This battle was incredibly arduous, marked by extreme brutality.
He Li's body was mangled. His right shoulder had been severed, and his chest was pierced, exposing stark white, fractured ribs.
Even so,
He Li had slain two of the three Desolate Lords. The remaining Desolate tribal army retreated. In this battle, he had lost Xia Kudos, lost over a hundred Divine tribal warriors who trusted him, and gained nothing.
The sole reason was his desire to kill the Xiling Desolate Lord – a personal vendetta, and the cost was devastatingly high.
On a planet,
The Divine tribal warriors rested and healed their wounds. The five Demon Kings had repelled countless desolate beasts, each sustaining various injuries. They gathered together, circulating their demonic energy to recover.
He Li, having crudely repaired his body with divine power, stood leaning on his blade. He took a few slow steps forward, then stopped, gazing at the sky.
"Damn it all, I'm truly a person as worthless as dog shit..."
He Li chuckled bitterly, cursing himself inwardly, tears welling in his eyes.
Xia Min'ao appeared beside He Li at some point, chuckling, "Didn't I tell you? Xia Kudos was formidable, incredibly strong. He always held back before, and now he's finally shown his true colors. I can't even bear to look."
He Li remained silent, offering no reply. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Xia Min'ao turned to look at He Li, shaking his head slightly and sighing, "Don't be sad. You understand that on the battlefield, life and death are fifty-fifty. I don't need to say it, you already know. One day, I too will die on the battlefield, just like Xia Kudos. Perhaps it will be to protect you, or Xia Fuling, or Xia Ye Qi."
"We all want to stand in front of our kin. Today it was Xia Kudos, tomorrow it might be me, or Xia Ye Qi. And the one being protected shouldn't grieve, but rather continue moving forward, shielding our future kin from storms."
He Li turned his head slightly to look at Xia Min'ao.
After a moment of silence, Xia Min'ao said, "He Li, you are Xia Pei Shu. Why did the previous Xia Ye Qi die on the central battlefield? He died precisely because he was protecting Xia Ye Qi.
Perhaps you don't understand now, but at some point in the future, you too will stand before your kin, just like Xia Kudos today, without hesitation."
He Li nodded slightly, then looked at the sky again. Back on Earth, he disliked looking up. But today, he gazed at the sky multiple times. In his eyes, it was as if time flowed and years passed. He searched the vast river of time for any trace of Xia Kudos, but found nothing.
He understood that he had only just begun to grasp the laws of time and did not truly control it. Perhaps, when he truly mastered time, he would be able to find Xia Kudos and bring him back.
"I'm fine, don't worry," He Li turned to Xia Min'ao with a wry smile.
Xia Min'ao looked intently into He Li's eyes, nodded gently, and then said, "The Divine King has ordered you to the central battlefield. Previously, your absence prevented the order from being carried out, but now that you've returned, the news will soon reach the Divine Realm. What are your thoughts?"
He Li's gaze had calmed. After a long period of contemplation, he said, "I will go to the central battlefield. Now that I have ascended to Divine Lord, there are things I should do."
"Good, I'll accompany you. It'll be a good chance to see Xia Ye Qi," Xia Min'ao said with a smile.
"You don't need to..."
"Alright, it's decided then."
Xia Min'ao walked towards the Divine tribal warriors, releasing his divine power to heal them.
He Li watched Xia Min'ao's retreating figure, pondered for a long time, then finally pursed his lips into a smile. He glanced back at the sky one last time, his gaze firming, and sat down to heal.
In the Divine Realm, the Divine King's Palace.
All the tribal lords looked at Xia Bailin. Xia Kudos had actually ascended to the Divine King realm and, with a single blade, had sliced through the void, flying directly towards the Divine King. How overbearing was that?
They never expected the Yuling Divine Tribe to produce a Divine King, nor did they expect that the one to ascend to the Divine King realm would not be Xia Hu Chu, nor Xia Ye Qi, nor even that He Li, but the perpetually obscure Xia Kudos.
Such news brought immeasurable shock to the Divine Realm. The subsequent question was, did the Yuling Divine Tribe have any other Divine Kings?
Did Xia Hu Chu, Xia Ye Qi, or even Xia Bailin, possess hidden cultivation?
Xia Hu Chu traversing the Divine Realm, passing through several Divine Tribe realms, and shattering the Navia Divine Tribe realm; Xia Bailin single-handedly lifting the Divine King's Palace – such feats were beyond the capabilities of ordinary Divine Lords.
Did they truly not hide their cultivation?
Chen Du glanced at the faces of all the tribal lords present, then turned back to the Divine King and said, "Now that my master has returned to the western battlefield, the order for him to go to the central battlefield should take effect."
The Divine King's gaze shifted downwards, landing on Chen Du. Chen Du's calmness unnerved him, especially the deeply hidden hint of mockery in his eyes, which sent a chill down their spines.
"Very well."
The Divine King responded with a sound, then looked at Xia Bailin, saying, "Tribe Lord Yuling, this is your tribe's Divine King Kudos's blade. Take it back."
As he spoke, the Divine King raised a finger, and a frost-white curved blade flashed in the void, resembling a crescent moon.
What surprised all the tribal lords even more was the Divine King's address to Xia Kudos, referring to him as Divine King, Divine King Kudos.
Xia Bailin stood up, reached out and grasped the crescent moon, then nodded slightly to the Divine King, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow, "Thank you, Divine King, for acknowledging the name of our tribe's Xia Kudos."
"It is nothing."
The Divine King said, "Since he has become a Divine King, his true name should be recognized. Though he is now adrift in the river of time, he will eventually return. There is no need for concern."
Xia Bailin said nothing further, put away the curved blade, and resumed his seat, like an old monk in meditation, silent.
"Since that is the case, disperse. Inform Divine Lord Shentu to be cautious regarding matters of the central battlefield. All affairs are to be decided by him, but he must not take unnecessary risks," the Divine King said, then his form flickered and vanished from the divine throne.
After a moment of silence, the tribal lords gradually departed.
Chen Du walked slowly out of the Divine King's Palace, proceeding down the long white jade steps. The hand beneath his sleeve clenched and released, then clenched and released again several times before he finally calmed his emotions.
Xia Kudos was no more. Only one new king remained in the world. The new king was already walking the path of kingship; would the old king not yield the way?
Beneath Chen Du's calm eyes, joy and madness churned. Everything in the world could be calculated; whether successful or not, one could plan and then calculate.
On these descending steps, Chen Du's figure appeared somewhat solitary. He too was walking, step by step, guiding He Li onto the path of kingship, onto the divine throne.
He Li was ascending, while he was descending.
Walking down the steps, he looked back. The Divine King's Palace was nestled among the clouds, with several Seeing God Mountains below, emitting white mist and steaming with divine light. The mist connected with the floating clouds, forming a painting of divine presence and hidden forms.
"Chen Du." A gentle voice sounded.
Chen Du turned towards the source of the sound, smiled slightly, "You've waited a long time, haven't you? Let's go, we're heading back."
...