A Web of Deceit Among the Dead

Having learned of this in advance, the safety of the little snow-white beast was secured. At present, the War King Jingpu and the Yellow Diamond Skeleton had already begun their search for the Celestial Spiritual Root and to invite their respective allies. For Xiao Chen, there was still time, but finding Keke in such a short period was impossible. He transformed into a golden rainbow and shot off in the direction of the Skeleton King.

The Ancestral God corpse poison was on the Skeleton King's person—this was a treasure that had to be seized. Ordinarily, the Yellow Diamond Skeleton King was always together with the War King, giving Xiao Chen no chance to act. Now that he was moving alone, it was a rare, excellent opportunity.

The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King intended to invite the Corpse King and the Wraith King. The Corpse clan and the Wraith clan were the Skeleton clan's close allies. The Corpse clan consisted of corpses over a hundred years old; the current Flying Corpse King had just ascended the throne and was a ten-thousand-year-old ancient corpse. The Wraith clan, also known as the Undead clan, was composed entirely of powerful evil spirits. The current Wraith King was said to be an evil soul that had been sealed for several thousand years.

The current kings of the Corpse clan and the Evil Spirit clan could be considered extremely powerful. From the conversation between the Yellow Diamond Skeleton and the War King alone, Xiao Chen could already deduce that they were two terrifying opponents.

He had to intercept the Yellow Diamond Skeleton and prevent him from inviting these two evil kings.

A dazzling golden rainbow tore through the sky. A skeleton whose entire body was translucent, shining with golden light as if cast from divine metal, blocked the Skeleton King's path.

"You are...?" The other Skeleton King, also at the pinnacle of the Yellow Diamond realm, was greatly startled.

"I am your kin." Xiao Chen no longer suppressed his spiritual fluctuations as he had in previous encounters. Now, he released the full pressure of his powerful fire seed, displaying all the aura befitting a strong skeleton.

"Why have I never seen you before?"

"I am a newly born strong one from the Holy Bone Altar at the center of Skeleton Island." Xiao Chen had once broken into Skeleton Island, and when he killed the deposed old king, he had heard the old skeleton mention the altar.

"Haha..." The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King laughed heartily. "So you are a newly born kinsman. The central altar holds many holy bones, all of which were earth-shaking figures of unparalleled stature in life. Brother, you must have dominated your era in a past life. To have awakened at the Yellow Diamond realm upon your rebirth, your future achievements are truly immeasurable!"

Xiao Chen was inwardly shocked. He had not expected the Skeleton clan's Holy Bone Altar to hold such secrets. Those buried there must be the corpses of supreme experts painstakingly collected by the clan.

"You flatter me. Only through true combat and continuous evolution can a clansman become a true king." Xiao Chen was modest as he walked forward.

"Did the Old Ancestor send you?" the Yellow Diamond Skeleton asked.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen was even more alarmed. Skeleton Island was truly not a place of kindness. He had already killed a deposed old skeleton last time, and now there were actually ancestral-level antiques on the island.

"Indeed. The Old Ancestor sent me to assist you." By this point, Xiao Chen had already approached the Yellow Diamond Skeleton King.

"Eh... How is it that on your body..." The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King noticed that Xiao Chen's crystalline bone body actually had blood-red threads running through it, leaving him astonished.

"Haha..." Xiao Chen laughed loudly. "Did the Old Ancestor not pass this on to you? This is the Flesh and Blood Rebirth Art. It can greatly increase our combat power."

"I have heard of it, but it supposedly requires an unimaginable price to cultivate. Didn't the Old Ancestor say that reaching the Sovereign realm would naturally bring about flesh and blood rebirth? He does not teach this method now." The Yellow Diamond Skeleton was somewhat doubtful.

"In the past, it required a price we could not bear. But now, the Old Ancestor has created a new divine soul technique. I will pass it on to you." Xiao Chen appeared very generous.

The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King, hearing that he was about to receive a divine technique, did not hold back in flattering Xiao Chen. "With a heaven-blessed figure like you, reborn through holy bones, in our clan, how can we not prosper?"

Xiao Chen unreservedly taught him the Flesh and Blood Rebirth method he had obtained from the Five-Colored Skeleton. Of course, the method itself was correct, but he concealed the fact that it required exhausting a fire seed and a massive amount of Life Source Liquid, and deliberately exaggerated the myriad benefits of flesh and blood rebirth.

"Our clan will surely thrive!" The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King's guard dropped as he listened, entranced, revealing a chilling grin. "Accumulating Life Source Liquid is simple. The population of the Nine Provinces is enormous. While their life essence is limited, many drops make an ocean. A vast population will be enough to refine the divine liquid our clan needs."

