Chapter 601: Awaken the Mortal, Prepare to Die, Everyone!

Rustle, rustle...

The branches of the ancient tree were shaped like giant, withered bones, entwined with countless pitch-black vines.

They moved without wind, as if an ancient god were whispering.

Slowly, the ends of the vines dipped into the lake, stirring up winding, slowly healing fissures in the stagnant ink.

One vine extended all the way to Chi Xue's front, the texture at its tip twisting into a bizarre human face, staring directly at Chi Xue.

A curve appeared at the corner of Chi Xue's mouth:

"You draft the contract array disc; once it is drafted, I will sign it. After Chen Yan is executed, our cooperation ends."

The vine-face sneered:

"Aren't you worried that I might play some tricks in the contract, for instance..."

The vine coiled around Chi Xue's body, and the tiny human face stuck out a pitch-black tongue, licking Chi Xue's cheek.

"Not worried at all." Chi Xue suddenly laughed.

The human face shuddered, then said strangely:

"This is the first time I have seen a human who trusts an Ancient God Beast so much."

"You're mistaken." Chi Xue grinned, revealing a gentle smile:

"It's not that I trust you; it's that I don't think much of you at all."

He looked at the face tenderly, and in the next instant, he reached out two fingers to pinch the face, saying affectionately:

"Look, you, an eighth-rank Ancient God Beast, aren't even qualified to be toyed with by me. Only Chen Yan can pique a bit of my interest."

His eyes were like a pool of clear spring water, limpid and warm, the corners slightly curved, his fingers pressing against the black tongue that had already sprouted sharp thorns, rubbing it.

Even though his fingers were cut by the thorns and the flesh was torn, he did not care in the slightest.

"Oh, you're angry, are you?"

Chi Xue chuckled.

He initiated the Domain War not to fight the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest to the death, but to give the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest an opportunity to take control of him.

In normal times, the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest is merely a tool for the Purple Firmament World-Fixing Mirror, possessing no autonomy.

But during a Domain War, the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest can do what it wants.

For example, create a contract, become Chi Xue's servant, and then deliberately lose the Domain War.

The Purple Firmament World-Fixing Mirror will believe that Chi Xue defeated the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest and then used his own ability to control it; thereafter, the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest will be Chi Xue's subordinate.

Of course, the contract also has limitations.

The restriction within the contract that the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest is about to create is that the contract between Chi Xue and the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest will become void after Chen Yan dies.

If you ask why the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest would do this.

It is, of course, because Chen Yan has already conquered and destroyed all three third-level domains it controlled.

It is impossible for the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest not to want to kill Chen Yan.

Furthermore, Chen Yan possesses the power to destroy malice, which makes all the Ancient God Beasts within the Five-Race Struggle extremely terrified.

They have never seen such a terrifying thing as the power of will.

Chi Xue twisted the vine-face, his two fingers a bloody mess, the stark white finger bones exposed, yet his gaze grew increasingly excited.

"It has been such a long, long time since I felt this excited."

He laughed, his other hand touching his own heart:

"In this world, only one person is worthy of playing with me, and that will be the one who kills me.

I just don't know if Chen Yan can satisfy me."

He raised one hand.

Splash!

Ten meters in front of him, the pitch-black lake water exploded, and a Five-Race Creation Realm cultivator, like a puppet, hung their head as if suspended by invisible strings, devoid of life.

As Chi Xue flicked his hand, this Five-Race Creation Realm cultivator was tossed aside like trash by an invisible hand.

On the pitch-black lake water on that side, ten Five-Race Creation Realm cultivators were all sprawled out scattered, like dead puppets, their pupils dilated, without a breath of life.

…………

At the same time.

Above a clear lake.

Qi Fan and the other nine Great Xia Creation Realm cultivators sat in a circle, each with an ugly expression.

"It just had to be when we entered the third trial and couldn't leave the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest that Chi Xue initiated a Domain War. What exactly is he trying to do?"

"Is he seeking death? Anything is possible with a madman!"

"He is definitely not seeking death. On the contrary, I think he might be aiming for Chen Yan."

"Three comrades have already died in his schemes; a gentleman does not leave such a grudge unavenged!"

"It would be better if this madman had just stayed alive; with him around, the five races will be wiped out by him sooner or later."

