dì yī qiān bā bǎi liù shí yī zhāng tiān xīn chán wáng
第一千八百六十一章天心蟾王
Chapter 1861: Heavenly Heart Toad King
“ dàn méi yǒu guān xì ， zhì shǎo shèng chéng xǔ yǐ wǒ men de hǎo chù ， shì bú huì biàn de ， suī rán yǔ wǒ men zuì chū de jì huà xiāng bǐ ， yào sǔn shī yī xiē ， dàn zǒng bǐ bèi jù jīng wáng gǎn chū hóng yè hǎi yù ， shén me yě dé bú dào ， yào hǎo le bù zhī fán jǐ 。”
“但没有关系，至少圣城许以我们的好处，是不会变的，虽然与我们最初的计划相比，要损失一些，但总比被巨鲸王赶出红叶海域，什么也得不到，要好了不知凡几。”
"But it's fine. At least, the benefits promised by the Holy City will still be there for us. Although we have to lose a bit compared to our initial plan, it is much better than being driven out of the Red Leaf Sea by the Great Whale King and getting nothing."
“ dào yǒu zhè huà méi cuò ， dàn nǐ yě bú yào wàng le ， xiǎng yào dé dào shèng chéng xǔ yǐ de hǎo chù ， wǒ men bì xū xiān zhǎo dào jí pǐn jīng shí de kuàng mài zài shuō ， fǒu zé duì fāng bú huì duì xiàn chéng nuò 。” dú lóng lǎo zǔ lěng lěng de shuō 。
“道友这话没错，但你也不要忘了，想要得到圣城许以的好处，我们必须先找到极品晶石的矿脉再说，否则对方不会兑现承诺。”毒龙老祖冷冷的说。
"Friend, your words are correct. But you mustn't forget that in order to obtain the benefits from the Holy City, we must first find the vein of top-grade crystal stones. Otherwise, they won't honor their promise," said the Poison Dragon Ancestor coldly.
“ kuàng mài wǒ men suī rán hái méi yǒu zhǎo zháo ， dàn bú shì yǐ jīng yǒu dǎ kāi nà kōng jiān liè fèng de fāng fǎ le ， shèng chéng de zhèn fǎ shī ， yǐ jīng kuài yào jiāng pò jiè dà zhèn bù zhì wán bì ， rú jīn suǒ chà de ， jiù shì zú gòu duō de tiān xīn shí zuò wéi dòng lì 。” bái gǔ zhēn jūn de shēng yīn ， huǎn huǎn de chuán rù ěr lǐ 。
“矿脉我们虽然还没有找着，但不是已经有打开那空间裂缝的方法了，圣城的阵法师，已经快要将破界大阵布置完毕，如今所差的，就是足够多的天心石作为动力。”白骨真君的声音，缓缓的传入耳里。
"We haven't found the vein yet, but isn't there a method to open that spatial rift? The array mages of the Holy City have almost completed setting up the boundary array. All we lack now is enough Heavenly Heart Stones as power." White Bone True Monarch's voice slowly entered his ears.
“ hēng ， zhè yòu yǒu shén me zhí de gāo xìng de ， wǒ men qiān suàn wàn suàn ， yě méi yǒu xiǎng dào ， nà shén mì kōng jiān de rù kǒu ， jū rán yī gòng yǒu liǎng chù ， chú le hóng yè dǎo ， wàn shòu dǎo jū rán yě yǒu ， ér nà lǐ ， yǐ jīng bèi hǎi zú suǒ zhàn jù ， zhèn fǎ tóng yàng jiē jìn bù zhì wán bì ， suǒ qiàn quē de ， tóng yàng shì tiān xīn shí ér yǐ 。” dú lóng lǎo zǔ de biǎo qíng nán kàn wú bǐ 。
“哼，这又有什么值得高兴的，我们千算万算，也没有想到，那神秘空间的入口，居然一共有两处，除了红叶岛，万兽岛居然也有，而那里，已经被海族所占据，阵法同样接近布置完毕，所欠缺的，同样是天心石而已。”毒龙老祖的表情难看无比。
"Humph! What’s so joyful about this? We calculated and planned for thousands of times, but we didn't expect that the entrance to that mysterious space had two locations—besides Red Leaf Island, the Beast Isle also has one. And there, the sea race already occupies it, with their array almost complete, lacking only Heavenly Heart Stones," said the Poison Dragon Ancestor with a hideous expression.
