The Romantic Cultivator

"If you want a war, you shall have a war then!" The Cardinal Patriarch declared. 

The communication with the Abyssal King Gong Magog had ended with a nasty declaration of war from both sides.

When the transmission had ended, Ji Yuan asked Ding Xiaoxiao curiously. "You are joking about fighting the Immortal Abyssal Gong Diablo, right?"

Even Xuan Qiaoqiao, Juan Xian'Er, Li Yifen, Jun Qianfeng and the others were all curiously looking at Ding Xiaoxiao.

Ding Xiaoxiao asked Ji Yuan quietly, "What do you think?"

Ji Yuan said weakly, "I think that you are only taunting him."

"Why do you say so?" Ding Xiaoxiao quietly asked him.

Ji Yuan returned a heavy sigh, "Because we can't fight him for sure. I think that we should all run once that True God turns up. We will surely be massacred by him for sure…"

"I am not taunting him," Ding Xiaoxiao interrupted him quietly.

"Huh?" Ji Yuan was startled.

There was a glimmer of water in Ding Xiaoxiao's crimson eyes as she said quietly, "When I was just a very small child, my whole village was massacred in a similar manner and my mother consort was also made into cultivation profound medicine."

Ji Yuan was startled; this was the very first time that he saw traces of emotions in Ding Xiaoxiao's aloof demeanor. 

He found himself saying after her, "Don't worry. We shall make them pay for their atrocities."

Ding Xiaoxiao looked at Ji Yuan and their eyes locked together…

Ji Yuan said firmly, "I won't let you fight that Gong Diablo alone. I'll fight him along with you."

Ding Xiaoxiao asked him, "You are not afraid to die?"

Ji Yuan laughed softly, "I don't mind dying with a beautiful maiden like you."

Ding Xiaoxiao was startled by his frivolous remarks and there was a flush beneath her emotionless countenance.

But she coolly said, "Up to you."

Ding Xiaoxiao has actually always fought alone and she has no need for any allies. And she did not join the Great Demon God because she wanted any prestige or power but it was to repay the Great Demon God's favor in allowing her to obtain her true divinity sword.

So, when she said up to you to Ji Yuan, she was accepting Ji Yuan as a friend and an equal.

Ji Yuan laughed weakly at her reply, not knowing the significant of this message; he thought that she did not care for his involvement. 

All of a sudden, the Cardinal Patriarch walked up to say to Ji Yuan. "It seems now that war is inevitable. Savior Ji Yuan, may you say something to all of us? It is to bolster our morale and to steel our conviction for this fight."

Many of the elders on the outer circular seats were also calling for Ji Yuan to say something to them. 

"Savior Ji Yuan, please say a war speech on our behalf!"

"We need Savior Ji Yuan's encouragement…"

Juan Xian'Er smiled to Ji Yuan, "You should say something to all of us."

Li Yifen was smiling too, "Or play a song for us." 

Ji Yuan was startled by this request but he quickly nodded as he turned to face the Cardinals and the two hundred or so elders that were presented.

He said solemnly, "Well, I don't know what to say to everyone. But I must say that I am fully pledged to fight on your side. But this won't be easy at all because the survival of your race is at stake here…"

Many were nodding when they had heard Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan took a deep breath as he said solemnly, "Many will surely die in this battle. We may even lose. It is because we are not just facing the powerful abyssal cultivators of the Nefarious Blood Kingdom but we are also facing an abyssal True God. If he comes, we may all be dead. I don't want to say glorifying things to all of you or paint a victorious picture. But this is the truth…"

He sighed heavily, "If we are not fierce enough, we get eliminated by the Nefarious Blood Kingdom. But if we are fierce enough, we may even force the intervention of the abyssal True God Gong Diablo. Either way, this battle will be a difficult one…"

"Although many of us will die but know that the dead will be our martyrs. Your sacrifices won't be in vain because I will stand firmly to fight this enemy for you. I can choose to run since this world isn't my world but I won't. Because I like all of you here and I want to fight for you…"

Ji Yuan meant this with all his heart; the Ancient Race at the Nightfall Heights may well be his own people and he could even be their Ancestor God in the past. At least, he owed this much to them to fight for them even though he did not have the confidence of facing a True God.

As he said this, he was actually looking in secret at Ding Xiaoxiao; if she joins hands with him, then maybe there is a chance…

They did not need to kill Gong Diablo in order to win; they just have to weaken him enough to send him back to his immortal realm. Even though they may all die but as an immortal, the Abyssal Immortal Gong Diablo needs plenty of his cultivation strength to anchor himself to this realm and he can't effectively recover his profound strength while here. 

The plan would be to weaken him sufficient enough to send him back to the Immortal Great Abyssal Realm. This would be able to buy the Ancient Race some valuable time to re-establish themselves elsewhere.

He was betting that the Gong Diablo would need to expend a great deal of his profound strength in order to kill a 9th realm cultivator like himself.

Ji Yuan continued solemnly, "In any case, it is good to evacuate the children and the weak from the Nightfall Heights first. No matter what, we should be prepared for the contingencies of us losing this war. The ones that stay shall be the ones that are determined to make a final last stand against the Nefarious Blood Kingdoms…."

"We don't need cowards or turncoats in the middle of the battle. If you are afraid to fight then don't fight. No one will fault you. But if you are not afraid to fight with me, then we shall not be afraid to fight!"

Ji Yuan's gaze was looking at everyone one; it was as though he was making a speech at the Five Heavens Peaks just before a battle with the powerful profound beasts.

In the past, Ji Yuan had led the cultivators of the Five Heavens Peak in quite a few battles against the powerful invading profound beasts from below the desolate mists of the mountains.

He was often called upon to be the alliance leader of the cultivation sects of the Five Heaven Peaks because he was also the strongest cultivator and also a sword saint.

Ji Yuan would often lead the cultivators by charging first.

He had no beautiful words to say to the cultivators because the outcome to fight tidal waves of the powerful profound beasts had only one outcome and that was either they died or the profound beasts will die.

Ji Yuan had to protect the Five Heavens Peaks on many occasions as it was a spiritual force weak region where the desolate force was robust, hence attracting hordes of profound beasts in the region. 

He had literally cultivated in a poor region where the other regions were not willing to help because their battles with the profound beasts were an endless one.

Ji Yuan never make arousing battle speeches but he would make a practical battle speech. 

"I will fight with all of you. I won't flee from the battle and I may even die. But I won't abandon the Ancient Race to the atrocities of the Nefarious Blood Kingdom!"

This was enough already as many of the elders were cheering loudly; when they saw the determination that Ji Yuan was displaying, they were all determined to die to defend their Nightfall Heights as well!

Xuan Qiaoqiao whispered to Juan Xian'Er, "My good sister Xian'Er, I should thank you for finding Ji Yuan to help us."

Juan Xian'Er nodded but beautiful eyes were melancholy, "Ji Yuan, he is not our race but he is willing to fight for us all…"

Jun Qianfeng was also looking at Ji Yuan and the adulation in her heart increased to a new height.

As for Li Yifen, she was comforted that she was not wrong to pick him as her lover…

Ding Xiaoxiao on the other hand was subtly looking at Ji Yuan and she saw in him a heroic spirit. 

Ji Yuan on the other hand was thinking he ought to bang the Cardinal Harpy Li Yifen first before the fight.