The Sword-Break King's Treachery

Within the towering, grand hall, the broken sword on the central throne shimmered with seven-colored divine radiance. Though snapped in two, the remaining half gleamed like a pool of autumn water—crystal clear and penetrating. It was a peerless legendary blade, rare across the ages.

Xiao Chen knew that this skeletal giant was called the "Sword-Break King." The name came from the formidable sword he wielded. Xiao Chen's heart trembled—could this giant be Zhunti Daoren?

The Red Diamond Skeleton's eyes also blazed with light. "What a sword! What a sword! I have never seen such a divine weapon!"

"This sword is a peerless treasure," the terrifying king said, grasping the broken blade and rubbing it. "Even if someone offered me several cities in trade, I would not part with it."

"May I ask how Your Majesty obtained this sword?" Xiao Chen wanted to confirm whether it was indeed Zhunti Daoren.

"Hmph!" The Sword-Break King instantly exuded a mountain-like pressure. The divine fire in his skull leaped, and his eyes shot out beams of light several meters long. "Since when do you have the right to question my affairs?" His words left no room for courtesy, but he certainly had the authority to speak so.

The atmosphere in the hall grew tense. Murderous intent filled the air. The Sword-Break King might kill at the slightest displeasure, extinguishing their fire seeds.

Xiao Chen and the Red Diamond Skeleton could only fall silent. Strength dictated the situation, and they simply did not have the power to stand as equals with the Sword-Break King. Reality was brutal.

The murderous aura resonated within the hall for a long time before the terrifying, soul-shaking pressure gradually dissipated.

"Inspect the goods!" The Sword-Break King's cold shout struck like a thousand-pound hammer against the hearts of Xiao Chen and the Red Diamond Skeleton, making them both stagger.

The terrifying king strode down from the high central throne. In his hand, he carried the nearly cracked Purple Diamond skull, which flickered with an eerie light.

Xiao Chen said nothing. For now, he lacked the strength. He could not hope to speak as an equal to the Sword-Break King. He took the Yellow Diamond skull from his spatial ring. The hall was immediately suffused with layers of radiant light—a soft, gentle yellow glow, both mellow and sacred.

The Yellow Diamond skeleton was the ultimate bone body coveted by all fire seed beings in the outer reaches of the continent.

The Sword-Break King's eyes shot out divine light several feet long, like two brilliant swords, staring fixedly at the skull in Xiao Chen's hand. He had offered a reward for it over a decade, and only now had he finally obtained it.

"Haha…" He laughed heartily, extending his giant hand toward the Red Diamond skull.

Xiao Chen took an unhurried step back, lowering the skull slightly. "Let us inspect the goods simultaneously."

The Sword-Break King gave a heavy snort, then handed over the Purple Diamond skull. At the same time, Xiao Chen passed him the Yellow Diamond skull. Both stepped back and examined the treasures they had received.

The fire seed within the half-cracked Purple Diamond skull was broken into several pieces, but still burning vigorously—no signs of tampering. Xiao Chen nodded and prepared to put it into his spatial ring.

"Wait!" The Sword-Break King carefully examined the Yellow Diamond skull, admiring it, then called out to Xiao Chen. "My Purple Diamond fire seed is genuine, but there is a problem with your skull."

Xiao Chen's heart sank. This fellow was clearly trying to cheat, finding an excuse.

"Your Majesty, this is unworthy of your stature. You could take the skull outside the mansion and have the entire city inspect it. Would there be any problem then?"

"I say there is a problem, so there is a problem." The skeletal giant king looked down at Xiao Chen, his spiritual fluctuation growing icy. "I wanted a Yellow Diamond skull that glows with resplendent golden light, like forged gold. But what you brought is like crystal—transparent, with only a faint yellow glow, not the fierce, dazzling gold."

At first, the Red Diamond Skeleton thought the skull truly had an issue, but upon hearing this, he knew the terrifying king was picking a quarrel. He could not help saying, "Your Majesty speaks of a skull that radiates fierce golden light—I fear even the number one expert of the Eastern Region could not behead a powerhouse of that level."

The Sword-Break King said nothing, only turning his head coldly to stare at the Red Diamond Skeleton. The immense pressure made the skeleton's bones creak.