“ zhè què shí shì wǒ men de shī wù ， rán ér shì dào rú jīn ， yòu néng gòu zěn me bàn ne ， zì cóng shèng chéng de shì lì jiè rù yǐ hòu ， shuāng fāng de shí lì ， kě yǐ shuō xiāng chà fǎng fú ， shuí yě ná duì fāng wú kě nài hé ， tā men gōng bù xià hóng yè dǎo ， tóng yàng de ， wǒ men xiǎng yào cóng hǎi zú shǒu zhōng jiàng wàn shòu dǎo duó huí lái ， tóng yàng shì méi yǒu bàn diǎn xī wàng de 。” bái gǔ zhēn jūn tīng dào zhè lǐ ， wēi wēi yì kǒu qì 。
“这确实是我们的失误，然而事到如今，又能够怎么办呢，自从圣城的势力介入以后，双方的实力，可以说相差仿佛，谁也拿对方无可奈何，他们攻不下红叶岛，同样的，我们想要从海族手中将万兽岛夺回来，同样是没有半点希望的。”白骨真君听到这里，微微一口气。
"This is indeed our mistake. But now that we are in this situation, what can we do? Since the Holy City's forces intervened, both sides' power levels are roughly equal, and neither side can do anything to the other. They cannot conquer Red Leaf Island, nor can we reclaim Beast Isle from the sea race," White Bone True Monarch sighed after hearing that.
zhè jiàn shì qíng ， cái shì tā men zuì dà de shī wù ， shuí xiǎng dào nà xiē gǔ xiū shì suǒ liú xià lái de rù kǒu ， jū rán shì yī míng yī àn de 。
这件事情，才是他们最大的失误，谁想到那些古修士所留下来的入口，居然是一明一暗的。
This was their greatest mistake—no one could have anticipated that the entrances left by ancient cultivators were both obvious and hidden.
tā men fèi jǐn qiān xīn wàn kǔ ， hǎo bù róng yì cái jiāng hóng yè dǎo shǒu zhù ， kě hǎi zú què jī yuán qiǎo hé ， fā xiàn le lìng yí gè rù kǒu 。
他们费尽千辛万苦，好不容易才将红叶岛守住，可海族却机缘巧合，发现了另一个入口。
After much effort, they managed to hold onto Red Leaf Island. But coincidentally, the sea race discovered another entrance.
ér rén zú bìng bù xiǎo de ， yú shì jù jīng wáng jī hū shì bù fèi chuī huī zhī lì ， jiù jiāng wàn shòu dǎo shōu rù le náng zhōng 。
而人族并不晓得，于是巨鲸王几乎是不费吹灰之力，就将万兽岛收入了囊中。
The humans didn't know this, so the Great Whale King easily claimed Beast Isle without much effort.
dāng tā men zhōng yú míng bái liǎo shì qíng de yuán wěi yǐ hòu ， yǐ jīng wǎn le ， hǎi zú zài wàn shòu dǎo shàng ， bù zhì le dà liàng de jīng ruì zhàn lì ， rén zú xiǎng yào duó huí ， què shì sǔn bīng zhé jiàng de jié guǒ 。
当他们终于明白了事情的原委以后，已经晚了，海族在万兽岛上，布置了大量的精锐战力，人族想要夺回，却是损兵折将的结果。
When they finally understood the situation, it was too late. The sea race had deployed a large number of elite forces on Beast Isle, making any attempt by humans to reclaim it a costly endeavor.
ér qiě yǔn luò shāng wáng de hái bú shì yí gè liǎng gè ， nà yī zhàn ， kě yòng cǎn liè lái xíng róng 。
而且陨落伤亡的还不是一个两个，那一战，可用惨烈来形容。
Moreover, not just one or two cultivators fell; that battle was truly horrific.
jiē xià lái ， shuāng fāng de dà zhàn ， yíng lái le yí gè gāo fēng ， gōng shǒu zhī shì yě yǔ yǐ qián dà bù xiāng tóng ， rén zú xiǎng ná xià wàn shòu dǎo ， hǎi zú zé xiǎng yào jiāng hóng yè dǎo shōu rù náng zhōng 。
接下来，双方的大战，迎来了一个高峰，攻守之势也与以前大不相同，人族想拿下万兽岛，海族则想要将红叶岛收入囊中。
The ensuing conflict between both sides reached its peak, with their strategies and tactics vastly different from before. Humans wanted to take Beast Isle, while the sea race aimed for Red Leaf Island.
