Chapter 1369: Chapter 196: Overlord of the Continent
Dominating the continent was something Dugu Xiu had never mentioned to anyone.
But the man before him, whose appearance was unclear, and who he had only met once or twice, was the High Priest of the Beast God Altarâand he saw right through Dugu Xiu.
Who exactly was he?
Subconsciously, Dugu Xiu was unwilling to cooperate with the High Priest.
"Even without you, I can still rely on my own strength to become the Hei Qilin Clan Leader." Although the High Priestâs offer was tempting, Dugu Xiu didnât readily agree.
"Perhaps you could have, but now that Ye Beiming has appeared, thatâs uncertain. Not only as the Hei Qilin Tribe Leader, but also the person youâre fond of, Ye Beiming is your strongest competitor." The High Priestâs words were like a sharp knife that sliced open Dugu Xiuâs heart, bleeding profusely.
His fist clenched tightly. Despite disliking the truth, the High Priest indeed hit the mark.
If only Ye Beiming were not here, Yun Sheng, the continentâs dominanceâit would all be within his grasp.
Yet Ye Beiming interfered, and tonightâs events were the best evidence.
"Not only that, I can help you abolish the Hei Qilin Tribeâs rules and allow you to marry Yun Shengâall things you desire." The High Priestâs words, like a venomous serpent, were unbelievably enticing.
"But you know, the Qilin King Relics are in Hei Linlinâs possession. Besides, only the Hei Qilin Tribe members can absorb the energy of the Qilin King Relics." Dugu Xiu heard that even Hei Linlin had no method to absorb the energy from the Qilin King Relics.
"You donât need to worry about that, Vice Clan Leader. Dawn is approaching, and the third dayâs tournament is about to start. Weâll meet at the core competition; you still have a few days to consider." The High Priest smiled mysteriously and vanished into the dawnâs first light.
Dugu Xiu stood in place for a moment, then abruptly turned around. The scent of blood wafted in the air as blood pooled beneath the carriage.
After Yun Sheng helped Ye Beiming implant the Life and Death Talisman into himself, she left the inn, arriving near dawn.
Alone, she returned to the Dugu Mansion.
As she reached the mansionâs gate, she encountered Dugu Xiu, whose presence exuded chilliness.
Seeing Dugu Xiu transformed into human form, Yun Sheng kept her surprise hidden.
Dugu Xiu, upon seeing Yun Sheng, exhibited complex expressions. His eagle eyes seemed to be brewing something.
He was unaware that the scene he orchestrated last night played out entirely in Yun Shengâs sight.
Seeing Yun Sheng, Dugu Xiu couldnât help but recall last nightâs embarrassing incident. However, it was also good; the Ancient Forbidden Curse on him had been lifted. Someday, he would subdue this tantalizing little enchantress beneath him and torment her.
Not uttering a word, he snorted coldly, ignoring Yun Sheng and walked away.
Dugu Xiu seemed somewhat different from earlier.
Yun Sheng pondered as she walked toward her courtyard.
"Yun Sheng, thank God youâre still here. We thought you had been kidnapped too." As she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Lu Yunshuang and others, including Yu Shang, Hu Qianqiu, and a group of Sky Fox Tribe warriors, all standing there.
"What happened?" Yun Sheng had left suddenly the previous night without informing Lu Yunshuang, noticing her fatigue and eye circles as she evidently hadnât slept well.
The others appeared similarly weary.
"Yinxue is missing." Yinxue was one of the female warriors participating in the Sky Fox Tribeâs contest this time.
She hadnât returned since going out to the restroom last night.
The Sky Fox Female Warrior she lived with reported the anomaly to Hu Qianqiu immediately, prompting a fruitless search all night.
The disappearance of the Sky Fox Female Warrior was quickly reported, and Dugu Xiu immediately ordered a city-wide search. However, no leads were found even by the competitionâs eve.
Due to one missing member, the Sky Fox Tribe effectively forfeited a match slot.
Yun Sheng sensed something amiss but couldnât pinpoint exactly what.
On the third day, the tournament proceeded as planned. Without challengers, Yun Sheng casually picked a warrior from the Qingming Wolf Tribe and sent him off the stage with a few moves.
Meanwhile, Bo Boâs Hua Clan began showing their power.
The disguised Bo Bo, Boss Peng Yu, and Night Charm Queen formed a solid trio on stage, challenging three matches each on the third day with complete victories.
Yu Shang and Lu Yunshuang also each won a match.
Additionally, Rita, Silver Roc, Qing Ya, and other Young Clan Chiefs from the Eight Desolate Beast Clan took to the stage, each securing three points.
By the end of the third dayâs competition, it was the highest in single-day matches and number of participants since the challenges began.
Over twelve contestants scored at least two points, positioning them as likely core competition candidates.
On the fourth day, everything went smoothly; in the last two days, Yun Sheng and Yu Shang each scored three points, advancing directly to the core competition with six total points.
Within the Hua Clan, the trio secured another two points, and Lu Yunshuang, with a total of five points, also entered the core competition.
On the fifth day, Rita, along with two members, Silver Roc, and one member, Qing Ya, and one member, plus two Jiuluan members, two Hei Qilin members, two Di Clan members, along with three Sky Fox Tribe women and three Hua Clan members, finally resulted in nineteen people advancing.
Adding the nine seed contestants from Upper Beast Clans and three Beast God Altar members, thirty-one people entered the core competition.
Counting numbers, the Upper Beast Clanâs three major tribes had the most participants, with five each, followed by Sky Fox, Bimong, Hua Clan, while the other two Middle-level Beast ClansâPeng Yu and Qingming Wolfâonly had two selected.
This result far exceeded everyoneâs expectations.
"The five-day challenge tournament is now concluded. In three days, the core competition will take place, adopting..." Dugu Xiu announced the results, and as he started to announce the core competitionâs schedule, a black whirlwind surged from underground.
The entire stage was instantly razed.
A man as towering as a mountain appeared, his eyes like blades, exuding an imperial presence as if everything before him was insignificant.
"Hei Yao."
Several clan patriarchs of the Eight Desolates all gazed at the ruined stage.
"Congratulations on your release, Clan Leader." Hei Linlin, Dugu Xiu, and several Kirin Tribe elder warriors all knelt.
Hei Yaoâs menacing eyes first settled on the High Priest of the Beast God Altar, then Ye Beiming, then Hei Linlin, Dugu Xiu, and subsequently swept across all the Eight Desolate Beast Clan members present.
Upon seeing Ye Beiming and Yun Sheng, his nose emitted a dull snort, filled with murderous intent.