Though only Yan Wushen came alone, the atmosphere among the Upper Three Clans was tense, with all key figures present, including Wu Jiang, Prajna, Que Fei, Yuan Fei Great Sage, and nearly twenty Great Sages at the peak of the Hundred-Shackle Realm.
The Upper Three Clans were brimming with powerhouses. United, even the Yanluo Clan couldn’t stand against them.
Yan Wushen showed no fear, saying, “No need for such a display. I come as a friend, not a foe.”
“A friend, not a foe?” Wu Jiang, eager to fight, scoffed, “On the Hunting Battlefield, anyone not of our clan is an enemy.”
Yan Wushen smiled, “If that’s the case, aren’t the Upper Three Clans enemies to each other?”
Killing intent flashed in the eyes of those present.
The Upper Three Clans had formed an alliance only after Prajna’s persistent persuasion. She had promised to lead them to second, third, and fourth places in the War of the Hunt.
Had Zhang Ruochen not led the Immortal Blood Clan to a sudden rise, and had Emperor Lei not died unexpectedly at the hands of Qi Die and Emperor Chi, she might have succeeded.
Even now, with Prajna unable to fulfill her promise, no one from the Upper Three Clans blamed her.
At the start of the War of the Hunt, when everyone underestimated Zhang Ruochen, Prajna had laid a trap to kill him.
But Zhang Ruochen was too powerful, beyond everyone’s expectations. He defeated Wu Jiang and stunned all the Upper Three Clans’ cultivators who had once looked down on him.
Could Prajna be blamed for that?
No.
As for Emperor Lei’s death, that was a mistake by the gods of the Temple of Fate. Could Prajna be blamed?
No.
At least for now, the Nether Clan and Death Clan ranked in the top five.
Prajna, cold as snow, stepped forward to face Yan Wushen, saying, “What do you mean by ‘friend, not foe’?”
Having fought alongside Prajna in the Kunlun Realm, Yan Wushen held some fondness for her and said, “The Yanluo Clan and Upper Three Clans should cooperate to wipe out the Heavenly Slaves on the Seventh Dark Star.”
The Upper Three Clans’ powerhouses sneered.
Cooperate?
The Yanluo Clan likely wanted to use the Upper Three Clans as the vanguard while they reaped the benefits.
Did they think the Upper Three Clans’ cultivators were so easily fooled?
“How will the points be divided if we destroy the Heavenly Slaves together?” Yuan Fei Great Sage, composed, asked.
Yan Wushen replied, “The Yanluo Clan only wants Emperor Chi’s points. The other Great Sage Heavenly Slaves belong to the Upper Three Clans.”
The Upper Three Clans’ Hundred-Shackle Realm peak Great Sages were in an uproar, finding it unbelievable.
By claiming Emperor Chi’s points, the Yanluo Clan was essentially saying they’d handle killing him.
Why had the Hell Realm cultivators delayed attacking the Seventh Dark Star?
Besides mutual restraint among the clans, it was because Emperor Chi was too powerful.
Once battle began, he alone could wreak havoc.
No one could bear the responsibility of losing numerous genius Great Sages.
Now, Yan Wushen was taking on the toughest challenge, leaving the seven hundred Great Sage Heavenly Slaves—worth tens of millions of points—more manageable.
Prajna’s heart stirred. What gave Yan Wushen the confidence to kill Emperor Chi, who wielded a Supreme Sacred Artifact?
Did the Yanluo Clan have a surefire way to kill him, or was Yan Wushen merely bluffing with another plan?
Yan Wushen said, “You’re likely still doubting my sincerity. To be honest, I’m targeting Emperor Chi because only by killing him can I gain the full legacy of the Yanluo Clan’s home star.”
“Why should we trust you?” Wu Jiang asked.
Yan Wushen replied, “Because the Upper Three Clans aren’t worthy of being the Yanluo Clan’s enemies. So why would I deceive you?”
Angry curses erupted.
“Yan Wushen, you’re too arrogant!”
“Daring to look down on the Upper Three Clans? Let’s fight!”
“Even if the Yanluo Clan is strong, united, the Upper Three Clans would crush you. Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Yan Wushen crossed his arms, his gaze contemptuous, “Even if the Yanluo Clan does nothing now, none of your clans can catch up in points. Am I wrong?”
The Upper Three Clans’ cultivators gnashed their teeth in anger.
Yet his arrogance left them unable to retort.
Only Prajna, Yuan Fei Great Sage, and a few others remained calm, pondering Yan Wushen’s true intentions.
After a moment, Prajna said, “I trust you.”
Yan Wushen laughed heartily, “As expected, only Prajna sees clearly. The Upper Three Clans have too many mediocrities this generation, tarnishing their name. Two thousand years ago, in the War of the Hunt, the Upper Three Clans produced countless powerhouses, all ranking in the top five. This time, without Yanluo Clan cooperation, I fear none of you will make it.”