yú shì ， shuāng fāng duì gōng ， nà duàn shí jiān ， yǔn luò de xiū shì shǔ bù shèng shǔ ， bù guò zài jīng guò shù cì dà zhàn yǐ hòu ， shuāng fāng zhōng yú yě rèn qīng yí gè xiàn shí le ， jiù shì tā men de shí lì ， qí shí xiāng chà fǎng fú ， xiǎng yào duó qǔ duì fāng zhàn lǐng de dǎo yǔ ， míng xiǎn shì bù xiàn shí de 。
于是，双方对攻，那段时间，陨落的修士数不胜数，不过在经过数次大战以后，双方终于也认清一个现实了，就是他们的实力，其实相差仿佛，想要夺取对方占领的岛屿，明显是不现实的。
Thus, they engaged in mutual attacks, with countless cultivators falling. However, after several battles, both sides finally realized that their power levels were roughly equal, making it unrealistic to conquer each other's territories.
jì rán zhī dào méi yǒu yòng chǔ ， nà yòu hé bì shǎ shǎ de qù zuò wú yòng gōng 。
既然知道没有用处，那又何必傻傻的去做无用功。
Since it was clear that these efforts would be futile, the conflict between them shifted from open to covert. Attacks didn't cease but became mostly harassment. Their main focus was on outpacing the other side in setting up the boundary array—essentially, collecting more and faster Heavenly Heart Stones.
yú shì shuāng fāng de zhēng dòu ， yě yóu míng zhuǎn àn le ， gōng jī méi yǒu tíng zhǐ ， dàn dà duō shì sāo rǎo xìng zhì ， tā men de zhǔ yào jīng lì ， jí zhōng zài rú hé bǐ duì fāng qiǎng xiān yī bù ， jiāng pò jiè dà zhèn bù zhì wán bì ， jiǎn dān de shuō ， yě jiù shì gèng duō gèng kuài de shōu jí tiān jīng shí 。
于是双方的争斗，也由明转暗了，攻击没有停止，但大多是骚扰性质，他们的主要精力，集中在如何比对方抢先一步，将破界大阵布置完毕，简单的说，也就是更多更快的收集天晶石。
Thus, the Holy City and the sea race offered substantial incentives, drawing countless wandering cultivators into the desolate islands...
yú shì shèng chéng yǔ hǎi zú ， bù yuē ér tóng de xǔ yǐ zhòng lì ， yuán yuán bù duàn de sàn xiū ， yǒng rù le huāng dǎo lǐ ……
于是圣城与海族，不约而同的许以重利，源源不断的散修，涌入了荒岛里……
On the surface, the intense battles ceased after that. However, compared to before, the bloody and treacherous atmosphere didn't diminish in the slightest; it merely went underground.
biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， zhì cǐ yǐ hòu ， cǎn liè de zhàn dòu ， zài yě méi yǒu kāi qǐ ， rán ér yǔ guò qù xiāng bǐ ， xīng fēng xuè yǔ ， bìng méi yǒu fēn háo de shǎo qù ， zhǐ bù guò yóu míng zhuǎn àn le ér yǐ 。
表面上看，至此以后，惨烈的战斗，再也没有开启，然而与过去相比，腥风血雨，并没有分毫的少去，只不过由明转暗了而已。
Most of those who fell were wandering cultivators, but this didn't mean that neither side's elite forces would engage in combat.
qiě yǔn luò de xiū xiān zhě ， dà duō yǐ sàn xiū wéi zhǔ ， dàn zhè bìng bù yì wèi zhe ， shuāng fāng de jīng ruì ， jiù bù zài tóu rù zhàn dòu 。
且陨落的修仙者，大多已散修为主，但这并不意味着，双方的精锐，就不再投入战斗。
In fact, how could they entrust such a crucial item as Heavenly Heart Stones solely to wandering cultivators?
qià qià xiāng fǎn ， tiān xīn shí rú cǐ zhòng yào zhī wù ， tā men zěn me quán bù jiāo yóu sàn xiū wèi shōu jí ne 。
恰恰相反，天心石如此重要之物，他们怎么全部交由散修为收集呢。
After all, whoever managed to activate the array first could secure the vein of top-grade crystal stones.
