The Yellow-Diamond Showdown

The purple-diamond skeleton asked suspiciously, "Who is Zhunti Daoren?"

"You wouldn't know anyway," Xiao Chen deflected, then asked, "Back then, the Broken Sword King was arrogantly invincible, you traded with it for the flame seed and that yellow-diamond skull, but it wanted to enslave us both. Have you noticed anything about it in the past year?"

"That lord is terrifyingly powerful. While I've been keeping an eye on the Giant City, I haven't heard of anything special happening." The purple-diamond skeleton flexed its joints as it climbed out of the human-shaped pit. In a tone that was less than certain, it added, "But I suspect the suspicious figures appearing around the Seven Kills, Broken Army, and Greedy Wolf cities are connected to the Giant City."

"What's going on?"

"Alas—timber that stands out in the forest is the first to be felled. Geniuses always draw envy..." The purple-diamond skeleton sighed up at the sky, striking the lonely, arrogant pose of a prodigy. "I have been sweeping all before me, unstoppable, my momentum too great. It drew the other powers and they couldn't sit still."

"Controlling just a few cities—surely that level of strength isn't enough to unsettle the masters of those giant cities?"

The purple-diamond skeleton nodded in agreement, then grinned slyly. "It's all because your little brother acted impulsively."

"What exactly did you do?" Xiao Chen asked.

"Some city lords in this region have been eyeing Broken Army and the others. Worried that they might unite to attack our territory, I secretly launched a decapitation strike against several cities..." The purple-diamond skeleton puffed out its chest. "Don't forget who we are—super-evolvers, kings of our tier. How dare they pull the tiger's whiskers? They were asking to die."

It grinned again. "I collected several same-tier flame seeds. I was going to give them to you, Big Brother, but now that I see you've already advanced, I'll keep them for myself and refine them when I get back."

Xiao Chen gave it a sidelong glance. "Looks like you're doing pretty well for yourself..."

"Alas, as I said, several strong fighters have been hanging around this area, probably on par with me. Ordinary cities can't produce experts like that—they must have been sent by the giant cities in the eastern region. Maybe it's that bastard Broken Sword King from the Giant City."

Xiao Chen nodded. "Super-evolvers are extremely rare. When you and I, two purple-diamond experts, took down the Broken Army City, it must have made many forces in the east wary. A lot of them are probably afraid of how fast we're growing. That's the real reason they're jealous."

"The path of a genius is always rocky..." the purple-diamond skeleton said without a hint of shame, looking incredibly self-satisfied.

Xiao Chen gave it a slap. "The Broken Sword King must already know that the masters of Broken Army and Greedy Wolf are the two red-diamond experts who made the deal with it—the very ones who evolved."

"That bastard... always picking fights with us." The purple-diamond skeleton cursed. "Where do those experts usually operate? Lead the way. I'll go kill them."

Xiao Chen's voice was calm, but it struck the purple-diamond skeleton like a thunderbolt. To attack and destroy the Broken Sword King's men like that—that took guts unless you had the strength to face the Broken Sword King's wrath.

"Good! Since Big Brother isn't afraid, I'll lead the way right now. Those bastards have been skulking around Broken Army and Greedy Wolf for too long. If I weren't worried about them being under some giant city, I'd have taken them out myself long ago." The purple-diamond skeleton had been itching to deal with them and was happy to wipe out those experts.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Broken Army City. The purple-diamond skeleton had its men bring two bone armchairs and set them atop the gate tower. Xiao Chen and he sat waiting for those experts to show up.

"They should be here soon. Every day at this time, those bastards come to swagger around. If I weren't worried about them being connected to some giant city, I'd have killed them one by one already."

As soon as the purple-diamond skeleton finished speaking, several powerful flame-creatures appeared on the horizon, rushing over like wind and lightning. They didn't enter the city, just circled around outside, completely ignoring the bone guards at the gate.

Without a word, Xiao Chen stood and stepped across the void, covering tens of yards with each stride. He turned into a streak of yellow light and in one step was before those powerful flame-creatures.

His crystalline yellow-jade palm glowed brilliantly. He struck like lightning. The foremost giant bone lion couldn't dodge—his palm landed squarely on its skull. With a wet sound, the lion's massive bone body shattered instantly, collapsing like white flour scattering on the ground.

A giant bone lion smashed to dust with a single slap!

