The Grand Thief Showdown: A Century of Power Disparity!

After exiting the Enshrinement Temple, Du Chen proceeded to the Crystal Temple to seek certain intelligence that the Godfather was surely privy to, before returning to his tent to reminisce with Aliza.

By this point, Du Chen had already shared the news he’d acquired with Dus, and in turn, Dus had divulged the intelligence he’d secretly gleaned.

Dus’s narrative prowess was nowhere near as captivating as Mars’s, truly not in the same league. Yet, he triumphed in conciseness, his delivery remarkably incisive, laying out the entire convoluted affair with just a few choice words…

“Firstly, the Yessar Church and Water’s Embrace Lake share profound, ancient ties. The Holy Yessar Church’s most sacred Holy Relic, The Weeping Tear, was wrested from Margaret by Yessar God himself! Margaret, however, still possesses another treasure, the Molten Heart, which is no less potent than The Weeping Tear!”

“Secondly, the Secret Technique Yetha employed to seize The Weeping Tear all those years ago was… the Art of Artifact Annihilation! Margaret herself covets this technique immensely, for it is simply too formidable!”

“Lastly, when Margaret apprehended Arthur and his mother alongside Ben, the Blade of Heaven, she uncovered that Phil was an inheritor of the Yessar Church, thereby implicating you and your mother…”

With this, Du Chen finally grasped the complete narrative behind Francis’s tragic descent from genius to imbecility…

Margaret had initially sought to eliminate Arthur and his mother, but chanced upon the descendant of an ancient foe. Thus, she promptly apprehended Phil, interrogating her for the whereabouts of The Weeping Tear and the Art of Artifact Annihilation!

However, The Weeping Tear had indeed vanished without a trace. Phil did indeed possess the Art of Artifact Annihilation, but the quick-witted Phil cunningly misled Margaret, claiming both items were lost! Yet, Margaret, malicious and ruthless, used the flame power of the Molten Heart to imprison Francis’s Heaven-Bestowed Hydro-Body. Now, only Margaret herself, wielding The Weeping Tear, could undo the seal. Both were absolutely essential; failing which, Francis would remain a simpleton forever!

Consequently, Phil was released with her son, and began her desperate search for The Weeping Tear, intending it as a bargaining chip to implore Margaret to heal her son…

During this period, fearing Margaret’s relentless search might uncover the Art of Artifact Annihilation, Phil hid it with Orbach, Margaret’s closest confidant of old—for even Margaret, in her utmost malice, would not desecrate the tomb of an old war comrade who had faced life and death by her side!

Three years later, when Francis turned three, Margaret contacted Phil, revealing that Byron-Gale, the long-vanished Grand Pontiff of Yessar, had surfaced in the Celestial Capital! She then compelled Phil to lead her to him!

Phil would never betray her own father. She feigned her own death to mislead Margaret, leaving behind The Clues hinting at the Celestial Capital for posterity, then ventured to the Celestial Capital herself! Margaret, confident that only she possessed the means to heal Francis, and that Phil, no matter what, would eventually return with The Weeping Tear and the Art of Artifact Annihilation to plead with her, consequently did not trouble Arges’s family!

Pondering all this, Du Chen could only offer a wry, bitter smile. “No wonder Phil left such cryptic clues – first her own tomb, then Orbach’s… Damn it all, she was driven to it by that twisted woman, Margaret!”

Old Five’s voice resonated in Du Chen’s Divine Sense: “Do you grasp the gravity of this? You are no longer an imbecile, which means Margaret has lost her leads on The Weeping Tear and the Art of Artifact Annihilation. Thus, she *must* apprehend you to leverage against Phil and Byron-Gale! Moreover, only Margaret, wielding The Weeping Tear, can truly cure Francis. If Margaret realizes you have become a Six-Star Battle God, she will undoubtedly conclude that The Weeping Tear has resurfaced, now wielded by a divine entity nearly as potent as herself! Her desperation for The Weeping Tear will drive her to relentlessly hunt you—just as she once pursued Ben, the Blade of Heaven!”

He paused, then leisurely added: “From my vantage, not only are you imperiled, but Arges, Charles… ah, the fates of those two are of no consequence to you. However, Margaret is highly likely to also seize your elder brother, Steve!”

“Fear holds no sway over me!” Du Chen mused coolly, a hand stroking his nose. “We cannot directly confront Margaret yet. Thus, we *must* ensure she remains ignorant of my recovery from imbecility! Dus, do you possess any further clues?”

Dus relayed: “I’ll impart a crucial piece of intelligence—also divulged by the Water’s Embrace Divine Envoys—the Three Continents are *not* the entirety of the Battle God World! Beyond them lie several mysterious realms… in terms you might comprehend, the Sky Cities and the Underworld! And the gateways to these realms are known as ‘lifelines’!”

Du Chen suddenly smiled, a wry smirk playing on his lips as he asked, “So, Water’s Embrace Lake lies within one of these secluded realms, does it!?”

