Chapter 424: The Great Dao Oath and the Gathering

June 10, the Seven Kill Realm.

Song Shoujie, Marquis of Luoshui from Chen Guo, was frantic.

Only four hours remained before the Seven Kill Palace would surface, yet he had not found even a trace of the Seven Kill Token.

Not just him—all the Chen Guo elite who had entered with him and survived to the fifth trial, and whom he could contact, had found no trace of any Seven Kill Token.

He had already decided: if he still hadn't found a Seven Kill Token after three more hours,

he would wait at the entrance of the Seven Kill Palace once it appeared.

He would seize one by force if necessary.

With his current cultivation base of seventh-rank mid-stage, whether it was the legacy of the Seven Kill True Person or helping the State Advisor secure the Divine Dao Essence, both were critically important.

The former might allow him to ascend to eighth rank, even break through to ninth rank; the latter might enable him to break through eighth rank.

But whichever path he chose, the Seven Kill Token was the key.

Without the Seven Kill Token, nothing mattered.

Suddenly, Song Shoujie's mind stirred—his inner space's Mother-Child Demon Seal suddenly began to glow.

He quickly retrieved it, his expression slightly startled.

This was the Mother-Child Demon Seal he used exclusively to contact the State Advisor—did the State Advisor have instructions?

After retrieving the Mother-Child Demon Seal, Song Shoujie received a message, and his face showed surprise.

A few breaths later, the Marquis of Luoshui rose into the air and shot toward a direction.

Fifteen minutes later, Dong Zhao watched the starlight racing toward him and smiled, "Here he comes!"

Because the entry into the Seven Kill Realm had been urgent, before departure, the State Advisor Cheng Yuexiao had given Dong Zhao the Mother-Child Demon Seal used for emergency contact with Marquis Song Shoujie, to facilitate urgent communication.

"Chief Dong."

"Greetings, Marquis."

After exchanging formal courtesies, Dong Zhao introduced Xu Jin (Qi Tian Sheng) and Ning Yuchan to Marquis Song Shoujie.

Marquis Song merely nodded politely to Xu Jin and Ning Yuchan—he paid them little mind.

To him, in both strength and status, he looked down upon the two.

"Chief Dong, is what you mentioned earlier truly accurate?" Song Shoujie asked.

"Marquis, it is indeed true, but he must explain it himself—he is the actual planner and executor." Dong Zhao looked at Xu Jin.

Xu Jin stepped forward and spoke bluntly: "Marquis, what do you think of Ju Xuan, the eighth-rank of the Jin Zhu barbarians?"

"Ju Xuan, the eighth-rank Jin Zhu barbarian, is beyond my ability to defeat," Song Shoujie said.

"Marquis, if Ju Xuan waits at the entrance of the Seven Kill Palace, can you force your way in?" Xu Jin asked.

"It would be difficult, but if I obtained a Seven Kill Token and deliberately created an opening, I could endure a direct assault and break through Ju Xuan's blockade to enter the Seven Kill Palace—there's still a chance." Song Shoujie said.

"Marquis, what if Ju Xuan hasn't obtained a Seven Kill Token either?" Xu Jin asked.

"This—"

Song Shoujie was startled. "That's unlikely—Ju Xuan has four seventh-rank and seven sixth-rank under him; acquiring one Seven Kill Token should be effortless."

"Please answer my question."

Song Shoujie glanced at Xu Jin and pondered, "If Ju Xuan has no Seven Kill Token, he will fight desperately—his first move will be his full strength. In that case, even after I obtain a Seven Kill Token, breaking into the Seven Kill Palace becomes extremely difficult."

The chance of failure increases greatly!

If his four seventh-rank kin join the fight, my chance of entering the Seven Kill Palace drops to zero!"

"Marquis, take a look at this."

Xu Jin opened his palm—and Marquis Song Shoujie's pupils shrank sharply.

Seven Kill Tokens!