Xiao Chen replied calmly, "Red Diamond has three grades; Purple Diamond has three grades; Yellow Diamond also has three grades. What you speak of is the Golden Headbone, the third grade of Yellow Diamond. The Yellow Diamond skull I provided is of the first grade. The Purple Diamond fire seed you exchanged with me is only the first grade as well. Our trade is fair."

"So you mean, if I could provide a third-grade Purple Diamond fire seed, you would be able to produce a third-grade Yellow Diamond Golden Headbone?" The Sword-Break King pressed Xiao Chen.

"I am sorry. I only have this first-grade Yellow Diamond skull. If Your Majesty is dissatisfied, let us call off the trade." Xiao Chen spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

The Sword-Break King's spiritual fluctuation grew even colder. "Cancel the trade? What will you compensate me with?"

"Neither of us has suffered any loss. If Your Majesty is dissatisfied, let us part ways." Anger rose in Xiao Chen's heart, but on this turf, facing the Sword-Break King—who was at least Purple Diamond third-grade or higher—he had to suppress his fury.

The Sword-Break King gave a sinister, cold laugh. "If you want to cancel the trade, it can be done. Just leave this Yellow Diamond first-grade skull behind as compensation for my loss."

This was bullying beyond measure, oppressing the weak with one's strength. If Xiao Chen had the corresponding power, he would have already struck. But for now, he had to swallow his pride. "Your Majesty, are you not afraid of public censure?"

"Who dares to judge me?!" The terrifying king was overbearing, his domineering attitude so extreme that even the Red Diamond Skeleton found it intolerable. "Your Majesty, this is inappropriate. If word spreads, it will damage your reputation."

"If word spreads and damages my reputation, then the two of you will stay. Two Red Diamond-level evolvers as my subordinates would not disgrace my name." With that, he held the Yellow Diamond skull and strode toward the central throne.

At this moment, both Xiao Chen and the Red Diamond Skeleton ground their teeth in fury. Bullying too much! This king wanted not only to take the Yellow Diamond skull but also to enslave them. Unbearable!

This truly was a cruel world where the strong preyed on the weak. Where was fairness? The strong did as they pleased. It was said that trading in Giant City was relatively safe. One could only imagine how much darker it was in other cities.

"Sword-Break King, do not push us too far. Do you think we would dare come to trade without knowing your strength?" Xiao Chen took a few steps forward. "To be honest, we are merely acting on orders. If you act so high-handedly, those behind us will come to reason with you."

The enormous skeletal king sat on his throne, playing with the broken sword. "So you are working for others? Who is this strong one behind you?"

"There is no need to say." Xiao Chen lifted his head to face the terrifying king on the steps. "We do not wish for trouble. We only want to leave with the Purple Diamond fire seed. If you do not wish to trade, return the Yellow Diamond skull to us."

"Right. If the deal fails, goodwill remains. Let us part amicably." The Red Diamond Skeleton chimed in, backing him up.

"Heh heh heh…" The Sword-Break King looked down at the two with contempt. "If those behind you were truly strong enough, would they still covet this Purple Diamond fire seed? Do not think you can fool me so easily." As he spoke, his eyes shot out several meters of blazing divine fire, about to consume Xiao Chen and the Red Diamond Skeleton.

"Chi!"

A tearing sound pierced the air. Two bone knives flew in from outside the hall, instantly blocking the blazing divine fire. The terrifying king on the throne was shocked and quickly withdrew his fire seed.

Two bone knives hovered silently in the center of the hall, radiating a soft light.

The Sword-Break King was a connoisseur. Though the bone knives seemed ordinary, he knew they were rare treasures, capable of cutting through even diamond skeletons. They were likely forged from the bones of a fire seed being that had cultivated to the ultimate realm.

His heart on alert, he shouted, "Who goes there?"

"We only want a fair trade. Sword-Break King, if you are dissatisfied with that skull, let us call it off and cancel the transaction." A spiritual fluctuation came from outside the hall.

Xiao Chen's heart settled. He knew the two old men of the God tribe had arrived, displaying a flying-sword technique akin to Qi Refiners.

The Sword-Break King rushed out of the hall and leaped onto a tall building, scanning the surroundings. But he saw only the two bone knives suspended in the air, nothing else.

"Sword-Break King, is it worth a great battle with us over a Purple Diamond skull?" The spiritual fluctuation was elusive, seeming to come from all directions.

