Life-or-Death Battle: A Storm Gathers, Prelude to Annihilation!

Du Chen snatched the Declaration of War from Harry, leaned back in his chair, and glanced at it, a sneer twisting his lips. He read aloud, “After yesterday’s battle, observing Duke Du’s heroic bearing, and to spare the people of Thornwood Valley and Du City, our valley wishes to emulate the Heroic Era with Duke Du… Motherf***er, how sappy! Sillier than Liana’s sour plums! Harry, tell that messenger, Crimson, to get his ass in here. If he has something to say, he can say it to my face; I’ve no patience for spineless drivel!”

Du Chen had yet to realize that after Xue Ji’s departure, his suppressed nature had completely erupted. He was once again the foul-mouthed, swaggering ruffian he once was, reverted entirely to his old self!

Harry, pinching his nose, grunted in acknowledgment, then stepped out and bellowed, “Grand Duke of Durkus summons Crimson, the Eighth Head of Thornwood Valley, for an audience!”

When Crimson entered the tent, Du Chen gazed at him with an expression of pure, innocent kindness. A book lay on the table beside him, and Crimson instinctively glanced at its title, barely suppressing a laugh.

*On the Martial Spirit and Moral Governance of the Heroic Era – By Saint Bovin of Lanning*!

“Are you Head Crimson, then? Please, have a seat! I’ve read Head Thomas’s Declaration of War, but there’s one point I don’t quite understand…” Du Chen smirked confidently, as if he’d uncovered a vast conspiracy within the letter, gloating inwardly. “The strongest in Thornwood Valley is merely Thomas, and he’s only a Tenth-rank Battle God. Yet here we have myself and Andy, more than enough to win two rounds and secure victory in this duel! This compels me to suspect that your proposal for such an unwinnable duel conceals some ulterior motive!”

Crimson merely smiled faintly. Such a question had long been anticipated. If he hadn’t prepared an answer, would he have dared to come as an envoy?

“Duke Du, we are all discerning individuals, so let’s speak frankly. Firstly, I admit that Thornwood Valley is doomed to lose this war. Therefore, I wouldn’t dare hope to gain much from this duel! However… there are many ways to lose. Our intention in proposing this duel is to minimize our losses, even if defeat is certain.”

Du Chen scratched his head, appearing quite artless. “Hmm, that sounds somewhat reasonable. So, how do you intend to minimize your losses?”

“It’s quite simple. If you win the duel and guarantee fair treatment to the surrendering Thornwood natives, then we will immediately open our gates to your people, our soldiers will lay down their arms, and we will unconditionally submit to your arrangements, becoming your captives! However, if you lose the duel, Thornwood Valley will only acknowledge your status as a victorious nation, willing to become your vassal force, but maintaining the independence of Thornwood City. In plain terms: if you win, Thornwood Valley relinquishes all its rights! If you lose, Thornwood Valley retains its minimal sovereignty, pledging allegiance to you as a vassal house.”

Du Chen chuckled mirthlessly, “You still haven’t answered my question—this duel is a guaranteed loss for you. Why not simply surrender instead of staging a duel? Do you take me for a fool? There must be something fishy going on!”

Crimson glanced again at the book beside Du Chen’s hand, thinking to himself, *Yes, you’re not a fool, but neither are you particularly astute!*

“Duke Du, you’re far too suspicious! I’ll be direct: to win this duel, we will leverage Thornwood Valley’s millennia-old connections and invite several mysterious Masters to assist us. At that time, please don’t claim they aren’t Thornwood natives and cannot represent our valley in battle!”

Du Chen “saw the light,” his “doubts vanishing completely.” “So, you have hidden trump cards! No wonder you’re confident enough to challenge the Masters of Du City!”

Crimson thought, *Trump cards, my ass. I only said that to dispel your suspicions. Otherwise, no matter how foolish you are, you wouldn’t believe that Thornwood Valley, with only Tenth-rank Masters, would dare propose a duel they’re guaranteed to lose!* Yet, his Second Uncle had been acting mysteriously lately. *Perhaps he really can invite some mysterious Masters?*

Crimson declared loudly, “That’s all there is to it, Duke Du. We Thornwood natives dislike the fussy etiquette of nobles. If you’re a man, give us a straight answer: will you fight or not!?”