bì jìng shuí néng gòu xiān jiāng zhèn fǎ kāi qǐ ， jiù kě yǐ jié zú xiān dēng ， jiāng jí pǐn jīng shí de kuàng mài ， shōu rù huái lǐ 。
毕竟谁能够先将阵法开启，就可以捷足先登，将极品晶石的矿脉，收入怀里。
At such critical moments, they couldn’t afford to be cautious. Regardless of whether it was humans or sea races, their elite forces infiltrated the desolate islands.
zhè zhǒng guān jiàn shí kè ， tā men yòu zěn me kě néng ài xī yǔ máo ， bù lùn rén zú hái shì hǎi zú ， dōu pái rù le jīng ruì zhàn lì ， qián rù le huāng dǎo lǐ 。
这种关键时刻，他们又怎么可能爱惜羽毛，不论人族还是海族，都排入了精锐战力，潜入了荒岛里。
As for issuing tasks to gather Heavenly Heart Stones from wandering cultivators, that was merely a supplementary measure, hoping to speed up the process.
zhì yú fā bù rèn wù ， ràng sàn xiū yě sōu luó tiān jīng shí ， nà bù guò shì zuò wéi fǔ zhù ， xī wàng sù dù néng gòu gèng kuài yī xiē 。
至于发布任务，让散修也搜罗天晶石，那不过是作为辅助，希望速度能够更快一些。
The fact was, the number of Heavenly Heart Stones required for activating the boundary array was astronomical. The more hands they had, the faster they could collect them.
wú tā ， xiǎng yào kāi qǐ pò jiè zhèn fǎ ， xū yào de tiān xīn shí ， zhe shí shì yí gè tiān wén shù zì 。
无他，想要开启破界阵法，需要的天心石，着实是一个天文数字。
In essence, all their struggles now boiled down to racing against time.
rén shǒu yuè shì chōng zú ， shōu jí dé zì rán yě huì yuè kuài yī xiē 。
人手越是充足，收集得自然也会越快一些。
After a moment's silence, the Poison Dragon Ancestor suddenly spoke again: "Those array mages are truly useless fools. Only now have they realized that activating the boundary array requires a central hub—Heavenly Heart Stones—but not just any ordinary ones; it needs the inner core of the Heavenly Heart Toad King."
xiàn zài rén zú yǔ hǎi zú ， suǒ yǒu de zhēng dòu ， guī gēn jié dǐ ， qí shí jiù shì hù xiāng qiǎng shí jiān ér yǐ 。
现在人族与海族，所有的争斗，归根结底，其实就是互相抢时间而已。
"Friend, your words are correct. But in all fairness, we can't blame those array mages either. After all, setting up the boundary array is extremely complex, and much of what they did was based on ancient texts—some things were never fully understood," said White Bone True Monarch.
dú lóng lǎo zǔ chén mò le piàn kè ， tū rán yòu huǎn huǎn de kāi kǒu le ：“ nà xiē zhèn fǎ shī ， yě zhēn shì yī qún méi yòng de chǔn huò ， jū rán shì dào rú jīn ， cái fā xiàn ， kāi qǐ pò jiè zhèn fǎ ， hái xū yào yí gè zhōng shū ， yě shì tiān xīn shí ， rán ér què bú shì pǔ tōng de lā jī ， ér shì tiān xīn chán wáng de nèi dān 。”
毒龙老祖沉默了片刻，突然又缓缓的开口了：“那些阵法师，也真是一群没用的蠢货，居然事到如今，才发现，开启破界阵法，还需要一个中枢，也是天心石，然而却不是普通的垃圾，而是天心蟾王的内丹。”
"Humph! You're defending them, but your words are right. At least, these array mages didn't go completely stupid; they managed to thoroughly understand the boundary array at the last moment."
“ dào yǒu suǒ yán bù cuò ， bù guò píng xīn lái shuō ， zhè yě bù néng guài nà xiē zhèn fǎ shī de ， bì jìng pò jiè zhèn fǎ tài guò fán fù ， hěn dà yī bù fèn tā men yě shì fān yuè shàng gǔ diǎn jí ， zhào māo huà hǔ ， yǒu yī xiē dōng xī ， yuán běn jiù méi yǒu nòng dé hěn qīng chǔ 。” bái gǔ zhēn jūn tàn le yì kǒu qì de shuō 。
“道友所言不错，不过平心来说，这也不能怪那些阵法师的，毕竟破界阵法太过繁复，很大一部分他们也是翻阅上古典籍，照猫画虎，有一些东西，原本就没有弄得很清楚。”白骨真君叹了一口气的说。
"Friend, it's good that you think so. Remember, the Heavenly Heart Toad is not an easy target. Even if both of us take action, we can’t guarantee a quick victory. Otherwise, why would Old Monster Qiu insist on our collaboration instead of assigning a few Separation and Union period cultivators to do this task?" White Bone True Monarch said.
