The Grand Finale: The Ultimate Chapter

Arthur limped into the military camp, where Aliza greeted him warmly. Upon learning Arthur was there to assist in protecting the Tear Source, Aliza immediately led him to the command center to brief him on the situation.

Arthur’s gaze swept across the military camp. Aliza and his adjutants barely registered, and Brockman, the prisoner in a nearby tent, was even less significant. His eyes then fell upon the Tear Source, where two children were playing. A thought flickered in Arthur’s mind. Bonis had mentioned the girl was Fire Phoenix’s daughter, but the boy… Prince’s vast and formidable Spiritual Power instantly recognized him: Ruilong’s son!

“Interesting!” Arthur mused, observing Anya’s spirited demeanor. “Truly worthy of being the descendant of an Imperial Divine Beast’s offspring! To think Ruilong, within the Battle God Prison, could rally hundreds with a single call, acting like a prison gang leader who brought even the old Marshals to heel. And this boy, he certainly has the same fiery temperament. I just wonder… does this little one possess Ruilong’s specific character flaw!?”

One of the children possessed Thirteenth-rank battle qi, while the other, after Fire Phoenix’s tutelage, had swiftly advanced their Spiritual Power to Thirteenth-rank. However, this was not enough for Arthur, whose Spiritual Power was nearing the end of the Battle God’s Path, to deem them problematic.

Arthur used the pretext of visiting his niece and nephew to approach the Tear Source. Instead of immediately seizing it, he picked up the children and bantered playfully, though a thought suddenly sparked in his mind: “What an opportunity! With Francis now in my hands, if I could also capture the Crown Prince and Princess, the Human Alliance would surely be leaderless. Then, using the Tear Source to unleash the Nether-Spirit Army, wouldn’t I achieve twice the result with half the effort!?”

Prince still harbored a lingering regret: the Battle God Isle campaign, where the nine Venerables of the Scarlet Army returned defeated, having failed to completely destroy Battle God Isle. This allowed humanity to preserve its system for cultivating numerous Battle Gods, which was detrimental to Prince’s ambition of ruling the Three Continents. Dictators always prefer balanced internal factions, and they desire their subjects to be as weak and foolish as possible. Prince was no exception; before controlling the Violet-Bloods, he wished to eradicate Battle God Isle to achieve a balance between Red and Violet-Bloods. Now that he controlled the Fiendkind, he wished humanity to be as weak as possible, ideally fractured and disintegrating!

And capturing these two children was a Heaven-Sent Opportunity!

At this thought, Arthur hugged the children tighter. Their strength was utterly insufficient to pose a threat to him, so what was he waiting for? He used the Red Army’s communication secret technique to instruct, “Leiming, the true Tear Source is on the square central-left of the Royal City. Using a circular scatter pattern, coordinate with the highest peak of the mountain behind the Royal City, adjust thirty degrees to the left flank, and bombard the buildings near the Tear Source to create chaos!”

It was a long while before Leiming replied, “Supreme One, please wait a moment. I must first settle Bonis, then dispatch troops to distract the Moon Goddess’s Primordial Military Branch before I can safely absorb elements and fire!”

Time ticked by…

Suddenly, a lightning-fire radiance erupted from the Fiendkind’s main camp, rapidly expanding a hundredfold, appearing like a miniature sun spontaneously on the horizon. It spared neither friend nor foe; anything within a hundred-zhang radius was utterly reduced to dust. Even Fire Phoenix and her pursuers hastily retreated in disarray!

On the city walls, Dud solemnly commanded, “City Defense Army, Iron Wall Thunder Formation!”

Indeed, the Beastkin army on the walls moved with impeccable order, each warrior emitting electrical currents that rapidly wove into an aerial electric net. However, the power of the Thunder Cannon was immense; just as the electric net formed, Leiming’s artillery fire, like heavenly maidens scattering flowers, split into dozens of blasts descending towards the city center. A dozen or so were barely intercepted by the electric net, but many more achieved their objective…

Du Chen’s eyes flashed coldly. “Chief of Staff Liana, observe the Thunder Cannon’s scatter pattern. It perfectly encircles Aliza’s military camp but avoids accidentally harming the Tear Source. This indicates someone within Aliza’s camp is providing targeting for the Thunder Cannon!”

Liana and Dud exchanged glances, then simultaneously declared, “Arthur!?”

Meanwhile, Aliza had already organized his troops to deploy an air defense electric net against the lightning-fire. Amidst the deafening roars, buildings near the military camp collapsed in swathes, and even the lion statue of the Lionheart Palace crashed to the ground. The Tear Source, at the heart of the bombardment, also vibrated. Arthur, clutching the two children with one hand, snatched up the Tear Source with the other and bellowed, “Generals, it’s no longer safe here! Quick, you all resist the lightning-fire! I will lead men to protect the Tear Source and enter the Royal Palace. My chambers in the palace have an underground secret chamber that can more securely protect the Tear Source!”

Prince, even at this moment, maintained his act perfectly, limping as he ran. Thanks to Arthur’s memories, this Royal Palace was effectively the place Prince had grown up in. He first feigned taking the Tear Source into a secret chamber, then turned, opened a hidden panel, and twisted and turned through secret passages to leave the Royal Palace…

Within the military camp, Brockman the prisoner heard a voice in his ear, “Father, Homan found that Arthur escaped through the secret passage!”

“Escaped?” Brockman frowned. “Since Aliza spared my life, Homan, let us help him this once!” With that, Brockman transformed his entire body into water and moved forward, calling out, “Aliza, Homan found Arthur escaped with the Tear Source and the two children! Quickly send troops to intercept him!”

Aliza’s eyes widened instantly. He seized his great axe and roared, “All forces, follow Brockman and charge into the Royal Palace!”