The Sword-Break King, gloomy, stood atop a towering pagoda. His five-meter-tall skeletal frame exuded a heaven-shaking pressure, causing every skeletal being in the mansion to fall to their knees in terror.

After a long time, he flew back into the hall. The two bone knives followed like shadows, guarding Xiao Chen and the Red Diamond Skeleton.

Seated on his high central throne, the Sword-Break King gripped the seven-colored broken sword, staring down at the two bone knives. After a long moment, he said, "Fine. The trade is done. You may leave."

He had carefully assessed the situation and concluded that starting a war would not be worth it.

Xiao Chen carried the half-cracked Purple Diamond skull and walked out. The Red Diamond Skeleton quickly followed. The two bone knives hovered in the hall for a long time before abruptly turning and flying away.

Once safely out of Giant City, the Red Diamond Skeleton began cursing loudly. "What a piece of trash! If I had the power, I'd take his skull and use it as a chamber pot. Damn it, when I grow to Purple Diamond third grade, I'll beat him till he calls me grandpa!"

After traveling several thousand li, the two old men of the God tribe appeared. Xiao Chen and the Red Diamond Skeleton quickly bowed in deep gratitude.

This experience reinforced Xiao Chen's understanding that the world of the dead had no fairness. One needed overwhelming deterrence; otherwise, one would only end up as meat on the chopping block.

Eventually, the two old men departed. Xiao Chen decided to return to God Village later, wanting to find a Red Diamond second-grade fire seed for his companion.

They moved like the wind, covering thousands of li in a day. But they had only gone another two thousand li when someone intercepted them.

"The Seven Kill City Lord!" Xiao Chen clenched his teeth, glaring at the line of figures ahead.

There were eleven in total. Aside from the skeletal leader at the center, the other ten were all Purple Diamond skeletons. Their aura was sinister but carried a strange dignity, glittering with radiance.

Ten Purple Diamond beings stood together—a stunning sight. The Red Diamond Skeleton was utterly daunted, his voice trembling. "Mother of god! Normally, it's rare to see a single Red Diamond king, and now here come ten Purple Diamond ancestors? Is there no justice? This is near Seven Kill City—are they all from there? Unbelievable!"

"Relax, they are all fakes. I sold them to them."

Hearing this, the Red Diamond Skeleton was dumbfounded. "You… you sold them? I'm done for. Ten Purple Diamond fire seed beings! Even if they aren't true super-evolvers who can evolve into Yellow Diamond skeletons, still… Boss, you… creating this many Purple Diamond beings is just… too much! How are brothers like us, true super-evolvers, supposed to show our faces? But speaking of which, Big Brother, where did you find so many Purple Diamond skeletons?" His eyes shone with greed. With such resources, they could build a superpower.

"Seven Kill, why do you keep ambushing me?" Xiao Chen sensed trouble. He saw Seven Kill wearing a pair of crystalline bone wings on his back—clearly a prepared move.

By tradition, every city lord of Seven Kill City was named Seven Kill. He laughed coldly. "I regretted letting you go last time. When I heard someone was trading a Yellow Diamond skull in Giant City, I knew it was you, the Multi-Treasure Skeleton, showing your face again. I have been patrolling this region for thousands of li, waiting a long time for you."

"Multi-Treasure Skeleton?" The Red Diamond Skeleton snickered at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen shot him a look. "You'll be crying soon. I said those Purple Diamond beings are fakes, but even the weakest is at your level. And Seven Kill City Lord himself is at least Purple Diamond grade."

"What? Then what are we waiting for? Run!" With that, the coward was the first to flee.

Xiao Chen also did not want to seek death. He strapped on his Purple Diamond wings and soared into the sky. Seven Kill City Lord unfurled his bone wings, shooting after him like a white bolt of lightning.

The Red Diamond Skeleton was running flat out when he saw Xiao Chen flying easily overhead, and Seven Kill City Lord hot on his tail. Scared out of his wits, he shouted angrily, "Big Brother, that's not fair! How can you bully me like this? Save me!"

Xiao Chen paused, grabbed him by one arm, and flew off.

Seven Kill City Lord was as fast as lightning, turning into a white beam that caught up swiftly.

"I'm dead! Big Brother, he's catching up! Fly faster!" The Red Diamond Skeleton dangled in the air by one arm, on the verge of tears.