“This…” Du Chen hesitated.

Crimson continued, “Accept the duel, and regardless of winning or losing, you can obtain Thornwood Valley. Though the method may differ, it will spare many soldiers’ lives—Francis, Thornwood Valley is, after all, a large city of two hundred thousand people. Even if you conquer Thornwood City, how many soldiers would you lose in street-to-street combat!? Yes, we admit Thornwood City cannot defeat your God-General Dud, but the Thornwood natives, fearless for their homes, would fight you to the bitter end. Even in death, they could take tens of thousands of your soldiers with them!”

“Indeed, Dud also mentioned that street-to-street combat would cost at least ten thousand soldiers…” The supposedly “indecisive” Du Chen, upon hearing about the loss of ten thousand soldiers, instantly made up his mind. He slammed the table and declared, “Alright, state the specific time and conditions for the duel!”

Crimson smiled inwardly. Second Uncle was right; as long as he emphasized soldier casualties, Francis wouldn’t refuse the duel!

“The duel will take place on the Great Plains, a location acceptable to both sides. It will be a best-of-three, life-or-death battle! However, as you saw, my Second Uncle Thomas was injured on the battlefield the day before yesterday. He requires ten days to recover enough to preside over the duel, so it will commence in ten days! During these ten days, to ease your concerns, the five hundred meters outside Thornwood Valley City will be undefended, allowing you to monitor it closely. However, you must not use this as an opportunity to attack the city!”

“Excellent! Harry, prepare a feast to entertain Head Crimson!”

“No need. I must return to the city immediately to relay this news to my Second Uncle. The Deed of Ownership for the Three Continents will be sent shortly!”

Before leaving, Crimson glanced once more at the book on Du Chen’s table. After exiting the military camp, he couldn’t help but snicker, “*On the Martial Spirit and Moral Governance of Heroes*… Ha! Francis is such a bloody traditionalist!”

As Du Chen watched his retreating figure, he suddenly curled his lips, tore off the book’s cover, and began reading with a grin. The revealed title page boldly displayed a different name altogether—*Charlemagne and the Thirteen Women: A Story Not to Be Missed – Restricted to Readers Under Fifteen*.

While reading, Du Chen calmly issued instructions. “Dus, inform Ted that Thornwood Valley has suddenly employed a delaying tactic, stalling for ten days. Have Ted investigate the true reason and simultaneously begin the excavation work! Harry, go order Dud to prepare. In ten days, he will execute his plan to freeze Thornwood City solid! Finally, find Liana, tell her about the duel, and also… that in ten days, at the time of the duel, I will be pulling the wool over their eyes, stealing away two hundred thousand Thornwood natives!”

***

Crimson returned to the inner city tower of Thornwood and clearly recounted the negotiation process, then hesitated, saying, “Second Uncle, Francis is indeed as you described—overflowing with kindness and indecisive, and he has agreed to the duel! But even so, do we truly have a chance to win the duel in ten days? Even without mentioning others, Andy and Francis alone could each win a match and secure victory!”

Thomas smiled mysteriously. “Is winning or losing the duel truly important?”

Crimson’s expression flickered, but he still feigned ignorance. “But if we lose and then don’t surrender as agreed, Francis might immediately bloodbath Thornwood Valley!”

Thomas gave Crimson a meaningful look. “Nephew, among the Heads of the Valley, you are the most astute. Let Second Uncle give you a hint… Don’t be surprised by anything that happens in ten days. Just assist Second Uncle in organizing the valley’s order. If you do this, not only will Second Uncle ensure your safe escape from this calamity, but you will also enjoy endless glory and riches!”

“Second Uncle, you mean…”

“Don’t ask any more questions. Within these ten days, subtly convey my message to all the other Heads and Generals—except for Ted. Ensure they assist me in organizing the valley’s order in ten days, understood!?”

Thomas saw Crimson off, then turned and returned to his inner chamber. Brockman was inside, savoring red wine, while Syngh, one of the Twelve Nether King Beasts, stood proudly at his side.

“Councilor, you truly predicted Francis’s temperament perfectly! He agreed to the duel!”

Brockman laughed. “Just as expected! In that case, General Thomas, please designate a hidden area for Syngh and his comrades to excavate a tunnel!”