Wu Jiang sneered, about to speak.
Yan Wushen continued, “The War of the Hunt has only one day left. Time is short. If the Upper Three Clans don’t cooperate, I’ll seek out the Middle Three Clans. The Bone Clan and Corpse Clan would love to reach the top five.”
Prajna stopped Wu Jiang, saying, “Isn’t the Yanluo Clan already working with the Bone Clan?”
“Merely using them. Neither Pink Skeleton nor the Bone Clan amount to much. In the Upper Three Clans, only Prajna and Wan Shou Great Sage catch my eye. Our cooperation could last a thousand years after the War of the Hunt.”
This was a veiled promise to support Prajna as the Divine Maiden of Fate.
But apart from Prajna and Wu Jiang, the other Upper Three Clans’ Great Sages were red with rage.
What did Yan Wushen mean? They were all Hundred-Shackle Realm peak cultivators with divine potential, yet he dismissed them?
He was belittling the heroes of the world.
Yan Wushen locked eyes with Prajna, adding, “If the Upper Three Clans and Yanluo Clan cooperate, it’s possible to crush the Immortal Blood Clan.”
Wu Jiang, previously hostile, asked, “Crush the Immortal Blood Clan?”
Yan Wushen gave him a firm look, “If we wipe out their clansmen, halving their points, the Nether Clan could overtake them for second place. Wu Jiang, what’s the point of just defeating Zhang Ruochen? Destroying the Immortal Blood Clan, dragging them from the heights to the dirt, letting Zhang Ruochen watch his hard-earned glory crumble—wouldn’t that be more satisfying?”
A cold glint flashed in Wu Jiang’s eyes as he smiled, “So the Yanluo Clan wants to use us against the Immortal Blood Clan.”
Yan Wushen didn’t deny it, “In this War of the Hunt, from start to finish, only the Immortal Blood Clan has been our enemy. Aren’t they also your Nether Clan’s enemy? Our interests align.”
“Fine! I agree!” Wu Jiang said.
Yan Wushen smiled, “Wan Shou Great Sage, truly the Upper Three Clans’ top powerhouse, a supreme hero of this era. In great matters, you show such resolve.”
“But I have one condition.”
“Speak.”
Wu Jiang said, “Zhang Ruochen must die, and I must kill him myself.”
Yan Wushen praised, “A true man should be so, avenging grudges, tooth for tooth. I’ll personally hold the line for you, witnessing Wan Shou Great Sage take Zhang Ruochen’s head.”
With Wu Jiang’s agreement, the Death Clan and Stone Clan naturally wouldn’t refuse cooperation with the Yanluo Clan.
After all, they weren’t in direct competition with the Yanluo Clan. Gaining benefits and dealing with their enemy Zhang Ruochen was ideal.
Prajna said, “The Upper Three Clans can cooperate with the Yanluo Clan, but even with our combined forces attacking the Seventh Dark Star, there’s still significant risk. The Raksha and Immortal Blood Clans’ cultivators are lurking, watching like tigers.”
Indeed, if they fought the Heavenly Slaves, wouldn’t the Raksha and Immortal Blood Clans stir trouble?
Yan Wushen said, “The Raksha and Immortal Blood Clans are no concern. Let them keep hiding. Our battlefield isn’t even on the Seventh Dark Star.”
The Upper Three Clans’ cultivators were stunned.
Not on the Seventh Dark Star?
Prajna, as if guessing Yan Wushen’s intent, calmly said, “You plan to use a spatial teleportation array?”
“No, precisely, a dark spatial teleportation array,” Yan Wushen said.
Prajna asked, “The battlefield is the Immortal Blood Clan’s home star?”
“Correct,” Yan Wushen confirmed.
Prajna sighed, a look of admiration crossing her face, “A brilliant move, killing two birds with one stone.”
Only a few understood what was happening; the rest were still confused.
How did the battlefield shift to the Immortal Blood Clan’s home star?
Prajna said, “Even if you harness the dark star’s dark energy to activate the teleportation array, you can’t directly enter their home star. Have you forgotten the spatial isolation array?”
“Yan Huang Tu will break their home star’s array in advance,” Yan Wushen said.
Prajna’s heart sank. Against a formidable foe like Yan Wushen, all of Zhang Ruochen’s efforts might come to nothing.
The tide…
Yan Wushen had built an unstoppable momentum, uniting the Yanluo Clan, Upper Three Clans, and Bone Clan—five clans descending on the Immortal Blood Clan’s home star. Who could stop them?
Zhang Ruochen?
He couldn’t.
Yan Wushen, Yan Huang Tu, and Wu Jiang together—Zhang Ruochen, even with extraordinary powers, might not withstand them. Not to mention Que, Yuan Fei Great Sage, Que Fei, Pink Skeleton, and others.
Would the Immortal Blood Clan’s first-place position among the ten clans be lost like this?
