Divine War Pill Emperor

Looking at the results from the Ten Directions Calculation Compass, Jiang Chen was struck speechless.

”At the Geng-Chou hour, the Vermilion Bird takes flight; the Fierce Ghost emerges, and the Fire Sparrow cries in alarm!”

”To escape calamity, seek refuge in the Guardian Hall.”

At first, Jiang Chen didn’t quite understand the prediction.

But after a moment’s thought, he began to understand.

’The Geng-Chou hour, the Vermilion Bird takes flight... The Vermilion Bird... only I have one.’

’Does this mean someone is targeting me? That I’m in danger?’

Jiang Chen frowned slightly, his gaze shifting to Sovereign Wen of the Fire Sparrow Kingdom and National Preceptor Yuan Hui. Both men were formidable, their Cultivation at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Heaven.

If anyone was going to move against him, Jiang Chen suspected it would be Sovereign Wen and the National Preceptor.

He had, after all, faintly sensed them probing him just moments ago.

’They’ll make their move against me at the Geng-Chou hour, and the Vermilion Bird inside me will emerge to protect me.’

’So then, what does ”the Fierce Ghost emerges, and the Fire Sparrow cries in alarm” mean?’

Jiang Chen was once again lost in thought.

On second thought, he recalled that the hour of Chou was when evil spirits were said to emerge, only returning to their lairs at the crow of a rooster.

’Does this mean a Fierce Ghost will appear during the hour of Chou?’

’’The Fire Sparrow cries in alarm’ must mean that the Fire Sparrow Kingdom’s Guardian Beast, the Guardian Fire Sparrow, will cry out in alarm at that moment.’

Soon, Jiang Chen’s thoughts began to clear.

As the Guardian Beast of the Fire Sparrow Kingdom, the Fire Sparrow was a terrifying existence—the kingdom’s sole entity with Martial Emperor Cultivation.

With the Fire Sparrow watching over them, ordinary villains couldn’t possibly shake the foundations of the Fire Sparrow Kingdom.

When the Fierce Ghost emerges, the Fire Sparrow’s cry will serve as a warning to the entire kingdom.

With this realization, everything became even clearer to Jiang Chen.

’Someone is plotting against me. They’ll use a Fierce Ghost to attack me, my Vermilion Bird will appear to protect me, and the Guardian Fire Sparrow will appear as well.’

Finally, Jiang Chen considered the last line of the prophecy.

”To escape calamity, seek refuge in the Guardian Hall.”

In other words, when someone made a move against him, his only way to survive the danger was to flee to the Guardian Hall.

The Guardian Hall was the very place where the Guardian Fire Sparrow resided.

This meant that when the time came, they would have to seek refuge in the Guardian Hall, under the protection of the Guardian Fire Sparrow.

Since Jiang Chen had calculated the Third Prince’s fate, the first half of the prophecy was related to Jiang Chen himself.

The second half, however, indicated that the Third Prince was the one who had to reach the Guardian Hall.

’So that’s how it is. I understand now. The Sovereign despises the Third Prince. If I help him win first place, the Third Prince will have defied the royal edict, giving the Sovereign a reason to kill him.’

’And he’ll try to kill me at the same time.’

’The hour of Chou will be our moment of crisis. If we can survive it, the Third Prince will be able to turn this disaster into a blessing.’

Jiang Chen stood motionless as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place in his mind.

Once he had processed everything, Jiang Chen’s expression turned cold.

Plenty of people wanted him dead, but very few were actually capable of killing him.

Not even Sovereign Wen and National Preceptor Yuan Hui, both at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Heaven.

’I wonder if my Vermilion Bird Seal will be enough to get me through this crisis.’

Jiang Chen had the protection of his Vermilion Bird, so he didn’t need to hide in the Guardian Hall. The Third Prince, however, absolutely had to.

Otherwise, he would certainly die—the short life Jiang Chen had foreseen in his calculations.

