Captain of the Lethal Intent

Du Chen knew of only three things that could significantly enhance one's power: Philip's Battle Qi Inheritance, Jamis's esoteric paintings, and the 'refuse' from the Life Tree. Yet, all three were clearly ruled out in this situation. So what else could have caused the Changxi Family's Sudden Surge in Power, and what would they do after gaining such strength?

Chek, at a loss, anxiously asked, "Mr. Alex, what do we do now?"

Du Chen narrowed his eyes, observing the unfolding scene. He whispered, "Feigned weakness. Let's wait and see how things develop."

While Du Chen and Chek conversed, others were not idle. With their Family Head slain, the Crimson Family members erupted in fury, instantly rising to avenge him. Yet, after a few steps, they abruptly realized... did they even possess the capability to retaliate? The Crimson Family had only brought five individuals in total, whereas the Changxi Family alone fielded ten Seven-Star Battle Gods!

The Crimson members hastily halted. One among them, displaying remarkable quick-wittedness, spun around and raised his arms, shouting, "Changxi harbors ill intent! They seek to monopolize the Ninth-rank Sacred Artifact! Let us unite and slay them all!"

Did he hope to rally everyone to fight alongside them? The assembly hall remained eerily silent...

No one responded. All eyes were fixed on Changxi, yet no one showed any inclination to act. The Crimson members froze in place!

"Hah! Hahaha!" Changxi guffawed triumphantly. He was a rotund, middle-aged man whose entire body jiggled with his laughter. "Gentlemen, what I intend to do, you need not ask, nor even guess! I shall tell you plainly..." He pointed at the Vanishing Snow Sword. "The Crimson people were correct. I *will* monopolize this Ninth-rank Sacred Artifact! But more than that, I shall also become the King of the City of Penance!"

Changxi proudly swept his gaze across the leaders of the City of Penance. Only then did people notice that he was actually clad in a Royal Robe of Purple and White!

The Coalition Marshal sneered, "You? Hmph! Not to mention that the people currently beside you could be eradicated if we simply joined forces, but how many troops does your Changxi Family even possess!? Do you truly believe you can lead the City of Penance?!"

"Indeed, my family doesn't command many troops! But in the current situation, would your grand armies be of any use?" He turned and gave Chek a slight bow. "Brother Chek, I truly must thank your family for providing me with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Hmph, once I seize all of you, need I fear not becoming the King of Penance?!" He roared, his eyes cold and sharp.

Chek's face flushed crimson, and Du Chen's teeth itched with suppressed fury. To think his meticulously laid plans had inadvertently paved the way for another's triumph!

The Marshal bellowed, "Do you truly believe your twenty individuals can subdue all of us?" As the Marshal spoke, he retreated. The leaders and retainers of the Southeast Nine-Family Coalition gathered together, numbering a good sixty individuals!

Concurrently, the remaining ten great families each sought out those they typically allied with, forming their own formations to mutually support the Nine-Family Coalition. In doing so, the few members of the Brockman family appeared conspicuously isolated.

Changxi sneered continuously, "Would I dare act like this without absolute certainty of conquering you all!? Form the array!"

No sooner had his words faded than the nineteen individuals behind him shifted their stances. In groups of three, they formed a hexagonal shape, while the last person, the strongest apart from Changxi himself, positioned himself at the very center of the hexagon.

Xue Ji, standing beside Du Chen, suddenly let out a soft "Eh?"

Du Chen looked at her in surprise. Xue Ji explained, "This is the Six-Pointed Dead Water Array! But the Six-Pointed Dead Water Array is a top-secret military formation of the Holy Alliance, only mastered by humanity's Nine Marshals and a select few Generals. How could these Violet-Bloods..."

A thought stirred within Du Chen. He stared at the array and whispered, "Judging by their footwork, this formation seems unpracticed. Could it be that within mere days, the Changxi Family not only experienced a Sudden Surge in Power but also mastered a Holy Alliance Secret Technique?"

How was this possible? A Secret Technique known to only a handful of humans, appearing here in the City of Penance, a place isolated from the world for centuries!?

The more Du Chen pondered, the more he felt something was profoundly amiss.

The Changxi Family's array slowly activated. Faint, watery light shimmered on the bodies of the nineteen individuals, while the Southeast Nine-Family Coalition gravely watched Changxi, their subordinates slowly closing in.

Just then, "Wait, don't act yet!" A Brockman Family Steward rushed from the outer fence, running and shouting frantically. He whispered a few words into Chek's ear, causing Chek's expression to drastically change. Chek roared, "Everyone, cease your actions! The Huhuhu Beasts have sent an envoy! They demand negotiations!" He paused, then added with considerable awkwardness, "They wish to meet the leader who can represent all Violet-Bloods..."

As if to confirm Chek's words, a grand banner appeared in the distance, approaching steadily... The Huhuhu Beasts actually had their own flag now! Yet, upon seeing this banner, the Violet-Bloods instantly erupted in rage. "Damn those Huhuhu Beasts!"

Xue Ji closed her eyes in discomfort. Du Chen sighed wistfully. Steve, however, eyed the... Human Skin Banner with keen interest!

Just as the Violet-Bloods fashioned banners from the bones, flesh, and hides of Huhuhu Beasts, this flag's pole was bound with human bones, its surface sewn from human skin, and upon it, a pattern of a Huhuhu Beast's tail was depicted with Violet-Blood's blood!