…

Arthur, to maintain his act, had arrived via Mount Wanliu Boulevard, fighting his way through. But he couldn’t return the same way. However, having lurked in Reno’s palace for many days, he had long prepared a secret passage leading to the Mount Wanliu Base. Sprinting at top speed, he covered half the distance in no time.

But then, little Beibei noticed something strange. ‘Something’s not right,’ she thought. ‘Arthur said he was taking us somewhere more secluded, but it shouldn’t be this far!’ The little one’s big eyes flickered, glancing at Arthur, and she suddenly realized that Arthur’s supposedly injured leg, after a few steps, was moving as briskly as if flying!

Alex also noticed, smirking. “Master, you’ve been exposed. Arthur, your leg has a problem!” Little Beibei grew anxious, pinching her brother’s cheek hard. “Ow, dummy brother, don’t say it! Sister was planning an ambush!”

Arthur completely shed the composure of Reno’s Crown Prince, instead exuding nobility and elegance, and smiled faintly. “You two little ones are quite clever. Come with me, reunite with your father!” As he spoke, Arthur tightened his arms, gripping the two little ones securely.

Little Beibei gasped in surprise, quickly looking up at Arthur, her large eyes radiant. “Uncle, is Beibei cute?” But Arthur looked down with a cold smile, his icy gaze meeting Belmonde’s. “Girl, your Golden Fire Soul is not yet complete!”

“Ow!” Little Beibei’s head snapped back, as if pierced by thousands of steel needles, nearly fainting on the spot! Prince’s Spiritual Power had already fully transitioned into Arthur’s body!

“Dare to bully the Master’s sister!?” Anya snorted angrily, snapping her fingers. With a crack, a bolt of lightning appeared out of nowhere, striking Prince’s head. “Little one, your Heaven’s Lightning Edict is far too weak!” Prince easily withstood the blow, then fiercely tightened his arms, his steel-like muscles squeezing the two children, intent on rendering them unconscious on the spot. “Behave yourselves! Eh?!”

Prince’s arms suddenly felt empty. He looked down to see that the two little ones had, at some unknown moment, merged into a single child, who slipped through the gap and out of his embrace. Following that, the small figure, instead of fleeing, flew into the air, simultaneously uttering two voices.

“Brother, let’s beat the bad guy!”

“Master, we must wash away this shame!”

This child’s eyes suddenly changed color, one fiery red, the other purple-blue. Two light-auras, one red and one purple, surged from its small body, instantly merging into a lightning-fire beam that struck Prince’s head!

What was this? Prince recognized Ruilong’s Lightning Edict and Fire Phoenix’s Fire Edict before they merged, but what was this combination of two utterly different powers? Prince couldn’t comprehend it! He himself had a major flaw, one that Arthur also shared: his speed could not compare to the Battle God’s secret techniques, so he could only endure with his physical body. Earlier, Prince had easily withstood Anya’s Thirteenth-rank Lightning Edict, but now he dared not. These merged powers contained a terrifying aura. Prince violently twisted his head, avoiding a fatal blow to his skull, but his left shoulder couldn’t escape. With a dull thud, his left shoulder was charred and reeking of acrid black smoke from the lightning-fire!

Prince endured the searing pain, and with a ‘clang’, drew Arthur’s greatsword, slashing at the two little ones. The whistling greatsword whipped up fierce qi-gales, deafeningly loud, illustrating its immense power! The small figure did not confront Prince head-on, relying on its smaller size to dodge everywhere, occasionally unleashing the merged fire-lightning aura. After several exchanges, Prince found himself helpless!

‘Damn it! These brats, when combined, possess Ruilong’s strength! How hateful, how hateful that I haven’t merged with Francis yet, haven’t reclaimed my peak battle qi. Otherwise… even if a peak Ruilong were here, I would dare to fight him!’

Arthur’s body was insufficient to defeat this little one; he could only rely on his Spiritual Power now! Prince’s pupils suddenly vanished, leaving only white eyeballs, a chilling sight! The child blinked, then abruptly turned to run, but the two voices within disagreed. “Master, we can fight head-on with strength!” “Dummy brother, why fight head-on when we can maneuver and dodge?!”

Just then, digging sounds suddenly came from above the secret passage, followed by Aliza’s roar, “Right here! Nephew, Niece, I’ve come to save you! Brothers, Subterranean Mountain Array!” Prince’s brow twitched. How did Aliza find his escape route? In such chaos, Tyr, the only one who could detect him, should be too preoccupied! He didn’t know the problem stemmed from the prisoner he had just scorned, who, unbeknownst to him, specialized in hiding and tracking Aberrant Beasts. Now besieged by a large army from above, Prince assessed the situation, no longer engaging the two children. Instead, he forced his way out, bursting to the surface, while simultaneously contacting Leiming with a secret technique: “Leiming, I’m trapped three li northwest of the Royal City. Come to my rescue at all costs!”

Fortunately, at this moment, the ground was a chaotic battlefield. Prince flew out and immediately used the Red Army’s token and the Tear Source to rally a portion of Fiendkind and Undead soldiers. He drew upon his military prowess from his time as a Fallen God, organizing his troops to meet the challenge!

…

On the battlefield, the entire campaign had descended into disarray, various armies intermingled like a handful of scattered chess pieces. Probably no one below Dud’s level of generalship could comprehend the overall situation, much less control it!

After Leiming fired his cannon, those pursuing paused, wondering: Didn’t Leiming hesitate to fire indiscriminately due to the Tear Source? However, the battle shifted rapidly. After Moon Goddess equipped everyone with Primordial Military Branch defenses against the Thunder Cannon, they immediately resumed pursuit. But Leiming was no longer interested in a prolonged fight. He quickly deployed most of his army to continue the siege and intercept the pursuing enemy, while he himself led elite forces rapidly towards the mountains northwest!

