Chapter 1006

In the boundless void, a hysterical shriek rose from the boiling molten lava river.

"You… must… give me… an explanation…" Yi Zun's voice trembled with rage; he could barely get out a complete sentence.

As he was controlling the vast molten lava river and charging it toward the Crystal War Star, large sparks burst from his precious metal container, then each one shattered.

Exactly thirty thousand lava giants, including several noble princes with divine-king bloodline, including Yan Huang, all died cleanly.

Yi Zun, beside himself with rage, jumped about in the magma river, casually beating hundreds of the lowest divine slaves until their bones broke and tendons tore, spitting blood. Hordes of lava giants howled hysterically, their bodies swelling to thousands of zhang tall, constantly spewing great gouts of flame, thick smoke, poisonous gas, and magma.

Inside the Crystal War Star, Xuanwu's roar likewise terrified countless Crystal Divine tribesmen, who huddled in corners, trembling and afraid to move.

Thirty thousand Crystal Divine tribesmen, including over ten noble princes and including Guang Huang, all fell in an instant. This was a heavy battle loss, especially since the Crystal Divine tribe's front‑watch commander is Xuanwu, leaving no doubt he must bear all responsibility.

Thinking of those old fogies of the Crystal Divine tribe and the tangled backgrounds, connections, interests, and grudges behind those fallen princes, Xuanwu's head burst with flashes of intense light; his crystal brain vibrated at high speed, generating scorching heat that nearly turned his crystal brain into the magma brain of the lava giants.

"Guang Huang, that good‑for‑nothing, what is he doing? What on earth is he doing?" Xuanwu bellowed, swinging his scepter and smashing some of the splendid furnishings in the Crystal Hall to pieces, sending crystal shards flying everywhere.

You Zu, Chi Bi, and Xu Po, accompanied by a large retinue of guards, cautiously approached the entrance of the Crystal Hall.

Unlike Yi Zun, who brought his own base straight to the Crystal War Star, they went directly via a teleportation array to the star, making them considerably faster than Yi Zun.

They stood at the Crystal Hall's entrance, warily watching the violent, rampaging Xuanwu inside.

The Crystal Divine tribe's flesh is extraordinarily strong and powerful; Xuanwu's crystal scepter in his hand is also a supreme divine artifact, immensely heavy and extremely hard. A random swing that lands a hit, Chi Bi estimates he could withstand one or two heavy blows, while You Zu and Xu Po think a single strike would smash them to pieces.

The three stood outside the gate, silent, watching Xuanwu go mad.

The Ice Spirit Divine tribe suffered little battle loss; just now someone reported to You Zu that only one goddess had died.

The Barbarian Divine tribe also suffered little battle loss; just now someone reported to Chi Bi that among the many divine names engraved on the Barbarian Divine Blood Stele, only Wu Jiang's name had turned from red to gray.

Wu Jiang is dead? Chi Bi felt nothing at all… instead he felt a secret pleasure, after all Wu Jiang was no obedient subject.

Xu Po, meanwhile, was completely unconcerned, leisurely standing aside waiting to watch the spectacle.

The thirty thousand arriving Nether Soul Divine tribe suffered not a single casualty; in their encampment, every personal soul lamp was lit. Xu Po couldn't help but resent the nameless enemies on Mu Dalu—why couldn't they just wipe out that little bastard Xu You?

Although they are full‑brothers sharing the same parents, Xu Po knows Xu You has always been thinking of him.

Xu Po, too, has always been thinking of Xu You.

Thus, among these great clans, blood brothers are the most loathed presence. Xu Po felt a pang of regret as he lifted his gaze to the Crystal Hall's ceiling, pondering how to keep Xu You forever on Mu Dalu.

The three are in different situations, so their states of mind naturally differ.

But no matter what, their moods are relaxed, completely unlike Xuanwu's hysterical outburst.

You Zu watched silently for a while, then crooked his finger at a Crystal Divine tribesman huddled in the corner outside the gate: "Your Highness, what's happened? Um, among the arriving gods, did his brother fall in battle?"

That Crystal Divine tribesman's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.

You Zu produced a few divine‑grade soul crystals and swiftly shoved them into the tribesman's hands.

This low‑ranked individual, merely a messenger‑type divine soldier in the Crystal Divine tribe, lowered his voice and leaned close to You Zu's ear, muttering: "Thirty thousand of our people, the whole army wiped out—just what happened a moment ago!"

Although this Crystal Divine tribesman had lowered his voice as much as possible, his stature was seven or eight zhang tall, and the Crystal Divine tribe's voice carries a special high‑frequency vibration from crystal impacts, so his voice was still quite loud.

You Zu, Xu Po, and Chi Bi, along with the guards they brought, heard it crystal‑clear, and Xuanwu inside the hall also heard the divine soldier's voice; he suddenly reined in his anger, lowered his scepter, and growled low: "Who's chattering outside? Ah, the three princes, you've come? Please come in, please come in…"

Xuanwu shouted loudly: "Someone, clean this place up!"