"Don't be afraid." At that moment, Xiao Chen's purple wings flashed, suddenly vibrating with increased speed. The pair of purple wings had been refined by the two old men of the God tribe and were now his life-saving treasure.

The distance from Seven Kill City Lord grew wider, but then the city lord's bone spear blazed with light, turning into a sky-piercing rainbow that flew straight at them.

"Bang!"

It struck Xiao Chen heavily, like a thunderbolt. The spear lodged between his ribs, nearly snapping one. Even so, a crack appeared in the bone.

He could infuse part of his fire seed's power into the bone spear—this could only be achieved by someone with extremely refined control over fire seed power. Otherwise, it could never have injured Xiao Chen's Red Diamond skeleton.

Then, more bone spears flew from behind. The Red Diamond Skeleton was terrified, screaming, "Ah… Big Brother, fly faster!"

"Ow-wow…" Finally, the Red Diamond Skeleton let out a ghostly wail that made one's hair stand on end. A bone spear pierced his pelvis, and he roared in fury, "I'll f*** your ancestors eighteen generations! Did you grow eyes on your ass? Where are you throwing those spears? I f***! You bastard, aim better! A##… It hurts so much!"

In the end, Xiao Chen and his companion barely escaped, but at great cost. Xiao Chen was struck by six or seven bone spears; four or five of his ribs were nearly broken, with clear cracks visible. The Red Diamond Skeleton was even worse—he had been screaming the whole way, with three spears stuck in his pelvis, completely pierced through.

When Xiao Chen landed on a battlefield strewn with bones, the Red Diamond Skeleton kept hopping and circling a stone mountain, running a hundred and eight laps before finally venting his anger in one curse: "Seven Kill City Lord, I f*** your ancestors one hundred and eight generations!"

The two of them could not have been more aggrieved. First, they had been bullied in Giant City, and now they were ambushed by Seven Kill City Lord. Though they had no flesh left, they still felt as if their lungs had burst with rage.

The Red Diamond Skeleton was particularly depressed. After painfully pulling the three spears from his pelvis, he jumped up and swore to heaven: "Seven Kill City Lord, just wait! I'll… I'll get you in the end!"

They spent a full ten-plus days healing their cracked bones with fire seed energy. Of course, the Red Diamond Skeleton's injuries were more severe and took longer. When Xiao Chen recovered, his companion still had three small holes in his rear end.

The Red Diamond Skeleton was on the verge of tears, cursing heaven every day. If curses had power, Seven Kill City Lord would die several hundred times a day.

On a moonlit night, Xiao Chen finally refined the Purple Diamond fire seed. His entire body burst forth with ten thousand beams of purple light. The powerful fire seed overflowed from his skull, illuminating the region like daylight.

Terrifying pressure swept across the land. Beneath the night sky, all fire seed beings knelt and prostrated in that direction.

Looking at the tall, translucent purple skeleton, the Red Diamond Skeleton's heart trembled. Strictly speaking, this was the first true Purple Diamond super-evolver he had seen in many years. Not that he had never encountered fire seed beings of the same grade, but a super-evolver of Purple Diamond was a first in his life.

"Big Brother, you've finally advanced! You can sweep across all opponents of the same grade. You must tear that damned Seven Kill City Lord apart!"

Indeed, Xiao Chen's first act after advancing was to seek revenge on Seven Kill City Lord.

But he went quickly and returned quickly.

"Big Brother, did you dismantle Seven Kill City Lord?"

Xiao Chen shook his head, very frustrated. The mighty Seven Kill City Lord was unfathomable—even at the Purple Diamond grade, he could not overcome him.

"Seven Kill City is not as weak as the rumors suggest. I suspect Seven Kill City Lord has the strength of Purple Diamond third grade."

"What? That bastard is so powerful? When will I ever get to blow him up?!" The Red Diamond Skeleton was furious.

"Let's go back to God Village first." Xiao Chen was also frustrated. His string of defeats had made him furious.

A few days later, they returned to God Village.

"Skeleton Mister, you're back!" Little Tianya came hopping over, happily eating a bunch of crystal-clear immortal grapes with relish.

"Eh, where did these come from?" Xiao Chen was surprised. He knew how barren the world of the dead was—hardly able to grow such spiritual produce.

"Grandpa and Grandma brought them back. Everyone in the village got some." Tianya said cheerfully.

"Whoosh!"