This envoy's banner signified that the Huhuhu Beasts had not only established a complete set of rules and order but also possessed a systematic division of labor! And all this in just a few days!

The banner stopped near the entrance to the outer fence. Clearly, these Huhuhu Beasts were meticulously observing diplomatic etiquette, awaiting an audience with the Violet-Blood leader. But currently, the Violet-Blood leader... wouldn't emerge until after the impending battle!

Changxi glanced at the envoy's banner and declared proudly, "Summon them to appear before me!"

Everyone collectively sneered. The Coalition Marshal even loudly rebuked, "The Huhuhu Beasts wish to see the Violet-Blood leader. Are you, Changxi, worthy?"

Changxi lowered his head, chuckling sinisterly, "Fine, it seems you won't be obedient today. Chek, let's not make the Huhuhu Beasts laugh at our Violet-Blood affairs. Tell them to clear off and wait far away. In half a day, *I*, the King of Penance, shall grant them an audience!"

*What the hell are you to dare command my Brockman Family!?* Chek raged inwardly. However, there was a grain of truth in Changxi's words — they couldn't let the Huhuhu Beasts know the extent of the Violet-Bloods' internal strife! He gave a few instructions to the Steward, and soon, the Huhuhu Beast banner retreated into the distance, but did not leave entirely, awaiting its summons.

Seeing Chek's cooperation, Changxi chuckled, "Brother Chek, do you wish to be a meritorious subject of the King of Penance, or an enemy?"

Chek glanced at Du Chen and snorted, "You? Worthy of being the King of Penance?"

"Very well, brothers, we have no friends here!" Changxi ordered grimly. "Leave only the Family Heads. As for the rest... slay them!" Having said this, he moved a distance away from the array, standing behind it, apparently not intending to participate directly in the battle.

The Six-Pointed Dead Water Array immediately activated. Nineteen streaks of watery light converged, shooting skyward and coalescing into a swirling vortex of water mid-air. The turbulent light emanating from the vortex not only made everyone's expressions change drastically, but even Du Chen and Steve frowned.

Ten Seven-Star Battle Gods, nine Eighth-rank powerhouses, and Changxi, a Ninth-rank peak expert, overseeing the array – their combined strength, further amplified by the formation, would be terrifyingly potent!

The Coalition Marshal roared, "Crimson members, tie down Changxi! The rest of you, cover my flanks! I'll charge in and kill the person at the center of the array!"

As he spoke, he flung himself towards a gap in the array, but...

A cold sneer played on Changxi's lips.

Boom! Just as the coalition forces charged halfway, the mid-air water vortex suddenly descended, forming a belt of water that encircled the nineteen spellcasters. Following this, tiny water droplets shot out from the water belt. Though seemingly soft, with several muffled 'puffs,' anyone struck by these water droplets was instantly flayed, their bodies exploding on the spot!

The Coalition Marshal truly possessed some skill. With a slight crouch, he burrowed through the soil under everyone's cover, appearing within the array before the core individual. "Die!"

Du Chen, pulling Xue Ji along, was retreating step by step with the Brockman members, intending to observe the array further. Seeing the Marshal charge into the array's core, he nodded approvingly, "Not bad... Xue Ji, what do you want to say?"

Xue Ji, walking beside Du Chen, her face flushed as he held her arm, shyly said, "The Marshal has no chance of survival. The person at the center of the Six-Pointed Dead Water Array is not its core, but a trap. If you wish to break the array, you must defeat Changxi, who is outside it!"

Flaying frowned, "All the water-elemental fluctuations of this array are concentrated on the central individual. Changxi isn't even part of the array. How could *he* be the array's core?"

"You don't understand, that is precisely the formidable aspect of the Six-Pointed Dead Water Array..."

Even as she spoke, a piteous cry of "Ah!" rang out. It turned out the Coalition Marshal had already been shredded to pieces within the array!

Du Chen watched coldly. Chek, beside him, urgently asked, "Mr. Alex, aren't you going to act?"

Act? He certainly would. Changxi was intent on slaughtering everyone, practically holding a blade to Du Chen's own neck. To not act now would be to await death, wouldn't it? But... *when* to act required careful deliberation...

Under the Six-Pointed Dead Water Array, Family Heads fell one after another. Seeing nearly half of them already dead, Du Chen gave a proud smile. "Changxi, playing with water against me? You're still too green!"

Changxi, standing outside the array, froze. He looked in the direction of the voice but could find no one. Then, a sudden cold wind assailed his back, and a shadow of death crept into his heart. *Heavens, such power! Could a Titled Battle God have seen through the array's secret and launched a sneak attack on me!?*

Du Chen had already appeared behind him, a longsword conjured from ice and snow piercing towards his back.

At this moment, Changxi, by all accounts, should have either fought back fiercely, or closed his eyes to await death. At the very least, he should have bellowed for mercy. Yet, he...

Changxi inexplicably roared, "Captain, save me!"

"Awoo!" A dragon's roar forcibly pushed Du Chen back half a step, followed by a wall of sound waves that shielded Changxi. Someone sneered, "Alex? Hmph, I originally intended for Changxi to seize the Vanishing Snow Sword, and then use it to track you and Francis. It seems... such complexity is no longer necessary!"

"Constantine!?"

Du Chen was startled. But what did Changxi mean by calling him "Captain"!?