Tian Kuang, sharing her sentiments, grew increasingly excited.

Xiang Haikui lifted the sword case, which had become terrifyingly heavy, nearly causing her to stumble.

After adjusting for a moment, she carried the sword case to the secret chamber door. “Di Jun.”

Jing Ran’s voice came from inside: “What has Senior sensed?”

“I now know how the array disk was lost,” Xiang Haikui determined he was standing just behind the door, only a door’s width separating them.

“Oh?”

“It was stolen by Xiang Haikui!” As she spoke, Xiang Haikui stepped back several paces, swung her arm in a full circle, and hurled the sword case forward!

The current sword case was comparable to a small mountain, further empowered by her spiritual energy. With a thunderous “BOOM,” the secret chamber door shattered to pieces!

Striking when he was unprepared—her only chance. Jing Ran outside the door was completely caught off guard and was forced back more than ten steps by the tremendous force.

The sword case didn’t stop after smashing through the stone door but continued charging toward his chest.

This raging energy was all too familiar to Jing Ran. Even before it touched him, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart.

Though he appeared unharmed on the surface, his damaged heart had not yet fully healed.

It was Tian Kuang!

Then the mirror spirit wasn’t a mirror spirit but the real Xiang Haikui?

Jing Ran had no time to think further. Tian Kuang had absorbed too much of his vital energy, and his protective golden light had grown severely weakened against the wild intent. He had to counterattack.

Inside the chamber, Xiang Haikui’s eyes brightened. She could sense that his protective golden light seemed less effective against Tian Kuang now.

Yet Jing Ran thrust forward one palm, rapidly condensing a ball of dazzling light before his hand.

It was his “little sun” that could incinerate all things.

“Do you want to blow up all the array disks and release every Mountain and Sea prisoner?!” Xiang Haikui shouted at the critical moment, using her mind to open a small crack in the sword case, from which poured an overwhelming demonic energy.

Jing Ran’s gaze narrowed, and he quickly withdrew his hand. Internal energy couldn’t be retracted, or it would rebound on him.

He redirected his attack elsewhere, and the scorching sun burned through half a wall.

As the chamber’s protective formations sustained damage, the shock wave sent all the guards standing outside flying, scattering them across the ground.

Dugu Ning exclaimed in alarm: “Di Jun!”

He tried to rush in, but the tremendous force exploding outward from the imperial chambers made it impossible to approach.

The massive noise simultaneously alerted guards in other parts of the palace, who all rushed toward the imperial chambers.

“Stand back, and beware of Yin Changli!” As soon as she appeared, Jing Ran suspected Yin Changli might be nearby.

Hearing the name “Yin Changli,” all the guards felt a chill down their spines and quickly surrounded the imperial chambers, leaving no blind spots.

As Jing Ran gave orders, he first moved to seize back the Xuantian Mirror that had been blasted away, sealed it with spiritual power, and hung it at his waist. “Xiang Haikui, how did you escape from the Xuantian Mirror?”

Not knowing how she escaped, he first needed to block her exit.

“Worry about yourself!” Xiang Haikui instantly vanished, and the sword case transformed into a flood dragon in a flash!

It grew immensely large, too big for the chambers to contain—directly bursting through the roof!

This wasn’t Xiang Haikui’s intention; it was the consequence of swallowing thirty-seven array disks.

She cursed, “Tian Kuang, you encouraged me to transform and swallow the array disks to escape, but this is no escape at all!”

The larger she became, the less agile she was, and her abdomen ached as though she had overeaten.

Fortunately, she had already planned her retreat; this was just a practice run.

She rammed her head against a pillar, completely destroying the chamber’s framework.

With a thunderous collapse, half the imperial chambers were gone. The only part left standing was another secret chamber where Jing Ran stored treasures from various tribes.

Xiang Haikui flew straight upward.

Too heavy—it took great effort. It seemed she would need Senior Vermilion Bird’s flying divine ability.

Jing Ran flung his arm upward, drawing out a golden long whip with a “whoosh”—it was the Dragon-Taming Whip. “You are far too arrogant!”

She appeared and immediately aggravated his internal injury, then destroyed half his imperial chambers.

Another one indeed. Seeing this whip, Xiang Haikui felt the same hatred that Jing Ran felt toward the Tian Kuang sword.

“Crack!” Amidst the chaos, Jing Ran’s expression grew cold and dusty as he soared upward, his sleeves fluttering. He first lashed the air twice, as if gathering strength.

