy blow to morale.

Everyone appeared full of fighting spirit on the surface, but most felt in their hearts that this battle would not be easy to fight.

Lan Zhan’s plan had been executed successfully; many battalion commanders had not informed their subordinates of Xu Zhe’s method to turn defeat into victory, so the overall morale had not seen much improvement.

Yet these were minor details.

With the battle on the verge of erupting, Xu Zhe took the opportunity to spread his divine sense, locking onto the aura of the Vermilion Bird Army and several medium-tier battle arrays, while searching for Chu Xiaotong's whereabouts.

Yet across the vast battlefield, Chu Xiaotong was nowhere to be seen.

"Buzz!"

At that moment, the Myriad Phenomena Jade Talisman in Xu Zhe’s robes suddenly vibrated.

With a thought, he glanced at it—it was a message from Chu Xiaotong.

"Not bad, little Zhe, you've even learned to lie and deceive people? Didn't you say you wouldn't go to the battlefield? Pray tell, where are you? Show yourself this instant and get back to the camp."

"Whoosh!"

Almost simultaneously, a streak of red light like a pillar of flame swept out from the rear camp, cut across the vault of heaven, and landed directly at the front of the battlefield. It was Chu Xiaotong.

Her expression was dark as her gaze swept in all directions, making Xu Zhe's heart palpitate with fear.

Good grief, this Big Sister Tong was truly terrifying.

Xu Zhe quickly held his breath, averted his gaze, and had no intention of replying.

"Human Valkyrie, come out and fight!"

At that moment, a shrill voice echoed from the sky, resounding across the surroundings.

Everyone looked up. Far away in the high altitude of the battlefield, a dark figure was overlooking the Vermilion Bird Army, its boundless pressure pressing down overwhelmingly like a colossal mountain.

It was actually a Demon King of the Tribulation Crossing stage, taking the initiative to provoke Chu Xiaotong and challenge her to battle.

"Courting death!"

Chu Xiaotong uttered a cold cry, her aura soaring into the sky and instantly shattering that oppressive might.

With that, her entire body transformed into a blazing flame, soaring toward the distant heights of the sky.

"Boom!"

The next moment, an earth-shaking roar erupted from above.

That patch of the firmament was virtually engulfed in flames, and powerful ripples of energy filled the air, obscuring the figures of Chu Xiaotong and the Demon King.

"The distance is too great; I can't tell what breed of demon that is. If I get the chance later, I might just capture a Demon King as a mount," Xu Zhe thought, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at the high altitude.

"Jiang Wuque, stop daydreaming and get ready for battle!" Jiang Zhiying shouted at that moment, staring ahead with a solemn expression.

The pitch-black sea of the demon army had already begun issuing waves of roars.

The next moment, another Demon King let out a long howl.

Immediately after, tens of millions of demon troops charged forward simultaneously. The ground shook with thunderous rumbles, kicking up vast clouds of dust and gravel.

Tens of thousands of airborne beasts took the lead, spreading their giant wings to block out the sun as they swooped down to slaughter the human army.

"Vermilion Bird Army, hear my command! Annihilate the demons!"

Concurrently, Lan Zhen roared aloud, condensing a massive spear in his hand as he and another vice-commander charged directly into the sky, instantly blasting a huge gap through the flock of giant flying beasts.

Several Demon Kings, also of the Tribulation Crossing stage, had been waiting for a long time and flew straight to meet the two, engaging in a frantic slaughter.

However, both sides tacitly shifted the battlefield high into the air, far away from the main battleground, lest they devastate their respective main forces and suffer heavy losses.

On the ground, tens of millions of Vermilion Bird Army phalanxes also charged forward with battle cries.

Facing the charge of the demon army, the Vermilion Bird Army demonstrated the grit of the human border garrison. Various cultivation techniques condensed and smashed overwhelmingly into the demon army.

Some soldiers wielded heavy blades, engaging ferocious beasts in close-quarters combat.

Others summoned flying swords, transforming them into a blinding torrent of sword light that reaped a vast harvest of blood within the demon ranks.

Yet the demon army was no pushover either. Relying purely on their physical advantages, a single charge instantly trampled several Vermilion Bird soldiers into mincemeat.

Beasts with bloodline talents opened their mouths to spew towering flames, while others flooded the field like gushing torrents, sweeping away large numbers of humans.

As soon as the two armies clashed, the battlefield turned into a river of blood in the blink of an eye.

"Fiery Feather Galleons, form up and slay the enemy!" The general commanding the warships waved his great banner and issued the order.

"Kill!"

A deafening, unified roar rang directly in Xu Zhe's ears.

Jiang Zhiying, He Han, and the others all surged with killing intent and towering aura.

Every warship in the vicinity instantly surged forward at top speed.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Countless immortal spirit cannons were activated.

Swarms of spirit power cannonballs carrying violent energy and dazzling brilliance smashed into the beast horde.

A great number of beasts collapsed onto the ground instantly.

The airborne beasts did not escape the spirit cannon bombardment either, though most of them were agile enough to dodge, only a few were struck, while the vast majority charged straight toward the Fiery Feather Galleons.