The result was staggering. The purple-diamond skeleton stared dumbfounded, and the few powerful flame-creatures behind the lion were shocked beyond words.

Xiao Chen had swatted a super-strong fighter to ashes like a mosquito—utterly shocking.

The guards at the gate were completely stupefied, their minds spinning. They knew all too well how terrifying those challengers were, almost as strong as their own city lord, and yet they were crushed like dough. The majesty of a yellow-diamond king made them tremble.

The challengers finally snapped out of their shock and fled for their lives.

But the first to move, a five-meter-tall giant, was caught by Xiao Chen in a single step. His pale yellow crystalline finger touched it lightly—golden radiance burst forth—and the giant bone creature shattered into powder without even a struggle.

This was the power of a yellow-diamond king, enough to look down on these bone experts.

At that moment, the souls of the remaining three bone creatures trembled. Facing a yellow-diamond king, they felt as insignificant as ants. How could they fight? They couldn't even escape. Life and death were decided in a single thought.

Seeing the yellow-diamond king, his whole body bathed in pale golden light, advancing on them, the three bone creatures were terrified beyond measure. They wanted to gather their soul power for a desperate struggle, but despair overwhelmed them.

Xiao Chen's sparkling yellow-jade palm suddenly expanded to the size of a millstone, descending like a great mountain. It was impossible to resist. Their raised bone arms shattered instantly, followed by their entire skeletons crumbling to bone dust on the ground.

This was absolute, overwhelming power—completely out of scale.

The purple-diamond skeleton, even without flesh, felt its blood run hot. "So this is the potential of a super-eveller... Wahaha! It seems that with each color change of the bone body, each major breakthrough, the power leaps beyond imagination! I can't wait!" The creature danced with joy.

The guards prostrated themselves devoutly before the yellow-diamond Xiao Chen. In the rigid hierarchy of flame-creatures, they couldn't help but worship such a fearsome king.

Xiao Chen had been able to kill those experts so easily because he possessed a yellow-diamond bone body—far stronger than his peers—and because he had unleashed the Hand of the Supreme Being without reservation, using them as a test.

So it looked like swatting flies—one hit, instant kill—turning several bone creatures of the same rank as the purple-diamond skeleton into dust.

He roughly assessed the power of the Hand of the Supreme Being in his yellow-diamond state, and judged he could match a diamond second-order expert.

Meanwhile, the purple-diamond skeleton scurried over. The ground was littered with five piles of bone dust, but their flame seeds had not been completely destroyed. They lay scattered, preserved by Xiao Chen.

These might not matter much to a yellow-diamond king, but to a purple-diamond skeleton they were a huge boon. If it could collect enough same-tier flame seeds, it too could advance to yellow-diamond.

Half a month passed without incident.

Xiao Chen took up residence in Broken Army City, greatly emboldening the purple-diamond skeleton.

"Though I am named Deathless, I fell long ago. My soul dwells in the death world, far from the Nine Provinces. I have no desire for immortality. From now on, I will take my name from the Seven Kills, Broken Army, and Greedy Wolf cities—call me Sha Polang."

The purple-diamond skeleton gave itself a new name: Sha Polang. Xiao Chen found it quite amusing.

Now, Xiao Chen sat in the City Lord's mansion of Broken Army City and asked the purple-diamond skeleton, "The Broken Sword King should have heard the news by now. Has it made any move?"

Sha Polang shook its head. "Strangely, there's been no sign of action from the Broken Sword King. Though it's not the city lord of the Giant City, it's certainly one of that city's top experts. If you really want to go after it, Big Brother, won't that enrage the Giant City Lord?"

"No need to worry. They'll all come after me, a yellow-diamond king. As long as I'm not destroyed, you'll be safe."

A few more days passed. A bone night-owl flew out of the dark sky and into the City Lord's mansion.

This ill-omened bird was the best messenger in the death world.

Sha Polang shouted, "Big Brother! The Broken Sword King has moved! It left the Giant City tonight!" It grabbed the night-owl and ran to Xiao Chen's room.

"I heard you," Xiao Chen replied, pushing open the door. "I'm going to intercept and kill it on the road."

He estimated that the Broken Sword King was likely at yellow-diamond second order. If he could kill it and refine its flame seed, he could complete another metamorphosis in the shortest time. Then, perhaps, he could return to the Nine Provinces.

More than a year had passed. He didn't know what had become of the Nine Provinces. The hundred races had emerged—the impact must be enormous.