Eight of them!

In an instant, he understood.

No wonder he couldn't find even one—this boy had secured eight.

This made Marquis Song Shoujie reassess Xu Jin: acquiring eight Seven Kill Tokens alone, even with assistance, warranted serious attention.

"You have eight, and two remain unaccounted for—the Jin Zhu barbarians likely have one too," Song Shoujie judged.

"Marquis, I also have one," Dong Zhao revealed his own token.

"Marquis, I've confirmed that Hou Ziang of the Wood Spirit Palace also obtained a Seven Kill Token," Xu Jin added.

Hearing this, Song Shoujie's breath quickened. "So all ten Seven Kill Tokens have been accounted for—and the Jin Zhu barbarians have none? Then what's your plan?"

Song Shoujie now understood: Dong Zhao had summoned him, revealed these tokens, and clearly intended to give him one—but it was far more than just handing him a token.

"Marquis, my plan is this—"

As Xu Jin handed one Seven Kill Token directly to Song Shoujie, he laid out his entire plan.

After listening for several breaths, Song Shoujie exhaled deeply. "Remarkable youth!"

"I once considered gathering all human seventh-ranks to first exterminate the Jin Zhu barbarians, then divide the Seven Kill Realm—but it's impossible—there's no opportunity to do so."

"Your strategy gives all sides a basis for cooperation."

Song Shoujie's expression turned serious. "But even ignoring the Jin Zhu barbarians' sixth-ranks, they still have one eighth-rank and four seventh-ranks. Unless all eleven human seventh-ranks currently in the realm join the fight with full commitment, victory is unlikely—and even then, casualties are certain."

"Yet only six Seven Kill Tokens remain—this won't be enough."

"Five."

Xu Jin emphasized.

He had eight tokens—he gave one to Song Shoujie, kept one for himself, and Ning Yuchan had one—five remained.

"Even fewer—hardly enough to ensure everyone's full commitment," Song Shoujie said.

Before Xu Jin could speak, Ning Yuchan suddenly said, "I don't want a Seven Kill Token."

Xu Jin was stunned.

"One's energy is limited, and time is even more limited. My talent is what it is—I haven't even fully comprehended the path I've already chosen!"

"I won't compete for the Seven Kill legacy."

"During the battle, I'll seek combat experience, then leave," Ning Yuchan said, her gaze resolute.

Xu Jin wanted to persuade her, but seeing her firm eyes, he fell silent.

Song Shoujie and Dong Zhao, now understanding, looked at Ning Yuchan with deep admiration.

She had a rare clarity of mind.

Xu Jin understood: absolute dedication to a single path was Ning Yuchan's Dao, and her lifelong principle.

Even accepting his suggestion to cultivate Earth Star Arts was already her yielding to advice, correcting her weakness.

Her decision now was easy to understand.

And competing with the seventh-ranks for the legacy was a slim hope—better to abandon it outright.

Seeing this, Xu Jin did not press further.

"Then it's six."

"Six still isn't enough! Eleven seventh-ranks remain—nine unaccounted for. This could spark greater conflict, especially since the enemy is so strong," Song Shoujie said.

"Marquis, there are two things you must know!

First, all four seventh-ranks and seven sixth-ranks of the Jin Zhu barbarians have been eliminated from the Seven Kill Realm—the Jin Zhu barbarians now have only Ju Xuan left, utterly alone!" Xu Jin said.

At this, Song Shoujie was shocked, glancing skeptically at Dong Zhao. "Is this true?"

Clearly, he still doubted Xu Jin's claim.

"True!" Dong Zhao gave a firm answer. "Marquis, this is the result of the past two days' efforts by the three of us."

This had been prearranged by Dong Zhao and Xu Jin.

It also served to divert attention from Xu Jin.

Otherwise, it might invite unnecessary trouble.

Song Shoujie remained astonished.

