Alliance

The White Bone Skeleton and the Immortal-Slaying Formation dissolved from substance into illusion, vanishing completely in the blink of an eye.

All that had just happened shook Xiao Chen to the core. What truly lay in the continent's depths? He knew that even sovereigns could not easily enter the deepest reaches.

Once, he had used the stone statue pierced by twenty-four War Swords to kill a Five-Colored Skeleton King. In searching that king's memories, he had uncovered some of Sovereign Yi Tianzhong's secrets. Deep within the continent lay the mysterious ruins of a primordial demon city, but even sovereigns could only barely touch that domain. To truly understand the ancient ruins and venture further inward proved exceedingly difficult.

"Still acting arrogant? You wanted to make my skull into a chamber pot? Go to hell!" Sha Polang dragged the Giant King over.

The Giant King was utterly despondent. He had never imagined that, wielding the seven-colored broken sword, he would be brought down in just a few moves by a little snow-white beast—a complete and utter defeat. Now, the powerful White Bone Skeleton with four swords on its back had also been defeated. His last shred of hope was shattered.

"Speak! Where is Old Huang's skull?" Sha Polang shook the Giant King's cracked bone body furiously.

The Giant King refused to cooperate. He knew he could not survive no matter what, so he might as well die with some backbone.

Xiao Chen said nothing. He motioned Sha Polang aside and placed his palm on the Giant King's skull, probing his memories.

"Oh?"

Xiao Chen discovered with surprise that Old Huang was not dead. His Yellow Diamond bone body had been preserved—a rare treasure for any fire seed being. His soul fire had been shattered but saved because of certain memories in Old Huang's spiritual sea.

The Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and the seven-colored broken sword were truly extraordinary. When the Giant King had searched Old Huang's memories, he learned that the treasures had been found among the ruins. He had sent experts to take Old Huang and dig there, hoping to find more.

"Unify the eastern region."

That was what Xiao Chen said to Sha Polang before leaving. Then he took Keke and shot into the sky.

"Me, alone?!" Sha Polang was stunned. But on reflection, it was not an impossible feat. After refining the Giant King, he would reach the pinnacle of Yellow Diamond, unmatched across the entire eastern region.

"Old Huang is still alive! We have to save him!" Sha Polang howled.

Xiao Chen and Keke streaked across the death world's skies like a dazzling rainbow, moving at extreme speed. Before long, they arrived at a desolate stretch in the eastern region.

This was a ruin. A magnificent city had been reduced to history in a great war centuries ago.

Here, they found the Giant King's subordinates and rescued Old Huang, but they did not find the Zhunti Daoist associated with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree.

Old Huang, grievously wounded yet still able to regenerate, felt as if an age had passed. Xiao Chen pulled him out, helped his soul fire recover, and told him to begin conquering from this place, then join Sha Polang to unify the eastern region.

After that, Xiao Chen and Keke departed once more, flying toward the God Tribe village.

The entire eastern region was thrown into turmoil. The three kings who had ruled for decades had fallen simultaneously, stirring all sorts of ambitions among the fire seed beings.

The eastern region began a new contest for kingship. Sha Polang and Old Huang rose at this moment, unstoppable. They soon joined forces and swept across the land.

Xiao Chen paid little attention to this; he left it entirely to them. Now, he and Keke had entered the God Tribe village. Here, vines climbed and lush greenery flourished—such oases were not common in this region.

"Skeleton... sir? Is it really you?" Tianya's eyes went wide, his expression incredulous. He pinched Xiao Chen's flesh and murmured in astonishment, "Real flesh... it's not fake."

A crowd of youths gathered around, staring curiously at Xiao Chen. Had the God Tribe elder Li Mu not been standing nearby, they too would have forgotten courtesy and reached out to touch him.

On the other side, the God Tribe maidens and little girls surrounded Keke, their faces flushed with excitement. They all wanted to hold the little beast.

"Ya ya..." Keke was wary. Its eyes went round, and it broke through the encirclement to fly to Xiao Chen's side.

Unfortunately, Keke's charm was universal—even the boys grew eager, itching to catch it.

Swish, swish, swish!

Only when a screen of seven-colored light swept out did the unruly God Tribe youths settle down.

"Skeleton sir, let me treat you to dragon meat..." little Tianya said happily. Now that Xiao Chen had flesh and blood, their bond felt even closer.

Life in the God Village was no longer so harsh. They could now enter the Nine Provinces. The God Tribe elders Li Mu and Zhao Ying used Nüwa's Ring to bring back many heavenly spiritual essences. As for ordinary food, it had become far more refined. Occasionally, they could even slay a powerful wyrm for a feast.

