The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Chapter 681: Powerful Alliance!

"Ahh!"

Duan Qian clutched his shoulder tightly, letting out a scream of agony. His eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at the young man dressed in black. "Who... who are you?"

"I'll spare your dog life for Yan Jinghong's sake."

The young man in black held his wine jug as he slowly stood up, smiling as he looked at Yan Jinghong. Despite the cruel words he'd just spoken, he showed no trace of killing intent, as though the one who'd just inflicted the injury wasn't him at all.

Yet, this seemingly drunkard of a man had even caused Yan Jinghong to feel a chill deep within. That single move against Duan Qian had seemed like a casual warning, but in reality, it was a calculated display of strength.

Even with Yan Jinghong's swift reflexes, he had been a beat too late, allowing the young man in black to land his strike.

Moreover, Duan Qian was no pushover. As the young sect leader of the Qianshan Sect, a first-grade sect, Duan Qian had reached the peak ninth level of the Transformation Realm, and he wasn't an ordinary cultivator at that level either.

He also wore treasured artifact grade armor, yet the young man in black had pierced his shoulder with a single, effortless gesture.

This man was no simple character!

"Yan... Young Master Yan..."

Duan Qian broke into a cold sweat as he looked back at Yan Jinghong. However, Yan Jinghong merely took a slow step forward, his gaze fixed on the young man in black. "Who are you?"

Their auras clashed as fierce light, one black and the other blue, surged upward, contending with each other.

After a brief standoff, the young man in black took a slight step back. Yan Jinghong, too, took a deep breath, evidently gaining no real advantage from the exchange.

"Tianlong Empire, Shen Lang!"

The young man in black raised his wine jug, took a hearty gulp, and laughed. "As expected of the legendary Yan Jinghong from the Tianbai Empire. Yan, you are indeed unmatched by ordinary men."

"Drunken Sword Shen Lang!" Yan Jinghong squinted, apparently unsurprised by this answer.

Yan Jinghong had made a name for himself as a young man who stood unrivaled among his generation.

His vision had long transcended the Dongling Region, and he had traveled to other great empires.

Drunken Sword Shen Lang was a renowned prodigy from the Tianlong Empire.

Though Shen Lang was already twenty, which paled in comparison to Yan Jinghong who reached the Spiritual Element Realm at fourteen, reaching that realm before the age of twenty with the power to fight beyond his level was undoubtedly a testament to his extraordinary talent.

"Unexpectedly, my humble name has reached Yan's ears," Shen Lang wiped the wine from his lips and chuckled.

"State your purpose, or get out of my way!"

Yan Jinghong stood with his hands behind his back. Shen Lang's strength was on par with his own. If they fought, both would have to give it their all, and Yan Jinghong wasn't about to waste his energy without gaining any benefit.

"Very well, I'll get straight to the point," Shen Lang laughed. "Since you've ventured deep into the Boneyard Wasteland, you must be searching for the ruins of the ancient Huangji Sect."

"Yes, and what of it?" Yan Jinghong replied with measured words.

"A powerful alliance would be far better than those two useless people beside you," Shen Lang said with a slight smile, his expression unchanging.

"You?" Yan Jinghong sneered. "You don't qualify!"

"Haha...

Yan Jinghong's pupils contracted slightly. Though he was arrogant and unparalleled in talent, he was still only fifteen. In a few years, he might no longer regard these people as threats, but for now, he had to admit that they were all at least as strong as him.

"As I understand it, those two share the same goal of finding the ancient Huangji Sect ruins. If you want to snatch the tiger's prey from the powerful figures of the Tiansheng Empire, an alliance might just be in our mutual interest." Shen Lang's eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled faintly.

After pondering for a moment, Yan Jinghong nodded. "That's a good reason."

"Young Master Yan, he... he injured me. How could we possibly ally with him?" Duan Qian, the heir of Qianshan Sect, protested angrily. "No! I refuse!"

"No need to get worked up," Yan Jinghong smiled faintly. "Since when did I ask for your opinion?"

"What do you mean?" Duan Qian gulped, sensing a chilling coldness surrounding him.

In the next instant, his consciousness froze, and his body shattered with a crisp crackling noise, scattering into fragments of ice.

"Y-young Sect Leader..."

The remaining direct disciple of Qianshan Sect trembled, overwhelmed by fear. This is ruthless! Yan Jinghong only secured his place because of our Qianshan Sect, yet he turned on us so coldly!

That disciple's body froze in that instant, too, disintegrating into dust and scattering in the desert wind.

"Yan, as expected of you. Killing with a smile, without a hint of remorse."

Shen Lang's eyes narrowed. Yan Jinghong is a formidable ally, but he can also be a venomous serpent, capable of devouring anyone without hesitation.

Better to be extremely vigilant if you decide to team up with him!

"I've dealt with the trash, so let's keep moving." Unfazed, Yan Jinghong turned and continued forward through the burning sand.

Shen Lang shrugged and followed.

The desert left two long trails of footprints in their wake, which slowly faded under the blowing sand as the two figures moved further away...

...

Two days passed without further encounters with half-step demon emperor monsters, which Ling Feng's group of three could easily handle with their current abilities.

However, with almost half the time in the Battlefield of the Gods and Demons already gone, the best item they'd found was a single, broken sacred artifact, precious for its rare materials but utterly ineffective.

"This map is just too vague. Navigating in the desert is almost impossible!"

Ling Feng sighed in frustration.

"Hmph, or someone just has no sense of direction!"

Tuoba Yan didn't hesitate to point out Ling Feng's weakness for directions. Thanks to Ling Feng, they had already gone off track for half a day. If Mu Qianxue hadn't noticed, they might still be lost when the Battlefield of the Gods and Demons closed, never reaching the ancient sect ruins.

"Ahem..." Ling Feng's face turned slightly red. The desert had few landmarks, and his sense of direction was nearly nonexistent. With their spiritual senses limited, getting lost was practically unavoidable!

"Alright, alright. Sister Tuoba, don't blame Brother Ling. If he hadn't led us off-track, we wouldn't have found that broken piece of sacred artifact," Mu Qianxue said gently. @@novelbin@@

"Hmph!"

Tuoba Yan rolled her eyes, thinking to herself: You're actually proud of a scrap of metal?

Sensing Tuoba Yan's disdain, Ling Feng sighed internally. Qianxue, oh Qianxue, are you praising me... or criticizing me?