Villains, Indeed!

After the Merfolk raid, both Brockmans appeared simultaneously. The fake one reeked of fresh blood, as if he'd just slaughtered a multitude. Without clarifying this situation, Du Chen could never truly rest easy!

At that moment, taking Andy with him, Du Chen hid within his water-hued Trigram Lotus, shrunk to its absolute smallest, no larger than a mosquito. Andy, following the scent, flew low to the ground, chasing the bloody smell emanating from the fake Brockman out of the city. The Trigram Lotus couldn't fly too high yet, and Du Chen hadn't quite grasped the full capabilities of the young Tyran Beast, so he didn't opt for high-altitude reconnaissance. Instead, he tracked the scent slowly, at a not-so-fast pace.

The geographical features of the entire Newin River territory possessed a vivid appellation: 'One River Watering Three Mountains.' The Newin River flowed from north to south, emptying directly into the sea, bisecting three east-to-west mountain ranges along its course. When mapped, this 'One River, Three Mountains' strikingly resembled the Chinese character 'Feng' (丰) from Du Chen's past life. The East Gate, through which both Brockmans departed, faced the Hidden Boa Mountain, closest to the sea! As its name suggested, Hidden Boa Mountain was like a colossal python, tens of li long, slithering across the Southern Lanning landscape, its tail at Newin Port's East Gate and its head disappearing into the eastern sea.

At this moment, Brockman rode comfortably in a Raptor Mountain Carriage, unique to the Battle God World, accompanied only by Tendon-Severing, with his strangely elongated fingernails. They leisurely journeyed along the 'python's' body. Approximately a thousand meters behind, his twin brother, Adams, and the figures disguised as mercenaries stealthily trailed, all clad in soft armor, their faces contorted in eager, malevolent grins. One burly, bearded mercenary even held a military-grade spyglass, constantly observing Brockman.

When they left the city, it was around six or seven in the evening. June in Newin Port still offered ample daylight, and the sky was a brilliant azure. Du Chen flew for about an hour behind them, and the sky gradually darkened. The secluded mountain path ahead took on a somewhat sinister air in the night breeze. It was then that the other Brockman's group appeared within his sight. Counting them, there were thirteen individuals in total. Judging by their positions and the way orders were given, Adams and the bearded mercenary were the leaders of the group!

They had no Tyran Beasts, so Du Chen followed without hesitation, his tiny water-hued lotus drawing closer to overhear their hushed conversation.

"...Good, that's what we'll do! Balu, it's getting late, we should speed up!" Du Chen had arrived a bit late and hadn't heard their earlier discussion. He only saw Adams tuck a map into his chest, then nod to the bearded mercenary, Balu, and sneer, "Tonight, I'll have my dear elder brother Brockman hacked to pieces and take his head... In short, I won't let him escape with his life again, like he did thirteen years ago!"

So they really were brothers! No wonder they looked so alike! Du Chen had gained a useful piece of intelligence!

Balu chuckled, "Don't worry, this time, to ensure a swift and decisive victory with no loose ends, our five brothers are all prepared to go all out!" He paused thoughtfully. "However, Adams, there's one thing I must make clear! All our lives were given by Third Master, and our five brothers, in particular, received immense favors and great benefits from him! This time, we're helping you deal with Brockman during your mission out of fraternal loyalty..."

Seeing that Adams didn't quite grasp his subtle hints, Balu coughed and spoke directly, "In the future, if anything goes wrong, Brother Adams will have to bear the brunt of it himself with Third Master! Furthermore, the opponent's situation is unclear. Although Brockman only has one person with him, I can't discern that person's strength. While our five brothers are still confident we can jointly take him down, there's always a 'what if.' So, if any unexpected situation arises, we will prioritize Third Master's orders and focus on seizing the Star of Turaam first!"

These words were blunt enough for Adams to understand. He nodded silently, "Alright, execute the plan. If something goes wrong, I'd have no face to meet Third Master. Just trouble you all to bring my head to him as an explanation!"

"Excellent, let's go!"

Du Chen narrowed his eyes in thought, then curved his lips into a smile. Fratricide, how interesting! It seemed Brockman's past held quite a story! But that was good; with Adams and his group taking the lead, many things Du Chen wanted to do could now be handled with greater freedom.