Dong Zhao could fight a standard seventh-rank, but only an ordinary one.

The Jin Zhu barbarians here were elite among elites.

That meant the other two's combat power was extraordinary.

"Marquis, besides Ju Xuan being alone, you must also consider the Divine Dao Essence!

The Heaven Sun Star Hall, the Azure Star Hall, the Calamity-Subduing Star Hall, and the Vast Void Palace have all failed to obtain Seven Kill Tokens.

Failing to receive the Seven Kill True Person's legacy is minor—but failing to obtain the Divine Dao Essence is grave!

Therefore, if you take a firm stance and leverage your Seven Kill Tokens, you can compel them to cooperate." Xu Jin said.

Hearing this, Song Shoujie nodded. "Under these circumstances, it's possible. But to accomplish this, we need more allies—otherwise, given their nature, they'll immediately turn on us, first attacking us to seize the Seven Kill Tokens."

Hearing this, Song Shoujie nodded. "Under these circumstances, it's possible. But to pull this off, we need more allies—otherwise, given the nature of that bunch, they'll likely flip the table right away and come after us to seize the Seven Kill Token."

"Correct. The Calamity-Subduing Star Hall has always been friendly with us—we can secure their agreement first. The Azure Star Hall can also be wooed now—we can offer them extra Seven Kill Tokens," Dong Zhao said.

"That's right," Dong Zhao said. "The Garrison-Subduing Star Hall has always been on good terms with us; we can secure their agreement first. As for the Cangming Palace, we can also win them over for now by offering extra Seven Kill Tokens."

Song Shoujie nodded. "Once we build momentum, we can compel them to invoke the Star Tower with their soul essence and swear the Great Dao Oath—this will be far safer."

In moments, the group exchanged ideas, refining Xu Jin's bold plan into something far more solid.

Fifteen minutes later, Marquis Song Shoujie set out with the three, heading first to locate the Calamity-Subduing Star Hall's seventh-rank elite, Abatai.

Abatai's other identity was the commander of the Barbarian Ghost Bear Army on the Star River Battlefield.

Song Shoujie had a personal relationship with him—and more importantly, they had an emergency contact method.

Song Shoujie had a personal connection with him, and more importantly, an emergency contact method.

This is also one of the reasons Xu Jin ultimately entrusted this plan to Marquis Song Shoujie to carry out.

Beyond that, there were many other considerations.

As Song Shoujie said, given the modus operandi of the Heavenly Sun Star Hall, the Sumeru Palace, and the Azure Star Hall, even if Xu Jin went to negotiate, let alone Song Shoujie himself, the first thing they'd think of wouldn't be to unite and launch a joint assault against Ju Xuan.

More likely, they'd immediately try to kill Song Shoujie and seize the Seven Kill Token he carried.

Xu Jin going would be even worse!

No matter how impressive Xu Jin's battlefield record, his current status, reputation, and cultivation base make him utterly unequal to those seventh-rank masters in terms of parity.

In contrast, entrusting this task to Song Shoujie meant simply bringing over the forces of the Pacifying Star Hall—and half the mission would already be accomplished.

Song Shoujie indeed had secret means of contacting the barbarian seventh-rank master Abatai; within less than twenty minutes, they met face-to-face with Abatai's party.

Rumors claim barbarians are foolish and easily deceived—but they are only rumors.

Dealing with barbarians hinges on sincerity!

Song Shoujie gave each of the two seventh-rank masters from the Pacifying Star Hall, Abatai and Yuxi, a Seven Kill Token, and laid out the plan in full.

Both immediately agreed.

They had been desperately searching for the Seven Kill Tokens; the Seven Kill Palace was about to appear, yet not a single token had been seen!

So when Song Shoujie came to them, they were overjoyed.

Only when Song Shoujie demanded they use their soul essence to activate the Star Tower and swear a Great Dao Oath did they hesitate.

For those above the sixth rank, invoking the Star Tower to swear a Great Dao Oath cannot be done lightly.

