Emperor’s Domination

Now, everyone understood why these divine plants started running after just one pat on the ground.

They understood they would lose the nourishing worldly energy and dao power. Withering became inevitable. 

They were sentient and powerful enough to leave on their own accord. Those planted by normal disciples or experts weren’t intelligent enough to read the situation. Moreover, they were fully rooted in the soil, unable to escape.

The Chen’s members felt their soul fluttering into the air. This damage was utterly destructive, only barren lands were left.

Mortals didn’t have any issues living here. However, they were cultivators so this was the same as losing their home. Only empty shells remained except the special momentum of the Chen.

Of course, this momentum couldn’t last forever without the earth vein. If the countless disciples wanted to progress, they would have to use it until there was nothing left. This timeline ranged from a century to a millennium.

This was a common process seen in the downfall of once-powerful sects. Without capable successors or a master capable of re-doing the foundation, the descendants would use it all up.

The situation only worsened with time like cancer. The foundation became weaker, the same for future members. No powerful characters could be produced to change the tides.

The exception required an extraordinary cultivator somehow growing powerful without needing the sect’s resources.

Most turned pale but didn’t have a true grasp of the desperate situation. However, Tenth-gen Chen and the emperors knew too well.

For example, Goldclad and Lostmetal wouldn’t be able to cultivate any longer. The members of Lost Peak would not suffer the desperate lack of resources and might join the other peaks.

As for Crimson Virtue and the others, they didn’t expect this method of fortune-seizing either. Only someone could have done it within their sect’s momentum - Desolate Ancestor. 

Everlasting Jiang and Wisdom Ancestor were unhappy and wanted to suppress the Chen. However, Tenth-gen Chen became powerful enough with each cycle and prevented them from doing so.

Moreover, they couldn’t just ask Absolute and North Kun God to participate in a slaughter. After all, some members of the Chen had contributed greatly to the sect. They didn’t wish to go all-out and kill Tenth-gen Chen along with his branch.

Seizing their fortune was one bloodless method. Alas, they couldn’t fathom doing so before, not to mention not being qualified to seize it.

Everlasting Jiang was an exception since he had enough prestige and authority to retake this resource. Unfortunately, he couldn’t wield all of Desolate Frontier’s momentum.

Li Qiye did the impossible with a single hand wave, solving the dilemma.

“No!” Experts of the Chen regained their wits and wailed. This, sooner or later, spelled the downfall of their clan.

“Ancestor, why do you want to destroy our clan?!” Tenth-gen Chen shouted furiously.

“I could have massacred all of you just as easily. This is only a punishment.” Li Qiye said.

“Boom!” A bloody radiance erupted from Centurial Peak, painting the sky above red. It looked evil, nothing like the rest of Desolate Frontier.

“What is this?” Protectors and elders had an ominous feeling because such an evil energy shouldn’t exist in their righteous sect.

“This is the foundation of Centurial Peak, generations of sacrifice, so much negative karma.” Crimson Virtue sighed.

Given his status, he knew the secret behind the Chen’s power. The sacrificial process existed during First-gen Chen’s era. However, it wasn’t carried out after Desolate Ancestor’s warning.

Once she departed, the sacrificial started again at an increasing rate until Tenth-gen Chen.