Thomas gazed at the map of Thornwood City on the wall, contemplating how to transport the Thornwood natives into the Tunnel of Life. It was a massive challenge! Although with his prestige, he could rally the Thornwood natives to follow him orderly in chaos with a single cry, Francis’s scouts were still in the sky. The excavation of the immigration tunnel had to be hidden from them!

After a long while, Thomas sighed. “Ah, the Imperial Guards’ camp would have been a good spot, but alas, the Imperial Guards have become Ted’s family army… So, let it be near the North Gate. That area is furthest from Francis’s military camp and has vast dense forests for concealment, enough to excavate an opening capable of accommodating two hundred thousand people, undetected!”

Brockman nodded. “Feasible!”

“Councilor, I have A Minor Problem! The emigration of two hundred thousand people is a major undertaking after all; no matter how fast, it will still take some time…”

“I understand your concern! Once the excavation work is complete, Syngh will represent Thornwood Valley in the duel! Each of the Twelve Nether King Beasts possesses Twelfth-rank strength, and Syngh is the foremost among them, wielding the Nether King Immortal Body derived from the Huhuhu Beast! At that time, he will conjure a sky-covering black mist during the duel. You merely need to rally the civilians to enter the opening when the black mist rises! Hmph, once all the Thornwood natives have entered the ever-changing Labyrinth of Life… even if Francis possessed Heaven-defying abilities, he would only be able to sigh in resignation!”

***

Ten days—neither long nor short, just enough time for many trivial matters to unfold!

Day One: Thomas, adhering to Brockman’s orders, fabricated evidence to persecute Ted! He had intended to outright eliminate Ted, but Ted, acting on Du Chen’s instructions, completely ignored Thomas. Instead, he feigned severe injury and remained secluded, staying within the military camp to focus secretly on excavating the tunnel! Although Thomas gathered sufficient evidence, he observed the situation and dared not risk forcibly apprehending Ted, who commanded seven thousand family army soldiers. He could only gnash his teeth in frustration, utterly powerless!

Day Three: Ted sent back news. Although the reason for Thornwood Valley’s delay hadn’t been fully clarified, he discovered that over the past two days, Thornwood Valley’s high command had begun imposing military control over civilians. Thornwood City’s official explanation was that popular sentiment was unstable during wartime, and military management was a precautionary measure… Du Chen merely chuckled, issuing a general order that all existing plans were to remain unchanged!

Day Five: Bairu, unable to contain his frustration over Du Chen’s private agreement to the duel, confronted him with a challenge. But Du Chen stifled him with a single sentence: “On the day of the duel, if you don’t see a satisfactory outcome, I, Francis, will take my own life to atone to His Holiness the Pontiff!”

Day Seven: A rumor began circulating in Thornwood Valley—*Hey, did you hear? That Francis outside is actually a big idiot, a softhearted fool! He can help us turn over a new leaf and live well, as long as we do a couple of good deeds…* The immediate impact of this rumor was not yet clear, but it was certain that it had become widely known among the majority of Thornwood natives.

Day Nine: Thomas, seeing the duel about to begin and still having failed to eliminate Ted as his Pledge of Allegiance, grew furious and humiliated! Brockman also feared that Ted might cause unpredictable complications for the emigration plan. The two resolved to act, attempting a military coup to eradicate Ted, but at the crucial moment, the heavily besieged “Helen” somehow made her way to the inner ancient tower and produced Valley Master Sena’s command arrow… Thomas cursed the heavens in rage, yet could only order troops to strictly monitor Ted, ensuring he wouldn’t create obstacles during the emigration!

Upon learning of this situation, Du Chen sent a message to Ted: “Thomas is eager to eliminate you, so tomorrow’s duel is sure to have unforeseen changes. Maintain contact through Snoopy, and if necessary, make your own decisions and adapt accordingly!”

Day Ten: The duel commenced…

***

According to the explicit terms of the Deed of Ownership, to prevent experts above Tenth-rank from harming civilians during intense combat, the duel was arranged on the Great Plains, ten li away from Thornwood City. The generals from both sides each led ten thousand soldiers to form a perimeter, encircling a ten li square open area to serve as the gladiatorial arena. All other personnel were to remain at their posts; no one was permitted to move an inch without a joint Military Edict signed by both parties!

