Thirteen's Forceful Kiss

Duding was so excited his eyes glowed with emerald blood vessels, scampering wildly within the lotus! As a tree seed, gold coins, diamonds, and jewels—things humans would fight and die for without hesitation—held no value for him. He only cared for two things: water and soil! Especially soil that provided nutrients for a tree's growth!

Relying on the power of the world's primordial essence, the moment the Fourth Trigram Arcane Artifact revealed its true form, little Duding sensed that this handful of soil was the absolute pinnacle, beyond compare even to the Essence of Earth, one of the five great primordial forces of the world! The little tree seed stared feverishly at Du Chen, muttering incessantly, "It's ruined, ruined! Now that I've seen soil this good in my life, what other soil could ever catch my eye? Why did you have to show me such magnificent soil... Do you know what I've been through?"

Du Chen's Divine Sense was wholly focused on the sand. The pale yellow sand in his palm was scarce, just a small handful. Du Chen held it with one hand and gently sprinkled it with the other, intending to carefully observe this 'brother' of the Fourth Trigram, but... no matter how much Du Chen sprinkled, that tiny handful of sand simply wouldn't run out! In an instant, a waist-high golden-yellow dune had formed at Du Chen's feet, yet the sand in his hand... remained just as abundant, not a single grain diminished!

"Inexhaustible, unfailing?" Du Chen retracted his hand, and the sand dune on the ground flowed back into his palm like countless rivulets returning to the sea, once again becoming that tiny handful. Du Chen narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Duding, if we combine this soil with the sword-tear of the Weeping Sword, how long will it take for you to mature?"

Little Pudding's eyes gleamed with aggressive greed. He roared, "Give me one hour, and I'll grow into a primordial sapling of The Undead, capable of taking you all home from here!"

"Keep your voice down, we're still surrounded by Huhuhu Beasts!" Du Chen comfortably raised a finger to his lips, shushing little Duding. Then, using the Lotus Pedestal as a pot and the Fourth Trigram's sand as the base, he planted little Duding. Finally, that single drop of Weeping Sword's sword-tear also dripped onto the soil.

They only needed to wait an hour, while Changxi would take five hourglasses—roughly an hour as well—to come claim his 'food.' The timing was perfect. The Brockman clan was cornered near the life-wall, and with the terrain advantage, everything was under control!

However...

Du Chen suddenly noticed Xue Ji staring at him in a daze, her lovely face flushed with shyness. Her black eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, but they were trapped between her delicate vermilion lips, too bashful to be uttered... Gods above, Du Chen finally remembered what he had done earlier!

"Xue Ji, I just..." Du Chen had just managed to utter, when Xue Ji lowered her head and turned to walk into the crowd, her face showing only shyness, devoid of any anger from being forcefully kissed by a man! What more was there to say!? Something, once germinated, was now ready to blossom and bear fruit.

Du Chen stood there in a daze, at a loss, bewildered as to what to do! Steve sauntered over, clapped him on the shoulder, and for once spoke seriously, "Third Brother, you have to take responsibility! She's a pure and innocent girl, now 'ruined' in your hands. *Sigh*, I, Steve, admit I'm no saint, but every woman I've ever dallied with, from eighty years old to eight, did so willingly. Never have I forced anyone..."

"Eldest Brother, can you please shut your mouth?" Du Chen rolled his eyes, then suddenly lowered his voice, explaining little Duding's situation clearly. He added, "Don't tell the Brockman people yet; they can't hide anything on their faces! Eldest Brother, we can escape, but there's one more problem before we leave!"

Steve's expression suddenly turned grim. "There is indeed another problem. Xue Ji was right just now; these Huhuhu Beasts will be a disaster wherever they go..."

"But there's one place where, if they go, it won't be a disaster at all. On the contrary, it would be a great act of benevolence!" The two brothers exchanged a look, a chilling, knowing smile playing on their lips.

***

Five hourglasses swiftly passed. *Thump-thump*, Changxi's massive tail struck the ground as he slowly approached, flanked by a retinue of Huhuhu Beasts. "Heh-gakka King!" The horde of Huhuhu Beasts surrounding the Brockman clan immediately cleared a path, allowing Changxi to approach. Four thousand members of the Brockman family—neither a huge number nor a small one—were densely packed within the small space, making it difficult even for the massive Changxi to discern the situation inside.