The air was struck into a stream of golden flames.

Then the whip struck the flood dragon’s body, golden arcs of electricity scraping across its form, causing charred scales to fall to the ground, creating countless deep pits.

When he lashed a second time, the flood dragon turned its head and bit the whip.

Its scales stood on end, separating from its body like a whirling storm, transforming into sword blades that stabbed toward him in dense waves!

Jing Ran pushed forward with his other hand, and a dazzling light expanded outward in an arc.

Those thousands of unyielding sword blades, like raindrops hitting a lake surface, made a pattering sound before vanishing completely.

Then he bent his whip-wielding arm, and the Dragon-Taming Whip violently yanked back!

Like an over-the-shoulder throw, he slammed the flood dragon to the ground!

BOOM…!

The surviving structures of the imperial chambers were forcefully demolished by the massive flood dragon’s body!

The other secret chamber storing treasures was exposed.

Jing Ran hovered high above, coldly regarding the flood dragon in the ruins: “Xiang Haikui, last time This Lord spared you out of consideration for those two energy clusters in your belly, which enabled you to hinder me at every turn. Do you truly believe you have the power to challenge This Lord?”

Those maids who had retreated to a safe distance finally caught their breath when they saw Xiang Haikui subdued.

They had indeed been startled by Xiang Haikui.

The Tian Kuang sword lived up to its reputation with such grand divine abilities.

They had seen many flood dragons before, but never one with such murderous aura and reckless abandon!

“Truly terrifying when enraged,” Wen Yan’s voice trembled as she sent a mental message to Dugu Ning. “But wielders of the Tian Kuang sword never live long, precisely because they overestimate themselves…”

How could she dare challenge Di Jun when the disparity in strength was so vast?

Dugu Ning, who had been on tenterhooks, finally relaxed.

His experience was too limited; he had doubted Di Jun’s abilities.

Even when moved by emotions, how could Di Jun be compared to ordinary men?

Xiang Haikui let him establish his authority at her expense, ignoring his words. After all, she hadn’t planned to fight him to the death this time.

Jing Ran quickly realized something was amiss—she barely resisted, and her eyes remained clear rather than blood-red as when she went berserk.

Not good!

She deliberately used his force to destroy the treasure chamber. Now he was positioned high in the air while she lay in the ruins of the treasure chamber.

Before Jing Ran could stop her, the flood dragon rose from the ruins.

Raising its front claws, stepping high upon a rock, the flood dragon stood against the wind, its whiskers flying, and after a roar, executed a move that devoured mountains and rivers!

A whirlwind rose from the ground, sweeping up all the scattered tribal treasures, which were all sucked into the flood dragon’s mouth!

Jing Ran’s expression rapidly changed, becoming several shades darker than the night.

He discovered that he increasingly lost control of his emotions before her and shouted harshly: “Xiang Haikui!”

Xiang Haikui returned to human form with satisfaction. Since she had already swallowed the array disks, she might as well swallow these treasures too.

No matter how heavy the treasures were, they would at most equal the weight of two or three array disks.

Two more wouldn’t make much difference either way.

After returning to human form, her snow-white neck bore a whip mark extending to the corner of her mouth—a shocking sight.

But the sword case on her back was packed full of treasures. Worth it!

Bai Xingxian was currently rallying the minor tribes, and returning their tribal treasures would show greater sincerity.

In this world, Xiang Haikui only owed a few people debts of gratitude, and she needed to repay them all before she could return home with peace of mind.

“What exactly are you doing? Have you gone mad again?” Jing Ran was angry but more puzzled by her behavior, which left him at a loss.

“You emerged from the Xuantian Mirror—is it related to the divine artifact in Yin Changli’s possession?” Mentioning the divine artifact, his pupils contracted. “But you seem unable to leave the Xuantian Mirror now. Why is that?”

Before Xiang Haikui, standing in the ruins, could speak, he descended from above and continued, “That divine artifact is indeed problematic, isn’t it? That’s why Yin Changli, no matter how desperate before his dormancy, never used it.”

Xiang Haikui was about to speak.

He wondered: “Since you cannot escape, why didn’t you simply break the array disks while alone in the secret chamber? You could have broken some and kept others for protection…”

With array disks in her possession, he wouldn’t dare harm her severely.

And the prisoners released from some disks could come to rescue her later—such an arrangement would have been most prudent.