Everyone narrowed their eyes, murderous intent rising in their hearts.

They had participated in the second-level Domain War alongside Chi Xue and had experienced many crises.

If not for Qi Fan breaking the deadlock several times, perhaps four or five more people present would have died.

Everyone, to varying degrees, wanted to slaughter Chi Xue immediately, but there was simply no way.

The fact that they had been able to hold out until now was actually thanks to Qi Fan.

Qi Fan rubbed his brow:

"I have a premonition that Chi Xue may have already established a significant connection with the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest."

He narrowed his eyes.

Chi Xue is a madman; using a normal person's mindset to understand him is completely unfeasible.

"Brother Qi Fan, why don't we go and slaughter that guy right now? If everyone works together, I don't believe he can continue to stir up trouble."

A female Creation Realm expert spoke up.

Qi Fan shook his head:

"The Domain War has begun; both Chi Xue and the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest will be protected by the Purple Universe World-Fixing Mirror.

Within eight days, unless he takes the initiative to attack us and we counterattack, we simply cannot strike at him."

Everyone's heart sank.

They had actually prepared a plan to erupt completely within these two days, to fight the Five Clans' Creation Realm experts to the death and kill Chi Xue at all costs.

But Chi Xue seemed to have sensed something in advance and directly initiated the Domain War.

By utilizing the rules, he caused all of Qi Fan and the others' plans to fall through.

"Then what should we do now?"

The female Creation Realm expert from just a moment ago spoke with some hesitation, appearing very lost.

Among the Creation Realm experts present, all were powerhouses over a hundred years old, and some were already approaching a thousand years old.

But most Creation Realm experts spend ninety-nine percent of their lives in cultivation, and as a result, they are not very accustomed to mutual scheming between people.

If you spend your days worrying about deceit and treachery, it will instead obstruct your Dao heart and prevent you from advancing.

Of course, there is also a portion of Creation Realm experts who purely scheme against others to gain benefits and allow themselves to advance.

This type of Creation Realm expert does not have very high combat power themselves.

Nowadays, everyone present holds Qi Fan in high regard.

On one hand, Qi Fan comes from a prestigious school, and on the other, Qi Fan himself has the ability.

Qi Fan pondered, his gaze constantly shifting, until finally, he pursed his lips and looked at the people around him.

"Everyone."

His voice was deep, and in an instant, all the Great Xia Creation Realm experts turned serious.

"We are all Creation Realm experts, and we are highly respected in Great Xia. Although you haven't said it, you must all believe in your hearts that you are nobler than others, and that your own lives are worth ten thousand, or tens of thousands, of others' lives."

As Qi Fan's voice fell, the expressions of the others changed; someone was about to speak, but Qi Fan continued:

"But Great Xia sent us here to seek a path of survival for Great Xia.

Sometimes, Great Xia's path of survival does not mean we can tread the same path.

If we live on by lingering in a precarious state, the paths of our families, our friends, and our children will be severed."

As Qi Fan spoke, the other Great Xia Creation Realm experts' expressions grew solemn one by one; their eyes flickered, and they felt a blockage in their hearts, but it quickly dissipated.

"If the Five Clans lose, they can continue to recuperate for a hundred years, a thousand years.

But if we, Great Xia, lose? If Great Xia loses, then everything is gone!"

Someone spoke in a deep voice, stood up, and looked at the others:

"The Five Clans want to destroy the future of Great Xia's billions of living beings and keep our descendants as livestock.

Are you all willing to see our kin become as lowly as dogs and beasts, our children humiliated in the dust, our wives and daughters wantonly abused, and our dignity trampled like mud?"

As this person spoke, cold light erupted from their eyes:

"Everyone knows what must be done, everyone knows what the future is!"

After this person finished speaking, there was silence over the lake.

Rustle!

Rustle!

By the lakeside, blades of grass swayed.

The shimmering ripples of the water swayed with the fragmented light sprinkled down from the firmament, reflecting in the depths of every pair of eyes.

Suddenly, Qi Fan bowed in salute.

"Everyone!"

He spoke with a ringing tone, addressing them:

"Qi Fan asks you all to go to your deaths!"

Whoosh!

One by one, the Great Xia Creation Realm experts stood up, their expressions solemn, and bowed in salute.