"Alex, time's up. Hand over a thousand 'foods'!" Changxi's arrogant gaze swept over the crowd. "Heh-gakka! Hand them over, or we'll turn you into heh-gakka meat paste!" The Huhuhu Beast horde roared, the front ranks baring their sharp fangs, grinning hideously. They licked their lips incessantly, the bloody stench from their gaping maws washing over the humans, causing them to recoil in terror.

Du Chen stepped forward from the throng. The Brockman clan, terrified, parted to either side, creating a path but still pressing tightly against the wall. In his hands, Du Chen held a lotus sapling that resembled a bonsai, though unlike other saplings, this one possessed green roots and white branches and leaves, giving it a somewhat eerie appearance.

Du Chen chuckled, "Heh-gakka King Changxi, I've already selected the 'food,' but there are a few things I must clarify with you!"

"Shut your mouth! You are in no position to negotiate with me!" Changxi said grimly. "Those chosen as food, come with me. The rest of you stay put honestly. Anyone who dares to make a move, I'll heh-gakka bite their head off!" *Gurgle, gurgle!* A chorus of swallowing sounds suddenly erupted from the beast horde. One Huhuhu Beast said, "King, we've been guarding them here for half a day already. We're all heh-gakka hungry..."

Changxi burst into laughter. "Understood! After I take my food, you can pick a hundred from the remaining ones and divide them amongst yourselves!" The Huhuhu Beast horde cheered, "Changxi, heh-gakka, heh-gakka, Changxi!"

"Changxi, you're not keeping your word!" the Brockman clan shouted indignantly, but they retreated in panic. "Credibility? Heh-gakka, do I need to keep my word to food?" Changxi cast a disdainful glance at Du Chen and snorted loudly!

*Arrogant brute!* Du Chen, feigning fear and panic, suddenly asked, holding up the bonsai-like sapling, "King Changxi, look at my sapling!" Inwardly, he sneered: *As long as I can capture your attention, I'll toy with you until you're done for!* Changxi paused slightly. He had noticed the sapling earlier but hadn't given it much thought. Although little Duding was also a Life Tree seed and possessed the Life Tree's aura, he inherited the Undead aspect, which was diametrically opposed to the life-absorbing nature of the Huhuhu Beasts. At most, Changxi found him somewhat annoying; worship or joy were entirely out of the question.

"What's there to see about this sapling?" Changxi snorted coldly, stepped forward, grabbed a Brockman, slung him over his shoulder, and leered down at Du Chen. "Those selected, come with me. Alex, if you utter another word of nonsense, I'll devour your limbs and turn you into a human torso to guide the way!"

Hmph, this brute isn't falling for it! Seeing that Changxi wasn't distracted by Duding, Du Chen simply stepped directly in front of him, looked up into Changxi's blood-red eyes, and smiled faintly, "Changxi, your mouth is very heh-gakka!" This was tantamount to calling Changxi, "You damn brat, do you have halitosis!?"

Changxi erupted in fury, opening his massive maw to devour Du Chen. But he was truly a cunning Huhuhu Beast. The moment his mouth opened, Changxi thought: *Wait, no. Alex wouldn't dare be so brazen without some reliance. In other words, this brat must have found a way to escape, which is why he dares provoke me, the Huhuhu Beast King!* With that thought, Changxi not only turned to flee but also roared an order, "Devour them all!"

It was too late. Enraged, his actions were half a beat too slow, and he had already given Du Chen the opportunity to get close! Du Chen flung out a handful of yellow sand, which *swooshed* and slammed into Changxi's eyes. "Aargh! Heh-gakka!" Changxi shrieked, but Du Chen's yellow sand danced. The golden sand ribbons, like two yellow dragons emerging from the sea, instantly encircled the Brockman clan, cutting off the advancing Huhuhu Beasts. Du Chen swiftly snatched back the Brockman held on Changxi's shoulder, throwing him backward, "Chek, catch your cousin!" Simultaneously, the Lotus Pedestal flew backward, and little Duding, now a sapling with rapidly expanding branches and leaves, slammed violently against the life-wall!