Breaking such an oath wouldn't kill you.

But breaking it would almost certainly sever your own Dao path.

All seventh-rank masters present were dragons among men—genius elites of their respective Star Halls, potential eighth-rank seeds, each fiercely ambitious to break through to the eighth rank, even the ninth.

Thus, they were extremely cautious when swearing a Great Dao Oath.

But Song Shoujie's oath required only that they fully commit to confronting the eighth-rank Jin Zhu barbarian, Ju Xuan, should the plan succeed.

It was simple.

There were no traps.

Right before Song Shoujie's eyes, they swore the Great Dao Oath.

Instantly, the team swelled in strength.

The number of seventh-rank masters rose to three.

The group set out again, and soon found the Azure Star Hall's seventh-rank master, Ye Feng.

The value of Dong Zhao's suggestion to assign Song Shoujie as the executor was rapidly increasing.

No one else could have located an Azure Star Hall master in such a short time.

Moreover, Song Shoujie's rank naturally earned their trust.

But when they found Ye Feng, they received terrible news.

The other seventh-rank master of the Azure Star Hall had been unlucky—discovered and overtaken by the eighth-rank Ju Xuan, then slain.

And not just once: after guarding the corpse, Ju Xuan killed him twice.

After exhausting both of his substitute lives, he was forced to exit the Seven Kill Secret Realm.

At this moment, Song Shoujie delivered a Seven Kill Token to Ye Feng, who welcomed it with great joy.

He immediately joined, and using his primordial spirit, activated the Star Tower to swear the Great Dao Oath.

Afterwards, Song Shoujie located Zhang Lin of the Heavenly Sun Star Hall.

Although the Chen state officially stood in mortal enmity with the Heavenly Sun Star Hall due to the death of Emperor Gan'an, personal ties still remained.

Song Shoujie and Zhang Lin had long-standing rapport.

This reveals the breadth of Song Shoujie's connections!

After finding Zhang Lin, they received another piece of bad news.

Another seventh-rank master of the Heavenly Sun Star Hall had also been eliminated by the eighth-rank Ju Xuan.

He suffered misfortune, was then ambushed and killed twice after Ju Xuan guarded his corpse.

Finding the Sumeru Palace's forces took a bit more effort—Song Shoujie wasn't familiar with them, but Zhang Lin of the Heavenly Sun Star Hall was.

Yet when they were found, a complication arose.

Qiao Shen of the Sumeru Palace demanded two Seven Kill Tokens—they had two seventh-rank masters!

At this point, Song Shoujie's strategy showed its strength: he was utterly uncompromising.

They already had five seventh-rank masters!

If the Sumeru Palace didn't want it, fine.

The Seven Kill Tokens wouldn't lack takers!

In the end, the Sumeru Palace's elite seventh-rank master Qiao Shen relented, accepted one Seven Kill Token, and both of their seventh-rank masters activated the Star Tower to swear the Great Dao Oath.

The Wood Spirit Palace was more interesting.

The Wood Spirit Palace's seventh-rank master Hou Ziang had already obtained a Seven Kill Token and refused to join—but the other seventh-rank master, Du Wei, had no token and was desperate.

Under these circumstances, there was ample room for maneuver.

Marquis Song Shoujie, holding high rank and commanding an entire army, laid down a firm condition: to receive a Seven Kill Token, both Wood Spirit Palace seventh-rank masters must fight, and both must swear the Great Dao Oath.

This demand nearly drove the two brothers, Du Wei and Hou Ziang, to bitter enmity.

In the end, Du Wei overruled Hou Ziang with appeals to righteousness.

One more Seven Kill Token meant one more chance to obtain the Divine Dao's true essence!

The nine seventh-rank masters of the human race were now assembled!

As they began discussing specific tactics, less than an hour remained before the Seven Kill Palace would emerge.

(End of Chapter)