Adams and his group walked for a while longer, maintaining a distance of over a thousand meters from Brockman. Du Chen listened for a bit, but received no further useful information, so he continued to urge his lotus forward, speeding up to approach Brockman.

Brockman and Tendon-Severing sat in the Raptor Mountain Carriage, leisurely enjoying the scenery of the empty mountains at night, chatting about topics befitting nobles. Just then, "Daddy!" A soft, childish call came from Brockman's sleeve. Following it, a chubby, big-eared mini-bear, only as tall as an index finger, crawled out of his sleeve. It was Homan, the young Tyran Beast—the ability to freely change its size was one of the Tyran Beast's Innate Racial Powers, and a recent discovery for Brockman!

"Oh, my precious Homan, what's wrong?" Brockman's face glowed with a father's loving smile.

"There are bad guys up there!" Little Homan pointed vaguely towards the sky.

Brockman was secretly delighted. Could Adams have caught up? "Tendon-Severing!" He smiled and gestured towards the sky. But Tendon-Severing looked up for a long time, then said blankly, "Sir, there's no one in the sky! If a Battle God were flying up there, there would surely be battle qi fluctuations. Unless his strength far surpassed mine, I would definitely detect him. But right now... there's truly no one!"

Brockman was taken aback. In this world, only a handful of people could elude Tendon-Severing's detection; Adams absolutely did not possess such power! Who else could be following him? He called out loudly, "Friend, come out, I've found you!" He called several times, but received no answer! "Strange. Tendon-Severing, stay alert. Let's continue on our way!"

In the sky, Du Chen sucked in a sharp breath. This young Tyran Beast was truly formidable! He had been incredibly careful, subtly activating his lotus, but as soon as he got within fifty meters of them, he was immediately detected! This little fellow was just a few months old. If he grew to adulthood, who could ever hope to assassinate or ambush Brockman then!?

His mind recalled Flaying's assessment of Tyran Beasts: "Tyran Beasts... Their sensory abilities are different from a Battle God's detection via elemental fluctuations. The aura of your Lotus Sacred Artifact can deceive almost all Battle Gods, but it cannot deceive a Tyran Beast! This is because they don't detect these things by sensing your elemental fluctuations; instead, they sense the changes in the air currents around you when you manipulate your Sacred Artifact for flight. One could say, even a god cannot escape a Tyran Beast's scrutiny!"

"Damn it!" Du Chen angrily smacked the sleeping Andy beside him. Look how powerful other people's Divine Pets are, while Andy, *my* Divine Pet, only knows how to eat, drink, and sleep! Unwilling to give up, he stealthily drew closer again. This time, he moved even slower and more cautiously...

Yet, he was detected again just as he reached the fifty-meter mark!

"Daddy, there really are bad guys, he's coming from the sky again!" Little Homan cried out.

Tendon-Severing shot up, transforming into a streak of dark light, circling the nearby sky. But upon landing, he shook his head at Brockman.

"Homan, did you perhaps sense wrongly?" Brockman thought, the child was still young, and his Innate Racial Power wasn't yet fully mastered, so it was possible he was mistaken.

The little fellow pouted aggrievedly, his two large ears covering his face. But then, he suddenly flapped his ears open, "Bad guys, really bad guys!"

Brockman hesitated for a moment but still gestured for Tendon-Severing to fly up and investigate. The result... he still found nothing. "Alas, Homan, my child, you might be tired. Would you like to rest for a while?" Brockman, at this moment, was entirely a loving father. But little Homan lowered his head dejectedly, muttering, "Daddy doesn't believe Homan, Homan is unhappy..."

"Hehe, there, there! Homan, you're still young. When you grow up, Daddy will definitely believe you! Be good!" Brockman playfully teased the child in his hands, a perfect picture of familial bliss. Yet, Du Chen, high in the sky, stared intently at the young Tyran Beast, thinking, "Damn it, I've tried my best, but I've been detected three times in a row! Little fellow, you're fierce! I'm not letting this go!"

The bright moon gradually ascended in the night sky, cold stars glittered, and moonlight intertwined with starlight! Tonight was a good night, and Brockman had already reached the depths of Hidden Boa Mountain. Just then, the young Tyran Beast cried out again, "Daddy, bad guys, lots of bad guys!"

"My precious, Daddy has important things to do soon. Would you mind resting for a bit?" Brockman gazed at the sky. "Look, how beautiful the moon is. How could bad guys descend from the sky to harm Daddy?"