"Excellent," Xiao Chen agreed cheerfully. After so many years cut off from food, today he would truly enjoy a good meal. Moreover, he had an important purpose: the God Tribe was undoubtedly a formidable force. Even the youths were exceptionally powerful—well worth recruiting.

The evening feast was sumptuous. Dragon liver, bear paws, monkey brains... these were no ordinary dishes. The ingredients came from powerful savage beasts of cultivation, making Xiao Chen's head spin.

Elder Li Mu smiled. "I'm not killing indiscriminately. The Nine Provinces are chaos now—I only pick up dying savage beasts."

"I hope you'll pick up more, Elder," Xiao Chen said with a laugh. If elders Li Mu and Zhao Ying of the God Tribe were to act, many foreign kings would likely meet their end.

"I cannot act lightly." Li Mu's expression grew serious. "The waters of the Nine Provinces and the outer seas run deep—much deeper than they appear on the surface."

Xiao Chen naturally cared deeply about the Nine Provinces' current state. His flesh-and-blood rebirth had taken seven full months—a considerable time. He asked, "Is the situation severe?"

"Not exactly severe, but the situation is complex." Li Mu shook his head. "I've seen some unfathomably old undying ones waging shadow wars."

Xiao Chen's heart leaped. No half-ancestors had appeared since the calamity of the false gods, but he did not believe the hundred races lacked beings of that level.

"Are those ancient relics very powerful?"

Li Mu took a sip of wine and nodded. "Very powerful."

"Are there many?" This was what Xiao Chen most wanted to know.

"I've only seen a few. I don't know the exact number." Over the past year or two, Li Mu had often moved between the two worlds. Powerful as he was, he could naturally perceive many secrets.

Xiao Chen gently swirled the jade cup in his hand. The amber wine gave off layers of fragrance, the taste lingering endlessly. His expression grew heavy. "Have they reached the Half-Ancestor realm?"

The God Tribe elder took a bite of food. "Hard to say. I haven't reached that realm myself, so how dare I easily probe them? Those people only wage shadow wars—they've never truly fought to the death."

The two ate and talked. Xiao Chen learned some recent news.

Beside them, Keke was like an obedient child, head buried in delicious food, with several God Tribe girls vying to pick dishes for it.

"Elder, have you considered venturing deeper into the Death Continent recently?" Xiao Chen very much wanted to talk this God Tribe elder into going with him.

"This is a very sensitive time—sovereigns are at war. If you have such thoughts, I advise you to abandon them for now." Li Mu dashed cold water on the idea.

Xiao Chen nodded. He wanted to go deeper into the continent, but he was even more concerned with the Nine Provinces.

Looking at the vigorous young God Tribe men and women, Xiao Chen smiled. "I think you should give them something to do. Without real battle, even if they are gifted, they will never amount to much."

Li Mu glared at him. "Don't you dare scheme against the God Tribe, boy! The Death Continent is extremely complicated. The God Tribe will never be drawn into any campaigns."

He naturally knew that Xiao Chen had ordered Sha Polang to unify the eastern region, but he wanted no part in it. Meddling in sovereign affairs was extremely dangerous.

Unifying the eastern region was not the final goal. Xiao Chen was acting purely on instinct. For some unknown reason, sovereigns seemed to have a fanatical need for bone armies. Though he could not yet grasp the key, he believed unifying the outer region could do no harm.

Xiao Chen laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not asking the God Tribe to help me take the outer region. But the young experts of the God Tribe do need tempering..."

Li Mu cut him off with a glare. "Enough. Don't try to hitch them to your war chariot."

"I said I won't provoke the various powers of the deep Death Continent. But jade cannot be polished without carving—experts need to be honed. I have a safe proposal..." Xiao Chen raised his cup in a toast and presented a very bold suggestion. "Take them to the Nine Provinces for training. Now that the hundred races have emerged, a golden age has come. Bringing the God Tribe's capable experts for training will bring no disaster upon the village."

"Clever boy. You've been circling around this all along—you still want to hitch us to your chariot."

"How would I dare? Actually, I just think they have too much energy to burn, nothing to vent. You've been keeping them on too tight a leash. That's not good."

Nearby, the God Tribe youths were listening intently, their expressions agitated. They desperately wanted to enter that legendary, colorful world. The death world was far too dull.

"Grandfather, I want to go!" little Tianya was the first to call out, his big eyes fixed on his elder, full of hope.

"That's our ancestors' world—we really want to see it..."

The other God Tribe young men and women were also deeply stirred.

The God Tribe elders Li Mu and Zhao Ying exchanged glances. Finally, they nodded, agreeing to bring the youths to the Nine Provinces for training.

"You must look after them in the future. Don't let them cause trouble." Li Mu shot Xiao Chen a glare.

"You want me to lead them? Why not you..." Xiao Chen was surprised.

"Since they need tempering, let it be harsh..." Li Mu said no more.

