Chapter 152: Fire God Token

Humo's words were like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand ripples. Wang Xu, who had been smiling just a moment ago, instantly widened his eyes, glaring as if he intended to swallow Humo whole in a single gulp.

"You insolent brat Humo! What do you mean by this? How dare you slander the Envoy so flagrantly? What is your true motive!" Duanmu Shenxu roared furiously. A massive wave of oppressive battle energy crushed down upon Humo, making the cracking sound of his bones clearly audible.

Humo paid it no heed. Instead, he accelerated the circulation of the Three Treasures, channeling the might of the Northern Dark Divine Art to slowly absorb that immense pressure. Passing through the Three Treasures, the energy was refined and fed back into his own body. The greater the pressure Duanmu Shenxu exerted, the happier Humo became. Such a wonderful opportunity to receive free battle energy and cultivation was truly impossible to find even with a lantern in hand!

Duanmu Shenxu glared at Humo, deliberately intensifying the pressure. Yet Humo continued to look back at him with an expressionless face, arousing a growing sense of unease in his heart.

Just as he increased the pressure to five times its original level, Zhu Wannian, who had been keeping his eyes closed all this while, suddenly let out a cold snort. Glancing sideways at Duanmu Shenxu, he said coldly, "Old man Duanmu, do not go too far. He is merely a junior. If you are looking for a fight, find me instead!"

As he spoke, Zhu Wannian swept his large sleeve, and an invisible barrier materialized between Humo and Duanmu Shenxu, utterly neutralizing the oppressive force.

Humo could not help feeling a slight pang of disappointment, sighing inwardly. Remaining silent, he merely smiled at Wang Xu, his smile carrying an unmistakable trace of mockery.

"Boy, you are quite something. To dare provoke the majesty of the Heavenly Saint Palace with such audacity—I must admit I somewhat admire your nerve. However, since Your Excellency has yet to speak, what business does a little punk like you have interrupting?" Wang Xu barked coldly, shattering the invisible barrier with a single palm strike. A ferocious surge of soul power lashed out directly toward Humo.

"Soul of the Bloody Battle!" Hu Yihu roared. Not far behind him, all the soldiers of the Fire God Army shouted in unison. Thousands of powerful battle auras were harnessed by Hu Yihu, meeting Wang Xu's attack with lightning speed.

Countless muffled groans echoed as the bodies of the Fire God Army soldiers shook, stumbling back several steps. Some of the soldiers even bled from their noses and mouths, looking extremely disheveled.

Hu Yihu drew his long saber and pointed it straight toward the sky. The Fire God Army soldiers, whose spirits had been somewhat dampened, simultaneously let out a furious roar, forming a tight defensive formation that backed Hu Yihu up.

Zhu Wannian's face was contorted with rage. Eyes wide and glaring, he shouted coldly, "Honored Envoy Wang, what is the meaning of this? Were you trying to murder my great-grandson just now?"

Zhu Wannian's aura climbed steeply. Originally, he had only intended to offer them modest protection, but the situation had now changed. Wang Xu had actually developed murderous intent toward Humo, something he simply could not tolerate.

"Hehe, Brother Zhu, why fly into such a rage? Just now, I merely wanted to test the strength of the Fire God Army and accidentally used a fraction too much force. If there was any discourtesy, I sincerely apologize," Wang Xu said with a smile, though his demeanor held not the slightest trace of apology.

***

"Number two!" Humo thought to himself. Aside from Dilongzi, Wang Xu had now been placed at the top of his must-kill list. Duanmu Shenxu had always maintained a sense of proportion, not daring to provoke Zhu Wannian too severely, but Wang Xu cared for no such restraints. Relying on the backing of the Heavenly Saint Palace, he looked down upon everyone.

Hu Yihu's blood was also churning violently. It had taken everything he had to block Wang Xu's casual attack just then. Had it not been for the unique training methods of the Fire God Army, that blow alone would likely have caused severe injuries or death. He stared malevolently at Wang Xu, his eyes bloodshot. If not for the fear that a complete break with Wang Xu would invite the wrath of the Heavenly Saint Palace, he would have long since ordered the Fire God Army to attack.

However, should Wang Xu provoke them again, that remaining patience of his would likely evaporate. In that scenario, even if the Emperor himself issued a direct command, he would probably turn a deaf ear.

"Envoy, do not push your luck. If you possess the Emperor's token, you may enter my West Mountain Training Ground. But if you do not—"

"Who says we don't? Grand Marshal Hu, do you recognize this?" Duanmu Shenxu smiled as he produced a crimson token, upon which a bold character for "Fire" was inscribed.

"The Fire God Token! Damn it, what is that muddle-headed ruler up to? Does he intend to hand the entire empire over to the Divine Wood Sect?" Hu Yihu's heart churned violently, his complexion turning ashen. What Duanmu Shenxu held in his hand was indeed the exclusive Fire God Token of the imperial family. Possessing this token granted access to anywhere within the Fire God Empire—naturally including the West Mountain Training Ground.