"Hah! My dear elder brother, there truly is no one in the sky trying to kill you, but there is on the ground!"

Adams, with seven others, suddenly lunged from a distance. A distance of several hundred meters was but a breath's work for them. In an instant, Brockman was surrounded!

The show was beginning! Du Chen shamelessly sat cross-legged on his lotus, gazing down upon the battlefield from above...

Adams burst into laughter, "Brockman, my elder brother, you didn't think I was still alive, did you?" *Ching!* He tore open the front of his tunic, revealing five terrifying claw marks across his muscular chest. "Seven years ago, you were just a hair too slow. If you had managed to tear out my heart... hmph hmph, then you wouldn't have to die here tonight!"

The night wind ruffled Brockman's long golden hair. He touched an almost imperceptible scar on his left neck and smiled faintly, "Adams, my brother, I'm not surprised! If I could survive thirteen years ago after you slit my throat, then why couldn't you also escape with your life?"

The two identical men chatted pleasantly, but the content of their conversation made it hard to imagine they were blood brothers, born of the same mother!

With a shake of his arms, a Sacred Artifact appeared in Adams's hands—a pair of dark red gauntlets, crisscrossed with black lines that converged on the back of the hand, forming a strange swirling pattern.

These Sacred Artifact gauntlets had no finger sections!

Almost simultaneously, Brockman's Sacred Artifact also appeared in his hands: ten Finger Sheaths! Du Chen was already very familiar with his Sacred Artifact, but observing now with a professional eye... it seemed as though these twin brothers' Sacred Artifacts could form a complete set of gloves!

Of course, that would need Du Chen's 'processing'!

At the same moment Brockman's Sacred Artifact appeared, the young Tyran Beast Homan's body shrank even further, quickly crawling behind Brockman's left ear, then softly curling around, fixing itself onto Brockman's left ear like a clip-on earpiece from Du Chen's previous life. "Adams is mine; everyone else is yours. Regardless of whether I live or die, win or lose, please do not interfere!"

Tendon-Severing nodded contentedly. With his discernment, he naturally knew who was stronger and who was weaker!

"Adams, do you remember? Our first life-and-death struggle at sixteen was also in a large mountain... Time truly flies, it's already thirteen years!" Brockman moved with profound footsteps, his shoulders slightly lowered. Adams made almost the same movements, and the two circled each other, eyes locked. Years ago, two six- or seven-year-old children began their first Battle God training in exactly the same manner... Many years later, through several life-and-death duels, they coincidentally chose the same starting method!

Observing from above, Du Chen noticed that both their paths traced semicircles. Coincidentally, when combined, their footsteps formed a large circle! A perfect, true circle!

"Of course I remember. That time, I won!" Adams smiled proudly, his footsteps suddenly accelerating.

"Yes, but since then, you've never beaten me!" Brockman stated calmly, not hurrying to attack. "Don't you think tonight is quite strange? I'm not at all surprised by your sudden appearance. And can you discern the strength of the person beside me? Hehe, and the little fellow on my ear, he's your nephew, Homan, but do you know what race he is?"

Adams froze, then sneered, "Elder brother, Father taught us that before battle, one must unsettle the enemy's mind. You certainly remember that lesson well!"

"It seems you indeed remember Father's teachings very well, but do you recall another of Father's teachings? I am already a Peak Eight-Star Battle God, just one epiphany away from reaching the Ninth Star. You should be about the same, right? With our current strength, we shouldn't need to resort to such tactics!" Brockman's footsteps also quickened. "I just want to tell you a fact: In the past seven years, I've experienced many things that you cannot even imagine!"

His speaking speed also increased. "Look, your nephew Homan is, according to legend, a descendant of Tyran, the Fallen God Aberrant Beast that Divine Emperor Prince relied on to contend with the Fiendkind and secure victories across a thousand li!"

A glint flashed in Adams's eyes.

"The person beside me is a Nine-Star Battle God, a supreme expert capable of ranking among the top ten across the Three Continents! And this time... I deliberately lured you here! My purpose is... to reclaim the Star of Turaam, and also to finally put an end to our fated battle today!" Just moments ago, he claimed to disdain psychological tactics, but in reality, as Adams was slightly stunned by his string of words, Brockman seized the opportunity to strike!