"Actually, there is a way to avoid danger. If we can create a technique that instantly disperses all power, they could return to the death world in a flash."

"There is a method. The God Tribe's ultimate techniques consume immense energy. If they use them, they might drain all their power in an instant."

Hearing this, Xiao Chen smiled. "That technique is truly brilliant—both an ultimate killer and an escape art. It seems tailor-made for the God Tribe."

Xiao Chen's visit to the God Tribe yielded tremendous gains. A group of God Tribe experts entering the Nine Provinces would undoubtedly be a powerful combat force, providing a powerful shock when the war with the hundred races' kings began.

Xiao Chen stayed in the God Village for several more days, waiting for the selection results. Every youth was eager; none did not wish to enter the paradise their ancestors had once lived in.

Before the selection results came out, Sha Polang sent word: most of the eastern region had been unified. But just then, intelligence arrived that the Angel King of the western region was making a forceful move. He personally led thirteen experts into the east—the situation was extremely critical.

Upon receiving the news, Xiao Chen took Keke and left the God Village, flying straight for the eastern region. He arrived at Hundred Battle City just before the Angel King's arrival.

The eastern region had three great cities: Giant City, Hundred Battle City, and Beast King City. Giant City had been destroyed; now Hundred Battle City was Sha Polang and Old Huang's headquarters.

"The Angel King hasn't shown his true form in twenty years. For him to enter the east in force now means he must have some confidence." Though Sha Polang said this, seeing Xiao Chen return eased his anxiety.

Just then, Old Huang received a report: the Angel King had arrived with thirteen experts, and an envoy requested entry into the city.

An arrogant angel skeleton was led into the great hall. He swept a disdainful glance over Sha Polang and Old Huang. "The Angel King has arrived. Why have you not come out to welcome him?"

Sha Polang and Old Huang were startled. They sensed that this angel skeleton's soul fire fluctuations were extremely powerful—no weaker than their own.

"Did some bird-brain use your skull as a chamber pot?" Sha Polang would never let an insult go unanswered, even as he was taken aback.

"The Angel King has arrived, you lowly..." Before the angel skeleton could finish, he suddenly felt his soul fire tremble. A young man of flesh and blood walked into the hall. The oppressive aura suppressed him so much he could not even finish his words.

"You are an unworthy envoy." Xiao Chen stepped forward. His overwhelming pressure fell like a mountain. With a series of cracking sounds, the angel skeleton's lower half shattered completely. Xiao Chen reached out, plucked off its skull, and flicked it gently. The skull flew out of Hundred Battle City like a shooting star.

Bam!

The white skull slammed heavily into the desolate battlefield outside the city.

Several white figures rushed over, picked up the skull, and sent out shocked spiritual fluctuations.

"General Chid! What happened to you?"

"General Chid is the second strongest among our thirteen experts! How could this happen?"

"General Chid can rival experts of the Yellow Diamond realm!"

Just then, several figures flew out of Hundred Battle City. Seven or eight angel skeletons charged forward in fury.

But the result was predictable. Xiao Chen waved his hand, and all those powerful fire seed beings were sent flying.

However, he did not kill them, for he sensed a powerful spiritual fluctuation: "Please, show mercy. We mean no harm."

In the distance, five-colored divine light blazed. A powerful five-colored skeleton rushed over. Its wings shimmered with multicolored light—it was clearly a supreme skeleton king.

Even Xiao Chen had not expected the Angel King, who had not shown himself for years, to be such a super-evolution—having reached the Perfected Man realm.

"The God Tribe?!" The Angel King stared at him in surprise.

"No. I am the king of the eastern region who has achieved flesh-and-blood rebirth."

The Angel King received General Chid's skull and probed his spiritual sea. Immediately, he understood what had happened. He apologized to Xiao Chen, "Please forgive his arrogance. We have no hostile intent. I have come solely for cooperation."

"Cooperation?"

"Yes, an alliance between east and west."

No battle broke out. The Angel King and Xiao Chen walked together into Hundred Battle City and entered a private chamber for talks.

"You mean... a sovereign is about to be born in the outer region of the continent?" Xiao Chen's face showed disbelief.

"Yes. An ancient legend has always said that a sovereign dwells in the outer region—but sleeps in an abyss deep underground. If he awakens, all fire seed beings of the eastern and western regions may be exterminated. His awakening requires the sacrifice of countless fire seed beings." The Angel King radiated sacred light, his aura holy, but his spiritual fluctuations were resolute. "I fear he is about to awaken. I have found clues. For us all to survive, we must kill him."

"Kill a sovereign?"

"Yes, kill the sovereign!" the Five-Colored Angel King replied with certainty.

Xiao Chen had to admit that this Five-Colored Angel King was truly an extraordinary figure.