“Indeed. And the so-called Celestial Capital is actually another one of these lifelines! Albeit, a lifeline accessible only to those with the power of a Titled Battle God or higher! This is precisely why Phil arranged Frinda to become your fiancée!”

“Heh heh, this matter just got much simpler!” Du Chen shrugged, and a solution immediately presented itself!

First, prevent the Water’s Embrace Divine Envoys from ever returning to Water’s Embrace Lake!

Second, if he could piece together the truth from the Papal Curia’s intelligence and the Divine Envoys’ reactions, then the Pontiff would undoubtedly reach the same conclusions. Therefore, he needed to make the Pontiff believe that the benefits of safeguarding Francis’s secret far eclipsed the gains from informing Water’s Embrace Lake!

The crux of it all: ensure no one could relay information to Margaret!

With this realization, Du Chen stroked his nose and smiled.

“Young Master, what schemes are you brewing? Why that mischievous grin!?” Aliza’s booming voice jolted Du Chen, reminding him he was still sharing old tales with his brother!

“Heh heh, nothing at all, merely stumbled upon some intriguing thoughts!” With that, Du Chen clapped Aliza’s shoulder and uttered something the simple-minded fellow couldn’t quite grasp: “Aliza, Arthur and I share a common foe!”

“An enemy? Where? Aliza will go knock out his teeth!” Aliza fussed and blustered for a moment. Once calmed by Du Chen, he grinned guilelessly, “Young Master, I heard you command thousands of soldiers now. Could you bestow upon Aliza an official post, hehe? When Aliza returns to Saint John City, I can proudly declare to those Household Guards who once tormented us that I’ve become an officer myself! Oh, and I can earn my own military pay to buy Foye a new pair of dentures!”

“You wish for an official post? Let me test your mettle, ha! You are, after all, the fastest cultivator of the Post-Starry Sky era…”

As night enveloped the camp, Du Chen and Aliza stumbled back to their tent, supporting one another. The descendant of Ben, the Blade of Heaven, the sole remaining bearer of the Golden Sarando bloodline among the beastmen, was indeed extraordinary. Even with Du Chen refraining from using his Lotus Internal Force, Aliza, also a Six-Star Battle God, left Du Chen utterly unable to parry. What’s more, Du Chen had wielded his Vanishing Snow Sword, while Aliza fought bare-handed!

Zigurd, who had been supervising the spar, added that the Golden Sarando bloodline bestowed a Golden Indestructible Body, a state even more potent than the beastmen’s berserk fury. Aliza, during his bout with his Young Master, hadn’t even activated the transformation of his Golden Indestructible Body…

The true strength of Six-Star Aliza completely equaled the combat prowess of a peak Seven-Star Battle God!

Consequently, the guileless young man’s wish was fulfilled. Lanning’s military rank system was structured into five tiers: Marshal, General, Commander, Captain, and Soldier. Du Chen commanded an infantry regiment of merely three thousand men, and the highest rank he could confer was Third-Class Commander. Du Chen, without hesitation, conferred this rank upon Aliza. Simultaneously, he finally understood why a man as astute as the Pontiff would entrust the role of Battle God Enforcer to someone as simple-minded as Mas…

Empathizing with this sentiment, Du Chen knew that no matter when or where in the future, even if he were to forge an empire, the principal martial general of the Newin Earldom would forever be Aliza!

Two simple, yet profoundly powerful words: Trust!

With old tales spun, it was time for serious business. Du Chen sat in his tent, gazing out into the night. “Aliza, go fetch Mars, the Battle God. Tell him I wish to share a drink with him, in thanks for his captivating tales today!”

“But the Pontiff has a standing prohibition on alcohol!”

“No matter, just tell him I will intercede for him before the Pontiff. Go on!”

Watching Aliza depart, Du Chen drew out three mystic lotuses. One served as a storage artifact, another he concealed beneath his foot, and the third, he held within his mouth! He then summoned servants to prepare the finest, strongest wine!

Moments later, Mars, the Battle God, enthusiastically strode into the tent. Sighting the wine jars, he embraced them more warmly than he would kin, feverishly draining one to the dregs. He then gestured for Du Chen and Aliza to join him in a drinking contest!

Du Chen poured all the wine into his mouth—though, in truth, it was diverted into the lotus he held concealed within. A perpetual smile adorned his face, but in Divine Sense, he instructed: “Dus, Mars, the Battle God, has a peculiar drinking habit, as you witnessed in Turco Port—he never uses battle qi to sober up. So, I will get him thoroughly inebriated, and then you will impersonate my drunken collapse, feigning unconsciousness right under a befuddled Mars’s nose!”

“Understood. You’re off to ‘observe’ the Old Hags’ bath, and if possible, ensure those hags can’t return home. And I, Dus, along with Mars, shall be your undeniable proof of innocence! A perfect alibi!”

Du Chen “drained” a jar of wine, a smirk spreading across his face.