Xiang Haikui: “I…”

Jing Ran landed in the ruins, only two or three zhang away from her: “Is it because one or two prisoners refuse to bow to Yin Changli, not accepting him as tribal leader? He fears for his position and doesn’t want to release those prisoners. And you don’t know which array disk corresponds to whom, afraid of releasing the wrong ones?”

Brilliant! Xiang Haikui truly wanted to applaud him.

Just as she didn’t know what to say, he had provided a perfect explanation, seamlessly filling in all the gaps.

The usually sharp-tongued Xiang Haikui maintained her silence, and Jing Ran believed he had guessed correctly.

A ball of rage burned in his chest, igniting golden flames in his pupils: “Xiang Haikui, you truly would do anything for him. You’d kill your own flesh and blood, even sacrifice your life!”

Though Yin Changli knew the divine artifact was problematic, he still sent her to take this risk, yet she still thought of him regardless of her own life.

He had protected her wholeheartedly, only borrowing her body as a temporary vessel out of necessity, but she shouted and fought against him, never considering his situation at all!

“I’m willing to. What business is it of yours?” The words “flesh and blood” stabbed at Xiang Haikui’s heart. Tian Kuang flew from the sword case and was grasped in her hand.

She made no move to attack, only pointing it menacingly at him.

“Very well. Then This Lord will capture you and hang you from the palace gates, carving a piece of flesh from you every hour. Let’s see how long it takes Yin Changli to come for you!” Jing Ran’s handsome face was tightly drawn as he thought to himself that today he would make her understand exactly how merciful he had been to her before, and how utterly ungrateful she was!

After speaking, spiritual energy released from his palm, and the phantom of a golden lotus appeared in his hand.

The lotus petals unfurled like a beauty stretching upon waking, swaying with grace.

This was Xiang Haikui’s first time seeing him use such a golden lotus. Compared to the “little sun,” it seemed much gentler, but its power was certainly not to be underestimated.

She couldn’t fight now—too much consumption would jeopardize her plans ten days later.

“Wait!” Xiang Haikui shouted.

Jing Ran kept his eyes fixed on her.

Xiang Haikui narrowed her eyes: “True, it would be difficult for me to defeat you, but my temper is explosive, and I’m prone to going berserk. If pushed too far, I…”

“Di Jun, you must not!” Dugu Ning hurried to advise.

Once she went berserk, she would heed nothing, possibly using self-destruction to blow up the array disks and release all the Mountain and Sea prisoners.

If that happened, enemies would be everywhere, Xiang Haikui would be dead, and they would have no leverage against Yin Changli and Qi Yin.

Jing Ran certainly knew this, which is why he had brought out the gentle-subduing golden lotus.

This was a Buddhist treasure, its energy very similar to the Tianren sword.

Tian Kuang grew stronger against strength; the harsher his methods, the more her fighting spirit would rise, making her more likely to go berserk.

The golden lotus perfectly countered Tian Kuang, cooling her demonic blood, preventing her from going mad.

This treasure had only recently come into Jing Ran’s possession, and it proved useful now. Like a frog in gradually heating water, he would fight her slowly, trying to capture her before she went berserk and destroyed all the array disks.

“How about we make a wager?” Xiang Haikui proposed her pre-planned suggestion.

“A wager?” Jing Ran let her continue.

Xiang Haikui: “Let’s call a truce for ten days.”

Jing Ran: “Ten days?”

Xiang Haikui: “This happened suddenly. Give Yin Changli ten days to find a solution. During these ten days, you’ll be responsible for guarding me, and I promise not to leave the palace on my own…”

“After ten days, this Lord doubts the palace will still stand,” Jing Ran glanced at the ruined imperial chambers. “Or perhaps you’re seeking an opportunity to stab me with your sword again.”

“Rest assured, until sunset on the tenth day, I won’t draw my sword. If I draw it, I lose, and I’ll hand over the array disks to you.” Xiang Haikui needed these ten days to rest and recover. “But don’t try to trick me into drawing my sword, like sending assassins to attack me—that would be too underhanded.”

Jing Ran’s dark eyes were filled with doubt: “The question is, why should This Lord give him ten days to devise a plan?”

Was this a fantasy?

“Are you afraid?” Xiang Haikui hurled a series of taunts at him. “Previously in the Underworld, even when Yin Changli knew the Beyond City better than you, you still dared let me roam freely, opening the gates for him to come. What’s this? After taking a beating from the school of hard knocks, you no longer dare to act so arrogant?”

Clenching his fist, Jing Ran’s expression grew darker.