Chi Bi, You Zu, and Xu Po stepped cautiously into the hall, one careful step at a time.

About a hundred Crystal Divine attendants and slaves, taking tiny steps, entered the hall and began tidying the crystal furnishings that had been smashed to rubble.

Xuanwu suddenly raised his right hand; with a 'bang' he slapped a divine attendant to pieces, shattering into countless white and black crystal fragments that sprayed across the floor. He said flatly: "Was it this lowly wretch running his mouth? No rules, no bounds—he deserves to die."

You Zu, Chi Bi, and Xu Po twitched the corners of their mouths, but said nothing.

The divine soul crystals he had just handed out were not to this unlucky attendant, but Xuanwu wanted to kill to establish authority and vent his rage; he loved doing that, so let him be.

Outside the hall, the Crystal Divine tribesman who had just received those few soul crystals shrank his neck, cautiously pressing himself into the corner, squeezing his body as tightly as possible against the wall, lest Xuanwu see him.

"Xuanwu, what happened?" You Zu cut straight to the chase, asking him: "Why did you urgently summon us?"

Xuanwu stared at You Zu with a grim face, his whole body flashing with an extremely high‑frequency blinding divine light.

After a while, he pointed at You Zu: "Didn't you just hear? My people—thirty thousand of them—had just arrived, and within a few hours the entire army was wiped out, not a single survivor… what about you?"

You Zu, Chi Bi, and Xu Po all coughed dryly at the same time.

After a moment's hesitation, You Zu extended a single index finger: "One."

Chi Bi bluntly thrust a thick middle finger at Xuanwu: "One, that bastard Wu Jiang is dead… hahaha, regarding his death I feel… very… sad, well, I really am sad. Hahaha!"

Before Xu Po, a wisp of black smoke coalesced into a '0' character: "Fortunate, my people suffered no casualties—truly the protection of our ancestors; my dear brother Xu You is safe and sound, which is best. If anything happened to him, my parents would surely be heartbroken."

Xuanwu's splendid flashes all over his body turned black simultaneously; among the Crystal Divine tribe's elite, when their inner divine light turns black, it signifies they have fallen into a state of extreme fury and madness.

You Zu, Chi Bi, and Xu Po quickly retreated dozens of steps from the hall's doors, putting distance between themselves and the silent‑as‑a‑volcano Xuanwu.

"Why, why, why did you only lose two while my people were completely wiped out?" Xuanwu shrieked hysterically; every crystal cell of his body vibrated at high frequency, and the void rang with a piercing hiss, like a hundred million cicadas shrieking in unison.

Around Xuanwu, the void twisted; the high‑frequency sound waves even tore the void, pulling out black spatial rifts.

"Xuanwu, can you tell me why my people were all slain?" A terrifying aura approached rapidly; Yi Zun's roar penetrated the thick crystal walls of the Crystal War Star and entered the hall.

With a deafening 'boom', the Crystal War Star shuddered violently, then the temperature inside it shot up by hundreds of degrees.

In the void, the molten lava river of the lava giants slammed hard into the Crystal War Star; then the magma boiled, and a molten flow stretching hundreds of millions of li surged, quickly enveloping the entire Crystal War Star.

"Did Yi Zun's people also die off? How… unfortunate." You Zu feigned surprise in a shrill voice: "Let's first calm Yi Zun's rage; otherwise the scorching magma will wreak massive havoc on the Crystal War Star, and if it damages any delicate internal equipment, repairs would be difficult."

Xuanwu let out a deep, gloomy roar, his face dark, and bellowed at the ceiling: "Yi Zun, don't go mad. My people have also all fallen in battle; only the Ice Spirit Divine tribe, the Barbarian Divine tribe, and the Nether Soul Divine tribe remain unscathed… Come in, let us confront each other face to face!"

Yi Zun fell silent for a moment, then his gruff voice came through: "Xuanwu, are your people also all dead? Good, I feel much better now… hum, I'm coming in right now!"

You Zu, Chi Bi, and Xu Po burst into silent laughter.

Xuanwu gritted his teeth in rage, his two rows of crystal fangs grinding violently, sending up sparks several zhang long.

That bastard Yi Zun—what does 'I feel much better now' even mean?

Damn thing, can it even speak?

After a quarter of an hour, the massive Yi Zun spewed magma and flame from his whole body, striding in with hundreds of guards.

"All right, let's discuss this properly—what on earth is going on?" You Zu said loudly: "I think we should first contact Sheng Rong; as the front‑line commander, he ought to know the full story."

Inside the Crystal Stone Hall, roars, howls, and curses kept sounding.

At the same time, inside the imperial city of Wuguo, in a delicate waterside pavilion in the rear garden, Pei Feng was personally brewing tea to entertain Bai Ying.