Meanwhile, Eye of Heaven Forest, shrouded in night, was enveloped in deepest gloom. Gigantic branches and leaves blotted out the moon’s radiance. Yet, near Moon Lake, at the very heart of Eye of Heaven Forest, a carpet of silver light illuminated the ground, rendering the scenery enchantingly serene. A luminous crescent moon shimmered, faintly undulating with the lake’s ripples, casting ethereal glimmers upon the surface.

The haze of daylight had long dissipated, yet beneath the Cloud Banner on Moon Lake’s western bank, faint imprecations still echoed through the mist. The objects of their ire were twofold: Francis, and Dragon God Samuel!

“Curious, why would the Water’s Embrace Divine Envoys curse Francis? That young lad is an undeniably virtuous soul!?”

A pool of azure water flowed languidly across the forest floor, its source a mystery, its ultimate destination even more so. Yet this ephemeral pool of azure was, impossibly, thinking!

A voice echoed in the Divine Sense: “Be careful, Papa, there’s a Seven-Star Battle God stationed at an outpost two hundred paces to the east, and several colossal dragons soaring overhead to the north; they’re all watching Moon Lake!”

The azure water exulted in Divine Sense: “Homan, with you, Papa’s ‘refined artifice’ has ascended to a perfect realm; you are truly a good child!”

This azure water was none other than Brockman, manifesting through his Secret Technique, the Azure Tsunami!

Little Homan, concealed within the azure water, quizzically chirped, “But many people say Papa was left utterly bare by an even ‘more refined’ artist…”

“Hmph, pay no mind to their idle prattle! Papa was simply too complacent back then; I didn’t even employ advanced Secret Techniques to ‘visit’ Francis. I likely roused other ‘artists’ upon my return! Although that previous artist was indeed quite ingenious, if we were truly competing on skill alone, Papa wouldn’t have fared so poorly! At the very least, not with such a lack of grace!”

“Papa is unbeatable!” Homan declared. “Papa, we’ve reached the Aqua Cloud Banner. Let me take a look… Wow, how formidable! Papa’s Art of Artifact Annihilation might not be able to dismantle this banner, could it!?”

Brockman harbored not a hint of dismay in his voice. “Indeed, Papa’s Art of Artifact Annihilation can currently only disable Sacred Artifacts of the Eighth Tier, but I have my precious Homan, haha!”

Homan giggled in a tiny, lilting voice. “Hmm… Homan is even more formidable than the Cloud Banner! Hey, Homan knows! Among those four Divine Envoys inside, one is too frail. There’s a minute vulnerability in the area she governs, small, but Papa can slip through…”

Were Du Chen present to overhear these words, he would undoubtedly declare…

That damnable Tyran Beast! With you, Brockman—whose thieving techniques once lagged behind mine, Du Chen, by over five centuries—has now leaped forward by at least four hundred years!

Brockman arrived near the Cloud Banner but didn’t make his move at once. “Let’s not rush! Darling, observe the Tenth-Tier Aqua Cloud Banner. Compared to Philip, who holds greater power?” Brockman seemed to be deep in thought.

“If judging solely by battle qi intensity, Philip is stronger! Homan heard from Uncle Tendon-Severing that on Mount Tianshan, Philip single-handedly contended with three adversaries!” After a brief pause, the little one continued, “But this Cloud Banner seems to contain the Water’s Embrace Holy Radiance Papa spoke of. With that, Philip would be forced to flee for his life…”

“Hmph, I must find a way to destroy the Aqua Cloud Banner!” Brockman vowed inwardly.

“Why destroy it, Papa? Aren’t we here to steal the ‘Water’s Embrace Lake Lifeline Map’!?” Little Homan asked, puzzled.

Brockman stated gravely, “Anything that threatens Lord Philip’s safety, given the opportunity, must be destroyed!”

After composing himself, Brockman said, “Homan, remember this: our own kin are now eyeing your abilities, intending to deceive you and sever our allegiance to Lord Philip! But no matter what they say, trust none of it! For Philip is a good man, and Papa owes his very life to Philip!”

“Yes, Homan understands! Without Papa, there is no Homan. Without Philip, there would be no Papa. Therefore, Homan’s life, too, is a gift from Philip!”

The azure water subtly rippled; the Water’s Embrace Divine Envoys were asleep. A long, resonant laugh echoed in Brockman’s Divine Sense: “Alright! Half a year ago, Marshal’s Divine Pet, the Nether Dragon, impersonated Constantine, igniting a dispute between the Papal Curia and the Dragon Clan, thereby granting our own kin a fleeting moment of immense glory! We Outsiders cannot afford to lose face either. Let us go and retrieve the ‘Water’s Embrace Lake Lifeline Map’ for Lord Philip!”

“Let’s go! With this map, Philip will be able to devise a way to obtain the Water’s Embrace Puppet Legion, and subsequently transform it into the Water’s Embrace Undead Legion!”

“Precisely! Margaret’s Divine Race Legion shall become the pioneering force for our ‘Purple Blood’ plan!”

Before Du Chen could initiate his plan, a minor, unforeseen incident occurred…