Sovereign of the Three Realms

Sabledeep was a wise man. He always considered the most profound of topics, and his intuition and intellect were unrivaled among other great emperors.

He had also done plenty of research into the era of the ancients as well. Thus, he was aware of the Great Formation of Heavenly Soul Confinement - though not in nearly as much detail as Jiang Chen.

Veluriyam's young lord didn't expect such insight from Sabledeep. "That formation gives humanity a ray of hope," he smiled. "If it can be reactivated, the first wave of the demonic invasion may well be cut short. In fact, it might be able to allow us to avoid the main assault altogether."

"Oh?" Everyone's eyes lit up once more.

"Easy to say, hard to do. Even in ancient times, the formation was a very large-scale project. In our current time, resources and manpower are both lacking. It is definitely quite difficult to reactivate the formation."

"No matter how hard it is, can't we pool absolutely every faction's resources and make it that way?" Someone couldn't resist asking.

Jiang Chen shook his head. "Resource-wise, the human sects added together might not be enough to fuel the formation. In fact, I am rather sure of that. As for manpower… I'm afraid I would say the same."

"If the formation can't be used, what point is there?" Some became downcast at this.

"Is the formation really that expansive and expensive that the whole human domain's resources pooled together isn't enough to restart it?"

"Indeed, ancient formations tend to be exorbitant in cost."

Everyone cast their gazes toward Jiang Chen in anticipation. They hoped the young lord would provide them with some good news.

"Compared to ancient times, the human domain of the present is less than a twentieth of its former glory. The ruins of many ancient sects are also still sealed away. If we can find a few of these and unearth the heritages within, the resource problem might be resolved. Even if we can't, Myriad Abyss may be able to provide the same. I merely worry whether there's enough time left."

For Jiang Chen, time was of the essence. Without that limit, he could take a few centuries to collect all the materials. Unfortunately, the demons wouldn't wait for him to get the work done. Instead, he had to seize the day and use every moment efficiently.

He had an understanding of the formation on a technical level already. The knowledge of the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect, Earth Bodhisattva Sect, and Master Pei Xing had been combined into a harmonious whole.

The formation could be activated with only a little bit more study.

This was a re-activation, not a rebuilding. If he had to set up this formation from scratch, the amount of resources and manpower would be even more absurd - probably three times what he currently needed.

Re-activating a formation was a lot simpler. The formation didn't need to be constructed, etched, or otherwise constituted on a fundamental level. If he could find the formation's nexus, he could easily use its principles of operation to bring it back to life.

Still, the material cost of doing so lay before him like an immovable obstacle.

The human domain couldn't possibly afford such a large expenditure. Jiang Chen knew the extent of Veluriyam Capital's vaults, and very few other sects in the human domain matched its wealth. Perhaps there were none at all.

This was the basis of his declaration that the human domain couldn't reactivate the formation, even if it pooled all its resources together.

"Find the ruins of the ancient sects?" Ji San's eyes lit up. "A good suggestion, my friend. The human domain was a wondrous place in the ancient times, and the deserters couldn't possibly have carried everything off with them. There should be many things that remain, sealed away in places unknown. Without clues though, is it really possible to find them through any method other than good luck?"

It was as Ji San had said. Ancient ruins were extremely rare.

Jiang Chen's forays into the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect and the Primosanct Sect had been entirely due to fortune.

Humanity of eld had resisted the demons with an alliance of ten great sects. This alliance had included the Primosanct Sect, the Earth Bodhisattva Sect, and the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect. Each and every member had contributed almost all of their resources without question.

The master of the Veluriyam Pagoda had once been a great leader of humanity as well, hence Jiang Chen's incredible expectations for the Six Palaces of Heritage.

The young lord believed that the palaces contained the greatest secret and heritage of the Veluriyam Pagoda. The structure had been built by the ancient leader of the human race, and was still protected by six powerful guardians. It wasn't a humble place.

Master P'eng, Venerated Skysoarer, and the Grand Marquis were legendary characters. The opportunities they had provided Jiang Chen were invaluable still.

What did the latter three palaces hold then? Surely, their protectors and treasures were even more brilliant than their predecessors?

Myriad Abyss was more powerful only when compared to the current human domain.

In the ancient times, it had been a very different story. Back then, Myriad Abyss had begun only as a branch of the grand tree here on the mainland. The things that remained hidden here in the human domain were worth looking forward to. The ruins of ancient sects especially held spectacular rewards.

There was a reason the Six Palaces of Heritage remained at the top of Jiang Chen's mind, and why he had rushed back specifically to challenge them after Myriad Abyss's urgent affairs were dealt with.