Would the Empress and Master Xuanji’s plans come to naught?
Would Emperor Chi’s death be in vain?
Would the billions of beings in the Kunlun Realm continue to live in war and humiliation, trampled, slaughtered, and enslaved?
No!
It must not be so.
There was still a chance, there had to be.
Prajna said, “Since Yan Huang Tu and Pink Skeleton have already gone to the Immortal Blood Clan’s home star, their clansmen will soon be wiped out. Is there still a need to shift the battlefield there?”
Yan Wushen looked at her suspiciously, “Does Prajna have a better battlefield in mind?”
Under the gaze of Yan Wushen’s Origin Divine Eyes, Prajna felt as if her soul was being pierced. His vigilance was unmatched among their generation.
“The other dark stars are good options. For example, the Third Dark Star,” Prajna said.
The battlefield couldn’t be the Seventh Dark Star, as the Raksha and Immortal Blood Clans were there, affecting the outcome.
Thus, it had to be elsewhere.
The Third Dark Star held an uncertain factor, the main reason Prajna wanted to lead them there. Only then would the Immortal Blood Clan and Zhang Ruochen have a sliver of hope.
Yan Wushen shook his head lightly, “Fighting on a dark star gives us an advantage, but the Heavenly Slaves would never agree.”
Prajna fell silent.
Yan Wushen’s will was firmer than Wu Jiang’s, unshakable by anyone, and his mind was terrifyingly sharp. Continuing would only arouse his suspicion, with dire consequences.
Yan Wushen withdrew his gaze from Prajna, saying, “Next, I must meet Emperor Chi. I’ll take my leave!”
Many still didn’t grasp Yan Wushen’s intentions.
Change the battlefield?
How?
Would the Heavenly Slaves go to the Immortal Blood Clan’s home star themselves?
Yes, that was Yan Wushen’s plan.
Meeting Emperor Chi—wasn’t he afraid of being cleaved in one stroke?
No, Yan Wushen wasn’t.
“Yan Wushen is courting death. Thinking himself powerful, he dares go alone to the Seventh Dark Star. Just wait—Emperor Chi’s cultivation needs only three strokes to kill him.”
“Yan Wushen fancies himself a millennium genius, even more arrogant than Zhang Ruochen. He’ll pay for it.”
“It’s best if Yan Wushen doesn’t die. Cooperating with the Yanluo Clan does benefit us.”
“He’s seeking his own death—what can we do?”
The Upper Three Clans’ cultivators debated and mocked, ready to watch the spectacle.
Then, Prajna suddenly spoke, “I’ll go with you.”
This was the only chance to approach Emperor Chi, and it couldn’t be missed.
Otherwise, Zhang Ruochen and the Immortal Blood Clan would surely lose.
Before, with the Immortal Blood Clan holding the absolute advantage, there was no need to activate Emperor Chi. But now, only by using this piece well could Yan Wushen’s momentum be broken.
Yan Wushen turned, surprised, “Prajna…”
Prajna didn’t give him a chance to refuse, saying, “I’ve cultivated the Gate of True Self. If negotiations fail, I can suppress Emperor Chi’s power, ensuring you at least have a chance to escape.”
She added, “Only if we go together can we succeed. You can only represent the Yanluo Clan, not the Upper Three Clans.”
Yan Wushen’s astonishment faded, and he nodded with a smile, “Bold indeed. Even if talks fail, I’ll ensure you leave first.”
As Yan Wushen and Prajna flew toward the Seventh Dark Star, the Upper Three Clans’ cultivators remained shocked.
Had Prajna lost her mind too?
Negotiating with Heavenly Slaves, discussing a battlefield change with Emperor Chi—was there anything more absurd?
Flying side by side, Yan Wushen transmitted, “Prajna, are you close with Zhang Ruochen?”
“Why do you ask?” Prajna’s face remained cold as an iceberg, devoid of emotion.
Yan Wushen said, “I heard you once fell into the Third Dark Star’s core together, and Zhang Ruochen let you escape once. So, I was curious.”
“I heard you drank with Zhang Ruochen before the War of the Hunt, drinking Twelve Blossoms. I also know you took Chi Kunlun as your disciple. Are you close with Zhang Ruochen too?” Prajna countered.
Yan Wushen paused briefly, then laughed heartily, “I was worried Prajna, like other worldly women, had been charmed by Zhang Ruochen. After all, in this millennium, only he and I are true heroes. What woman could resist our allure? The difference is, though I’m a Yanluo, I cultivate the Buddhist path, destined for a life free of attachments, without passion or color. He’s a man of emotion… no, more precisely, he seems emotional when he’s heartless, and heartless when he’s emotional. Prajna, you must be careful!”
Prajna knew why he said this and replied coldly, “I too cultivate the Buddhist path.”
Yan Wushen paused again, then said solemnly, “Good. With Prajna’s words, I’m at ease! This battle, we will win.”