Xiao Chen left an afterimage and vanished, quickly finding the two old men.

"Seniors… did you enter the Nine Provinces and bring back many spiritual fruits?"

"That's right. Do not worry, we know our limits. We did not gather them excessively." Both old men smiled warmly. Compared to the mortal world, the children of God Village had never enjoyed such spiritual essence before, while nearly all the great sects of the Nine Provinces had such resources.

"That is not what I meant. I want to ask—can material objects from the Nine Provinces truly be brought to the world of the dead?" Xiao Chen's heart was stirred.

Old man Li Mu nodded. "The first time we tried to bring some spiritual fruits using spatial rings, when we crossed back, several precious rings shattered and the fruits turned to ash."

Old man Zhao Ying added, "Only by using the sacred ring left by Ancestral God Nuwa can we bring spiritual essences back."

"A sacred ring left by Ancestral God Nuwa…" Xiao Chen was astonished. Then, somewhat embarrassed, he asked, "May I borrow it once? I want to bring something from the Nine Provinces over."

The two old men hesitated slightly. "You may, but whatever you do, do not lose it."

"Thank you, seniors." Xiao Chen took the ring, which seemed formed from condensed moonlight. When he placed it on his bony finger, it sparkled with brilliance, truly extraordinary.

He had been stifled by the Sword-Break King and Seven Kill City Lord, and a reckless impulse surged in him: if he could bring the giant stone statue from the coast of the Nine Provinces to this world, he could sweep through all the cities of the Eastern Region! The Sword-Break King and Seven Kill City Lord would certainly be unable to withstand the stone man's heaven-shaking sword.

When the Red Diamond Skeleton saw Xiao Chen rushing out of God Village, he muttered to himself,

The boss has lost his mind!

Sinking into the depths of the bone cave, Xiao Chen crossed space and appeared on the land of the Nine Provinces once more. Without a moment's delay, he charged toward the Eastern Sea.

From afar, he saw the towering stone statue, with its war sword pointing toward the heart of the Nine Provinces—the imperial capital.

To Xiao Chen, this was a supreme warrior. If he could bring it to the world of the dead, he would have few rivals even if he ventured into the deepest parts of the continent.

But he came in excitement and left in bitter disappointment. Even the sacred ring left by Nuwa could not take in the stone statue.

This was, without a doubt, bad news.

"Xiao Chen!" Not far along the coast, the Little Defiant Dragon soared into the air, rushing over happily.

A warmth surged in Xiao Chen's heart. He knew that the little defiant dragon often came here to patrol and guard the stone statue from vandals.

"I told you before, you do not need to guard this statue. I will be reborn in another way."

The Little Defiant Dragon's thick black hair flowed like a waterfall as he flew close. "I just came to have a look. I found something." With that, he tore through dimensional space and took out a strange object. "This is Zhao Lin'er's secret weapon. But it seems it did not fully unleash its power and fell into the sea. I fished it up."

Xiao Chen took it, turning it over carefully. He had witnessed the power of this device firsthand and knew it contained terrifying strength.

"Give it to me. I will take it back to the world of the dead and try it out."

Xiao Chen came and went quickly. Thus, he parted from the Nine Provinces once more.

Returning to God Village, he handed the sacred ring back to the two old men of the God tribe. Then he grabbed the Red Diamond Skeleton and flew toward Seven Kill City.

"What? Big Brother, you're going to use this weird, misshapen thing to break Seven Kill City? You're going to make me laugh my teeth off! Boss, did you get so rattled your brain's… a little cracked?"

Xiao Chen paid him no mind. When they were still several dozen li from Seven Kill City, he simply dropped him. The Red Diamond Skeleton fell from over a hundred meters high, smashing a huge crater into the ground and nearly falling apart. Dizzy and furious, he yelled, "I say, Big Brother, that's really not cool! You go ahead and die in peace—I'm getting out of here. I'll come back in a hundred or eighty years to avenge you!"

That coward immediately fled.

Not long after, a thunderous boom shook the heavens. It was like the sky itself had split open. A giant mushroom cloud rose. The fleeing Red Diamond Skeleton was thrown flat by the trembling ground, his mouth full of dirt.

When he turned back, his face was a mask of utter disbelief. His mouth gaped. "I… I'll be damned! If that bastard Seven Kill doesn't die now, there's no justice. This is so satisfying! Hahaha…"