If the Third Prince died, all of Jiang Chen’s efforts would go down the drain.

Of course, even without relying on the Third Prince, Jiang Chen was confident he could kill Wen Shixi. It was only a matter of time.

The problem was that having decided to assist the Third Prince, Jiang Chen had no intention of letting him die young.

He wouldn’t allow it. He would defy the heavens and change his fate.

And now, with the Ten Directions Calculation, he had both the chance and the means to do so.

Jiang Chen walked over and patted the Third Prince on the shoulder.

”Your Highness, hang in there.”

”The outcome isn’t set in stone. Anything can still change.”

The Third Prince was utterly dejected, his face pale.

He shook his head. ”My father, the Sovereign, forbids me from taking first or second. I’ll always be the cast-aside prince.”

”Jiang the Military Advisor, I’m sorry. I give up.”

”From now on, I’ll withdraw from worldly affairs.”

That was it. The Third Prince had thought it through: defying the royal edict was a death sentence.

But if he obeyed, he would always be third, forever trampled under his two older brothers’ feet, and perhaps even toyed with until he was dead.

He knew all too well the nature of royal struggles—the final outcome was always cruel. For the loser, there was only death.

He was doomed either way.

So, perhaps if he made a strategic retreat now—left Gambling City, fled to a remote corner of the Fire Sparrow Kingdom, and became a simple Lord—he might just be able to save his life.

Perhaps that was his only option. The Third Prince saw no other way out.

Jiang Chen could see the prince’s desolation. His spirit had been so battered that he had become completely demoralized.

He encouraged him again, ”Your Highness, there’s still a chance.”

”An edict is an edict, but how we act is still up to us.”

”You must remember, man can triumph over the heavens. Perhaps we can shatter this stalemate with our own hands and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Do you dare to try?”

The Third Prince shuddered and looked sharply at Jiang Chen.

He couldn’t seem to believe that Jiang Chen would still say something so encouraging at a time like this. Was he truly that confident?

’That’s right,’ the Third Prince realized, ’Jiang the Military Advisor is incredibly capable. He must have a plan.’

He took a deep breath, suppressing the despair in his heart.

”Jiang the Military Advisor,” he asked, ”what’s your plan?”

”If you don’t have a good one, then I’ve made up my mind. I’m leaving Gambling City for Wuzhou Province to find a quiet place and live out a normal life.”

Jiang Chen pulled the Third Prince into a quiet corner.

He then spoke to the prince via voice transmission.

”What I’m about to tell you is extremely important, so listen carefully.”

The Third Prince nodded gravely. He didn’t know what Jiang Chen was about to say, but he resolved to commit it to memory.

Jiang Chen’s voice transmission continued, ”Today, I will lead you to victory in the Capture the High Ground event. We will plant your flag on the summit.”

The Third Prince was shocked, his expression changing. ”But wouldn’t that be directly defying my father’s royal edict?”

His first instinct was to shrink back.

But here was Jiang Chen, still planning to defy the heavens and seize first place.

It was a clear act of defiance against the Sovereign.

The consequences would be dire. He would be executed, and everyone who followed him would undoubtedly be implicated.

It was a virtual death trap.

After all, Jiang Chen and his other followers didn’t have high enough Cultivation to face the Sovereign and the National Preceptor.

The Third Prince understood the stakes better than anyone.

”That may be true,” Jiang Chen urged, ”but we have to defy the edict.”

”If you ever hope to become the heir, you must suppress the other two princes at every turn. Don’t give them a moment’s rest.”

”Yes, defying the edict means we’ll be sentenced to death.”

”But I already have the beginnings of a plan.”

His tone turned serious. ”What comes next is the most important part.”

”After the Capture the High Ground event ends today, you must find a way to get into the Guardian Hall. Once you’re inside, don’t come out, no matter what.”

”Don’t come out no matter what happens outside.”

”Remember this above all else. Leave the rest to me.”

”When it’s all over, I’ll come find you.”