Reunion and the Trial's Eve

"You... how is this possible?!"

Except for Yaoyao and the Defiant Dragon King, every expert who had ascended the tea house stared at Xiao Chen with expressions of utter disbelief. To see a man who had died over twenty years ago standing before them was a shock that left them speechless.

Some had never been particularly close to Xiao Chen; a few had even fought for their lives against him in days gone by. But as time passed and the Hundred Races emerged, the old enmities no longer counted for much. What all clans needed now was a power united.

"You really didn't die..." Sama, with his golden shoulder-length hair, walked over with the ease of an old acquaintance and punched Xiao Chen on the shoulder.

The others all crowded around.

Jue Dao, the heir to the Little Li Flying Dagger, held a crystal-clear blade no more than three inches long between his fingers. In a flash it tore through the void, streaking toward Xiao Chen like lightning.

Xiao Chen summoned the Eight Aspect Worlds, sealing the space around him.

With a swish, the translucent dagger reversed direction and returned to Jue Dao's hand. He stared fixedly at the Eight Aspect Worlds. "It really is you."

The tea house grew lively. These were the luminaries of another era, meeting again after so many years.

"Ya-ya..." Even Keke was immensely happy. Not at all shy, it waved its little paw at everyone, and chattered endlessly at the Defiant Dragon King as if it had a thousand things to say.

"Reborn from death... a miracle. I never thought I'd see you again in this world."

"How did you manage it?"

Meeting again after all this time stirred countless emotions in Xiao Chen, but there were things he could not speak of openly. The secrets of the Death World were far too bizarre.

That so many old friends should appear at once also surprised Xiao Chen. Asking around, he learned that it was Yaoyao, the outstanding disciple of the Heavenly Demon Palace, who had gathered them. Before long, the Nine Provinces and the Four Worlds would become a trial battlefield. To prepare for the coming crisis, Yaoyao wanted to unite their strength.

"Now I can finally believe that the invincible Yasha King was killed by you," Sama said with a loud laugh. "Many cultivators along the banks of the Yangtze said they saw your shadow, but I didn't believe it. Who would have thought we'd meet today!"

"It's a great relief. The Yasha King styled himself a Heavenly King, savage and bloodthirsty. Qilao and Kanasi died by his hand. Now that he's finally destroyed, their spirits can rest in peace." When he reached this point, A Shui's voice grew mournful.

"We killed the Yasha Heavenly King, but now a Yasha Queen has appeared. This female fiend is even more terrifying, impossibly powerful!" Chu Xingkuang frowned.

"That's my wife." Qi'er, the Divine Tribe giant, had finally accepted the reality of Hai Yuntian's changed fate, and when he heard them discussing the Yasha Queen, he couldn't help speaking up.

"Don't misunderstand," Xiao Chen quickly explained to everyone. "This is a friend of the Divine Tribe, an ally of ours."

"Do you know why I sent word to you all?" Yaoyao, her hair black as a waterfall, her skin like ice and jade, with a bewitchingly beautiful face and large, liquid eyes that sparkled with seductive light, said, "The Thunder King, the Sea God King, the Earth King, the Asura King, together with the Yasha Queen—five experts at the Perfected Man realm—have already allied. They want to carry out a 'targeted purge' of the Nine Provinces. Anyone who defies them will be killed without mercy. They've formed a 'Heavenly King Battle Team.'"

The others all drew in sharp breaths. The situation was dire beyond measure. Five Heavenly Kings at the Perfected Man realm combined into a single force was a nightmare. Who could stop them? If they swept through, no one would be able to stand against them.

Yaoyao, with her nation-toppling beauty, showed not a trace of seduction now. She was utterly serious. "You can imagine that this isn't the only team of Heavenly Kings. On our side, who has reached the Perfected Man realm?"

Everyone looked at Xiao Chen.

"I've just reached the Second Heaven of the Perfected Man realm. If I face five Heavenly Kings at once, I will die without a doubt," Xiao Chen said calmly, but with utmost gravity. "If Keke could join the battle, it would be different, but several Otherworldly Half-Ancestors have already warned it. I'm afraid it can't lend its strength."

The others fell silent. Apart from Xiao Chen, none of them had reached the Perfected Man realm.

"I've got one foot through the Perfected Man door," said Qi'er, the Divine Tribe giant, quite unexpectedly. The others were astonished.

Even so, one foot through the doorway did not count as a true Perfected Man. He still could not contend with the great Heavenly Kings.

"I think there's one more person who has probably already stepped into the Perfected Man realm," Liu Mu suddenly spoke up.

"Who?" Everyone turned to look at him.

"Wu Zhanhun," Liu Mu answered calmly.

"W-W-Wu Zhanhun? Last time he fought the Sacred Dragon King he was badly wounded. Can he really have broken into the Perfected Man realm so quickly?" Jin Sanyi didn't quite believe it.

