Duel of Two Powerhouses

As the three big shots chatted and laughed, they had already begun competing for this newly risen genius, paying no heed at all to Apacha, the leader of the Explorer Alliance not far away.

The Land of Exile referred to an archipelago south of Zhendan. Lacking fertile land, it was largely mountainous, infested with pirates, venomous insects, and wild beasts. Since ancient times, it had been considered unfit for human habitation.

In ancient Zhendan, the imperial court would usually exile criminals there. Over time, they intermarried with the local natives, gradually forming unique cultures and settlements. That was the origin of the name Land of Exile.

Yet because of its geography and natural conditions, the Land of Exile had always maintained an ambiguous relationship with mainland Zhendan. Whenever the central dynasty was strong, it would bow in submission and even become part of its territory. Whenever Zhendan fell into war or decline, it would declare independence, sometimes even coveting the northern lands. Over the course of a thousand years, the Land of Exile had spent most of its history in turmoil.

It was not until modern times, with the development of seafaring, that the West discovered this unique civilization. Industrial progress also revealed that the archipelago was rich in all kinds of minerals. The Land of Exile then welcomed another wave of Western immigrants, becoming a region where many races and ethnic groups lived together.

In modern times, global economic development and the efficient circulation of goods had largely eliminated hunger and poverty here. Its tropical scenery had also turned it into a popular tourist destination.

Even so, it had never formed a stable, unified regime. Numerous nations stood side by side, while different ethnic groups lived intermixed, making the situation extremely complicated. If not for the massive presence of