Fire Phoenix cleared the path, breaking through several defensive lines. As they neared Leiming’s unit, Andy was stunned. “Isn’t that Arthur? Why is Aliza attacking Arthur?!”

Moon Goddess, displaying deep hatred, sneered, “Do you see that spiritual secret technique? He is not Arthur, he is… Prince! Andy, I will imbue you with the strongest moonlight in the world, and with Fire Phoenix, the three of us will join forces to kill him!”

The battle had begun during the wedding at dawn. Although it had endured successive intense clashes, it was still before daybreak. After Moon Goddess’s deeply etched roar of fury, another moon seemed to rise from the ground, bathing Andy in vast moonlight. In an instant, Snow Wolf seemed to enter a profound state…

_Awooo!_ A prolonged wolf howl echoed, and Andy’s body suddenly expanded more than tenfold. He seemed to be left with nothing but pure battle intent, roaring as he charged towards Prince, who had just rendezvoused with Leiming!

Prince had paid a considerable price to endure the combined assault of the two children and the surrounding army until Leiming’s arrival. At this moment, he clutched the Tear Source, resting under the protection of his troops, when he suddenly saw a gigantic wolf rampaging, invincible before all. His heart sank. “Those two brats combined were no weaker than an Imperial Divine Beast, forcing me to be trapped in the chaotic army. Now… why is there another giant wolf comparable to an Imperial Divine Beast?”

Moon Goddess, seeing Andy’s transformation for the first time, was also stunned. “My Moon Vessel can have such an effect? It’s truly miraculous!”

Earlier, Frinda and Annie hadn’t known a secret, so they hadn’t fully explained it to Moon Goddess. But now, Flaying, standing beside Moon Goddess, said coldly, “The sixth crystal core of the Composite Aberrant Beast was modified by my brother using a secret technique. Otherwise, how could an originally Tenth-rank Composite Aberrant Beast surge to Thirteenth-rank? Your Moon Vessel is merely an auxiliary to Andy’s current state!”

Moon Goddess turned and glared coldly at Flaying. Her hatred for Prince now surpassed everything else, preventing her from delving deeper into Flaying’s words. She called Fire Phoenix, and together they attacked Prince…

Gradually, the entire battlefield’s重心 shifted to this mountainous area nestled between Lionheart Royal City and Mount Wanliu.

Battles raged everywhere, yet one person, having transformed into water, mingled unnoticed in the pervasive blood, coldly observing Leiming, Prince, and Bonis in their warm carriage.

‘Lord Philip, your killer, Bonis, is right before me. Wait, I will avenge you the moment I find an opportunity!’ Brockman waited patiently. Gradually, the blood covered his body, making this almost invisible puddle indistinguishable from clear water. He slowly approached Bonis’s warm carriage. Finally, the opportunity arrived: Leiming and Prince were back-to-back, surrounded by Andy, Fire Phoenix, Moon Goddess, and the combined children. The surrounding soldiers, eager to assist, had no high-level experts left to guard Bonis!

Brockman suddenly attacked, his water form shooting into the warm carriage. At that moment, Bonis was watching the external situation with slightly open eyes. Seeing a jet of blue water approach, Bonis knew exactly what it was. He suddenly smiled faintly. “Brockman, I, Grand Marshal of the Supreme Council, will not die by the hands of a thief… You are unworthy of killing me!” Bonis forcibly activated his last shred of battle qi, shattering his own heart. With a mighty surge, he used his final strength to roar, then breathed his last and died!

“No matter who conquers the world, I beg you, give the Violet-Bloods a chance to live!”

Brockman was momentarily stunned. Bonis had actually died at this moment. ‘Alright,’ he thought, ‘a Demon Lord has his dignity. Dying by a thief’s hand was indeed a humiliation in Bonis’s view, so he ended his life promptly. Ultimately, he died by the hand of Divine Emperor Francis, which is not shameful!’ But… why didn’t he die by Brockman’s hand!? ‘I wanted to personally avenge my lord!’

Regardless, the Demon Lord was dead, effectively killed by Du Chen, the so-called Divine Emperor, who was in fact a thief…

Now, the two primary sources of Heaven’s Tears were no longer in the world. Only the Tear Source remained, capable of controlling and saving the Undead, but not creating them!

Although the technology of the Undead Scourge was mastered by the Fiendkind leadership, they might still be able to create another Undead Scourge. However, this particular Undead Scourge, capable of annihilating humanity, had lost its primary source and was nipped in the bud before it could spread across the entire Azure Heaven Continent!

Bonis was ultimately killed by Du Chen, so the chief architect in eradicating this Undead Scourge was, naturally, also Du Chen!

Prince, clutching the Tear Source, suddenly trembled. The surge of warmth emanating from it made him realize that he had become the sole Commander of the Nether-Spirit Army!

Meanwhile, in the Battle God Prison…

Du Chen was still suffering under the immense pressure of the Five Great Primeval Forces. The Indestructible Golden Body was indeed a unique life-saving secret technique, but it only meant ‘indestructible,’ not ‘unharmed.’ Du Chen had already been left utterly exhausted from the vibrations during his confrontation with Margaret, and now, being ‘steamed and boiled’ by the Five Great Primeval Forces, his body was incredibly weak. He was only maintaining his physical integrity and fundamental Life Energy through his unparalleled, powerful regenerative ability!

Suddenly, Du Chen received a Divine Sense message from Fifth Brother, his voice extremely excited: “Francis! Fifth Brother suddenly got stronger! It must be Bonis’s death, and the Merit from the great benevolence of eradicating the Undead Scourge has arrived! Quickly check the progress of your Precious Lotus Scripture!”

Before he finished speaking, Du Chen felt a surge of power release from his Primordial Spirit, washing over his body from the crown of his head all the way to his feet, like a profound enlightenment!

“Disciple… hehe, I suppose I should still call you that stinky brat!”