Liu Mu said, "After that battle, he said he would abolish all his divine abilities and focus single-mindedly on cultivating the Imprint of Martial Legacy. I think he can reach the Perfected Man realm."

Xiao Chen's heart stirred. What Liu Mu said could very well be true. No one understood better than him how powerful and terrifying the pure Martial Imprint was. But he could not follow that path himself. Now that he cultivated martial arts, soul techniques, and divine abilities simultaneously, he could no longer focus purely on martial arts. Everyone had their own unique path, and this was his choice—one he did not regret.

"That's just speculation. We can't treat it as fact," Huo Niao said cautiously. He felt everything had to be weighed with care.

"I think there's someone else who has probably already reached the Perfected Man realm," Niu Ren said, looking at the others. "Do you still remember Dugu Jianmo?"

Everyone remembered how formidable Dugu Jianmo had been in those days. At this, someone immediately said, "Being powerful in the past doesn't mean he's still strong after these twenty years. Potential doesn't always keep unlocking."

"That's right. Even if he has reached the Perfected Man realm, can anyone find him?"

Niu Ren laughed. "We might not be able to find him, but others can. Dugu Jianmo's brother-in-law is right here. I think he should have some news."

A Shui shook his head. "I don't know where he is. I haven't seen him in three years. But he should be living in seclusion somewhere in the mortal world."

Liu Mu asked, "Do you think he's reached the Perfected Man realm?"

"It's hard to say. In recent years, I've rarely seen him draw his sword. But I have a feeling that everything around him can become a peerless killing blade."

"Another missing person whose whereabouts we can't confirm," someone said, shaking his head.

"I think you've all forgotten a few people," Yaoyao said with a smile.

"Who?"

"Zhao Zhongyang, Xuewu, Meng Xilie, Cang Hai." The names Yaoyao spoke immediately set the room buzzing. Over the past twenty years, these four had risen with extraordinary power and displayed remarkable combat strength. Everyone agreed that one or two of them had probably already reached the Perfected Man realm.

Back when Xiao Chen was thought to have fallen, he had often heard their names. But to this day he had only ever seen Zhao Zhongyang and Xuewu. "Then we need to find a way to contact them," he said.

"Actually, there are one or two others... but let's not speak of them," Sama said with a shake of his head.

Jue Dao nodded. "Some people have vanished completely. It's impossible to find them now."

"Yet-yet-yet you've all overlooked a very powerful woman," Jin Sanyi suddenly cut in.

"Who are you talking about?" Chen Hangjin asked, puzzled.

"The-Nine-Nine-Nine Provinces' Empress, Zhao Lin'er. The destructive weapons in her hands are so many and so terrible that even a Perfected Man might be killed by them."

Zhao Lin'er? Since returning to the Nine Provinces, Xiao Chen had several times wanted to settle accounts with her, but each time something had delayed him. Hearing this now, he was taken aback.

"That's right. The Empress of the Nine Provinces wields ultimate weapons whose horror is hard to fathom."

They recalled the stirring years of the past, discussed the grim situation in the Nine Provinces today, and spoke of the perils to come. Everyone spoke their minds freely, offering their views.

That very day, a few foreign kings arrived in Hangzhou City, hoping to use it as a base when the trial war began.

When Jin Sanyi heard this news, he immediately broke into a sly grin. Grabbing Totti's hand, he said, "To-to-to-Totti, lure those brothers over here. I want to clean their clocks."

Looking at the face which was actually quite handsome but twisted into an expression of supreme sleaziness, Totti wished he could stomp on it a few times.

"Don't-don't-don't look at me like that, big brother. From now on I won't push you around. Today I'm giving you a chance to earn some merit."

The Tree King, the Mountain King, and the Flower King—three foreign kings—stood by the shores of West Lake. All of them were quite taken with the idea of forcibly occupying the place as their own exclusive training ground.

Just then, a golden-haired handsome man strode over, calling out from a great distance: "Your Majesties, disaster is about to befall you!"

The Tree King glared at him at once. "Who are you? You speak recklessly. Do you think you can scare us?"

"In Hangzhou City there are more than a dozen experts who want your Majesties' lives. If you don't believe me, follow me."

"What a joke!" the Mountain King sneered. "Want our lives? We'll kill anyone who comes. One, we'll kill one. Two, we'll kill both."

"Such a big mouth!" Jin Sanyi manifested himself in the sky, shouting down at Totti on the ground. "You-you-you've disappointed me. You couldn't even pass such a small test."

"Who are you?" the Tree King bellowed.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—figures flickered across the sky. In an instant, more than a dozen people surrounded them.

The three foreign kings immediately sensed something was wrong. The energy fluctuations of these people were no weaker than their own.

The Flower King was surrounded by countless crystalline flower petals dancing in the air. He shot into the sky and roared, "Who the hell are you?"

"The ones who will kill you."

"Arrogant fool! Do you dare to fight me one on one?" The Flower King seemed fiercely confident.