Bai Ying, wearing a white fur and skirt, sat opposite Pei Feng, chatting happily about her experiences over the past few years.

Zhu Ji and Longlong were, however, strangely and wonderfully, mixed together with Blood Prison.

Three stunningly beautiful maidens each hugged a huge wine jar, drinking strong liquor wildly while laughing and watching two groups of Ox Clan children shouting "ah-ah" as they fought together.

These Ox Clan children had bovine heads on human bodies, standing over six feet tall, with bulging muscles all over, born with copper heads and iron foreheads, each possessing innate divine strength.

Their heads and horns slammed together heavily, sending sparks flying, the huge roar like a booming drum.

Blood Prison held a bottle of extremely high-grade treasure pill, cheeks flushed, reeking of liquor, shouting loudly: "Come, come, come, whoever can still stand straight at the end, Blood Prison Sis will give you candy, hehe!"

Zhu Ji jumped excitedly, waving hands and feet, not knowing where she pulled out a great axe radiating divine light, shrieking: "No weaklings, no cowards! Come on, give it to me, Lady! Hah, don't just use your head, use your fists, your hooves—hit him, kick him—whoever can still stand at the end, Lady will give you a fine axe!"

Longlong, meanwhile, was gulping down wine in big mouthfuls, looking down on this group of Ox Clan kids, muttering: "Anyone who can fight is a weakling!"

Roars, shouts, laughter—Blood Prison's three of them utterly turned the vast rear garden into a murky, foul haze, startling the birds into flight.

"So, what brings Your Majesty Bai Ying here?" Pei Feng poured a cup of clear tea for Bai Ying, smiling warmly while eyeing her with a hint of wariness.

"The world has undergone drastic change; the calamity of the Divine Manifestation Realm will not recede. Under Imperial Grandfather's command, among those loyal legions, large numbers of officers have risen to the Divine Manifestation Realm." Bai Ying said in a deep voice: "The troops long for home; even Imperial Grandfather cannot suppress that."

Pei Feng's face changed slightly: "But the old lands of Dai Jin have already been annexed by Wu Tie into the Fuxi Divine State. Moreover, concerning past events of Dai Jin… Emperor Sima Wuyou left carefree and unrestrained, departed with ease and grace; now he wishes to reclaim the old lands, but Wu Tie surely will not tolerate a war between you two."

The gods altered the laws of heaven and earth; the heavenly tribulation for ascending from the Tai Cang Realm to the Divine Manifestation Realm has vanished.

Cultivators of the Tai Cang Realm can ascend smoothly to the Divine Manifestation Realm.

Thus, who knows how many strong officers from the elite army that Emperor Sima Wuyou once led from Dai Jin have broken through to the Divine Manifestation Realm?

And the Fuxi Divine State is even more so.

Compared with the tens of millions of loyal elite troops and dozens of aristocratic military houses that Emperor Sima Wuyou led, the population base of the Fuxi Divine State is enormous; those who have ascended to the Divine Manifestation Realm there are at least tenfold, even a hundredfold, the number of his elite troops.

If Emperor Sima Wuyou wishes to reclaim Dai Jin's territory, then this bitter war… for him to win would be extremely difficult.

Moreover, both sides fight mainly with Divine Manifestation Realm experts; thus, the number of Divine Manifestation Realm casualties would be in the millions—this would be an offering freely given to the gods, which Wu Tie absolutely will not allow.

"So I advise Imperial Grandfather to abandon the old lands of Dai Jin." Bai Ying looked steadily at Pei Feng: "I've heard that Wuguo, beyond this continent, has seized another vast territory and intends to place it under the trusteeship of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty."

Pei Feng couldn't help but roll her eyes, pat her forehead, and sigh at Bai Ying: "Ah, back then Emperor Sima Wuyou abandoned Dai Jin and fled afar; among the old officials of Dai Jin, how many spies did he plant?"

Bai Ying spread her hands, smiling at Pei Feng: "That cannot be said. But if we leave the Supreme Demon State for Imperial Grandfather to settle his civil and military officials, Bai Ying, Zhu Ji, and Longlong can wholeheartedly serve Wu Tie's Majesty."

Pei Feng narrowed her eyes, growing ever more wary of Bai Ying.

"Grand Princess, you…" Pei Feng hesitated a bit.

Bai Ying smiled faintly; a cluster of pure light appeared above her head, then one, two, three… altogether sixty-four Dao Seals flew out in succession.

"Joined with Zhu Ji, we are enough to conceal the heavenly secrets… we have directly condensed Dao Seals using the bloodline power of the Fuxi Sage, and we have just recently succeeded."

Bai Ying looked at Pei Feng and smiled: "Your Majesty Wu Tie, surely you won't refuse two more loyal and capable ministers under your command?"

Pei Feng smiled faintly, and in her heart muttered: "I do mind!"