He Li looked up at a void.
In his vision, the mixed void was colorful, and the shattered space fell like mirrors, fragmented.
Then time flowed backward, the broken mirrors mended, piece by piece slowly rejoining, like a jigsaw puzzle, pieced together.
He Li remained expressionless, motionless, yet one荒主 (huangzhu - desolate lord) was dead, his head dissipating in He Li's hand. Another 荒主 was severely injured by the rapid passage and reversal of time.
A blast echoed through the void, like the sky collapsing.
Xia Yeqi was locked in fierce combat with a mid-level 荒主. Divine power continuously impacted the battlefield, tens of thousands of threads of divine power descended from the sky, like a thousand arrows, rustling downwards.
He Li did not act rashly. Since he knew this was a deadly trap set for their 御灵神族 (Yuling Shenzu - Spirit Taming Divine Clan), it wouldn't be so simple.
Whether it was the 荒王 (huangwang - desolate king) or the 申屠神主 (Shentu Shenzhu - Shentu Divine Lord), they would surely have contingencies.
As expected,
Another divine light came from the east, drawing a massive circle across the entire battlefield, and finally shot directly towards He Li, hovering above him, emitting a brilliant divine light that enveloped He Li.
The next moment,
A figure emerged from the divine light, clad in black, with an ordinary appearance but an extraordinary aura. Without any hesitation, he extended a finger, divine might radiating gloriously, splendor blooming, pointing at He Li.
Such divine might, who else could it be but the King of the Desolate Clan?
He Li sheathed his saber. He was certain his saber could not block this finger. His figure flickered, shuttling between reality and illusion. A blood-red great saber appeared out of nowhere, positioned horizontally before He Li.
Golden bells and cauldrons also rotated slowly behind He Li.
He Li placed one hand on the blood-red great saber, took a step forward, and let out a low, deep roar: "Come!"
Time passed too quickly, many were forgotten in the river of time.
Time also passed too slowly, many things could not be forgotten no matter how much one wished.
He Li was different. Many people seemed as if they were right before his eyes. He *was* time, and every movement was the flow of ages.
With a single word, "Come!"
It conveyed the fury in He Li's heart. When he first entered the battlefield, he was merely the most peripheral cannon fodder, walking amidst the vortex of war and conspiracy, seeking a sliver of survival between life and death.
He sought life in death, and Chen Du meticulously planned.
Now, he had finally stood at the pinnacle of this era, a king.
The blood-red great saber, named Corrupted Blood Forest, emanated ripples, waves of saber shadows spreading out.
The phantom of the Divine King pointed with a single finger.
He Li advanced with his saber, slashing downwards.
*Boom!!!*
Heaven and earth trembled.
He Li, like a meteor, was sent flying ten thousand miles away. He was blasted away by the Desolate King's single finger.
The phantom of the Desolate King watched He Li being sent flying and sighed softly. The phantom gradually dissipated.
Xia Yeqi let out a soft cry, lightly stepping on the void, creating ten thousand threads of divine light, smashing out a punch, blocking two 荒主 who wanted to pursue He Li. He gently shook his spear, sweeping it horizontally, directly blocking in front of He Li.
The two 荒主 exchanged glances, knowing that the situation was beyond their control. Even with the phantom of the Desolate King appearing, they couldn't kill He Li, and anything more they did would be futile.
They waved their hands, signaling the warring desolate clan army to retreat, and withdrew.
Xia Yeqi was about to pursue when a hand was placed on his shoulder, stopping him. "Forget it. If we chase further, the Desolate King might appear in person. We will surely die."
Xia Yeqi turned back, saw that He Li was unharmed, and nodded. "Alright, let's go back and rest."
Upon returning to the divine clan camp,
Xia Yeqi and He Li sat around a stone table. He Li stared blankly at his teacup, while Xia Yeqi looked up at Xia Min'ao and asked, "Any countermeasures?"
"What countermeasures?"
Xia Min'ao blinked in surprise. "What countermeasures do you want? What countermeasures could I possibly have?"
Xia Min'ao rolled his eyes and pointed at He Li, "He and his subordinates are both deeply cunning and have undoubtedly made their plans. Do I need to think of something?"