In the early morning, both parties simultaneously advanced toward the gladiatorial arena.

On Thornwood Valley’s side, Thomas naturally led the procession. Avril walked behind him, her brow deeply furrowed. “Third Uncle, why are only you and Fourth Bro, the two Heads, going to the duel? Where are the other Heads?”

Thomas smiled. “In a duel between such Masters, the other Heads wouldn’t be of much help. They’re better off staying in the Valley!” Inwardly, he sneered, *Once the black mist rises, those other Heads will immediately organize the civilians to retreat to the North Gate’s opening. They won’t have time to watch a duel! As for Fourth Bro… even with the black mist’s assistance and thorough preparations, a massive emigration of two hundred thousand people requires some individuals to cover the rear. The incompetent Fourth Bro, along with these ten thousand soldiers today, are merely cannon fodder to buy time!*

Thomas lowered his voice, asking with a hint of sadness, “How is Sena?”

Avril’s heart was bitter. “She might not make it past the next day or two…”

Thomas sighed despondently. *Sena, my wife, rest assured, I will ensure you personally witness your foster mother’s painstaking efforts safely enter the Labyrinth of Life!* “Sha, you will fight the first round. Don’t seek victory, only conserve your strength! After the fight, regardless of the situation, immediately make an excuse to treat your wounds and return to Thornwood City to protect your Master, understood?”

Avril, as sharp as ice and snow, knew something was amiss the moment she heard him. Connecting it with the recent abnormal occurrences within Thornwood Valley, she couldn’t help but ask, “Third Uncle, will an accident happen later?”

Thomas whispered, “There’s no point hiding it from you now. There will indeed be a major upheaval later. Your task is to protect Sena, understood!?”

Avril’s heart lurched. She remained silent for a long moment, then suddenly nodded…

On Du City’s side, Du Chen led the team, accompanied by Deboning, Beibei, Adams, Aliza, and even Anya. However, among the Masters, the strongest, Andy, was conspicuously absent—Snow Wolf Andy was currently under Dud’s command, preparing to freeze Thornwood Valley!

Bairu walked beside Du Chen, his face extremely grim. “Brother, if not for me today, then for your own sake, you absolutely must give His Holiness the Pontiff a satisfactory explanation! Otherwise, if His Majesty’s wrath is incurred, we…”

Du Chen turned and shrugged. “Big Bro, how many days have you been nagging? Just sit back and enjoy the show later!”

With his own future at stake, how could Bairu be at ease? He inwardly cursed Francis for being deliberately enigmatic, then stomped his foot and silently swore at Mas, who was lightheartedly joking with Aliza!

Soon, both groups gathered within the circle formed by the soldiers. The ten li wide circle stretched as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of meters away, Thomas called out, “Duke Du, let’s dispense with the pleasantries! According to the rules of the Heroic Era, we are the challengers, so we must first reveal our opponent for the first battle, and then you may choose who will answer the challenge! So, for our first battle, stepping forward is… Sha!”

As he spoke, Thomas’s gaze swept over the Masters Du Chen had brought. Seeing that Snow Wolf Andy was not among them, he was slightly taken aback, then glanced at Syngh, who was hidden beneath heavy armor beside him.

A gentle breeze swept across the vast plains. Avril, clad in beast-faced heavy armor, calmly walked onto the center of the circle, treading on the green grass. Her eyes, peering through her mask, gazed deeply at Du Chen. From behind her, she drew a pair of short swords and bellowed, “Who is my opponent!?”

Du Chen slowly walked forward, his Vanishing Snow Sword lightly raised. “I am!”

*Alas, Goddess of Fate!* Avril smiled bitterly. “Duke Du fighting personally—Sha’s fortune! Let us begin!”

Suddenly, crystalline snowflakes began to dance across the prairie, and the temperature plummeted to freezing point. The two stood face-to-face, their postures and auras strikingly similar, both cloaked in swirling snow, standing tall and prominent!

“Vanishing Snow!”

“Love Snow!”

Almost simultaneously, layers of frost covered their bodies, forming icy illusions. Yet, their true forms lunged at each other with speeds imperceptible to the naked eye. Avril was fast, but Du Chen, aided by Wind Source, possessed unmatched speed in the world. Furthermore, his battle qi was a full rank higher than Avril’s!