A faint, chilling white light shimmered across the vast life-wall, and a gateway wide enough for a hundred people to pass through appeared—this was Duding's current energy limit. The sudden turn of events stunned the Huhuhu Beasts, and the Brockman clan was equally dumbfounded. The sky-filling yellow sand enveloped the Brockman people. Chek, however, came to his senses quickly, roaring, "What are you staring at? Mr. Alex is covering our retreat, run!"

Steve frowned, shielding Xue Ji as he barked, "By age! Those over sixty first, children under fifteen second, women third, soldiers last! Anyone who dares to disrupt order will face the mercilessness of my Blade!" Chek gave an awkward smile and promptly ordered his people to retreat in an orderly fashion.

On the other side, Du Chen's handful of yellow sand had blinded Changxi, and then another ribbon of sand enveloped Changxi, capturing him alive within the sand wall! The Huhuhu Beasts watched their Heh-gakka King captured alive, and with the sand barrier obstructing them, they instantly erupted in a frenzy. "Heh-gakka, devour them all!" The beast horde roared and rampaged, thousands of fierce beasts opening their massive mouths to bite at the sand wall, seemingly attempting to tear open the Fourth Trigram's illusory barrier with their blood-soaked maws. But...

Huhuhu Beasts were incredibly efficient at devouring humans, but the one thing they currently couldn't consume was precisely what they used to love most: sand! This horde could only dig out sand with their mouths and then spit it back out, their movements slow and delayed! Yet, the Fourth Trigram's yellow sand was inexhaustible and unfailing; no matter how much they dug, the amount of sand generated always surpassed the amount removed! Over time, the Huhuhu Beasts not only failed to open a passage but the sand they excavated actually blocked the path for their reinforcements! Within minutes, four thousand Brockman people safely retreated to the other side of the life-wall. Du Chen let out three hearty laughs, dragged Changxi into the passage, and elegantly departed! Only the dumbfounded Huhuhu Beasts remained! Within the Labyrinth of Life, where could there possibly be any yellow sand?!

***

To Du Chen, the truly terrifying aspect of the Huhuhu Beasts wasn't their numbers, but their insatiable hunger for food! Driven by this desire, food superseded all else; a king was merely a tool to help them forage—Pieres' tragic fate was proof of that! If the Huhuhu Beasts lost one Changxi, they would simply elect another king! Therefore, capturing Changxi to control the Huhuhu Beasts was a fool's errand. If Du Chen dared to hold the Beast King hostage to command the horde, he estimated the Huhuhu Beasts would simply devour both him and Changxi.

"Quick! That Green Gourd Beast has the ability to breach the life-wall! Duding, take us a hundred *li* away from them before stopping!" At Du Chen's urging, little Duding carved through walls and barriers all the way, leading the Brockman clan far away from the main Huhuhu Beast force. Only when they stopped in an open clearing did Du Chen finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Whew! We're finally safe... Chek, count the family members and see if anyone got lost in the recent panic."

The clearing within the Labyrinth of Life was dimly lit and emerald green, utterly silent. Chek, seemingly oblivious to Du Chen's words, suddenly *thumped* to his knees, his forehead touching the ground, and burst into loud sobs! A burly man in his forties or fifties wept profusely, his voice choked with emotion... Chek suddenly raised his head, throwing his arms skyward and wailing, "We're out! We, the Brockman people, are free!!" This mighty roar seemed to trigger something. *Thump-thump* went the sound of knees hitting the ground, followed by *woo-woo* wails. Four thousand Brockman people sobbed uncontrollably, unrestrainedly venting years of accumulated grievances. Indeed, who could understand the feelings of being imprisoned in a cursed place for over a decade? Who could comprehend the agony of their family's elites being slaughtered, fleeing for their lives? And who could feel the exhilaration of escaping death more acutely than they?

Du Chen sighed, not disturbing them. Instead, he used clear water to rinse Changxi's eyes, held him down, and waved Steve over. Changxi's eyes were blood-red, glaring venomously at Du Chen. He seethed inwardly, *Why am I only Ninth-rank peak? Why did Alex's power suddenly surge, and where did that strange sand come from? Heh-gakka!* In truth, neither he nor Du Chen knew that Changxi had the opportunity but lacked the luck! That day, he devoured Violet-Blood Changxi and inherited Ninth-rank peak power, proving that Huhuhu Beast Changxi's attribute was the same as Violet-Blood Changxi's—both earth!