Though the surrounding guards and maids couldn’t understand everything, the Di Jun’s anger was evident, making them all break into a cold sweat.

“Don’t be too hasty. You haven’t heard the terms of the wager yet.” Xiang Haikui controlled her tongue, fearing that provoking him too much might make him attack immediately, which would be disastrous. “After sunset on the tenth day, if Yin Changli cannot rescue me, I’ll take matters into my own hands, and we can fight again.”

“What kind of wager is this?” Even the maids couldn’t bear to listen. “The outcome remains the same as now, merely delayed by ten days.”

Giving Lord Changli ten days to devise a plan for nothing.

If Di Jun truly agreed to such a wager, it wouldn’t be out of confidence but deliberately showing mercy to her, right?

“It’s different.” When speaking to the maid, Xiang Haikui’s voice became much gentler. “When we fight again in ten days, I’ll try my best to control myself, even if I go berserk, I won’t damage the array disks. If Di Jun can capture me, he can take back the array disks and treasures intact…”

“The key is, can you control yourself?” Dugu Ning wasn’t entirely convinced; this girl recognized nobody when she went mad.

But if she truly abandoned her determination to fight to the death, and Di Jun captured her and retrieved the array disks and treasures, his chances of winning would indeed be greater.

“I said I would try—exert my utmost effort to control myself.” Xiang Haikui originally needed to exercise self-control anyway; half of these array disks couldn’t be activated. If she truly couldn’t steal them away, her only option was to give up.

She dropped a fierce statement: “But if we fight now, Jing Ran, I will stop at nothing to fight you to the end!”

This was no lie either. If they fought now, he couldn’t subdue her quickly. She would hold out for ten days if possible, and if not, so be it!

Moreover, his protective golden light could no longer block Tian Kuang’s sword energy. In a fight to the death, who could say for certain she would lose?

“It’s just ten more days. Are you truly afraid Yin Changli would invade the Heavenly Realm for my sake? His coming to the Heavenly Realm to rescue me—isn’t that what you want?”

Jing Ran pondered silently, weighing the advantages and disadvantages in his mind, the golden lotus in his hand flickering between brightness and dimness.

Fighting now indeed carried extreme risk. Although the golden lotus could counter Tian Kuang, Jing Ran had no certainty of victory, only about a sixty percent chance.

Because in this world, no sword wielder had ever cultivated the demonic Tian Kuang sword to its peak—Xiang Haikui was the first.

No one knew where Tian Kuang’s limit lay.

Xiang Haikui herself might not even know.

He didn’t want all the array disks destroyed at once, nor did he want Xiang Haikui’s life.

Wait ten days? What could Yin Changli accomplish in such a short time?

Jing Ran couldn’t help recalling when Yin Changli severed his Dragon-Taming Whip and snatched away Xiang Haikui.

That grievance remained unresolved in his heart.

At that time, he had been desperate, only wanting to take Xiang Haikui back from Yin Changli, but ultimately failed.

He truly wanted to see what method Yin Changli could devise to infiltrate the palace and rescue someone within ten days.

To snatch Xiang Haikui from right under his nose once again!

This wasn’t the Underworld—that slave mark was imprinted in the bone. Yin Changli would face immense difficulties here.

Jing Ran’s gaze turned cold and harsh as he spoke: “Waiting ten days is not impossible, but how can you convince This Lord that when we fight again after ten days, you will, as you claim, control yourself and not damage the array disks even if you go berserk?”

Xiang Haikui immediately pressed two fingers together and pointed them skyward: “If I break my word, may my father Xiang Heng and my master Qi Yin both die terrible deaths, with their souls scattered to oblivion!”

Jing Ran’s pupils contracted—those who knew her understood the weight of such an oath.

He naturally no longer doubted its authenticity.

Xiang Haikui didn’t lower her oath-taking hand but raised her other three bent fingers toward him, making a gesture as if waiting for a high-five: “Well, do you dare to wager?”

Jing Ran didn’t answer immediately, staring at her slender-boned hand, still weighing the options in his mind.

The color of the golden lotus in his palm grew increasingly faint, indicating his inclination.

“Di Jun?” Dugu Ning’s voice carried a hint of worry.

His feelings were too strange—after Xiang Haikui proposed the wager, fighting now was indeed unwise.

This wager was her concession.

Others might fear death, but practitioners of the Wild Sword certainly did not.

If they fought now, the worst outcome would merely be all Mountain and Sea prisoners released and the loss of Xiang Haikui as leverage.