Master Grape’s voice echoed in Du Chen’s mind, identical to the sloppy old Taoist who used to gnaw on chicken wings, hit people with pig trotters, and wore a Taoist robe while uttering Buddhist chants.

“You brat committed evil for a hundred lifetimes, but in this life, you still possess a sliver of wisdom and good intentions. That’s why I gave you a chance: to perform good deeds to cleanse your hundred lifetimes of sin, to comprehend the Heavenly Dao! I even listed you among the disciples of the Slanted Moon Cave and bestowed upon you control over wind and thunder, and the Indestructible Golden Body. Now… your Merit is complete, and you have cultivated the Lotus Benevolent Dharma Art!”

Du Chen’s mind cleared slightly, but he couldn’t shake off his scoundrel nature. He cheekily asked, “Master Grape, is this a message from you, or something else? If you can communicate with me, damn it, you old geezer, give me an explanation—didn’t you say that after my Merit is complete, I could go drink with the Jade Emperor and Buddha? Why am I, even without an immortal monster like Prince, still being beaten so miserably?”

Alas, this was merely Master Grape’s message, making direct communication with Du Chen impossible. Yet, Master Grape’s voice continued: “You must be wondering why you can’t go drink with the Jade Emperor now, eh? Haha, disciple, take a look at your Lotus Sacred Artifacts!”

At this time, the artifacts from the previous trigrams were still imprisoned elsewhere. Du Chen could only communicate with Dus via Divine Sense. But within the confinement of the Five Great Primeval Forces, one, two, three… six lotuses suddenly appeared around Du Chen—the six lotuses of the final trigram, the Kun Trigram! These six lotuses moved freely under the immense pressure of the Five Great Sacred Artifacts, gathering at Du Chen’s chest, gradually merging into a brilliant golden lotus, exquisitely adorned and radiantly beautiful!

Master Grape’s voice suddenly became ethereal and distant: “The First Trigram is Qian, the Final Trigram is Kun, one yin and one yang, one creation and one destruction! Separated, the Kun Trigram is destruction, capable of devouring heaven and earth, absorbing all things into itself…”

Du Chen stared at the radiant lotus, adorned with its flowing jewels, his mind trembling violently. Although he knew it was merely a message, he couldn’t help but ask, “What about the Qian Trigram?”

Master Grape explained further, “The Qian Trigram is creation, it can help you avoid reincarnation, not fall into the six realms of existence, ascend to the nine heavens, descend and walk through the asura hells, and roam freely in the three thousand great worlds… You brat, with this, can’t you go drink with the Jade Emperor and Buddha?”

Du Chen’s mind suddenly flashed with a thought he had pondered for a long time… Ascend to the nine heavens, descend and walk through the asura hells, and roam freely in the three thousand great worlds!

Du Chen shed tears. “Master, thank you!”

At this, Master Grape continued, “However, too many people want to drink with the Jade Emperor every year. To prevent you from being kicked out by the Four Marshals of the Lingxiao Palace… Qian and Kun, when combined, form the vast and powerful Cosmic Lotus Pedestal. Its profound mysteries reside within your Primordial Spirit, disciple, take care of yourself!”

The ethereal sound ceased!

Du Chen slowly opened his eyes within the Five Great Primeval Forces’ prison. “Dus, how is it?”

“Damn it! Fifth Brother, I don’t know how, but I suddenly gained myriad transformations! The brothers have all recovered, and… the three bosses of the Qian Trigram have also combined into the Vast and Powerful Qian Pedestal!”

“Excellent,” Du Chen said. “The Qian Pedestal can help you ascend to the nine heavens and walk through the asura hells; mere life vines will never trap you! Dus, use the Qian Trigram to break out of your prison, then don’t rush to save me… Go. After escaping, secretly release Constantine. The Rebellious Dragon, as a Red Army member, must intimately understand this Battle God Prison. Seeing himself suddenly here and heavily wounded, he will surely seek Red Army members at the core of the prison for healing. Follow him secretly and find the core of the Battle God Prison for me!”

“Alright! If anything happens, just ask Fifth Brother, you won’t regret it! But what about you?!”

Du Chen smiled. “The Kun Trigram is destruction, capable of devouring heaven and earth, absorbing all things into itself… I want to taste the Five Great Primeval Forces of the world!”

…

Du Chen activated all eight trigrams. His Primordial Spirit was not the Ninth Hexagram, but rather the key to activating the Cosmic Lotus Pedestal, arguably the root of his immortal lineage. In an instant, Du Chen’s power surged dramatically. The Seventh Hexagram was already nearing the midpoint of the Battle God’s Path, so what about the Eighth Hexagram? That was a power never before seen in this world, exceeding the limits of the Battle God Realm!

So… what about Prince, who shared a symbiotic bloodline with Du Chen?

Prince and Leiming stood back-to-back, facing simultaneous attacks from Andy, Moon Goddess, Fire Phoenix, and the combined children. Dangers lurked everywhere, but this was a battlefield, and he still had many soldiers at his disposal. Prince relied on the Tear Source to control the Nether-Spirit Army, resisting step by step. Moreover, as a Fallen God Divine Emperor, he was battle-hardened, and his military secret techniques were extraordinarily superb. For a moment, no one could immediately break his battle formation!

But just then, Du Chen’s Eighth Hexagram activated, triggering a series of changes within Prince’s body according to the laws of their symbiotic bloodline…

First, Du Chen’s Celestial Merit power increased. This particular immortal power would not be shared by Prince. However, Du Chen’s battle qi, physical functions, Life Energy… and other non-immortal aspects were also enhanced by the immortal arts. This was the portion of power Prince shared!

Remember Andy’s “stat allocation” method, where he poured everything into Spiritual Power?