Xiao Chen needed greater strength, or he wouldn't be able to face the young kings of those races.

A battle with the Broken Sword King—for him, it was extremely significant.

Under cover of night, Xiao Chen left Broken Army City. He turned into a streak of yellow light and rushed toward the eastern region.

The death world was truly desolate, the earth a ruddy red as if bathed in blood, dotted with many ancient battlefields.

Xiao Chen often speculated that in the distant past, a world-shaking war among kings must have occurred, perhaps involving all the flame-creatures of the entire death world in a massive conflict.

On a desolate plain, Xiao Chen stopped. This was the only route to Broken Army and the other cities.

He waited only a day before the figure of the Broken Sword King appeared on the horizon. It was accompanied by only five powerful bone creatures.

The Broken Sword King had changed dramatically. It was no longer a bone giant several meters tall; it was now the height of a normal person, its entire body glowing with pale yellow light—a yellow-diamond skeleton that stood out strikingly.

Having obtained that yellow-diamond skull, it had indeed completed a full yellow-diamond bone body, greatly increasing its power. The yellow light that enveloped it was intense.

They saw Xiao Chen from afar. Under the rising morning sun, the yellow-diamond skeleton standing alone on the plain glittered with golden light, exceptionally conspicuous.

Two yellow-diamond kings meeting—a battle was inevitable that would shake the entire eastern region. This was a duel between super-evolvers, unseen in a hundred years.

Yellow-diamond skeletons were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, and yellow-diamond kings were even rarer. A battle between two yellow-diamond kings was naturally a breathtaking event.

"You have confidence indeed. You took the initiative to intercept me on the road." The Broken Sword King's seven-colored broken sword gleamed with an eerie light.

"Likewise. You are confident too, daring to leave the Giant City. Remember, once you leave that place, I can kill you without any worries."

"Arrogant!" The few powerful flame-creatures behind the Broken Sword King shouted in unison.

The Broken Sword King strode forward, baring a cold smile. "You're merely a yellow-diamond first-order. How dare you boast? You don't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth."

As it approached, it sensed the strength of Xiao Chen's flame seed. Then a look of surprise crossed its face. "It's you... the little red-diamond skeleton who exchanged flames with me that day! You've grown this strong? Unbelievable! I should have killed you then!"

Xiao Chen laughed loudly. "I never regret my actions. Your posturing is laughable."

The Broken Sword King raised its broken sword. "A yellow-diamond first-order dares to contend with me? Now I'll take your flame seed."

Like a golden rainbow streaking across the sky, it moved at an inconceivable speed. The powerful yellow-diamond second-order flame seed carried an overwhelming pressure. Even someone as strong as Xiao Chen felt a tremor in his heart.

The seven-colored broken sword burst with ten thousand rays of light. The sacred sword of Zhunti Daoren was no ordinary metal, but in the hands of a bone creature, it was used solely as a weapon of slaughter, nowhere near unleashing the power of a half-ancestor's treasure.

Otherwise, with true spiritual energy injected, the plain would have been shattered.

Even so, Xiao Chen was extremely cautious. He evaded the sword's edge and circled the Broken Sword King, leaving afterimages of his yellow-diamond body.

"I will make you understand that a king cannot be insulted, that no one can rebel against their superior," the Broken Sword King said. The multicolored evil sword in its hand made Xiao Chen highly cautious. At the same time, a divine flame erupted from its skull, dazzling even the sun, and swept toward Xiao Chen.

The Broken Sword King charged ahead with the rainbow sword, intending to use its blazing yellow-diamond second-order flame seed to directly devour Xiao Chen's flame.

It was at that moment that Xiao Chen finally sounded the Weng celestial note. He had been waiting for this opportunity. His soul trembled violently, and the mighty celestial sound shook heaven and earth.

The devastating sound instantly drowned the Broken Sword King.

"Ah..." The portion of the flame seed that had flown out of its skull was scattered on the spot. It cried out in agony, clutching its broken sword as it fled backward.

Xiao Chen cut off the sound wave, rushed forward, and collected the scattered divine fire. He immediately began to refine it on the spot.

The enraged Broken Sword King felt unprecedented humiliation—beaten by a weaker foe! Gripping its broken sword, it charged again, shouting at one of the five bone creatures, "What are you waiting for? Come help! This one is strange!"