Ten days later was uncertain. Dugu Ning felt a strong sense of unease, believing Di Jun might suffer greatly, and didn’t want Di Jun to agree.

He couldn’t explain why—perhaps the scene of Di Jun’s heart being pierced had been too horrific.

What Dugu Ning didn’t know was that his concern was the final straw that crushed the last bit of hesitation in Jing Ran’s heart.

The retreat from Beyond City had damaged Jing Ran’s prestige among the Heavenly Race.

This damage was ten thousand times worse than bodily harm.

Look—even Dugu Ning, who knew his strength best, had lost confidence in him.

He had to win this battle flawlessly, win it beautifully!

The golden lotus vanished, and Jing Ran, having made his decision, extended his palm toward her.

Sword energy emerged, golden light appeared, and they exchanged a palm strike through the air, sealing the agreement.

Jing Ran immediately clasped his hands behind his back: “Let word spread. This Lord will wait for Yin Changli to come.”

The guards responded: “Yes!”

Xiang Haikui returned her sword to its case. Although delaying for ten days was primarily to wait for Senior Vermilion Bird’s flying divine ability, deep down, she also hoped her boss would appear.

Not because the burden was too heavy and she needed him to share it.

Mainly because she hoped he was safe.

At this moment in the Nightmare Prison, sword shadows filled the air as Blood Asura used all his strength to block those nightmare beasts, displaying the commanding presence of one man holding a pass against ten thousand.

But he knew clearly that he was merely handling minor tasks—the real battlefield was where Yin Changli and the Demon Spirit were.

Yin Changli still wielded black fire, transforming killing intent into a sword.

The Demon Spirit continued controlling those corrosive vines, attempting to extinguish the killing sword.

Back and forth they went, as heaven collapsed and earth cracked, with hurricanes and lightning strikes in constant succession, yet both stood as steady as mountains, unmoved.

Each was probing and trying to wear down the other.

Blood Asura both repelled enemies and studied their techniques—opportunities to observe top masters fighting at close range were rare.

But for some unknown reason, Yin Changli’s expression suddenly changed.

The black fire in his palm wavered erratically, showing signs of extinguishing.

“Yin Changli?” Blood Asura’s heart skipped a beat.

Yin Changli had sensed the short arrows Xiang Haikui had released. All three arrows were made by him, and when she used them, he would have a slight perception.

He now understood Xiang Haikui’s situation, having anticipated various scenarios, including this one.

But the arrowhead seemed to have been split in two, with only half returning…?

That shouldn’t be the case. Among Wuxiang, Ba Ying, and Vermilion Bird, Vermilion Bird was the most reliable.

Yin Changli diverted some attention to think and understood.

It was currently the hottest period of summer, and Vermilion Bird couldn’t go out or would self-ignite.

This characteristic of Vermilion Bird was like Torch Dragon’s need to hibernate periodically—both were prices paid for the extraordinary inborn talents of the Mountain and Sea tribes.

Of course, since Vermilion Bird was inherently fire-attributed, its true form couldn’t be burned to death—at worst, it would be burned bald or have a layer of skin peeled off.

The spiritual consciousness probably wouldn’t work; it might burn away during the arrow’s flight.

Estimating the time, it would be at least until sunset ten days later…

This moment of distraction gave the Demon Spirit an opening, and Yin Changli took a heavy blow.

The black fire in his palm was suppressed to merely a tiny flame. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed a mouthful of blood.

“Yin Changli, what are you daydreaming about?” Blood Asura’s intuition told him it must be related to Xiang Haikui, but he still needed to remind himself.

“Demon Spirit, let’s settle this quickly.” Yin Changli extinguished the black fire, determined to go all out rather than seeking a steady victory.

As his words fell, the two scales that gathered his hair at the temples gradually liquefied, transforming into a viscous substance that shimmered with colorful light, flowing down from his temples.

As it flowed across his cheeks, ripples of snake scales spread widely.

After dripping onto his shoulders, his elaborate and flowing wide-sleeved gauze robe instantly transformed into a close-fitting dark combat suit with narrow sleeves and a cinched waist.

This was a battle garment with protective divine abilities, with the Torch Dragon tribe’s totem coiled around the sleeves—a family heirloom passed down through generations.

The Torch Dragon tribe excelled in battle, passing down their legacy through countless generations. The battle garment had been soaked in untold amounts of blood, emanating a terrifying, murderous aura.

It made Yin Changli appear like a cold and cruel god of death who had just walked out from mountains of corpses and seas of bones, completely stripped of his usual scholarly elegance.