"Boom!"

Soon, a Fiery Feather Galleon ahead was rammed by a giant steel-winged eagle, shattering the bow of the ship.

Yet that steel-winged eagle did not pause; its sharp talons reached forward and instantly tore another Fiery Feather Galleon behind it into two halves, sending it plunging toward the ground.

Before long, thousands of flying beasts had reached the airspace above the warship fleet, launching wave after wave of diving attacks.

"These beasts are courting death," Jiang Zhiying's face darkened as she shouted coldly.

"Kill!" He Han roared as well.

The group instantly soared into the sky to engage the flying beasts overhead, covering their comrades on the warships and the spirit cannons.

Xu Zhe was among them, but his position was excessively secure, completely surrounded at the center by the formations of Jiang Zhiying and the others.

This, however, did not prevent him from taking action.

Now that the battle had begun, there was no need to worry about exposing his identity.

With a flicker of his body, he changed his position while forming a fist with one hand, preparing to smash it toward a beast.

"Jiang Wuque, don't run around, be careful!" Jiang Zhiying suddenly dashed in front of him, shouting with her back to him.

"Pay no heed to me; these beasts are mere trifles," Xu Zhe replied.

With that, he bypassed Jiang Zhiying and threw a punch upward.

An invisible fist print materialized out of thin air, carrying a violent aura that shook the sky.

"Boom!"

With a muffled explosion, several early Soul Formation stage golden-hook birds in the air burst apart instantly, feathers flying everywhere and crimson blood raining down.

"What?" Jiang Zhiying let out an involuntary gasp of shock.

"My god!" He Han looked startled.

"Holy shit!"

"Jiang Wuque, are you pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?" The other teammates were equally dumbfounded, turning to stare at Xu Zhe.

"Don't get distracted, keep fighting," Xu Zhe replied nonchalantly.

At his fingertips, several strands of black flame flickered, transforming into tiny dark fire lotuses that radiated a piercing chill.

With a gentle wave, several black fire lotuses drifted in different directions, plunging straight into the beast horde.

"Boom!"

The black fire lotuses detonated, and their freezing flames diffused, instantly swallowing several flying beasts and burning them into icy slag that cascaded downward.

"Damn it!" He Han exclaimed again.

"This..." Jiang Zhiying was dumbfounded.

This method looked somewhat familiar.

"Xu the Old Demon?" The others seemed to realize something as well, their complexions shifting.

"My name is Xu Zhe, a decent man, not a demon," Xu Zhe replied concisely, clarifying the slanderous nickname "Old Demon."

Simultaneously, he threw another punch.

A massive wave of bloody rain fell from the sky as a dozen Nascent Soul stage flying beasts met their demise on the spot.

The group watched with trepidation.

With methods like these, and he still refused to admit he was an old demon?

"Xu Zhe, it's you again!" Not far away, a crisp, reprimanding voice rang out.

Xu Zhe looked over to see Qin Wurong having just slain a flying beast, glaring at him with annoyance.

"Miss Qin, what a coincidence!"

Xu Zhe smiled faintly, then leaped forward, completely breaking away from the formation to charge into the beast horde.

Wherever he went, death followed.

Whether at the Nascent Soul or Soul Formation stage, giant flying beasts could not withstand a single blow from Xu Zhe, dropping from the sky one after another and exploding into mists of blood.

Qin Wurong watched, utterly speechless, her scalp tingling with deep shock.

When on earth did this guy become so monstrous?

He could combat Soul Formation stage beasts this easily without relying on magical treasures?

No, this wasn't combat—this was outright slaughter!

"Surround and kill that human brat!"

At that moment, a three-eyed giant bird of the Spirit Severing stage among the flock of flying beasts shrieked, speaking in human tongue as it led a pack of lesser birds to lock directly onto Xu Zhe.

"Not good." Qin Wurong's expression shifted drastically as she shouted, "Xu Zhe, fall back!"

"Don't panic!"

Xu Zhe replied calmly, "My surface stats dictate that taking on a hundred is not difficult... wait, there's a Spirit Severing stage on the other side?"

His brain worked rapidly.

Problem: Let Spirit Severing be equivalent to $X$ Soul Formation opponents, plus the trailing beasts, this wave from the opponent can be converted into roughly over one hundred and twenty early Soul Formation beasts.

Answer: Not good, this is extremely dangerous.

Xu Zhe immediately prepared to retreat.

"Thinking of running after slaughtering my compatriots? Too late!"

The three-eyed giant bird let out a shrill, mocking laugh, spewing a turbid yellow aura from its beak that expanded in the wind, instantly transforming into a vast sea of sand that completely enveloped Xu Zhe.

"Oh? The legendary three-eyed divine bird capable of materialized illusions?"

Xu Zhe said in astonishment, feeling as though he were standing in the middle of a desert ocean where his comrades had completely vanished, leaving only the three-eyed giant bird charging in for the kill.