Their techniques were similar, and both knew the frozen statues standing motionlessly were mere illusions. Each tracked the other’s true form along the paths of their movements. But Du Chen was simply too fast. Just as Avril raised her twin swords, Du Chen’s longsword, exploiting the difference in battle qi ranks, effortlessly tore through Avril’s battle qi shield, then promptly plunged into her shoulder!

A streak of crimson blood stained the crystalline white snow!

Avril gritted her teeth and shifted her body, barely evading Du Chen’s second wave of pursuit, then staggered backward to create distance.

Du Chen smiled faintly. “This move was created by me; naturally, I know all its weaknesses and trajectories. Sha, if you don’t wish to be defeated by me in two moves, it’s best not to use ‘Thoughts of Flower’ next!”

Avril also smiled, uttering a phrase that sounded utterly inexplicable to Du Chen. “The next move is Thoughts of Flower, and I have no regrets!”

As she spoke, snowflakes instantly condensed into massive six-pointed snow-shards, rapidly swirling around Du Chen. It was indeed the Thoughts of Flower technique, but within the snowflakes was mingled a streak of crimson—Avril’s blood!

Du Chen frowned, bewildered. *Sha is too strange. He clearly knows that using this move in front of Burial of Petals’ creator is courting death, so why did he still use it? And saying, ‘I have no regrets’?* The more he thought, the stranger it seemed. Du Chen casually summoned the Fire Lotus Lantern. A fierce blaze ignited, centered on Du Chen, and the firelight surged into the core of the six-sided snow-shards—the greatest weakness of the Burial of Petals technique! Instantly, the snowflakes melted. Following this, Du Chen activated the ‘Quake’ character-secret, which contained a sudden explosive force within the Fire Lotus Lantern. The lantern body trembled, and the firelight burst forth with a crash, blasting Avril a good three zhang away!

Du Chen frowned even deeper. “You’ve lost. If you don’t wish to die, then change opponents!”

Du Chen shook his head. In truth, with his full power, it would take Du Chen more than ten moves to defeat Sha. But why choose such a poor technique? To specifically use the Vanishing Snow Burial of Petals, which Du Chen knew inside and out, wasn’t that like revealing one’s weaknesses before even striking!? Du Chen was fully capable of killing Sha in the second move, but he held back. He always felt that Sha might be connected to him in some way, and he didn’t want to accidentally kill a good person before clarifying that. His emphatic declaration before the campaign, that he would personally take down Sha, was actually a veiled method of protection!

Sha stubbornly stood up, a delicate smile gracing the face behind the mask. “I haven’t lost yet. Third move, Sabin’s Lament!”

Thomas, from a distance, was startled. *Has Sha gone mad? Didn’t I tell him to conserve his strength and return to protect Sena? Why is he still fighting so desperately!?*

Du Chen’s Fire Lotus Lantern struck again, easily repelling Sha. But Sha immediately lunged forward once more, again and again. Just as Du Chen’s temper was thoroughly ignited, Sha expended her final move, “Mount Tianshan’s Blessing,” then suddenly let out a breath as if relieved of a heavy burden, retracting her twin swords. “I’ve lost. I’ll return to the city to heal!”

With that, Avril turned and departed!

Everyone stared strangely at her retreating figure, filled with wonder. *What was that all about? If she wanted to concede, why didn’t she do it sooner? Why wait until she was covered in wounds?*

Du Chen didn’t understand, and Thomas understood even less. Perhaps only Avril herself knew the true reason!

*Francis, I won’t add to your troubles, but I wished to speak with you—to speak of your snow, your lotus, that poisoned wine at Princess Yuna’s banquet, the moment we parted on Sabin’s Avenue, the cold indifference when I overheard your resolute words outside your window, the sorrow I felt when I learned of your engagement… and even my final blessing to you and Xue Ji on Mount Tianshan! I apologize, I cannot say these words aloud; I can only express them through these techniques… Annie says I’m foolish. Perhaps. Who knows? Heh.*

***

Thomas, seeing Sha finally return, breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and said, “Duke Du’s divine might is truly admirable! Now, the rules for the second battle are reversed—you will first send out an individual, and we will then specifically choose our combatant!”

