Within the Qi Pavilion.

Cao Jie looked at Jiang Wang and slowly said, “As a prodigy of Great Qi, and having gone forth for the nation to participate in this Yellow River Meet, there are some matters you ought to know. I have already spoken of the origin of the Yellow River Meet. What I am about to speak of next, is resources.”

“Do you know the origin of the Meridian Opening Pill?” he asked.

The origin of the Meridian Opening Pill…

Recalling the elderly demon race member he had seen in Xu State, Jiang Wang had a faint suspicion.

He softly said, “I know a little.”

“Then I need not waste more words.”

Cao Jie said with a tone of emotion, “As is widely known, our Human Race became the masters of the present world only after winning the great war against the Demon Race. That was a brutal war that happened in the ancient era, concerning the sovereignty of the present world, and also the survival of our Human Race. The flames of war swept through every corner of the present world, and no sentient being could stand outside of it.”

“The Demon Race was driven outside the world, and the Human Race became the masters of the present world. The long and dark ancient era ended. How long that era was, is no longer verifiable. But it has ended…”

He changed the subject, “However, the counterattack of the Demon Race has never stopped. They launch attacks outside the world again and again, at any cost, regardless of life and death. The blood of the Human Race and the Demon Race never ceases to flow.”

“The history of the early ancient era is a history of continuous great wars between the Human Race and the Demon Race counterattacking the present world. But this situation changed in the mid-ancient era.

The second Human Emperor, Bear Clan, united with three Dao Venerables to jointly construct the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, completely severing the Demon Race’s hope of returning to the present world!”

The Dao Sect was the earliest source of cultivation. At that time, the “Dao” was the “Dao” of the Great Dao.

All cultivators were collectively referred to as “Dao.”

It was only later, with the continuous development of the cultivation world, that differentiation gradually occurred.

The Hundred Schools of the present world all acknowledge “Dao” as the source of cultivation.

And the three lineages of the Dao Sect today have been passed down from ancient times and are all orthodox. But this “Dao” is only the “Dao” of the Dao Sect of today.

It cannot encompass so much anymore.

Human Emperor Bear Clan and the three Dao Venerables are, of course, great existences. Completely cutting off the hope of the Demon Race’s counterattack is also an unparalleled achievement for the Human Race.

It’s just that this Gate of Ten Thousand Demons is indeed the first time Jiang Wang has heard of it.

In fact, if it weren’t for that time when he followed Yin Guan to investigate Songtao City in Xu State, he wouldn’t even know what a “demon” looks like. It would be even harder to understand the relationship between the Demon Race and the Meridian Opening Pill.

Jiang Wang hesitated and said, “This Gate of Ten Thousand Demons…”

Cao Jie affirmed his guess, “The capital of Jing State, Tianjing City, is built on the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons!”

The states of Jing and Mu resist the Demonic Race on the life-and-death line, while Qi State unites with the small states of the Eastern Region and the forces of the near-sea islands to engage in perennial great battles with the Sea Race in the Misty Realm.

There is no reason for Jing State to dominate the Central Region without having to bear any responsibility.

So that’s how it is…

The state of Jing, which is seemingly the strongest state in the world, is actually guarding against the Demon Race!

“So that’s how it is,” Jiang Wang murmured.

“The saying goes, ‘The Son of Heaven guards the nation’s gate, the monarch dies for the society and its grain.’ Jing Taizu, who established Tianjing City, was indeed a great existence,” Cao Jie chuckled, “However, hehe, the Demon Race was our Human Race’s mortal enemy in the ancient era. Now, they can only be considered cultivation resources.”

Since the Demon Race can become the “raw material” for Meridian Opening Pills, they can naturally be considered cultivation resources.

“But the Demon Race is not something that Jing State bears alone; they cannot bear it either. Which family doesn’t have an army fighting behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons?”

So the powerful states all have armies behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons…

Or rather, having the ability to station armies to fight behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons is one of the standards for being a “powerful state.”