Not only did Blood Asura look at him with a touch of unfamiliarity, but this was also Yin Changli’s first time using this battle garment stained with the blood of his ancestors, father, and brothers.

It had endured too much damage and was on the verge of falling apart.

Yin Changli had always kept it as a memento, unwilling to use it even in his most desperate straits.

But now he had no choice.

No matter how important the “past” might be, it was far less significant than the “person before him.”

Jing Ran’s imperial chambers had been destroyed, but the royal palace never lacked for palaces.

Yet Jing Ran went nowhere else, instead casting his golden lotus upon the ruins.

The golden lotus transformed into a massive open-air lotus platform, like a plaza, easily accommodating thousands of people.

He and Xiang Haikui sat on opposite sides of the lotus platform.

Before sitting down, Xiang Haikui noticed her blue gauze robe was damaged. She frowned, made a hand seal, and changed into a different style.

Wide sleeves with flowing ribbons, a long dress that trailed on the ground, exuding immortal elegance.

Seeing this, Jing Ran was momentarily stunned and couldn’t help saying: “You’re not planning to seduce me, are you?”

Xiang Haikui sat cross-legged, placing her precious sword case beside her: “Do you need to be so surprised? Am I not beautiful, or are you not a man?”

Jing Ran, who had never won an argument with her, remained expressionless: “Very beautiful, but it doesn’t suit you. Change back.”

She had caught his eye from the beginning, regardless of appearance, but he couldn’t deny that her physical form was pleasing.

“Change back? Do you think I’m planning to seduce you?” Xiang Haikui closed her eyes, too lazy to waste words with him.

All these clothes were her possessions—if she didn’t like them, why would she keep them in her bracelet and carry them around?

They were all selected from her boss’s black sphere palace, rewards for her “work.”

She didn’t usually wear them because they hindered her fighting.

She wore them now as a constant reminder to herself not to act impulsively during these ten days.

She began to sit cross-legged in meditation, conserving her energy.

Jing Ran also began to meditate, but his mind couldn’t calm down at all. He opened his eyes several times within two hours.

Seeing her serene expression and hearing her deep, even breathing, his mood worsened.

His gaze involuntarily moved to her neck, where the whip mark had spread considerably and turned purple-red. At first glance, it seemed like a tear starting from the corner of her mouth, increasingly ferocious and terrifying.

His eyes darkened slightly as he halted his thoughts.

This wasn’t his fault—she had brought it upon herself.

On a certain island.

Bai Xingxian and Lu Xiqiao followed the map’s markings, searching for the “Fire Worship Tribe” hiding on the island.

After Di Jun returned from his tribulation, countless races had sent forces to assassinate him.

Having lost Beyond City, these minor tribes either participated or got involved, making them targets of Di Jun’s revenge, with Han Qi handling the matter.

For Han Qi, Bai Xingxian’s existence was unexpected.

Yin Changli could calculate Han Qi’s route, but Han Qi didn’t know he would send Bai Xingxian to rescue them.

So initially, Bai Xingxian always managed to find those minor tribes before Han Qi, persuading them to leave and telling them where to hide.

But they were all suspicious of Bai Xingxian’s position.

Even invoking his father, Shuluo Ye, as the “racial peace ambassador” had little effect.

They were convinced he was Yin Changli’s puppet, sent by Yin Changli to win hearts and use them as cannon fodder for the Mountain and Sea tribes.

Their resolve was incredibly strong, preferring death to submission.

By the time they finished arguing, Han Qi’s forces would arrive, and Bai Xingxian and Lu Xiqiao would have to fight desperately to cover their retreat.

They also had to follow Yin Changli’s instructions, showing their strongest side, making themselves appear radiant, as future rulers of the Three Realms who could bring them a bright future.

Only then would they follow his directions, retreating to safe places, willing to follow him in the future.

After several such incidents, Han Qi changed his strategy.

When he didn’t follow the script, Bai Xingxian went from arriving early to arriving late. Naturally, he was greeted by devastation and corpses strewn everywhere.

Filled with self-reproach and panic, he wanted to seek his uncle’s help.

But then he realized that more people would die during the time he spent looking for his uncle.

After painful reflection, he discarded the script his uncle had given him and began to decipher Han Qi’s patterns, finally managing to stay one step ahead again.

Like this time, when they arrived, the island was still peaceful and tranquil, with Han Qi’s forces yet to arrive.