Arthur’s body was similar. At this moment, a colossal force generated within Prince, but due to Arthur’s special physique, all this power was “allocated” to Prince’s brute strength and physical resilience, adding nothing to his battle qi, speed, or technique…

This inherently limited physique was precisely why Prince *had* to merge with Du Chen. Without merging the other half, even if Prince were to reclaim his battle qi, it would all be converted into strength and resilience due to the “stat allocation” principle, rather than the flexible battle qi he desired! Thus, he had to first become a “perfect body” capable of flexible “stat allocation” before he dared reclaim his own battle qi!

Prince suddenly threw his head back and laughed maniacally. “What is this? Haha, my body is even stronger!?” Indeed, Prince’s muscles visibly expanded by a full circle, his skin becoming like steel, akin to being covered by hundreds of shields, his defense incomparably solid!

Prince was in agony; too much power had rushed into strengthening his body at once, and he felt as if his muscles were about to explode. Yet, Prince clenched his jaw and endured, a mixture of surprise and joy on his face as he exclaimed, “Leiming, Francis must be undergoing a transformation, allowing me to suddenly strengthen! Now my physical strength might have reached the legendary Fifteenth-rank! So… I’ll clear the way, you cover the rear, and we’ll immediately return to our lair to see!”

Leiming was instantly overjoyed. “Fifteenth-rank physical strength? Supreme One, who in this world can kill you now?!”

Prince smiled proudly. Just then, Fire Phoenix attacked with a fiery blade. Prince neither dodged nor evaded, extending his right arm to block. With a resonant thud, the flames extinguished, and his arm was unharmed. “Hmph, truly a good body. Leiming, let’s go!”

With such a powerful body, who could possibly stop him?!

…

In the Laboratory, Lamenting Tear, immersed in Du Chen, was the first to detect his transformation. She suddenly felt that the man in the furnace had become incredibly… venerable! “Everyone be careful, Francis has changed!”

Du Chen smiled faintly. “Yes, I am different!”

Life Tree shouted, “Francis, enough talk, you can’t escape!”

“Escape? I don’t need to. Wouldn’t it be better to capture you all and walk out openly and uprightly?” With that, Du Chen’s eyes flashed with a cold light. The combined lotus on his chest suddenly bloomed with a brilliant golden radiance. The radiance circled Du Chen once, and Lamenting Tear vanished without a trace. It circled a second time, and the Essence of Earth disappeared. A third circle, and the Sacred Artifact Furnace and Molten Heart all vanished, leaving only a Life Tree sapling staring blankly at Du Chen, who floated in mid-air, surrounded by emptiness, the Primeval Forces nowhere to be found!

Du Chen held the Lotus Pedestal, smiling as he spoke into it, “My Lotus Pedestal isolates all external connections. Even Prince’s Deed of Ownership cannot constrain you through it. Rest assured!”

Du Chen then looked at the Life Tree. “Those others were forced by Spiritual Contracts, but you willingly cooperated with Bonis. How, then, should I deal with you?”

Life Tree sneered coldly. “Francis, those others are injured or crippled; how can they compare to a Life Tree in its prime!?” It attacked suddenly, hundreds of vines shooting from its sapling, assaulting Du Chen’s entire body!

Du Chen gently shook the Lotus Pedestal. The light spun again, sucking all of Life Tree’s vines into the Lotus Pedestal. With another pull, Life Tree itself was pressed into the Lotus Pedestal. Du Chen slowly closed his eyes, meticulously savoring the wondrous sensations within his body and Primordial Spirit. “Life Tree, your body supports the Three Continents. I won’t kill you, but I will give you a good home…”

_Clang!_ Du Chen pried open the Laboratory’s grand gate and entered the corridor. He glanced at the Red Army members rushing to block him, then smiled. The Kun Trigram Lotus Pedestal cleared the path, and he strode directly to a prison cell door. With a few swift moves, he opened the cell, and to the utterly astonished general from the Fallen Gods era inside, he said, “Sir, I have the ability to free you all, but… I need you to maintain order and cooperate. Can you tell me how to achieve that?”

The general was stunned for a moment, then burst with wild joy. “Saved? We’re saved?!” He clenched his fists. “There’s one person who can help you maintain order… the prison gang leader of Battle God Prison—Ruilong!”

Du Chen raised an eyebrow. Interesting, Anya’s father was here!? “Do you know where Ruilong is imprisoned?”

The general, having been trapped for a thousand years, had long since lost his composure. He cursed, “Of course the prison boss lives in the best place, on the top floor of the prison!”

Du Chen nodded slightly, then released the general. But just then… Du Chen’s Primordial Spirit trembled slightly; his cultivation had increased again! Ha, so the eight trigrams merely signified the completion of his Merit; he could continue cultivating in the future by performing good deeds, and… as long as there were good deeds, there was no limit to cultivation. The sky was not even the limit!

Du Chen walked on, picking locks one after another. In an instant, hundreds of prisoners followed behind him, roaring with excitement, their formation chaotic. And now, as Du Chen’s cultivation further increased…

Prince, who had been invincible and rampaging, forcing Fire Phoenix and the others to retreat step by step, suddenly felt a power generating within his body—Du Chen’s Celestial Merit power continued to rise, bringing his battle qi to the next level. Consequently, all that battle qi was allocated directly to Prince’s muscles!

_Poof!_ His muscle strength was too high, expanding too rapidly, causing a blood vessel in Prince’s arm to burst! Prince frowned, both alarmed by how quickly his body was strengthening and overjoyed by the unprecedented, powerful sensation he had never experienced before!

Du Chen reached the highest prison cell, casually opened the door. A gasp of surprise came from inside. “Francis? Haha, I knew I was right to protect you then!”

Several people sat inside the cell. The elders looked withered, but the main seat was occupied by a strong man in his fifties. And beside the strong man sat, strikingly, Jamis!

Du Chen smiled. “Professor, I’m here to take you home! Who is Ruilong? I need to talk to you!”