“ hēng ， nǐ dǎo shì wèi tā men kǎo lǜ ， bù guò huà yě méi cuò ， nà xiē zhèn fǎ shī ， zǒng suàn méi yǒu yú chǔn dào jiā ， hǎo dǎi zài zuì hòu shí kè ， jiāng zhěng gè pò jiè zhèn fǎ yán jiū tòu chè ， gěi róng huì guàn tōng diào le 。”
“哼，你倒是为他们考虑，不过话也没错，那些阵法师，总算没有愚蠢到家，好歹在最后时刻，将整个破界阵法研究透彻，给融会贯通掉了。”
"That's true. But what worries me now is not the Heavenly Heart Toad King’s difficulty. A mere beast can be troublesome, but since we've taken action, it won't be difficult for us."
“ dào yǒu néng zhè me xiǎng shì zài hǎo bù guò ， yào zhī dào nà tiān xīn chán kě bìng bù hǎo duì fù ， jí shǐ nǐ wǒ chū shǒu ， yě bù gǎn shuō ， jiù yí dìng néng gòu shǒu dào qín lái ， fǒu zé ràng jǐ míng lí hé qī xiū shì zhí xíng zhè ge rèn wù jí kě ， qiū lǎo guài yòu hé bì diǎn míng ， ràng nǐ wǒ yí dìng yào lián shǒu ne ？” bái gǔ zhēn jūn huǎn huǎn de shuō 。
“道友能这么想是再好不过，要知道那天心蟾可并不好对付，即使你我出手，也不敢说，就一定能够手到擒来，否则让几名离合期修士执行这个任务即可，邱老怪又何必点名，让你我一定要联手呢？”白骨真君缓缓的说。
"You're worried about the sea race..." White Bone True Monarch was a shrewd and adaptable figure; he understood that his friend meant something specific.
“ bù cuò ， bù guò lǎo fū xiàn zài suǒ yōu lǜ de ， dào bìng bú shì nà tiān xīn chán wáng bù hǎo duì fù ， qū qū yī zhī niè chù ， zài rú hé nán chán ， nǐ wǒ jì yǐ chū shǒu ， nà hái bú shì shǒu dào qín lái de 。”
“不错，不过老夫现在所忧虑的，倒并不是那天心蟾王不好对付，区区一只孽畜，再如何难缠，你我既已出手，那还不是手到擒来的。”
"Indeed," the Poison Dragon Ancestor sighed, his expression grave. "On our side, we have completed the study of the boundary array. On the sea race's side, they are likely on par as well—given their similar array mastery, could they also dispatch ancient monsters at the Profound and Mystical level, or even the Great Whale King himself?"
“ dào yǒu shì dān xīn hǎi zú ……” bái gǔ zhēn jūn yě shì cōng míng jī biàn de rén wù ， tīng dào cǐ chù ， yǐ míng bái duì fāng shì yì yǒu suǒ zhǐ le 。
“道友是担心海族……”白骨真君也是聪明机变的人物，听到此处，已明白对方是意有所指了。
At this point, a look of fear appeared on the Poison Dragon Ancestor’s face. Although he was rebellious, he knew his limitations; compared to sea race's Sixth King-level existence, the gap remained enormous. If the Great Whale King were here...