"The Fire God Token. It seems the imperial household truly becomes more worthless by the day!" A ruthless glint flashed across Zhu Wannian's face. Gazing at the token, his anger ignited uncontrollably. Back when the Zhu family had not yet split into two branches, they had jointly established a strict rule: the Fire God Token was only to be granted to members of the royal family and those who had made monumental contributions to the empire. What qualification did this Duanmu Shenxu have to possess one?

Wisps of scorching battle energy radiated from Zhu Wannian's body. This was only the result of him forcefully suppressing his rage; otherwise, he would have long since gone on a rampage, storming the imperial palace to give that foolish emperor a severe beating.

"Valley Master Zhu, there should be no issue with this Fire God Token. Hehe, please don't be angry; this was merely issued temporarily by His Majesty the Emperor to accommodate us outsiders. Once this incident concludes, the token will naturally be returned to His Majesty. Valley Master Zhu, now that we have the token, there should be no problem for us to enter and have a look, right?" Duanmu Shenxu raised the token in his hand. Wang Xu also smiled slightly, glanced at Hu Yihu, and nodded faintly as a silent inquiry.

Hu Yihu let out a cold snort, slowly clearing a path, and said coldly, "Since you have the token, this Marshal naturally will not obstruct you. Sect Master Duanmu, please enter. However, honored Envoy, this token can only represent a single person. I hope you understand."

"Haha, no worries, I have a few more." Duanmu Shenxu laughed heartily, pulling out two or three additional Fire God Tokens and handing them out as if they were mundane items. At that moment, Zhu Wannian's fury instantly erupted.

"Has that brat lost his mind?! Is the Fire God Token nothing more than a piece of shit to him?" Zhu Wannian roared. Dozens of miles away in the imperial palace, Zhu Yan, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart. He opened his eyes, terror written all over his face. At that very instant, it felt as though his heart had been ruthlessly pierced by someone, the agonizing pain sinking deep into his bones and penetrating his very soul.

"What is happening? Why do I feel so unsettled? Could someone be cursing me?" Zhu Yan felt a chilling sensation creeping over him, especially around his neck, as if a sharp blade were being held directly against it.

"Marshal Hu, is it acceptable now?" Wang Xu took the tokens and said to Hu Yihu with a beaming smile.

***

Hu Yihu's expression remained gloomy as he said in a low voice, "With the token, of course it is. Sect Master Duanmu, Envoy Wang, please enter!"

As Hu Yihu's words fell, the tightly closed gates suddenly swung open. All the soldiers of the Fire God Army shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and echoing for a long time.

Through his connection with Hu Baimei, Humo quietly transmitted a mental instruction. Receiving the order, Hu Baimei led the seventy-one newly awakened members of the Starry Legion into the camp, while the twelve Fire Soul Generals remained seated cross-legged, each cultivating and healing their wounds.

Once the gates opened, a palpable wave of battle energy rushed outward, causing Wang Xu to look slightly impressed. Thick and carrying a grim, bone-chilling aura, this kind of battle energy could never be felt within major sects and clans. It seemed as though every single wispy thread of battle Qi was stained with blood and imbued with the intense resentment unique to a battlefield.

"As expected, this is a true army. Although their individual cultivation levels are not high, their killing intent is truly extraordinary. Hu Yihu is indeed worthy of the title God of War," Wang Xu muttered inwardly with a sigh of admiration, accompanied by a tinge of regret. To make an enemy of such a man over a trivial matter was truly not a wise course of action.

Upon entering the training ground, Wang Xu's eyes instantly lit up. On the ground sat the twelve Fire Soul Generals, wisps of cyan and crimson Qi swirling around them to form a massive ball of battle energy. In terms of sheer intensity, that energy sphere was not enough to catch his eye, but compared to the individual power levels of each warrior, the collective strength was vastly amplified.

"These must be the twelve individuals who wield the Heaven-tier battle skill. Battle soul fusion—this technique is indeed extraordinary," Wang Xu thought with a silent sigh. His gaze continued to sweep across the training ground, yet after scanning it for quite some time, he could no longer sense that particular aura, as if those dozen-odd people were the only ones present in the entire camp.

"Dilongzi, could these twelve be the ones you claimed were using the divine array?" Wang Xu asked in a deep voice, his tone tinged with displeasure.

Dilongzi hurriedly scrambled out, his small eyes darting around the surroundings for a moment before he said, "They should be inside those tents. Perhaps they are healing their wounds, or perhaps they are hiding from us—"

"Which blind fool is farting here? Hiding? Does this young lady need to hide?" Hu Baimei stepped out of a tent with a charming laugh. A rich, alluring fragrance instantly permeated the entire training ground. Wang Xu widened his eyes, staring intently at Hu Baimei in utter astonishment as he blurted out, "Impossible! This... this is a member of the royal battle beast clan, the Nine-Tailed Fox!"