The strong man stood up. “No need to say anything, Francis. Jamis has already told me a lot. From this moment on, my life, Ruilong’s life, belongs to you. As long as you are Divine Emperor for a day, I will support you from behind for a day!”

Du Chen was puzzled. What was going on? Ruilong, as the head of the Imperial Divine Beasts, even if imprisoned, should possess the dignity of a divine beast. How could he so casually say he would “sell his life”? He was indeed handsome in this life, but he’d never possessed any so-called kingly aura!

Ruilong saw Du Chen’s confusion and gave a proud smile. “We have a long history. Wolf warned me about The Great Catastrophe, but I didn’t believe him and treated him quite poorly—I owe your family a favor! But when I tried to compensate back then, I failed to protect Flaying at Water’s Embrace Lake. If I don’t show some sincerity today, I wouldn’t have the face to meet you!”

Water’s Embrace Lake, Flaying!?

Jamis smiled obsequiously. “Oh, I only found out recently. You mentioned some Water’s Embrace Divine Beast, didn’t you? Dummy, that’s Ruilong! He failed to rescue Fire Phoenix from the Life Tree’s camp, was eventually captured by Margaret, and imprisoned in Water’s Embrace Lake! Hehe, in the end, Flaying still died, and Ruilong has felt guilty ever since!”

Du Chen suddenly understood, but glancing at Jamis’s effeminate manner, he frowned and asked, “Can you tell me who you truly are now?”

Jamis squirmed. “Alright, I’ll tell you, but let’s talk while saving people!”

It turned out that on that day, Marshal O, disguised as Moon Goddess, and the Sacred Artifact, disguised as Marshal O, had escaped together! In the end, Marshal O was burned to near-death by lightning-fire, but the Sacred Artifact desperately carried the barely conscious Marshal O to Silvermoon Island! The Sacred Artifact had accompanied Marshal O since his childhood, knowing all his secrets and memories, including the Beast Emperor’s Unyielding Body. Unable to save Marshal O directly, the Sacred Artifact used the Beast Emperor’s Unyielding Body secret technique to seal the dying Marshal O within Silvermoon Lake, hoping that years later, the Beast Emperor’s Unyielding Body could pull Marshal O back from the brink of death…

Afterwards, the Sacred Artifact’s mind remained unstable—to put it bluntly, it suffered from dissociative identity. Sometimes it firmly believed it was Marshal O, while at other times, it remembered being the sinner who murdered its lord. And so, in a dazed and fragmented state, it became Jamis and opposed Margaret!

Marshal O, after being sealed, did gradually revive, but the process was extremely slow. Du Chen shattering the rock formed by the Beast Emperor’s Unyielding Body had disrupted Marshal O’s recovery, which was why Marshal O awoke with his battle qi still at Seventh-rank and his memory still unclear!

By the time Du Chen finished listening, he had already rescued over three thousand prisoners. Their hatred, accumulated over a thousand years, made them weak in body but like desperate fanatics, they charged the Red Army members, eyes red with bloodlust! Du Chen watched, quietly asking Jamis, “So now you clearly know you are the Sacred Artifact?”

Jamis gave a wry smile. “To be honest, most of the time I still believe I am Marshal O. But… I am a weapon. When facing an energy crisis, on the verge of death, the Sacred Artifact’s consciousness takes over, stealing bodies from Divine Tombs to replenish energy…” He then pleaded softly, “I’m fine, but the Requiem Death Knights are truly pitiable, you must help them!”

Du Chen nodded slightly. At this moment, Ruilong stood at the highest point, raising his arms and shouting, “Brothers, I am Ruilong, listen up! The current Divine Emperor Francis has come to save us! All of you, honestly maintain order as Francis instructs, or else… I’ll wring your necks!”

Du Chen secretly clicked his tongue, thinking, ‘I hope Anya doesn’t grow up to be like this! We’re thieves, not gangster thugs!’

An old man quietly approached Du Chen, whispering, “Do you know why Ruilong obeyed you so readily upon meeting you?”

“He said he owed our family a favor!”

“Hmph, the truth is… Jamis recognized your adopted son Alex as Ruilong’s son long ago, and secretly told Ruilong! When Ruilong heard you had made Alex Crown Prince, he couldn’t wait to burn incense and worship you!”

“You mean…?”

“Ruilong is a power-hungry official… Do you know how to control him now?”

Du Chen curled his lip. No wonder Fire Phoenix’s attitude was so strange that day when he asked Ruilong about adopting Anya! “Thank you for the guidance, old sir! And you are…?”

“No problem, I’m Thunder Battle God Batuoke! Heh, Jamis told me I have a great-granddaughter named Annie, and you…”

…

On this side, Du Chen continuously rescued prisoners, his power steadily increasing. On the other side, Prince was going mad!

“Stop it, stop it now!” Prince’s body had already swollen into a massive muscle monster. Du Chen’s Celestial Merit power continuously ascended, bringing his battle qi to successive new levels. When his battle qi was only Eleventh or Twelfth-rank, Prince could still endure it, but now Du Chen’s battle qi had probably exceeded Fourteenth-rank, reaching Fifteenth-rank. Could Prince withstand such immense power, all of it allocated to his muscles?

Leiming grew anxious, seeing Prince’s facial muscles had swollen to the point of obliterating his features. He urgently asked, “Supreme One, what’s wrong with you?!”

“Hiss!” Prince’s voice was hoarse, but he could still clearly articulate his condition. “Battle Gods have fifteen ranks. Any higher, and that power no longer belongs to the mortal realm! Damn it, Francis, I don’t know what’s happening, but his battle qi rank is soaring, and the battle qi I share to strengthen my muscles is increasing more and more! Now… now my muscles are strengthening to an inhuman degree, I can’t, I can’t take it anymore!”

In the distance, the pursuers also witnessed Prince’s rapidly expanding body, all stunned.