Xiao Chen burned with fury. Heaven and earth would not tolerate it if he did not slay this beast. However, he had to appear as though great minds thought alike.

"Haha..." The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King laughed heartily. "You and I are brothers of the same clan. From now on, we will work together in unity. When all of our clan's holy bones are successfully reborn, we will surely witness a glorious age descend!"

Xiao Chen laughed along with him, then asked, "Where are we heading this time?"

"To invite our clan's allies, the Corpse King and the Wraith King, to jointly eliminate a heretical little beast."

Xiao Chen feigned ignorance and questioned him further.

The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King sighed. "Our clan is already very powerful, but in this world, there are many races with even greater innate talents: the War God Clan, the War Clan, the Ancient God Clan, the Heavenly Human Clan... one cannot help but envy them. But I have a premonition that a certain snow-white little beast I discovered might surpass all these races..."

Xiao Chen patiently listened to his commentary on the various races, then asked, "So, going to invite the Corpse King and the Wraith King now... isn't it a bit abrupt? Will they be willing to help?"

"No matter. They come from the Soul World of the Four Worlds, just like us, and belong to the lineage of death. We are natural allies. If I hadn't just learned that they had entered the Ancient Ruins, I would have joined forces with them long ago and advanced and retreated together."

"If you have never met them before, you cannot be sure they will share the same heart as us. After all, that friendship belongs to our ancestors." Although Xiao Chen spoke this way, he was gradually feeling more confident. If they had never met, it was easier to set a trap.

"What you say is also true." The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King nodded. "But now that you're here, even if they are unwilling to act, it makes no difference."

On the road, the Yellow Diamond Skeleton King continuously discussed the "Flesh and Blood Rebirth Secrets" with Xiao Chen, his vigilance lowered to its very minimum.

It was at this moment that Xiao Chen struck!

They were less than half a meter apart. The 'Weng' sound of the Heavenly Tone vibrated without reservation, directly crashing into the Yellow Diamond Skeleton's skull. At the same time, Xiao Chen extended his Yellow Diamond bone palm, thrusting it directly into the skeleton's yellow chest bones. With a crack, he snapped several of them.

Attacking from such close range, the Yellow Diamond Skeleton had no defense. That strongest of blows—the 'Weng' sound Heavenly Tone—directly cracked his Yellow Diamond skull, shattering his soul-fire seed into four or five pieces.

In that instant, any thought of a counterattack was impossible.

At the same time, Xiao Chen's Yellow Diamond bone palm reached into the Skeleton King's chest and forcefully wrenched it open, shattering all his breastbones. Then, he snapped his golden spine. The Skeleton King was broken into several segments, utterly incapable of resistance.

"You!..." The Yellow Diamond Skeleton was shocked and enraged, but it was too late to change anything. His shattered soul-fire seed could do nothing. His remnant spirit tried to flee in all directions, but every piece was intercepted.

Within his sea of consciousness, Xiao Chen searched until he found everything he wanted to know. Then, he directly refined it all. Afterward, he removed a spatial ring from the skeleton's finger and found a pitch-black skull inside. Its seven orifices were tightly sealed, but he could still sense a clump of smoke-like gas swirling within—the Ancestral God corpse poison.

Taking stock of his spoils, there were over twenty bottles of divine liquid. These were all things Xiao Chen urgently needed, and he unceremoniously took them all. There were also various odds and ends, such as jade tokens and bone knives, which he also collected.

Next came Xiao Chen's first step. He stored the Skeleton King's shattered bone body into his spatial ring, then flew off toward the strongholds of the Corpse King and the Wraith King.

The Corpse King and the Wraith King had just entered the Ancient Ruins two days prior. The two clans' forces were not far apart and were powerful allies, having brought large numbers of subordinates to station there.

At that moment, the Corpse King and the Wraith King were in a mountain valley discussing matters of treasure hunting.

Suddenly, a dazzling golden rainbow tore through the sky like a comet crashing into the earth. With a thunderous roar, the brilliant golden light landed in a nearby forest, causing the wooded area to shake violently. Fissures a thousand meters long spread from the ground into the distance, and leaves flew everywhere.

Such a commotion directly alarmed the Corpse King and the Wraith King. They quickly rushed out of the valley and flew toward the site.

"Who dares to disturb our clan's restricted grounds?" the Corpse King shouted. He was a full three meters tall, as ferocious as a vengeful ghost, his entire body covered in blood-red scales, as red as blood. Even his face was the same, save for a pair of ghostly eyes flickering with a sinister gleam. His ghostly claws were like the talons of a bird of prey, the pitch-black nails half a foot long, sharp as steel hooks.