"Willing to die for the future of Great Xia!"

"Willing to die for the future of Great Xia!"

"Willing to die for the future of Great Xia!"

…………

Inside the forging room.

Chen Yan summoned a Thunderball Creature:

"Go to the Dark-Devouring Mother Nest and check on the current situation of Qi Fan and the others."

"Yes, Master!" this Thunderball Creature said, then immediately transformed into a bolt of lightning and vanished.

Immediately after, Chen Yan summoned another Thunderball Creature and a Counter-Fire Soldier Skeleton:

"You two follow the previous Thunderball Creature, one after the other.

Record everything you encounter and tell me when you return."

"Yes, Master!"

This Thunderball Creature and the Counter-Fire Soldier Skeleton left quickly.

Chen Yan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression cold.

He never expected mercy from his enemies; the more one hopes for it, the more cruel one is to oneself.

But when Zhang Chao informed Chen Yan of that string of secret code from Qi Fan, Chen Yan's heart sank.

Because he had no idea what that string of secret code was supposed to express.

The more this was the case, the more Chen Yan felt that something was wrong.

Chen Yan reached out one hand, and a square blueprint with a diameter of fifty centimeters appeared in his hand.

This blueprint had a deep, dark luster, with starlight flickering upon it, outlining the embryonic forms of mountains, rivers, living beings, and the myriad phenomena of the universe.

Chen Yan examined it carefully; within every texture upon it, spiritual charm seemed to flow, appearing extremely profound and mysterious.

Enlightenment Myriad Phenomena Map.

Chen Mi is probably still waiting bitterly for Lu Wuyi to deliver the Enlightenment Myriad Phenomena Map to him.

Chen Yan put the Enlightenment Myriad Phenomena Map into his own Origin Space.

Immediately, he took a look at the Ember Memory Spear, which was about to complete its transformation, and Chen Yan walked out of the forging room.

Chi Yuexi sat in the corner with a look of utter despair; seeing Chen Yan arrive, she turned her head away directly and ignored him.

Ke Qingxuan and the others were still working inside the newly formed Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison.

Chen Yan walked into the Magnetic Storm Thunder Prison, and Ke Qingxuan, covered in sweat, hurriedly wiped the sweat from her forehead with her wrist and smiled at Chen Yan:

"Chen Yan."

"Hmm." Chen Yan nodded:

"You seniors do not need to be so busy; your own cultivation is also very important."

As Chen Yan's voice fell, a white-haired old man walked out of the Soldier-Rearing Room, looked at Chen Yan, and said with some hesitation:

"Heavenly God General, that... Dark Devourer Mother Nest..."

He was still a bit panicked.

After all, how much courage would it take to dare to attack a Level 2 Domain?

What difference was there between this and courting death?

"I am not going to attack the Dark Devourer Mother Nest, I am only going to retrieve Qi Fan and the others, so everyone can rest assured on this point.

I will not let everyone go to their deaths."

As Chen Yan's voice fell, the white-haired old man and the middle-aged man who had just come over both breathed a sigh of relief.

"I still do not know the names of you two seniors," Chen Yan said with a smile.

"I am FangYi."

"This old man is Wang Ming."

The two performed a salute.

"Senior Fang, Senior Wang." Chen Yan also returned the courtesy.

This actually made FangYi and Wang Ming feel a bit flattered.

Such a Chen Yan was vastly different from the one who had attacked the Thousand-Face Corridor before.

"You seniors do not need to be nervous; you probably haven't eaten for a long time, right?" Chen Yan chatted for a few more sentences and then left directly.

FangYi and Wang Ming looked at each other, both revealing smiles.

They had been working so diligently all this time only because of Chen Yan's status.

But now, Chen Yan had only spoken a few sentences with them, yet it made them feel extremely comfortable.

After all, Chen Yan's sense of oppression before had been too intense.

Not just the enemies, but even their own people felt that the sense of oppression made it impossible to dare to object.

"Then... shall we hold a banquet tonight?" the middle-aged man named FangYi smiled.

"Sure, everyone hasn't eaten for a long time, hahaha." The white-haired old man named Wang Ming laughed out loud.

Chen Yan's few words made them all feel that what they were doing had meaning.