Du Chen was still gazing absently at Avril’s retreating figure. Hearing Thomas, he nodded. “Brook!”

Deboning gave a chilling smile, stepping forward with his head held high. Now, only half a step away from the divine realm, Deboning was guaranteed to defeat any Tenth-rank Master!

In a flash, all eyes converged on Deboning’s face!

Thomas’s heart involuntarily quickened. It was time. His greatest fear—Andy challenging Syngh in the second battle—had not materialized. The plan could now commence, but he had to keep an eye on Andy’s whereabouts; that could be a variable! Thomas said, “Mister Syngh, please! Duke Du, this is the Master I’ve invited, Syngh!”

Syngh was clad in full heavy armor, his appearance obscured. Du Chen glanced at him, sensing a potent aura; this was a formidable opponent! “Brook, be careful!”

It was no wonder Du Chen couldn’t discern Syngh’s true strength. A Twelfth-rank Nether King Beast, a full rank higher than Du Chen at this moment, and even beyond Beibei’s mental perception limit! With Andy absent, likely no one present could see through Syngh’s power! Most terrifyingly, the Nether King Beasts had shed the weaknesses of The Undead, making them immune to Du Chen’s control, and thus even the Lotus Holy Light had no effect on him!

Deboning drew his Blade of Vanishing Moon’s Deadwater, stating gravely, “Nether Blade, Brook!”

Syngh did not return the courtesy. His eyes, peering from behind his helmet, coldly swept over Deboning, then he suddenly turned and asked, “Thomas, living or dying?”

Thomas chuckled. “It’s a battle to the death!”

“Good. I’ll kill him in one move!” This was actually an implied message: *I will slay Deboning in one move with my Twelfth-rank battle qi, throwing Du Chen’s army into disarray, then generate the black mist to commence the plan!*

But Deboning immediately flew into a rage. *Kill me in one move? Hmph!* He stomped his foot, ready to charge into battle, but just as he lifted it, he stopped. Anya, the little fellow, had appeared in front of him at some unknown moment. The child was only knee-high, and no one had noticed when he’d arrived!

Alex cast a haughty glance at Thomas, then crooked a finger. “Master, I shall wash away the disgrace you’ve brought!”

The gladiatorial arena suddenly fell into a deathly silence. In a grand war deciding the fate of two nations, a little brat stood in the middle, mouthing off… Everyone felt an urge to laugh.

Du Chen secretly rolled his eyes. *Be content, at least my son is wearing clothes this time and didn’t jump out in just a tiny pair of red underwear…*

“Beibei, bring your little brother back!”

“Oh dear, little brother is so embarrassing!” Beibei, her face flushed, stepped forward to grab the little fellow. But our great Master stood motionless, still coldly staring at Thomas. “Big sister, move aside. Master, one cannot lose an opportunity!” With that, the little fellow strode towards Thomas with a majestic gait, displaying quite the demeanor of a peerless grandmaster. But… why did Du Chen always worry the child might suddenly trip and burst into tears?

Syngh’s expression darkened. “Francis, is this the etiquette of Durkus? This child can challenge Thomas, but only after I’ve killed Brook!” A Nether King Beast possessed the dignity of a Twelfth-rank Aberrant Beast; he had no interest in bothering a child, only in reprimanding the adults!

Even Du Chen, whose skin was as thick as a city wall, found himself struggling at this moment. “Anya, come back now!”

Not only did the little fellow not return, but he slowly approached Syngh’s feet. His tiny stature, compared to the Nether King Beast Syngh, was like comparing a sesame seed to a soybean—they weren’t even on the same level!

Alex stopped at Syngh’s feet, not even raising his head. “If I take you down, can I then challenge Thomas?”

Syngh frowned, sneering, “Little fellow, it seems you’re courting death!”

Alex’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Then, you’re already a dead man!” With that, Anya looked up, fixing his gaze on Thomas, and continued forward!