An unremarkable white-bone skeleton suddenly erupted with dazzling light, its flame seed abnormally brilliant. It was... a hidden expert no weaker than the Broken Sword King. The ambush had been well-prepared.

Two yellow-diamond second-order experts ganged up on him. Xiao Chen turned and fled—he had no desire to throw his life away. He could barely handle one yellow-diamond second-order; a second would be certain death.

Both experts pursued relentlessly.

"Don't run! I'll help you!" At the edge of the plain, a jade-like bone creature exuded immense pressure. It approached like the wind and lightning, a seven-colored radiance blooming in its hand, ten thousand rays of holy light, a thousand auspicious streams—an exceptionally striking sight.

Xiao Chen was shocked. The bone creature was holding... the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree!

"What the..." Xiao Chen felt an urge to curse. Wasn't this Zhunti Daoren's other great treasure? How did it show up here? Who was the real Zhunti Daoren—the Broken Sword King or this newly arrived bone king? Or neither?

Now the plain held four powerful standoffs.

The bone king wielding the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree was clearly also a yellow-diamond second-order expert. Its method of attack left Xiao Chen dumbfounded—it grabbed the tree and swung it horizontally and vertically, blocking the Broken Sword King's companion.

"Brother, do you even know how to use that? That's the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree! Not a blade to hack with! You're supposed to pour spiritual power into it and sweep away your enemies!" Xiao Chen wanted to say something, but he opened his mouth and said nothing.

Regardless, the sudden ally was helping, for which he was grateful—even if it was a waste of a divine treasure.

Without another word, Xiao Chen charged at the Broken Sword King. The Hand of the Supreme Being struck fiercely, both hands blazing with golden light.

Clang, clang, clang!

He didn't dare to meet the sword's edge directly, but he could strike the sword body with earth-shaking clashes.

At the same time, Xiao Chen sounded the Weng celestial note again, directly attacking the soul. His divine fire surged skyward as his flame seed throbbed violently.

The Weng celestial note was solemn and majestic, like a great bronze bell. The entire world trembled.

In a sense, this was the most powerful and effective method against flame-creatures, acting directly on the soul.

Its power exceeded Xiao Chen's expectations.

Though the Broken Sword King's flame seed was extraordinarily powerful and erupted in blazing divine light to resist, it was ultimately shattered. The vigorous flame seed broke into a dozen pieces. If Xiao Chen hadn't stopped the celestial note in time, it would have been completely extinguished.

Without hesitation, Xiao Chen collected the flame seed from the intact yellow-diamond bone body.

On the other side, the bone king wielding the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree had already gained the upper hand, swinging the tree with wild abandon, hacking and smashing with incredible ferocity.

Since it had helped him greatly, Xiao Chen couldn't stand by. He turned into a yellow streak, charged in, and struck seven consecutive Hand of the Supreme Being blows. Then he vibrated the Weng celestial note, shattering that expert to the ground.

As for the remaining henchmen the Broken Sword King had brought, they had long since fled.

"Thank you for the assistance," Xiao Chen said sincerely to the bone king.

"An enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Broken Sword King and I have old grudges, at odds like fire and water. I never expected to use your strength to eliminate it today." The bone king was direct and did not falsely take credit.

"In any case, you helped me. I must thank you." Xiao Chen dragged over the Broken Sword King's yellow-diamond bone body. "This yellow-diamond bone body is for you."

This was truly a great gift. For flame-creatures of this rank, a powerful yellow-diamond body was a dream treasure.

"Thank you..." The bone king was clearly excited.

Then the two sat down to divide the spoils, each obtaining a powerful yellow-diamond second-order flame seed.

Xiao Chen began to refine it on the spot. The blazing divine fire illuminated the desolate plain. He was not afraid of the bone king attacking—he now had the strength to directly confront a yellow-diamond second-order king.

And so, for most of the day, Xiao Chen completely absorbed the Broken Sword King's shattered flame seed. His whole body blazed with golden light. It was no longer a pale yellow radiance—his bones were as if cast from solid gold.

The oppressive might of a yellow-diamond second-order king surged in all directions, terrifying and overwhelming.

All was silent!

In the eastern region, thousands of flame-creatures prostrated themselves in worship.

A golden sun seemed to rise on the plain. The newly transformed golden bone body outshone even the sun itself.

The nearby bone king was utterly stunned. He deeply felt Xiao Chen's terrifying power and unshakeable strength.