Thirteen had said that day that inheriting the Scarlet Army's power had two limitations: first, acquiring battle qi, and second, matching attributes! Changxi did indeed devour the Eleventh-Tier Fourteen, but wasn't the standard for Eleventh-Tier completing the fusion of two elements? How could Changxi's single-attribute body match Fourteen's dual-attribute battle qi? One could only say Huhuhu Beast Changxi's luck was truly poor. If he had had the chance to devour Seventeen first, then Fourteen, and finally Thirteen, eating them in reverse order of the Scarlet Army's designation, then his strength... Alas, Changxi wasn't fated for such a path!

Du Chen placed one foot on Changxi's head, sneering coldly, "Heh-gakka King, what more do you have to say?" "Kill me if you must!" "Kill you? Why would I kill you?" Du Chen patted his head. "No more nonsense. Let's make a deal—I'll release you, let you continue being king, and even point you to a place with enough 'food' for your kind! However, in return, you must lead me to Thirteen, whom you're holding captive!"

Changxi froze, then immediately understood Du Chen's intent. He scoffed coldly, "This deal is far too cheap for me. Can you afford such a loss? Alex, I understand now. You have a host of enemies, and you want me to lead the Huhuhu Beasts to their lair and devour them all!" Du Chen rubbed his nose. "You truly are a heh-gakka Huhuhu Beast!" Steve chimed in, "So, what'll it be? Be killed by us on the spot, or continue to be the greatest king in Huhuhu Beast history, providing your people with an endless supply of food?"

Changxi curled his lip into a smile. "Can I refuse such a proposal? Tell me, who are your enemies? My million-strong Huhuhu Beast army will devour them until not even bone fragments remain!" "Don't boast prematurely. Your kin reproduce by fission, but my enemies can make corpses rise and continuously summon an endless supply of soldiers!" Du Chen waved his hand, summoning little Duding. "Point him towards the Fiendkind's lair, the direction of the Subterranean Abyss!"

Yes! Du Chen intended to use the Huhuhu Beasts against the Fiendkind's Undead army. One reproduced by fission, the other reanimated corpses—both aberrations in the laws of nature, both possessing wildly proliferating numbers. When they clashed... *Heh-heh*, no matter who won or lost, Du Chen stood to gain immensely! And he would be avenging the Blade of Heaven!

Little Pudding, now transformed into a sapling, shivered, and a three-pronged white leaf fell from its branches. "Take this leaf. Its stem will always point towards the Subterranean Abyss. Just tell your Divine Son to gnaw his way along that direction!" Du Chen watched Changxi carefully take the leaf into his mouth, then added, "You are a clever Huhuhu Beast, so you should understand..." "No need to say more, I understand!" Changxi mumbled. "You've only pointed me in this one direction, and I dare not lead the Huhuhu Beasts to rampage aimlessly through the Labyrinth of Life, so I can only go to the Subterranean Abyss!" Doing business with a clever fellow was so simple!

Steve took Duding and left. He needed to use little Duding's traversing ability to rescue Thirteen and also ensure Changxi's safe return to the Huhuhu Beasts. After seeing them off, Du Chen didn't disturb the emotional Brockman family, nor did he dare to provoke Xue Ji again. Instead, he sat against the wall, quietly pondering the future.

***

Calming himself, he mused that the issues he faced didn't seem too complicated: his mother and Maternal Grandfather, Jamis and old Bovin, the Scarlet Army, Water's Embrace Lake, and the war against the Fiendkind! Du Chen considered each point. The Fiendkind front, while the most difficult, was also the simplest. First, let the Huhuhu Beasts and the Fiendkind clash in a mutually destructive battle, then he would use little Duding and the Brockman clan, gathering a large number of human Masters, to storm the Subterranean Abyss and clear them out.

His mother and Maternal Grandfather were in Celestial Capital. Little Duding said this place was mysterious and unfathomable. After the Celestial Capital Assembly back then, Divine Emperor Prince and the Life Tree had even reached a secret, unspoken agreement, adding some restrictions near Celestial Capital. Now, little Duding only vaguely knew Celestial Capital's location and had never personally been there. So, Du Chen shouldn't rush into adventuring. He should honestly enhance his strength and influence first!