“Furthermore, Jing and Mu fighting the Demonic Race yields no gains at all. Qin and Chu need not be mentioned. Our Great Qi fights the Sea Race. After the changes in the vast sea, their dao meridians cannot be used. How poor the Sea Race is, Jiang Wang, you are a second-rank Sea Guardian, and Zhaonan also went to the Misty Realm this time. I presume you both understand.”

“Calculating everything, only behind this Gate of Ten Thousand Demons can there be gains, and it’s a fundamental gain like Meridian Opening Pills. War is the war of the entire Human Race, and the gains are also the gains of the entire Human Race. Jing State certainly cannot monopolize them.”

Cao Jie finally said, “What resources does the Yellow River Meet distribute? It distributes this!”

He glanced at Ji Zhaonan and said, “Zhaonan, you have been fighting behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons all year round. Tell them about it.”

No wonder they say Ji Zhaonan must know the truth of the Yellow River Meet.

No wonder a powerhouse like Ji Zhaonan rarely appears in Linzi and is often nowhere to be seen.

So… he has been fighting the Demon Race behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons all along!

Jiang Wang finally understood where the lingering killing intent on Ji Zhaonan came from.

Ji Zhaonan’s peerless armor had been put away after leaving Linzi, and the韶華 spear was also in the storage box at this time.

He was wearing a frost-colored martial uniform, with nothing in his hands, but his sitting posture was straight and sharp.

At this time, he first gave a wry smile, “The Demon Race is not that easy to fight.”

“In fact, in the ancient era, the great war between the Human Race and the Demon Race was a losing battle, otherwise the ancient sages would not have exhausted their hearts and souls to construct the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons.

It was only later, after painstaking research by ancient sages, that wild beasts were stimulated into ferocious beasts, and then with the Demon Race as an引, demon beasts with naturally manifested dao meridians were created. From then on, the Meridian Opening Pill had a new source. One demon race member can create many Meridian Opening Pills. At this time, the gains from conquering the Demon Race can barely balance the losses.

After generations of development, it can now be said that the gains are greater than the sacrifices. But this ‘greater’ sacrifice is also extremely tragic…”

After Ji Zhaonan added some ancient secrets, he continued, “The world behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons is very vast. And the Demon Race itself is composed of many tribes. Naturally, some tribes are hard to fight, and some are easy to fight. Some places are very dangerous with high gains, some places are very dangerous with low gains, and there are also treasures, with very low danger and considerable gains.”

He looked at Jiang Wang, “The distribution of territory you mentioned is the distribution of territory behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons.”

So demon beasts were not born of heaven and earth, but were cultivated later by the Human Race. This was done to increase the production of Meridian Opening Pills!

So the war between the Human Race and the Demon Race has never ended, from the ancient era to the present day…

Jiang Wang sat upright and said solemnly, “Jiang Wang has been enlightened.”

With Ji Zhaonan’s background, aptitude, and demeanor, where couldn’t he go for good places? But he has been silently fighting behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons. If it weren’t for this Yellow River Meet, Jiang Wang would only know that the Military God had three disciples still alive, but wouldn’t know who the second one was.

It is not an overstatement to show the highest respect for this general who has been fighting in bloody battles behind the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons.

Like Ding Jingshan, who sits alone on the isolated island in the Misty Realm, they are the backbone of the Human Race.

Ji Zhaonan, however, smiled relaxed, “As you said, the Yellow River Meet is where everyone sits down to divide the territory. But how to divide it, who should be given some newly opened territory, and who should take over places where the stationed soldiers have all died… there must be a standard.”

“Before everyone starts talking, they always have to test their swords and spears. But it’s impossible to let the Great Marshals of the nation fight to the death; no one can stop that… So, in the end, it’s up to us.”

He said—

“This is the Viewing River Platform, the Gathering of the Prodigies of the Nations.”

Genius in one second: m.173kxs