“Brother Bai, I truly think you have extraordinary talent,” Lu Xiqiao, though not as powerful as Bai Xingxian, possessed the regenerative power of the Small Jianmu. Throughout their journey, as long as they didn’t die, his treatment would quickly restore them to full health. “In such a short time, you’ve managed to outmaneuver that old fox Han Qi.”

Bai Xingxian observed the terrain: “No, I feel Senior Han Qi is letting me win.”

Lu Xiqiao waved dismissively: “Come off it! Would someone as despicable as Han Qi show respect for elders and love for children? I don’t believe it.”

Bai Xingxian couldn’t explain it clearly at the moment and shook his head: “Let’s focus on the task first.”

“Does the map indicate their hiding place?” Lu Xiqiao released his divine sense to scan the surroundings.

The island was incredibly vast; they needed to find the Fire Worship tribe’s hiding place first.

“Uncle wrote that the Fire Worship tribe’s most distinctive feature is their fearlessness of fire.” Bai Xingxian bit his fingernail, looking toward a volcano to the east. “They probably live inside there.”

“Let’s go check it out!”

“Let’s go.”

The two leaped into the air, swooping like eagles, and landed on the volcano.

Initially, Bai Xingxian would politely introduce himself, patiently explaining and reasoning with them regardless of their attitude.

Now he no longer did so—firstly, it wasted time, and he wasn’t particularly eloquent or good with words.

Secondly, the more gentle he was, the more they despised him.

So now he simply learned from Xiang Haikui and went with brute force.

He directly blew up their lair, forcing them out—after all, when Han Qi’s forces arrived, this place would become scorched earth anyway.

Bai Xingxian drew out his Tian Bao twin swords, golden light emanating from his body and flowing from his arms into the swords.

Lu Xiqiao instinctively sealed his five senses.

Bai Xingxian tapped his foot and leaped into the air, crossing his twin swords and striking them together heavily!

When the Tian Bao twin swords collided, they normally released tremendous treasure energy, golden light dazzling enough to blind everyone in the vicinity and prevent the use of divine sense.

After infusing them with the royal golden light of the Heavenly Race, this power multiplied several times, like a sun exploding. The surging force rapidly swept across the entire island from his center, extending to the sea.

The sea surface churned with thousands of waves, the earth’s crust shook, and the sky suddenly darkened. Amid lightning and thunder, the volcano began to erupt.

In this terrifying atmosphere, a beam of light shot out with the magma—inside the beam were the Fire Worship tribe’s chieftain and several elders.

Lu Xiqiao had gained much knowledge recently; these oddly-shaped races were ones he had never seen in the human realm.

For instance, the Fire Worship tribe before them looked exactly like humans, except their hair was fiery red and floated upward, defying gravity.

“Who comes here!” The peaceful island was instantly destroyed, and the Fire Worship tribe members were furious yet trembling with fear…

They had fought against the Heavenly Race for many years and recognized this as Heavenly Race power, but one so formidable they had only seen from Di Jun before.

They couldn’t win. When they emerged, they were already discussing whether they could use all their strength to help at least one person escape.

Bai Xingxian descended from the dark clouds, stepping on dust and hovering in the air: “Bai Xingxian.”

The group examined the handsome youth with flowing white hair before them.

From their expressions, Bai Xingxian knew they found his name unfamiliar.

Though he was now famous, it was his identity that was well-known; it was normal that they couldn’t immediately recall his name.

Bai Xingxian added: “Former Underworld Lord Shuluo Ye is my father, Heavenly Race Di Jun Shuluo He is my uncle, Mountain and Sea Tribe Leader Yin Changli is my adoptive father…”

At these words, everyone’s eyes showed surprise, and they couldn’t determine his stance: “So it’s you… Who do you represent now? The Heavenly Race or the Mountain and Sea Tribe?”

If he represented the Heavenly Race, they might all die.

If it were the Mountain and Sea Tribe, that would be easier to handle.

Though the Mountain and Sea Tribe looked down on other races, their arrogance manifested as ignoring others, not like the Heavenly Race, who forced tributes without reason, seized tribal treasures, and killed tribal members.

So, although they disliked the Mountain and Sea Tribe, they had no deep grudges against them.

“Neither.” Bai Xingxian brought out the lines he had memorized thoroughly: “I’ve come to warn you that those who will kill you are about to arrive. Leave quickly.”

Lu Xiqiao routinely tossed them a map: “Go to the marked location; someone will meet you there.”