Furthermore, at this moment, Du Chen's desire to find Phil and Byron-Gale wasn't strong. After all, he was Du Chen, not their true son and grandson! Jamis and old Bovin... their matters, along with Water's Embrace Lake, should be grouped together and resolved at a later date! So, all that remained for now was the Scarlet Army!

As Du Chen was thinking, Steve returned, carrying Thirteen. After days of captivity, Thirteen no longer possessed her former domineering aura. She sat slumped before the two brothers, her hair disheveled, her robes tattered. Yet, this did not diminish her valiant and resolute military spirit; even in her weakened state, her back remained ramrod straight!

She cast a cold glance at Du Chen and Steve. "Kill me," Thirteen said. "I won't reveal anything about the Scarlet Army. I hold no value for you!" Steve grinned lecherously, threatening, "Is that so? Beautiful lady, no woman has ever been so steadfast in front of me!" Thirteen scoffed, her disdain completely unconcealed.

"Eldest Brother, leave this to me! If this lady truly is 'her,' then we must indeed be more polite!" Du Chen sat before Thirteen, neither resorting to torture nor offering inducements. Instead, he began his interrogation from a topic Thirteen hadn't anticipated. "Thirteen, what you are doing now, do you consider it good or bad?"

Thirteen paused slightly. Du Chen continued, "Constantine is known as the Rebellious Dragon, his hands stained with blood, utterly wicked! Angie murdered his uncle, destroyed his ancestors, and betrayed his family—everyone wants him dead! And now, you... are you any different from them?" "Hmph, that's none of your concern!" "Indeed, it's none of my concern!" Du Chen let out a profound sigh and continued, "Do you know what primer children in the Lanning Empire use when they learn to read and write?" "I'm not interested in your nonsense!"

"Listen even if you don't want to! I'll tell you, it's the 'Divine Edicts'! The first lesson inside is called 'The Tale of the Einz Pantheon'! And the fourth line states: 'Hongluan Battle God Julie said, 'To die for humanity, no regrets! To sacrifice for humanity, no remorse! With my body and my life, I shall safeguard the supreme glory of the Aethelgard Continent!''" Du Chen suddenly stood up, glaring fixedly at Thirteen. "Now, do you have anything to say?"

Thirteen's mouth slightly agape, she was speechless with astonishment, yet her eyelashes trembled faintly, and her lips quivered subtly. Gritting her teeth, she huffed, "What Lieutenant General Julie said, what does it have to do with me?" "Lieutenant General Julie? Heh-heh, the Grand Commander of the Sixth Legion of the Holy Alliance's Einz War Zone, Lieutenant-General of the Third Star of the Fallen Gods, Marquis of Divine Bestowal, Hongluan Battle God Julie..."

Du Chen rattled off a string of esteemed titles. With each appellation, Thirteen's face paled a degree, and her eyes dimmed a notch! "Lieutenant General Julie had two personal attendants, close as sisters: one named Lucy, the other Lily..." Du Chen smiled, looking at Thirteen's dejected appearance. "If someone were to tell Lucy and Lily that their Grand Commander, their elder sister, has now become someone else's lackey, doing all sorts of unspeakable things, what do you think that scene would be like?"

Thirteen almost instantly retorted in a rage as Du Chen finished speaking, "They're just two dead people! What do they have to do with me!?" "Dead people?" Du Chen blinked, chuckling. "Alright, they are indeed dead! But do you want to know what happened after their deaths?" Thirteen remained silent, but her eyes held a glimmer of anticipation.

Du Chen slowly said, "Three years ago, someone won an ancient castle on the Einz South Sea at a gambling table, called Julie's Ancient Castle. From within, he rescued one hundred and two pitiful Undead, and... those Undead were transformed, becoming heroic spirits capable of walking freely under the sun, no different from humans!" "What did you say!?" Thirteen suddenly grabbed Du Chen's collar, but her current strength couldn't harm Du Chen in the slightest. She could only stare intently at Alex before her!