The combined child said, “Eh? Beibei is very curious!” “Master, I understand… but I won’t say!”

Andy frowned. “I, Chris Andy, have a dream: to capture Prince alive and use his method to… raise young heifers! Tsk tsk!” Snow Wolf drooled, staring at Prince’s bulging muscles!

Moon Goddess continually measured with an instrument, then exclaimed in shock, “Prince’s muscle density is rapidly increasing, already compressing his internal organs and blood vessels, haha! And his muscle strengthening is endless… he’ll burst eventually!”

Fire Phoenix assessed the situation, then cast a glance at Divine Emperor Eldest Brother Steve. Flaying sneered, “Surround him, don’t fight Prince head-on! Andy, Fire Phoenix, combine your attacks and kill Leiming instead!”

…

In the Battle God Prison, Du Chen had already rescued the vast majority of the prisoners. He sent a Divine Sense message, “Dus, found the core yet?”

“F-found it!” Fifth Brother’s voice was hesitant. When Du Chen brought the multitude of prisoners to Fifth Brother’s side, they discovered tens of thousands of troops guarding the entrance to the Battle God Prison, and leading them was, surprisingly… Sherine!

“Auntie…”

Sherine gave a helpless smile, shaking off the shackle of her Deed of Ownership. “Francis, say nothing! Look, Xue Ji is knocked out by me, so she doesn’t have to face this difficulty… Don’t mind me, Auntie, just take Xue Ji first. Avril is in the third cell to my left, she’s fine too!” With that, Sherine slowly raised her hands, extremely reluctantly preparing to fight!

Du Chen smiled, raising the Lotus Pedestal in his hand. “Auntie can’t betray Prince’s Deed of Ownership, can she? Then don’t move, watch me!”

With that, Du Chen’s Lotus Pedestal spun, a ray of light enveloped Sherine, drawing her into the lotus. He then took Xue Ji, had someone find Avril, and strode to the Battle God Prison’s nexus. He glanced at it. “Hmph, a four-rotation combination lock. Prince’s technology is truly outdated!”

_Click!_ Du Chen pried open the lock, then turned and shouted, “Heroes, you are… free!”

The Battle God Prison fell into a deep silence. Everyone’s gaze swept over the paralyzed puppets who had lost their commander, then a thunderous roar suddenly erupted, “Kill them! Butcher Prince into a thousand pieces! Avenge yourselves!”

Rescuing the trapped gods, a Great Benevolence completed! Du Chen’s Primordial Spirit power surged once more. So exhilarated, he roared to the sky, then fiercely waved a hand, “Charge!”

_Boom!_ An earth-shattering roar came from outside. Fifth Brother, scanning with Thermal Vision, suddenly laughed incredulously, “Francis, Prince has… exploded to death because of your good deeds!”

Du Chen’s face was odd. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked urgently, “Is the Tear Source still safe?”

Outside, with Prince’s explosion, everyone realized a crucial problem. In the chaos just now, no one had paid attention to the Tear Source, but it should have been on Prince. Now that Prince had exploded to death, the Tear Source… was gone!

Oh no, the Undead legion was about to lose control!

Steve roared, “Tell Dud, capture and kill the Undead at all costs!!!”

“Heh, what’s the rush!?” A figure slowly emerged from the blood, tossing a small object to Steve. “I, Brockman, can steal the Tear Source once, I can steal it again… Flaying, tell Francis I understand what he meant!” With that, Brockman picked up the enlarged little Tyran Beast and floated away. “This Tear Source, consider it a gift of thanks from me, and the bargaining chip for my freedom!”

Everyone was stunned. Aliza tried to intervene, but Flaying stopped him. “Dummy, Francis wanted to let him go a long time ago!”

“Why?”

“Remember what Francis told him? Adams is coming…” Flaying toyed with the Tear Source. “Adams is coming to kill you, Brockman, aren’t you going to run? Are you waiting to die?! Hahaha! The Divine Emperor’s status wouldn’t allow him to openly release prisoners-of-war, so he had to put it that way. But for Brockman to only understand today, he truly is a bit slow!”

Fire Phoenix interjected, “But his thieving skills are truly impressive. Who saw when he took the Tear Source from Prince?!”

Everyone exchanged glances. It had been too chaotic; no one saw how Brockman had managed it!

Just then, cheers erupted from Mount Wanliu in the distance. “We’re free! We’re free!” They looked to see countless old men and women, cheering around Du Chen, emerging from the lifeline within the mountain…

…

Prince was dead, but everything was not yet over. For a full half-month, Flaying controlled the Undead, keeping them confined in the deep mountains and regularly supplying them with livestock. Dud continued to sweep up the Violet-Bloods. Everyone performed their duties, working together to clean up the aftermath.

Half a month later, Du Chen sat on the throne in Lionheart Royal City, looking at the documents in his hand. He smiled and asked, “Dean Ferdinand, Prime Minister Ilan, you suggest not committing genocide, not slaughtering the Violet-Bloods entirely, but rather adopting the method used after the Godslayer War: gradual integration, allowing them to voluntarily withdraw from the history of the Three Continents… Interesting!”

Ferdinand, Number Three of the Fiendkind Eminence Project, smiled. “Your Majesty, we also considered your reputation, and the method we propose has precedents…”

Ilan, now Prime Minister of Lanning, also smiled. “Your Majesty, how can such an act of genocide appear on your resume? Besides…”

“Enough, enough!” Du Chen tossed the document to Ilan. “I approve. Submit this draft to the Upper House tomorrow. If the Upper House has no problems, you can proceed with its implementation!”

The two were instantly overjoyed. After Bonis’s death, they had tirelessly worked for the survival of the Fiendkind, living in constant fear. Today, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, thinking: ‘Marshal, rest assured, as long as we are here, we will secure a path for the Violet-Bloods to live!’