Crucially, although this sea of sand was illusory, it felt completely real, radiating an intense, scorching heat onto his body.

"No, the innate divine technique of a three-eyed divine bird isn't this weak; you're just a breed with a tiny trace of three-eyed bird bloodline."

Quickly seeing through the illusion, Xu Zhe threw a punch, causing the sea of sand to instantly collapse.

The surrounding scenery restored itself, revealing Jiang Zhiying, He Han, and the others, along with Qin Wurong, rushing toward him.

Meanwhile, the three-eyed giant bird had already arrived with a swarm of its avian minions.

Clearly, Qin Wurong and the others were still a step too slow.

"It seems I still have to rely on myself to fight this out. The moment I stepped onto the battlefield, I prepared myself to face all perils at any time."

Xu Zhe sighed inwardly, his gaze turning sharp.

Whoosh!

A streak of light swept out from his sleeve—it was none other than the small bronze sword.

Righteous energy surged within Xu Zhe, continuously pouring into the bronze sword.

The sword body rapidly expanded, transforming into a giant sword several meters long that hovered above his head.

"Sword Sweeping the Eight Desolations!"

Xu Zhe shouted in a deep voice, driving the Righteousness Sealing Demonic Scripture to the extreme and squeezing his internal spiritual power to its limit. With great difficulty, he propelled the giant bronze sword and unleashed a sword technique!

Boom!

The giant bronze sword vibrated instantly, spinning rapidly in mid-air to transform into endless sheets of sword light that swept and ravaged the surroundings.

The three-eyed giant bird and dozens of Soul Formation stage avian beasts were instantly blanketed by the blinding sword radiance, being shredded to pieces within the fierce, gleaming sword shadows.

Feathers mixed with blurred flesh and blood rained down from the sky.

As powerful as the Spirit Severing stage three-eyed giant bird was, alongside those dozens of Soul Formation beasts, they perished on the spot!

"This..."

"How is that possible?"

Qin Wurong, Jiang Zhiying, and the others stood frozen in disbelief, utterly dumbfounded.

The surrounding soldiers, and even those from other battalions, noticed this scene and stood gaping in awe.

That was a Spirit Severing stage ferocious beast! Coupled with those dozens of birds, by Xu Zhe's own calculation, they were equivalent to over a hundred and twenty early Soul Formation beasts.

Such comprehensive combat power rivaled the entire Fifty-First Battalion, perhaps even surpassing it.

And yet... just like that?

Wiped out instantly?

Xu the Old Demon is truly terrifying!

"Hoo!"

At this moment, Xu Zhe exhaled deeply and quickly recalled the bronze sword, though a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Only then did Qin Wurong and the others notice that Xu Zhe had turned completely pale, his aura appearing somewhat weak.

They finally realized that the move Xu Zhe had just unleashed relied on a magical treasure.

The last time he had driven a magical treasure was when he wiped out the Mo family.

Back then, however, he had detonated his Nascent Soul to power a seal treasure and annihilate the Mo family.

Using a flying sword treasure this time, the toll must have been considerable as well.

"Xu Zhe, how are you holding up?" Qin Wurong asked anxiously.

At this moment, she no longer dared to underestimate Xu Zhe.

Previously, she had always felt that although Xu Zhe was strong, his utility on a battlefield was limited. Who would have thought he was a terrifying god of slaughter capable of wiping out a battalion in a single move? Too frightening.

"No problem. I've reaped a bountiful harvest from this battle. I originally thought I could only take on a hundred, but it seems I still managed to break my limits and take on over a hundred and twenty."

Xu Zhe smiled, sighing with deep emotion. "As expected, to become a strong practitioner, one must experience such bloody battles."

Qin Wurong and the others: "???"

Did you seriously misunderstand the word "strong practitioner"?

And as for "bloody battles"... fine, if you hadn't used a spiritual barrier to protect yourself, you'd literally have been bathed in the blood of so many beasts.

Damn it, what a monster!

"You guys don't need to worry about me. Even though this is my first time on the battlefield and I lack experience, I now know how to fight," Xu Zhe said hastily upon seeing everyone's gazes fixed on him.

Qin Wurong and the others: "..."

No, you don't.

"Heavenly Chosen Xu, it seems you were injured..." Qin Wurong felt an inexplicable irritation rising within her, but couldn't help speaking up anyway.

"Injured? No worries, I have medicine!"

Xu Zhe waved his hand, pulling dozens of golden-sun flowing-sand fruits from his storage ring. Without bothering to bite them, he squeezed them into juice and drank it down.

His internal injuries healed instantly, and color returned to his face, dispelling any trace of his previous weakness. In fact, he looked healthier than anyone else.

"..."

Qin Wurong’s mouth twitched violently.

Weren't those the golden fruits from the Divine Pill grotto-heaven?

He actually managed to get his hands on them, and he was squeezing them into juice to drink?!

What a waste of heavenly treasures!

I really shouldn't have opened my mouth to ask just now!

...

[I have broken the shackles, diligence is rewarded by the heavens, the longest bolded chapter in history, begging for monthly votes.]