Du Chen unhurriedly recounted the recent experiences of the two Grand Matriarchs, then smiled at Thirteen, who had disconsolately released her grip. "Shall I continue? Eldest Brother, tell her our surname!" Steve glanced at the Brockman clan and Xue Ji, who were far away, then reassured her with a playful grin, "Beautiful lady, our surname is quite long, it is... Saint Sigurd Kane!"

Thirteen was stunned, gaping for a long moment. Suddenly, she let out a disconsolate laugh, weakly waving her hand. "Enough, enough! To think that all this killing, all this fighting, has been against my own people! No wonder you saved me! Steve, boy, help me up!" "Heh-heh, you finally admit it! Since our ancestor called you 'sister,' it's not too much for us to call you 'Grand Aunt,' is it?" Steve helped Thirteen up as requested. Thirteen leaned limply on his shoulder, perhaps a little too intimately, but Thirteen didn't care. Would Steve, that lecher, care?

After getting up, Thirteen glanced at Steve's face. "To be so close to the Divine Realm at such a young age, excellent, truly excellent! But the other day when you ambushed me, you weren't using Eldest Brother Sigurd's inherited 'Sacred Flame Sword'!" "What? You don't believe our identity?" Steve, supporting Thirteen with one hand, gently waved the other. Specks of starlight and flowing fire glittered, striking the life-wall. It was precisely the first Secret Technique Du Chen had ever witnessed since his reincarnation—the "Shooting Star Rain"!

Thirteen seemed to have let go of something in her heart and nodded. "Shooting Star Rain. Your identity is correct... Steve, your innate element is fire, and you're now at the final critical juncture of fusing with the second element, metal, aren't you?" Steve exclaimed in surprise, "Your insight is keen! Indeed, through some fortunate coincidences, unlike ordinary fire-elemental Battle Gods who develop earth as their second element, mine is metal, which counters earth!"

This was an issue inherent to Flaying itself; Du Chen had even considered stealing the Pontiff's Golden Circlet of the Divine back then to help Flaying overcome this flaw. Thirteen, however, brightened, "Excellent! If you can forcibly fuse these two elements and advance to Eleventh-Tier, then in the latter half of the Battle God's Path, you will far surpass other gods!"

Du Chen found it somewhat odd. How had these two started discussing battle qi theory? Steve didn't understand either, and Thirteen had no intention of explaining. Instead, she demanded, "Give me paper and a brush! I'll write something for you!" Was she about to reveal secrets? Du Chen, confident that he now had Thirteen cornered, had no reservations. He asked Chek for paper and a brush, then instructed Chek not to disturb them, before returning to his Eldest Brother's side.

Thirteen told Steve to bend down and began writing on his back. She shook her head at the watching Du Chen with a smile, "This is for your Eldest Brother; it's useless for you to read it!" Du Chen pursed his lips and stepped back. Thirteen wrote slowly. Just as she finished the last stroke, she suddenly collapsed fully onto Steve's back. Steve, thinking Thirteen was exhausted, quickly turned his head to check, but to his surprise... Thirteen took advantage of Steve turning his head and kissed him squarely on the lips!

Du Chen was dumbfounded, and Steve was equally bewildered. What in the world was this? Steve was indeed a lecher, and often took liberties with women, but he had never been forcefully kissed by an ancient Grand Aunt over a thousand years old! Wasn't this incest!? Du Chen was torn between laughter and tears. *Gods above, why have forceful kisses been happening so frequently lately?* As he forced a bitter smile, he suddenly heard Steve exclaim in shock, "Julie, are you insane?" Looking closely, Thirteen had already toppled off Steve's back. Her appearance, less than thirty years old, rapidly aged, turning into white hair and a withered face in the blink of an eye. Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, yet it curved into a smile of contentment.

Thirteen committed suicide!? "You, what are you doing!?" Du Chen cried out in alarm, waving little Duding and the Lotus Pedestal over. He said urgently, "Please, don't speak yet! My Precious Lotus Scripture should be able to save your life!" Thirteen shook her head. "You don't understand. For us in the Scarlet Army, losing battle qi is equivalent to losing our lives. I am an old woman on the verge of death; no one can defy fate and change destiny... My time is short, listen to me honestly for a few words!"