Figures moved in the sky, and immediately five people flew forward.

"I said one on one!" The Flower King glared at them.

"O-o-of course it's one on one. You—one man—against the five of us." Jin Sanyi laughed wickedly and launched the first attack.

"Break out!" The Tree King and the Mountain King exchanged a glance and prepared to tear through the air.

But with Yaoyao, Liu Mu, Niu Ren, and so many other experts present, how could they possibly escape? In an instant, their retreat was cut off.

Xiao Chen cautioned, "For now, spare their lives. We don't want to give some Half-Ancestor an excuse to make a move against us. When the trial war truly begins, we can kill them. For now, just imprison them."

"You—" The Flower King had barely started to shout when a flurry of fierce attacks drove the rest of his words back down his throat.

"Cha!"

Jin Sanyi, straddling his white divine donkey and wielding an enormous cleaver, nearly lopped off the Flower King's head clean. A long lock of hair sheared away and scattered through the sky.

The outcome of this battle was never in doubt. The three foreign kings were soon sealed by the assembled group.

Everyone was overjoyed. The power of a coordinated alliance was beyond doubt. With so many experts gathered together, even facing a few heavenly kings at the Perfected Man realm, they would not be without a chance to fight.

"BOOM!"

In the distance, an intense shockwave of energy erupted—an explosion of unimaginable force.

"It's coming from the direction of the imperial capital!"

"That sounds like Zhao Lin'er's destructive weapons."

Explosion after explosion followed, as if the very heavens were rocking and trembling.

"Let's go take a look!"

The group flew at maximum speed, racing hundreds of li toward the imperial capital.

With the Eight Aspect Extreme, Xiao Chen naturally reached the front first. He soon arrived near the capital and drew in a sharp breath.

The entire imperial capital was covered by a colossal energy shield that protected the city within. Outside the capital, energy surged like towering waves. Many mountain ranges in the distance had completely collapsed, reduced to dust and sand. Vast tracts of fertile farmland had been destroyed, and all the people who had lived outside the city walls had vanished.

It was a catastrophe!

Every town and village around the capital had been annihilated, turned to rubble. Countless living beings had been wiped out without a trace.

In the sky, five figures stood as immovable as mountains: the Asura King, the Earth King, the Sea God King, the Thunder King, and the Yasha Queen.

Five experts at the Perfected Man realm stood there, their might pressing down upon all directions—a battle force that inspired terror.

Only a short time ago, everyone had been discussing these five Heavenly Kings. They never expected to see them that very day.

A targeted purge—had it begun from the capital? If it included not only cultivators but ordinary people, that would be going too far.

"BOOM!"

From the capital's energy shield, a black beam of light suddenly shot straight into the sky. Even the five mighty Heavenly Kings had to dodge immediately.

But the black beam swept across the heavens. The Asura King was a split second too slow. The instant the black radiance struck him, his body trembled violently and he nearly fell from the sky. A bloody hole, pierced clean through his right chest, gaped open.

"Today, I swear I will destroy this city!" The Asura King's long hair stood on end, blazing like crimson flames.

"Big talk. Are you planning to raze the Nine Provinces too?" Xiao Chen appeared soundlessly behind the Asura King. Even as he spoke, the Hand of the Supreme Being had already struck down.

The void shattered. The Asura King's blood-red hair lashed out like tens of thousands of poisonous snakes, coiling toward Xiao Chen's arm.

A violent burst of blinding light erupted. The Asura King was blasted dozens of zhang away. But his blood-red hair had lengthened in the wind, wrapping around Xiao Chen's right hand. The hundreds-of-zhang-long strands of blood writhed wildly, like a terrible river of blood, their evil red light surging toward the sky, trying to crush Xiao Chen's arm.

"BOOM!" Xiao Chen's palm blade flashed like a rainbow, severing the blood-colored strands. They drifted down from the sky, staining the heavens red.

"It's you?!" Not far away, the Yasha Queen shrieked and dove toward Xiao Chen, claws outstretched. She had long since learned Xiao Chen's appearance from the Yasha Half-Ancestor. At the sight of her mortal foe, her eyes burned red.

At that moment, Jin Sanyi, the Defiant Dragon King, Liu Mu, Niu Ren, and the main force arrived. At the same time, from another direction, War King Mabao and a few other foreign kings appeared.

In the far distance, Zhao Zhongyang, Xuewu, Meng Xilie, Cang Hai, and the Golden Lion King were also flying toward them at tremendous speed.

The devastating energy fluctuations here had drawn many of the Nine Provinces' experts.

The death of so many living beings stirred the very heavens. All the powerful cultivators were alarmed.

Just then, a grand voice reverberated down from the high heavens: "Since the large-scale battle has already begun, the trial battlefield shall open ahead of schedule!"

The majestic voice echoed across the skies of the Nine Provinces. There was no doubt—a Half-Ancestor was announcing the start of the great war.