“ bù cuò 。” dú lóng lǎo zǔ wēi wēi tàn xī ， biǎo qíng yǐ shì níng zhòng wú bǐ ：“ wǒ men zhè biān ， jiāng pò jiè zhèn fǎ yán jiū jié shù ， hǎi zú nà biān ， kǒng pà yě xiāng chà fǎng fú ， bì jìng lùn zhèn fǎ zào yì ， shuāng fāng dōu chà bu duō ， nǐ shuō tā men huì bú huì yě pài chū dòng xuán jí bié de lǎo guài wù ， shèn zhì shì jù jīng wáng zì jǐ ……”
“不错。”毒龙老祖微微叹息，表情已是凝重无比：“我们这边，将破界阵法研究结束，海族那边，恐怕也相差仿佛，毕竟论阵法造诣，双方都差不多，你说他们会不会也派出洞玄级别的老怪物，甚至是巨鲸王自己……”
"You're overthinking it. Old Monster Qiu may be harsh, but the Holy City's leader has given him a task that he can't afford to neglect. If the Great Whale King himself must search for treasures on the desolate island, how could he sit still? He would likely go there personally instead of sending us," White Bone True Monarch frowned and then spoke as if understanding something.
shuō dào zhè lǐ ， dú lóng lǎo zǔ liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī wèi jù ， tā suī rán shì jié ào bù xùn de rén wù ， dàn zì zhī zhī míng hái shì yǒu de ， míng bái jí biàn tóng shí dòng xuán qī ， dàn zì jǐ yǔ hǎi zú liù wáng nà ge jí bié de cún zài xiāng bǐ ， zhè chā jù yī jiù shì fēi cháng dà dì ， ruò shì jù jīng wáng qīn lín cǐ chù ， zì jǐ liǎng rén yù jiàn le ……
说到这里，毒龙老祖脸上露出一丝畏惧，他虽然是桀骜不驯的人物，但自知之明还是有的，明白即便同时洞玄期，但自己与海族六王那个级别的存在相比，这差距依旧是非常大地，若是巨鲸王亲临此处，自己两人遇见了……
The Poison Dragon Ancestor remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Your words are correct. Even if the Great Whale King doesn't personally visit the desolate island, other ancient monsters at the Profound and Mystical level will be dispatched. We can’t be careless."
“ dào yǒu duō lǜ le ， qiū lǎo guài suī rán kè bó ， dàn shèng chéng zhī zhǔ jiāo dài xià de rèn wù ， tā yě bù gǎn yǒu sī háo qīng hū ， rú guǒ yǐ jù jīng wáng de shēn fèn ， dōu yào qīn wǎng huāng dǎo xún bǎo ， tā nǎ lǐ hái zuò dé zhù ， kǒng pà jiù bú shì pài qiǎn nǐ wǒ ， ér shì qīn zì shàng zhèn le 。” bái gǔ zhēn jūn xiān shì méi tou yí zhòu ， suí hòu yòu xiàng shì xiāng tōng le shén me shì de kāi kǒu 。
“道友多虑了，邱老怪虽然刻薄，但圣城之主交代下的任务，他也不敢有丝毫轻忽，如果以巨鲸王的身份，都要亲往荒岛寻宝，他哪里还坐得住，恐怕就不是派遣你我，而是亲自上阵了。”白骨真君先是眉头一皱，随后又像是相通了什么似的开口。
: Second update, the double points period has ended, but I respectfully ask my esteemed fellow cultivators—do you still have any requests or questions? RO!~!
Chapter 1861: Heavenly Heart Toad King
"But it's fine. At least, the benefits promised by the Holy City will still be there for us. Although we have to lose a bit compared to our initial plan, it is much better than being driven out of the Red Leaf Sea by the Great Whale King and getting nothing."
"Friend, your words are correct. But you mustn't forget that in order to obtain the benefits from the Holy City, we must first find the vein of top-grade crystal stones. Otherwise, they won't honor their promise," said the Poison Dragon Ancestor coldly.
"We haven't found the vein yet, but isn't there a method to open that spatial rift? The array mages of the Holy City have almost completed setting up the boundary array. All we lack now is enough Heavenly Heart Stones as power." White Bone True Monarch's voice slowly entered his ears.
"Humph! What’s so joyful about this? We calculated and planned for thousands of times, but we didn't expect that the entrance to that mysterious space had two locations—besides Red Leaf Island, the Beast Isle also has one. And there, the sea race already occupies it, with their array almost complete, lacking only Heavenly Heart Stones," said the Poison Dragon Ancestor with a hideous expression.
"This is indeed our mistake. But now that we are in this situation, what can we do? Since the Holy City's forces intervened, both sides' power levels are roughly equal, and neither side can do anything to the other. They cannot conquer Red Leaf Island, nor can we reclaim Beast Isle from the sea race," White Bone True Monarch sighed after hearing that.
This was their greatest mistake—no one could have anticipated that the entrances left by ancient cultivators were both obvious and hidden.