The Fire Worship chieftain extended his hand, freezing the map in mid-air before pushing it back: “Go back and tell Yin Changli, we don’t need charity from the Mountain and Sea Tribe!”

“No one is offering you charity; you still have value to me.” Bai Xingxian said coldly, “Listen, I want to reclaim the throne that belonged to my father. The Mountain and Sea Tribe is my most important support. But, as you fear, I’m also afraid I’ll become my adoptive father’s puppet, so I need my power to counterbalance the Mountain and Sea Tribe…”

At this moment, Bai Xingxian was like an emotionless script-reciting machine.

But his “lack of emotion” appeared as “calm composure” in the eyes of the Fire Worship tribe members.

The chieftain was slightly stunned, exchanging glances with the elders: “We are just a small tribe…”

Bai Xingxian nodded: “Yes, that’s why you’re not my only target. If you’re willing, leave quickly; if not, stay and await death.”

The Fire Worship chieftain began to hesitate.

Lu Xiqiao waved the map in his hand, tossing it over again with a grin: “You can consider it slowly on the way. After all, the island is already destroyed; you’ll have to move regardless.”

This time, the chieftain didn’t refuse, “reluctantly” grabbing the map as it flew toward his face.

Without another word, he led the elders away.

Bai Xingxian and Lu Xiqiao couldn’t leave—when Han Qi’s forces arrived, they would need to block them.

No, they would need to crush the opposition in a show of dominance.

Based on experience, the chieftain might have assigned an elder to hide and observe from the shadows.

Bai Xingxian sighed inwardly. If he had plainly stated that his current efforts were for future stability among the races and for peace in the world, they wouldn’t believe him and would accuse him of being pretentious.

Conversely, when he said it was all for his benefit, they more readily accepted it.

No wonder his uncle had always preferred “transactions” when helping others—perhaps it wasn’t just to be “even.”

“Time to fight again.” Lu Xiqiao stretched his muscles, annoyed just thinking about it.

Fighting wasn’t tiring; the challenge was making it look “beautiful.” “Brother Bai, your uncle shouldn’t have given you Tian Bao; he should have given you Tian Kuang instead.”

It was true that Tian Bao’s power complemented the royal golden light well.

But somehow, it lacked the fierceness that Xiang Haikui displayed when fighting—more beautiful, more intimidating.

“No, I could never control Tian Kuang.” Bai Xingxian shook his head repeatedly, breaking off two golden front teeth, preparing to strike them together again to make the earthquake and volcanic eruption more violent. A more chaotic environment was better for fighting against superior numbers.

“Can’t you hide your swords somewhere else?” Lu Xiqiao’s mouth twitched every time he saw him breaking off teeth. “Missing two teeth, saying the harshest words while letting out the most wind—is that appropriate?”

“When speaking to them, don’t I always use internal energy?” Since his mouth wasn’t open, they couldn’t see it, so Bai Xingxian saw no problem.

Lu Xiqiao gestured: “In the future, when you become Di Jun, will you break teeth whenever there’s a disagreement?”

“So what?” Bai Xingxian had never cared about it. The current situation was special and unavoidable. “My uncle personally planted them for me; what’s there to be ashamed of?”

“Yes, yes, yes, Brother Bai is truly like Sister Kui, a person who accomplishes great things!” Lu Xiqiao gave him a thumbs-up.

Just as Bai Xingxian was about to speak, he suddenly felt an excruciating headache.

Originally, both were hovering in the air; the pain made him fall to the ground, dropping to one knee.

Lu Xiqiao immediately withdrew his spiritual energy and jumped down, his palm emitting green light as he reached for Bai Xingxian’s head.

Over these months, he had accompanied Bai Xingxian through life and death, shielding him from countless open attacks and hidden arrows, mostly out of friendship, but with some purpose as well.

Lu Xiqiao understood Bai Xingxian’s changes most directly and increasingly believed he could become the Heavenly Race’s Di Jun.

By sticking close to him, Lu Xiqiao, who had no home to return to, would become a first-class meritorious official in the future, with no worries for the rest of his life.

This also aligned with his wish when he met Xiang Haikui—to accomplish something significant.

After his examination, Lu Xiqiao was puzzled: “There’s nothing wrong?”

Yet Bai Xingxian still held his head with both hands, feeling the world spinning for quite some time: “I don’t know, my sea of consciousness…”

Thinking of something, he suddenly raised his eyes to the sky, filled with shock and doubt: “Could something have happened to Uncle?”