Du Chen quickly checked. Indeed, Thirteen's lifespan had reached its end; in this situation, the lotus's light had no effect whatsoever! Thirteen refused treatment and slowly said, "Alas! I thought that after my 'body and bones were gone' back then, and disliking Portraits, no one among future generations would recognize me. But unexpectedly, today you've seen through me." Thirteen gave a bitter smile, waved her hand at the two brothers who had approached, and told Du Chen, "You were right. I am now someone else's lackey; no, I'm not even as good as a dog... I've long grown tired of this life. Thank you, thank you for giving me this courage!"

"Ha, haha! A human hero turned into a demon... I should have had no face to live long ago! Alex, Lieutenant General Julie died long ago, do you understand?" Du Chen urgently said, "I understand. Miss Lucy and Miss Lily will forever only know the Fallen Gods hero—Lieutenant General Julie, and will never know who Thirteen is!" Thirteen nodded with satisfaction, then turned her gaze to Steve. "What I wrote for you just now was the 'Shooting Star' stance from the 'Myriad Ages' Nine Gods Art.' You've witnessed its power. It's personally imparted by the Divine Emperor, the Fallen Gods' foremost Secret Technique of a thousand years, and it's a perfect match for your unique attributes! Coupled with the battle qi I just passed to you, it's enough for you to surpass Eleventh-Tier within ten years and be conferred the title of Twelfth-Tier Meteor Fire Battle God!"

Steve picked up the paper from the ground, quickly scanned it, and let out a low, bitter chuckle. So, Thirteen had been discussing battle qi theory with him earlier to confirm if Steve's battle qi was compatible with hers... Thirteen continued haltingly, "You are the direct eldest great-grandson of Eldest Brother Sigurd. Giving these things to you leaves me with no regrets..." Her voice grew weaker, but she still joked with Du Chen, "Are you blaming me for being partial? Only giving benefits to your Eldest Brother, but neglecting you, my child?" Du Chen genuinely didn't care about that. In one lifetime, they were two brothers; why bother with such trivialities?

"*Cough, cough!*" Thirteen coughed violently a few times. After regulating her breathing, she asked, "The method you used to pick the Secret Lock that day, was it the 'Art of Artifact Annihilation'?" Du Chen hesitated slightly, then nodded. Thirteen smiled faintly and then asked, "As a descendant of Sigurd, why do you have golden hair?" Du Chen glanced at the distant crowd, then turned his back to them, removed his mask, and quickly put it back on. "Wolf?!" Thirteen was inexplicably startled, then let out a bitter laugh. "If I had seen your face earlier, none of this would have happened... Well, it's fine. I was still somewhat hesitant, but since you are identical to Wolf and also proficient in the 'Art of Artifact Annihilation,' then you absolutely have the qualifications to obtain that item!"

*Could Julie have left something for me?* Du Chen quickly listened intently. "That ancient castle is yours. Go to the dungeon that suppresses Kuban, three hundred meters beneath the cage..." Here, Thirteen suddenly couldn't catch her breath and was clearly failing. Struggling to gather her last bit of strength, she cried out fiercely, "Find it! Don't let anyone know you've obtained it! The Scarlet Army's power is beyond your imagination; I am merely a watchdog for the Scarlet Army..." Her head tilted, and Thirteen died...

Du Chen and Steve exchanged bitter smiles! Truth be told, they felt no particular sorrow over Julie's death. After all, a quarter of an hour ago, they were still enemies. Although there was a familial connection, they weren't intimate. For Du Chen, Thirteen's death was more baffling than anything else! Committing suicide upon having one's identity exposed could still be explained by the dignity of a Fallen Gods Lieutenant General! But why did she transfer her battle qi to Steve, completing Flaying's Battle God's Path? This was tantamount to betraying the Scarlet Army! If she had already betrayed the Scarlet Army, why not simply reveal its secrets!?

What was most perplexing were her final few words to Du Chen: what did she mean by "also" proficient in the "Art of Artifact Annihilation"? Why did she leave something for Du Chen? And what exactly was left? A string of questions swirled in Du Chen's mind. In short, all of Julie's actions were utterly baffling! As he was thinking, Steve abruptly yanked Du Chen's head. "Third Brother, stop thinking! Look at Julie's corpse!" Du Chen turned his head, too shocked to speak! Too many baffling things had happened today, but the most inexplicable was still Julie's corpse...