Beside him, the Wraith King was a black shadow of a soul, exuding a fierce aura. He, too, was no benevolent being, surrounded by dense, spectral blue flames that burned with a grim, eerie light. The aura of death pervaded the scene.

"Haha..." Xiao Chen laughed loudly. "Forgive the intrusion, honored kings. I come from Skeleton Island to meet with you. I had no choice but to resort to such measures."

"Heh heh... I see. We are natural allies. Please, speak inside the valley." The Wraith King laughed. Though his words were meant to draw the two clans closer, they gave off a chilling, sinister feeling.

Xiao Chen naturally tried his utmost to ingratiate himself, addressing them as brother kings, and flew into the valley with them.

Seated on a patch of fragrant grass, Xiao Chen stated his purpose: he requested an alliance with them and asked for their assistance.

An alliance was naturally not a problem—the three clans were closely connected and had always been on good terms. However, upon hearing that Xiao Chen wanted to deal with the War King Jingpu, the Corpse King and the Wraith King immediately fell silent.

After a long while, the Wraith King spoke darkly, "Were you not on very close terms with the War King Jingpu?"

"Alas, my cooperation with him was entirely a necessity. If you two brother kings had arrived here earlier, I would never have joined forces with him. I exhausted my efforts to help him obtain the War Clan's ultimate treasure, the Basit Weeping Blood War Spear, but not only was he ungrateful, he even plotted against me."

"How so?" the Corpse King asked.

"I have a premonition that one of our Skeleton clan's most important treasures may soon appear. I wanted to ask for his help, but he secretly contacted strong experts from the Demonic Ape clan and the Scorpion clan, intending to seize my clan's treasure..." Xiao Chen wore a look of deep regret, constantly slapping his leg and pounding the ground.

The Corpse King and the Wraith King both showed expressions of shock. After listening, they exchanged a glance and pondered for a very long time.

After a long while, the Corpse King finally spoke, "Is your premonition of the treasure's aura truly accurate?"

Damn it! A pair of white-eyed wolves! The Yellow Diamond Skeleton King had claimed that these two clans were natural allies of the Skeleton clan, but these two were clearly also plotting to seize the treasure.

For Xiao Chen, however, this was something he could exploit. He affirmed with conviction, "Absolutely true. These past two days, the aura of my clan's treasure has indeed been spreading through the Ancient Ruins. Of course, only a Skeleton clan expert could sense it."

"This matter is somewhat difficult to handle..." the Wraith King mused.

Immediately, Xiao Chen put on a deliberately reckless air and said indignantly, "The War King goes too far. I will never rest until he is dead. Rather than let him seize my clan's treasure, it is better for you two brother kings to obtain it. After all, we all originate from the lineage of death." He said this because he feared that these two dangerous wolves before him might suddenly strike first, causing unnecessary trouble.

"How could this be appropriate..." the Corpse King said, climbing the ladder and feigning refusal.

"There is nothing inappropriate about it. You two brother kings need only assist me. When the time comes, we will break the seal together, and we shall jointly wield the White Bone Sovereign Banner."

"You... are certain it is... the White Bone Sovereign Banner?" the Corpse King asked in great shock.

"It is indeed that ultimate treasure capable of annihilating half-ancestors." Xiao Chen patted his breastbone, putting on an air of absolute certainty. The name "White Bone Sovereign Banner" was something he had found in the Yellow Diamond Skeleton King's sea of consciousness. Whether or not it was actually in this expanse of Ancient Ruins was uncertain.

"Then let us retrieve it first! With the combined strength of the three of us and control of the White Bone Sovereign Banner, dealing with the War King Jingpu and his ilk will be as easy as turning over our hands."

Xiao Chen sighed. "It will still be a few days before the Sovereign Banner breaks its seal and emerges. However, the War King Jingpu already knows this secret. He will never give us that time and will surely make a move against me within these few days to force the secret of the Sovereign Banner from me. Rest assured, honored brother kings—I will die before I speak."

'I will die before I speak' was meant for the two evil kings. It immediately cooled any murderous intent that had been rising in them. At the same time, they recalled the relationship between the three clans. If they were to use force to interrogate him now, the trouble would be anything but trivial, and would certainly cause the three historically friendly clans to shatter completely.

"Perhaps... we could wait a few more days. First, avoid the War King, and then we go in secret to retrieve the treasure. Once we control the White Bone Banner, we can then eliminate the War King and his ilk."

Xiao Chen shook his head. "The War King will not give us that chance. Even if I could truly avoid him these few days, he would come to fight for it on the day the treasure appears."

"Then postpone retrieving it for a few days," the Wraith King said.