Du Chen, hearing the wrong tone in Syngh’s voice, had already conjured Green Cloud and rushed to protect his son. But he was only halfway there when…

*Crack, snap, crackle and pop!* Golden electrical currents suddenly erupted from Syngh’s chest. Following this, the electricity spread throughout his entire body, emerging in layers, each strikingly fierce. It was as if a thundercloud storm had abruptly detonated within Syngh’s body. With a “bang,” the Twelfth-rank Nether King Beast… was blasted to smithereens!

Thornwood Valley instantly fell silent!

Silence was the dominant melody of this moment!

All right, let’s leave Du Chen and his companions for now, for they might remain quiet for a very, very long time…

Anya had detonated the Twelfth-rank Nether King Beast Syngh with lightning. The surging, majestic electrical currents radiated a faint golden glow, drifting on the wind, drifting and drifting. A few wisps of golden light landed on the ground, yet the land of Thornwood Valley had another appellation—the bark of the Life Tree!

The moment the golden light touched the bark, it seemed as if the entire world trembled. However, this tremor was like an illusion, barely noticeable to anyone. Yet, the tremor propagated along the Life Tree’s bark, passing through the Labyrinth of Life, through countless nodes, through innumerable Heavens Beyond Heavens and Underworld Cities… arriving at a mysterious place within the Life Tree itself!

This space was pitch black, but upon closer inspection, a very delicate sapling faintly hovered within the darkness…

Suddenly, the small sapling spoke, “In the name of the Life Tree, I summon the Sons of Life to gather!”

The voice was vast and distant. Soon, streaks of light, much like Little Duding in his infancy, converged before this sapling, or rather, the Life Tree’s primordial true body. “Mother, awaiting your command!”

“In My name, upholding the ancient pact with the Violet-Bloods and the past agreement with the Scarlet Army, you shall separately inform Demon Lord Bonis and Scarlet Army’s Number One, Thunderclap. Simply tell them: the Imperial Divine Beasts have reappeared in the human realm!”

Immediately, two streaks of light flew off, but the Life Tree’s voice rang out again. “Wait! Only inform Thunderclap; there is no need to notify Bonis!”

A Son of Life asked, puzzled, “Mother, why not inform Bonis? This violates your agreement with him!”

The Life Tree slowly recounted, “During the tragic Godslayer War of yesteryear, I and the other five Great Primeval Forces supported the Violet-Bloods, while the Imperial Divine Beasts secretly backed the Red-Bloods. At that time, I naturally collaborated seamlessly with Bonis! But after the Godslayer War, Molten Heart was captured by Margaret, and the Essence of Earth and Sacred Artifact Furnace went missing—leaving me, the Life Tree, as the only intact primordial true body among the five Great Primeval Forces… Seeing this situation, Bonis has long ceased to regard me. Had it not been for the emergence of a mysterious Scarlet Army after the war, and my reliance on them to contend with Bonis, I would surely have already fallen into Bonis’s hands, just like The Weeping Tear!”

The Sons of Life fell silent. Everything their Mother said was true. Now, their Mother was allied with the Fiendkind on one hand, and secretly allied with the Scarlet Army against Bonis on the other, playing both sides—it was truly an act of last resort!

The Life Tree continued, “For a thousand years, I helped Bonis revive the Violet-Bloods, granting him a chance to see the light of day again! Yet, how has Bonis treated Me? Leaving aside how Bonis harmed My friend, The Weeping Tear, just consider our common enemies—the Imperial Divine Beasts. I painstakingly imprisoned the Fire Phoenix within Myself, yet Bonis secretly colluded with him. Not long ago, he even reached an agreement with the Fire Phoenix, ordering his subordinates to carry the Fire Phoenix’s blood to the human realm to help the Fire Phoenix seek its child and save its mother! Had the Scarlet Army not informed Me of this, I would have almost been unaware that Bonis had united with the enemy… In that case, is there any longer a need for Me to uphold My Deed of Ownership with Bonis?”

The Life Tree fell silent for a moment, then commanded, “Go. Go tell Thunderclap that our common enemies, the Imperial Divine Beasts, have reappeared in the human realm. Although their aura is very faint, the Golden Holy Breath is unmistakable; one of them has definitely returned! And you, Thunderclap, as long as you do not harm the very essence of My Life Tree, you are free to act as you wish… Wait, add one more sentence—Thunderclap, regardless of time or place, I, the Life Tree, and you, are both conscious Weapons; we shall never be enemies!”