After they left, Flaying emerged from the shadows, saying coldly, “According to Life Tree’s confession, these two might be problematic, Third Sister…”

Du Chen waved his hand. “Forget it, let them go! With them around, the Fiendkind will have hope to survive after I leave. By keeping them, I’m also leaving a path for the Violet-Bloods to live! Eldest Brother, I’ve proposed Ted as the Fiendkind Governor, and Helen as his successor. You must help me implement this policy, no matter what!”

Flaying nodded silently. “You’re leaving? Are you tired, want to rest for a while? Hmm, now Life Tree has signed a Deed of Ownership with Beibei, the Sacred Artifact Furnace with me, Lamenting Tear was given to Deboning, and Essence of Earth and Molten Heart were given to mother and Maternal Grandfather… The foundations of the Three Continents are stable! And with the return of the old Marshals, plus Moon Goddess and Maternal Grandfather, forming the Allied Elders’ Council with the Five Families of Fallen Gods as the core of administration, human politics won’t be chaotic for a short time… You can rest assured for a while!”

Du Chen smiled and asked, “Aunt Sherine took Xue Ji and the Requiem Death Knights to Water’s Embrace Lake. They’ll dig up the bodies of those wives, then use a secret technique to transform them into Undead, which I will then empower with my precious artifacts to evolve them into Heroic Spirits… Aren’t you going to watch?”

Flaying smiled, suddenly transforming into Steve. “Sherine… won’t escape my grasp, Third Sister, have faith in your Eldest Brother!”

Du Chen laughed heartily. On the matter of wooing women, he had absolute faith in Steve. It seemed Aunt Sherine… God help her!

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Phil, in travel attire, entered with a wry smile. “I’m leaving, to find your father!”

The two brothers were stunned. Phil explained, “This morning I explained everything to Arges. Alas, you know how he is. Even if he knows it’s wrong in his heart, he’s too proud to admit it… After leaving the family to Charles, he hid somewhere. I need to find him!”

The two brothers exchanged glances, said nothing, and stood to see Phil off on her journey.

Strolling through Lionheart Royal City, Du Chen watched the rebuilt city radiate new vitality. He suddenly sighed, “It’s a pity Arthur isn’t here anymore…”

Flaying smiled. “After Moon Goddess joined the Elders’ Council, the Lionheart King’s obsession with her suddenly decreased. Now he’s married, I believe you’ll see a little Arthur soon!”

Du Chen smiled, thinking, ‘Moon Goddess gained power, and the Lionheart King returned to normal… Moon Goddess is indeed not a good person, but that’s how politics are. With good and bad, evenly matched, everyone gets to live well!’ Just then, Dud approached him. “Your Majesty, are you seeing off the Empress Dowager?”

Du Chen nodded. “Not only the Empress Dowager, but I will also be leaving for a long time. After I leave… the Allied Forces will be in your hands. I believe Orbach can handle it!”

Dud suddenly laughed, lowering his voice, and in an uncharacteristic teasing tone, said, “Your Majesty, I’d rather remain Dud! Let Jamis be Orbach. I… I can’t stand a bunch of old ladies from Battle God Prison, asking me for embroidery lessons every day!”

Du Chen was stunned, then burst into hearty laughter. He added, “Oh, by the way, the captured Fiendkind experts are researching Netherbeast technology. They will eradicate the flaws of Huhuhu Beasts and the Undead, making them normal races on the Three Continents. Please oversee them well!”

After seeing Phil off, Du Chen instructed Flaying to handle matters concerning the Papal Curia, then went alone to his backyard.

Liana, Avril, and Annie were chatting and laughing in the courtyard. Seeing Du Chen approach, Liana playfully complained, “Hey, tell me, the world is unified, everyone has their own responsibilities, but why have you sidelined me, the most capable one?!”

Du Chen smiled, not answering. He suddenly asked, “I’ve arranged everything. I want to take you on a long journey with me. Interested?”

Liana’s face flushed. “Why suddenly a long journey?”

“I promised you that after the war ended, I would…”

Avril suddenly interrupted Du Chen. “Your Majesty, Avril wouldn’t dare trouble you, but there’s one question I must ask—in Battle God Prison, you said if we could get out alive, you would give… give Annie a promise. Can you tell us what that promise is now?!”

Du Chen was startled, glancing at the blushing Annie beside him, not knowing what to say.

Annie gracefully stood up and asked, “Where are you going on this journey? Avril and I are also bored and want to go out for a change of scenery. Can, can we go with you?”

Du Chen’s heart tightened. He sent a pleading look to Liana. Liana sighed softly, pulled Du Chen aside, and whispered, “Avril has done so much for you… I have nothing to say. Take her! Now the Alliance government is in the hands of the Elders’ Council, with the Five Families of Fallen Gods at its core. If you want to leave with peace of mind… take Annie, the representative of the Five Families!”

Du Chen stammered, “But I…”

Liana glared fiercely at Du Chen. “No feelings? You can cultivate feelings, understand?!”

Du Chen suddenly embraced Liana, kissing her fiercely. Then, lotuses appeared, carrying the three women into the sky. Liana gasped, “Hey, you’re just leaving? Aren’t you saying goodbye to the others? I’ll miss those two little ones!”

Du Chen smiled proudly. “Ascend to the nine heavens, descend and walk through the asura hells, and roam freely in the three thousand great worlds… Is my Cosmic Lotus Pedestal just for show?! We’re not not coming back. If you miss anyone, just come back and see them!”

Liana curled up in Du Chen’s arms, softly asking, “Hey, you’re flying so high, where are you really going?”

“Some people can wait a thousand years for me, but you and they can’t! I don’t want to see you leave me behind after a hundred years… Come with me, I’m going to find an old guy named Master Grape. That old guy has the power to let you stay with me forever!”

[End of Chapter]