"That absolutely will not do. When a great treasure appears, there will surely be strange celestial phenomena. If we cannot be there to guard it from the very first moment, we will surely fail to obtain it." Xiao Chen denied it again.

"Then what can be done?" the Corpse King frowned.

"Only by eliminating the War King can we succeed." Xiao Chen stated with great certainty. "As long as we remove him, we can obtain the White Bone Sovereign Banner."

"This..."

The two evil kings were clearly unwilling to take the risk.

"The White Bone Sovereign Banner... can sweep away and annihilate half-ancestors..." Xiao Chen emphasized the word "sovereign," which was undoubtedly a powerful temptation.

The Corpse King suddenly punched the ground and said, "Fine! Let's do it!"

The Wraith King hesitated for a moment, then said, "The War King Jingpu's strength is extraordinary and formidable. Moreover, he controls the Basit Ancient Spear. He is no easy target."

"Do not praise another's ambition and diminish our own prestige." Xiao Chen, impersonating the Yellow Diamond Skeleton, had originally come looking for an opportunity to assassinate the two evil kings, but upon meeting them, he realized the ten-thousand-year-old corpse and the strange evil spirit were exceptionally powerful. It would be difficult for him to find an opening to strike. Thus, he changed his strategy to better utilize the "resources" before him, drawing the two evil kings into the plot.

"I know you two brother kings have been concealing your strength. Among all the kings, you are absolutely among the top tier. With the three of us working together, can we truly not take down a single War King? Even if he holds the Basit Ancient Spear, so what? There is no need for us to confront him head-on. We of the Death lineage possess many sinister secret arts. If we employ some forbidden techniques and deal with him in the shadows, even if the War King had heaven-reaching abilities, he would not escape his doom..."

"Death secret arts... heh heh..." The Corpse King's eyes suddenly lit up, and he let out a sinister, cold laugh.

The Wraith King also emitted a chilling aura of death and laughed. "Good. We will join forces and eliminate the War King. That Basit Ancient Spear is also an extraordinary treasure. When the time comes, we will retrieve it as well."

At that point, the three kings became even more "intimate," beginning to plot in secret how to "scheme" the War King Jingpu to death.

It was purely a case of treating him with his own methods. The War King had wanted to use sinister tactics to eliminate Keke; Xiao Chen was furious, so he decided to use the same methods against him. He conspired with the two evil kings to find a secret death technique to bring about his demise.

Not until half a day later did the discussion conclude.

"When the time comes, we must conceal our identities. We absolutely cannot face him as ourselves. It is better to be safe than sorry. This way, even if we fail, the War King Jingpu will not know who was responsible."

Xiao Chen's suggestion had its reasons. If the War King were to recognize the two evil kings upon meeting and interrogate them, they would very likely reveal their hand.

"I fear that even if we conceal our true bodies, when we fight to the death at a fever pitch, he will be able to guess our origins from our divine techniques and combat skills," the Wraith King said. "But what the Skeleton King brother says is reasonable. Let us first conceal our identities. Catching him off guard will be advantageous. Three unknown kings coming to kill him will certainly put psychological pressure on him."

The Corpse King also nodded. "That makes sense. This is best."

Fearing this might demoralize his side, Xiao Chen said, "In truth, he will not even last until the battle reaches a fever pitch. We have prepared so thoroughly; I will not say it is a sure kill, but those death secret arts are by no means easy for him to break. With the three of us joining forces to annihilate him, there will not be any accidents."

The two evil kings both let out eerie, sinister laughs.

After another round of secret deliberation, they refined some of the plan's flaws.

Finally, Xiao Chen began to fully exploit the two kings' value. "Honored brother kings, I feel that before this, we should find someone to practice on. You see, over the past two days, the War King has contacted the kings of the Demonic Ape clan and the Scorpion clan. I am afraid they, too, have learned of the Sovereign Banner's impending appearance." At this point, Xiao Chen gestured. "Since they have not yet joined forces, we should divide and conquer. Let us first eliminate the Demonic Ape King and the Scorpion King, lest the news of the White Bone Sovereign Banner's appearance be leaked."

Xiao Chen had originally planned to use the Ancestral God corpse poison to eliminate the Demonic Ape King and the Scorpion King. But with two evil kings here, why waste the poison? Moreover, multiple instances of cooperation were a way to deepen their relationship.

The Corpse King nodded sinisterly. "Good. We will first eliminate the Demonic Ape King, then kill the Scorpion King, and finally scheme to death the War King Jingpu."

The Wraith King also expressed agreement. With the three great kings joining forces for a divide-and-conquer strategy, there would certainly be no accidents.

Thus, Xiao Chen and the two evil kings began their covert operation, preparing to eliminate the three kings.