After much effort, they managed to hold onto Red Leaf Island. But coincidentally, the sea race discovered another entrance.
The humans didn't know this, so the Great Whale King easily claimed Beast Isle without much effort.
When they finally understood the situation, it was too late. The sea race had deployed a large number of elite forces on Beast Isle, making any attempt by humans to reclaim it a costly endeavor.
Moreover, not just one or two cultivators fell; that battle was truly horrific.
The ensuing conflict between both sides reached its peak, with their strategies and tactics vastly different from before. Humans wanted to take Beast Isle, while the sea race aimed for Red Leaf Island.
Thus, they engaged in mutual attacks, with countless cultivators falling. However, after several battles, both sides finally realized that their power levels were roughly equal, making it unrealistic to conquer each other's territories.
Since it was clear that these efforts would be futile, the conflict between them shifted from open to covert. Attacks didn't cease but became mostly harassment. Their main focus was on outpacing the other side in setting up the boundary array—essentially, collecting more and faster Heavenly Heart Stones.
Thus, the Holy City and the sea race offered substantial incentives, drawing countless wandering cultivators into the desolate islands...
On the surface, the intense battles ceased after that. However, compared to before, the bloody and treacherous atmosphere didn't diminish in the slightest; it merely went underground.
Most of those who fell were wandering cultivators, but this didn't mean that neither side's elite forces would engage in combat.
In fact, how could they entrust such a crucial item as Heavenly Heart Stones solely to wandering cultivators?
After all, whoever managed to activate the array first could secure the vein of top-grade crystal stones.
At such critical moments, they couldn’t afford to be cautious. Regardless of whether it was humans or sea races, their elite forces infiltrated the desolate islands.
As for issuing tasks to gather Heavenly Heart Stones from wandering cultivators, that was merely a supplementary measure, hoping to speed up the process.
The fact was, the number of Heavenly Heart Stones required for activating the boundary array was astronomical. The more hands they had, the faster they could collect them.
In essence, all their struggles now boiled down to racing against time.
After a moment's silence, the Poison Dragon Ancestor suddenly spoke again: "Those array mages are truly useless fools. Only now have they realized that activating the boundary array requires a central hub—Heavenly Heart Stones—but not just any ordinary ones; it needs the inner core of the Heavenly Heart Toad King."
"Friend, your words are correct. But in all fairness, we can't blame those array mages either. After all, setting up the boundary array is extremely complex, and much of what they did was based on ancient texts—some things were never fully understood," said White Bone True Monarch.
"Humph! You're defending them, but your words are right. At least, these array mages didn't go completely stupid; they managed to thoroughly understand the boundary array at the last moment."
"Friend, it's good that you think so. Remember, the Heavenly Heart Toad is not an easy target. Even if both of us take action, we can’t guarantee a quick victory. Otherwise, why would Old Monster Qiu insist on our collaboration instead of assigning a few Separation and Union period cultivators to do this task?" White Bone True Monarch said.
"That's true. But what worries me now is not the Heavenly Heart Toad King’s difficulty. A mere beast can be troublesome, but since we've taken action, it won't be difficult for us."
"You're worried about the sea race..." White Bone True Monarch was a shrewd and adaptable figure; he understood that his friend meant something specific.
"Indeed," the Poison Dragon Ancestor sighed, his expression grave. "On our side, we have completed the study of the boundary array. On the sea race's side, they are likely on par as well—given their similar array mastery, could they also dispatch ancient monsters at the Profound and Mystical level, or even the Great Whale King himself?"
At this point, a look of fear appeared on the Poison Dragon Ancestor’s face. Although he was rebellious, he knew his limitations; compared to sea race's Sixth King-level existence, the gap remained enormous. If the Great Whale King were here...
"You're overthinking it. Old Monster Qiu may be harsh, but the Holy City's leader has given him a task that he can't afford to neglect. If the Great Whale King himself must search for treasures on the desolate island, how could he sit still? He would likely go there personally instead of sending us," White Bone True Monarch frowned and then spoke as if understanding something.
The Poison Dragon Ancestor remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Your words are correct. Even if the Great Whale King doesn't personally visit the desolate island, other ancient monsters at the Profound and Mystical level will be dispatched. We can’t be careless."
: Second update, the double points period has ended, but I respectfully ask my esteemed fellow cultivators—do you still have any requests or questions? RO!~!