He Li looked up and said, "Chen Du's wisdom is enough to calculate the heavens. I cannot. I do not possess strategic thinking on a grand scale. If Chen Du were here, we wouldn't need to worry. Now, it can only be you."
Xia Min'ao was speechless. "Fine, the elder brother is absent, so the second brother takes over." However, he didn't argue further and instead thought seriously for a moment, then said, "Later, move the battle group towards the battlefield of Divine Lord Yi Yao."
Xia Min'ao paced slowly by the window. Xia Yeqi stood with a straight posture, watching Xia Min'ao, while He Li fiddled with his teacup.
Xia Min'ao stopped pacing and looked at the two of them. "You two go together to see Divine Lord Shentu and request reinforcements from the Divine Realm in his name."
"What's the pretext?" Xia Yeqi asked.
Xia Min'ao smiled. "The 荒主 personally appeared on the battlefield, and He Li was severely injured, damaging his divinity. Is that reason not enough?"
He Li looked up at the two, paused, and then, as if struck by inspiration, clutched his chest and coughed. "Cough... cough..."
"Do you need to cough up blood?"
Xia Min'ao grinned. "No need. You fought with the phantom of the 荒主 anyway. Did you win?"
"No, I didn't win," He Li shook his head blankly.
"Were you injured?" Xia Min'ao asked again.
"I was injured... I think so," He Li clutched his chest.
"Very good."
Xia Min'ao looked at Xia Yeqi. "Do you know what to do now?"
Xia Yeqi nodded and was about to speak when
Xia Min'ao raised his hand to stop him. "No need to say anything. I know you don't understand."
Xia Yeqi neither objected nor agreed, staring blankly at Xia Min'ao.
Xia Min'ao said, "Later, the two of you go to Divine Lord Shentu's place and report on the battle. He Li is severely injured, his divinity is damaged. Divine Lord Shentu will surely say he needs to report to the Divine Realm for further instructions on the next course of action.
Yeqi, after Divine Lord Shentu finishes his pleasantries, immediately state that our divine clan forces have suffered heavy losses and require reinforcements from the Divine Realm.
In the Divine Realm, there is He Li's subordinate. If my guess is not wrong, Chen Du will use various excuses to prevent the Divine Realm from sending troops to support us.
After the next major battle, when the Divine Realm's reinforcements have not arrived, you will then request support from Divine Lord Shentu.
Divine Lord Shentu will surely put on a good show. His most elite expeditionary divine army is on the battlefield of Divine Lord Yi Yao.
Our first step is to target Divine Lord Yi Yao, to sow discord between Divine Lord Shentu and Divine Lord Yi Yao, and to isolate Shentu before the Divine Lords from the Divine Realm arrive.
"My biggest concern is Chen Du. Will he see through my plan?" Xia Min'ao looked at He Li.
He Li nodded and said, "How would I know? I can't see it anyway. Perhaps he can see it."
Xia Min'ao shrugged and said nothing.
Xia Yeqi and He Li went to Divine Lord Shentu's place and put on a grand performance in the council hall. Divine Lord Shentu sent a divine message to the Divine Realm for reinforcements in front of the two.
In the Divine Realm, the Divine King's Palace.
Upon receiving the divine message for reinforcements, the Divine King glanced at the twelve clan leaders, then finally looked at Chen Du and asked softly in a tone of consultation, "What are the Envoy's opinions?"
All twelve clan leaders looked at Chen Du.
Chen Du smiled slightly. "Since Divine Lord Shentu requests reinforcements, we should naturally send troops to support him. Moreover, since there are five 荒主 from the Desolate Clan in the central battlefield, our divine clan should dispatch a Divine Lord. We cannot be at a disadvantage in terms of high-end combat power."
"Good," the Divine King smiled, then asked again, "Which Divine Lord does the Envoy favor?"
Chen Du thought for a moment and said, "Divine Lord Xunhe. Not only does he have the cultivation of a mid-level Divine Lord, but his temperament is also steady. I believe he will stabilize the central battlefield."
"Good, then Divine Lord Xunhe."
Xia Bailin and Yu Liche exchanged glances, neither understanding Chen Du's intentions.
Divine Lord Xunhe was a loyal follower of the Divine King.
...