Xia Jinshi Appears

Qiao Liqun sighed. "You've got me cornered. My God's instructions were specifically for me to go to the Central Hub with you. It wouldn't do for me to defy the Divine Decree."

Bai Xiaowen waved a hand. "It's fine, Senior Qiao. You can go in first and scout the way. If the God of Truth holds you accountable, I'll take the blame for you."

Bai Xiaowen genuinely wanted to send Qiao Liqun away.

Qiao Liqun was somewhat tempted, but in the end, he shook his head and instead said with considerable boldness, "Forget it. I'll stand guard here with you and meet the heroes of every faction."

Bai Xiaowen said nothing.

Even though he had failed to send Qiao Liqun away, it would not affect Bai Xiaowen's plans much.

At most, it would let the God of Truth find out a little earlier.

The two waited quietly in the Square outside the main entrance of the Central Hub Divine Hall.

They could not waste the advantage of arriving first. Using the Talisman Refining branch of Immortal Technique, which he had already mastered, Bai Xiaowen set up ten Immortal Arrays in Central Hub Square. They formed a massive net, waiting for experts from hostile factions to arrive.

Day after day passed, and Chosen gradually began to arrive.

Any Chosen who could find the Central Hub Divine Hall at this point was an expert without exception.

They were Level 20 Evolutionists, beings standing at the pinnacle of Evolutionists. In terms of combat strength, powerful Chosen with God-given Abilities far surpassed ordinary people.

The first to arrive was the Sun God's Chosen One. As an Archer, he carried a sniper rifle on his back, his aura as ethereal as the wind.

This Chosen One of the Sun God was no fool. Seeing only two people waiting in the vast Square, both from hostile factions, he naturally did not rashly advance. Instead, he floated in the Starry Sky at a moderate distance, quietly waiting for others to arrive.

Qiao Liqun suggested striking first, but Bai Xiaowen rejected the idea.

Bai Xiaowen saw clearly that the Sun God's Chosen One was extremely cautious. He had positioned himself neither too close nor too far away. If they showed any sign of approaching, he would certainly retreat for the time being and return when an opportunity arose.

It would be as troublesome as swatting flies. There was no need for it—and Bai Xiaowen did not want to leave the range of the arrays on the hub platform.

A day later, two more Chosen arrived.

The first was the Chosen One of the God of Black Night, a lean, wiry man with two Blood-colored Curved Blades slotted across his back, radiating sharp killing intent.

The second was a man holding a Black Demonic Tome, his aura as dark and unfathomable as the Abyss. Bai Xiaowen had seen this man before. He was Xia Jinshi, the second son of the Lord of the Great Yan Territory and the Chosen One of the God of Curses.

At this moment, Xia Jinshi was not displaying the disguised face he had worn when they first met, but another face altogether. Yet to Bai Xiaowen, such disguises were as good as nonexistent.

It was worth noting that among the three newly arrived Chosen, the God of Black Night and the God of Curses belonged to Bai Xiaowen's hostile factions, while the Sun God belonged to a neutral faction.

The instant Bai Xiaowen saw Xia Jinshi, the Chosen One of the God of Curses, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What's going on?" Xia Jinshi studied the situation and asked curiously.

The Chosen One of the Sun God said coldly, "Just as you can see. Someone has blocked the main entrance to the hub."

"Lü Wang? No, I should call you Bai Xiaowen." Xia Jinshi chuckled. "A brat barely over twenty, a newcomer who has only been on the path of transcendence for four or five years, and you already dare to be this arrogant?"

The man with the Blood-colored Curved Blades spoke slowly. "Be careful. He is Death God's inheritor."

"Judging by his aura, he has not taken the final step and become Death God." Xia Jinshi had already examined him closely and smiled. "It seems he failed to gather enough divine fragments on the Star of Death Omen."

Qiao Liqun's lips moved, but he said nothing.

It was no wonder Xia Jinshi and the others had made such a guess. After all, obtaining a divine spark and ascending to godhood immediately was the best choice. They simply could not imagine that Bai Xiaowen would resist the temptation of becoming a god on the spot and continue participating in this contest as a human.

The Sun God's Chosen One, carrying the sniper rifle, spoke. "Since he has not become Death God, he is merely a relatively powerful Evolutionist with part of Death God's inheritance."

"That's right." Xia Jinshi smiled. "After being passed down through several generations, the power of Death God's divine spark has weakened considerably. He is no longer one of the original five strongest gods. Otherwise, what qualifications would he have to become Death God's inheritor?"

"Join forces." The man with the Blood-colored Curved Blades spoke in a cold voice. "Kill Death God's inheritor. No matter what, he has the greatest chance of obtaining the Land of Origin's treasure."

The Sun God's Chosen One nodded slightly. He had not acted at first only because he was alone. Now that it was three against two, with both sides consisting of top-tier Chosen experts, he naturally did not fear taking a gamble.

If Bai Xiaowen had already become Death God, this neutral Chosen would definitely have turned and left without another word.

Even the Chosen One of the God of Black Night and the Chosen One of the God of Curses would have abandoned any open confrontation and tried to obstruct him through roundabout means. That was the difference between a Deity and the Chosen. Even a Death God whose divine spark power had greatly weakened after several generations of inheritance was still impossible for Evolutionists to confront head-on.

The three did not deliberately conceal their conversation, and both Bai Xiaowen and Qiao Liqun heard every word clearly.

"What do we do? These three are another level stronger than those on the Star of Death Omen. I'm not confident I can handle them," Qiao Liqun said. He had roamed the Star Alliance and lived to such an old age largely because of his Spatial Shuttle. Of course, he had strength in a direct fight as well, but the older a person got, the more they cherished their life. Avoiding fights that did not need to be fought was Qiao Liqun's principle.

In Qiao Liqun's eyes, this was precisely a fight that did not need to be fought. Even if they defeated these three, what about the other Chosen who would keep arriving at the Central Hub Divine Hall afterward? Could they drive all of them away?

Bai Xiaowen spoke again. "Senior Qiao, you can leave first."

"Tch, do you take me for that kind of person? I'll reason with them first." Qiao Liqun gritted his teeth. He had already secretly cast Spirit Power interference and completed the preliminary steps.

However, the instant Qiao Liqun took out the Red Book, a black iron curtain descended, swallowing every tendril of Spirit Power he had extended.

"As expected, Senior is skilled at these little tricks. Fortunately, we all come from Blue Star, so I made some preparations," Xia Jinshi said with a smile.

Qiao Liqun's move immediately made the three Chosen resolve themselves.

The Sun God's Chosen One attacked first. He removed the sniper rifle from his back, crouched halfway down, and slowly adjusted the weapon.

Fine strands of sunlight burst forth from behind him, gathering inch by inch upon a long, narrow bullet.

By the end, the bullet had become impossible to look at directly, shining as brilliantly as a miniature Little Sun.

The Sun God's Chosen One loaded the bullet into the rifle and took aim with utter concentration.

The Chosen One of the God of Black Night drew his two Blood-colored Curved Blades, and his figure suddenly became hazy, like a bloody shadow.

Xia Jinshi opened the Black Demonic Tome, and black spheres emerged one after another, like miniature black holes that devoured all light.

"Attack!"