The border of the Jia Ma Empire, Black Mountain Fortress.
Though it had always been an important military stronghold, there had at least been some semblance of order.
Now, however, a suffocating air of grimness and tension hung both inside and outside the fortress.
On the city walls, swords were drawn and bows strung.
The soldiers' sharp eyes held a trace of weariness as they fixed their gaze on the endless allied encampments along the distant horizon, looming like dark clouds about to descend.
The three great empires of Chu Yun, Luo Yan, and Mulan had massed a million troops at the border.
The auras of Dou Wang and Dou Emperor experts soared skyward without restraint, like plumes of smoke, bearing naked provocation and threats.
Small-scale skirmishes and probing attacks had already begun, and it seemed that even the air carried a faint smell of blood.
Inside the fortress's main hall, the atmosphere was as heavy as the calm before a storm.
Jia Xingtian sat in the seat of honor, his face dark.
Hai Bodong, Nalan Jie, Mite Tengshan, and the empire's other top experts stood in two lines at his sides, all wearing solemn expressions.
The enemy's experts far outnumbered their estimates. There were no fewer than ten Dou Emperors in plain sight alone.
There were dozens of Dou Wang experts, and three others had deep, obscure auras. They were already capable of fighting at the low-star Dou Zong level.
They were none other than Xie Biyan, sect master of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect; Yan Luotian, sect master of the Golden Goose Sect; and the three elders of Mu Lan Valley, who could reach the One-Star Dou Zong level when they joined forces with their combined cultivation technique.
Though Jia Xingtian, a newly advanced Dou Zong, held the line for the Jia Ma Empire, they were still desperately short on top-tier fighting strength and under immense pressure.
"Those bastards really think the Jia Ma Empire is a soft persimmon they can squeeze!"
Ice Emperor Hai Bodong had a fiery temper. He slammed his fist onto the table.
Ice Dou Qi instantly covered the tabletop with a layer of white frost.
"It seems the upheaval at the Misty Cloud Sect and the turmoil in the imperial capital have made them think they can take advantage of us."
Jia Xingtian's voice was low.
"They've come with hostile intent. A fierce battle will likely be unavoidable."
Just as everyone's spirits sank, the space above the fortress rippled without warning.
In the next moment, four figures appeared silently inside the main hall, like ghosts.
At their head was a young man in black, handsome and youthful, with eyes as deep as an abyss. It was Lin Chen.
To his left stood a woman in purple robes, her peerless beauty and voluptuous figure impossible to ignore.
Her pale violet eyes swept coldly over everyone present as the pressure of a Three-Star Dou Zong spread like a tangible force.
Even Jia Xingtian, a newly advanced Dou Zong, felt his heart tighten beneath this pressure!
She was none other than Queen Medusa!
To his right, a little girl in white with a purple ponytail looked around curiously.
She was chewing on something, looking utterly harmless.
But Jia Xingtian and the others did not dare underestimate her in the slightest, because they could not gauge her strength at all!
She was naturally Zi Yan.
"Master Lin!"
"You've finally arrived!"
The moment Lin Chen appeared, Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, and the others seemed to find their anchor.
They rose to their feet, their faces alight with excitement and relief.
With this unfathomable young master here, the crisis before them suddenly seemed like nothing.
"I already know the situation."
Lin Chen glanced over the map, his tone calm.
"They're just a bunch of clowns. We'll deal with them all at once."
He sounded as if he weren't about to face a million troops and three Dou Zongs, but was simply going on an outing.
Yet his calmness filled Jia Xingtian and the others with confidence.
"Master, the other side has three Dou Zong-level fighters. We..."
Nalan Jie was still somewhat worried.
"It's nothing."
Lin Chen cut him off.
"Prepare to attack."
There was no lengthy discussion of tactics. In the face of absolute strength, any scheme or trickery seemed pale and laughable.
Half an hour later, the heavy gates of Black Mountain Fortress slowly swung open.
With Lin Chen at their head, Jia Xingtian, Queen Medusa, Hai Bodong, Zi Yan, several Dou Emperors, and more than ten Dou Wang experts surged out as streaks of light.
They led the charge from the fortress, hovering in the sky before the two armies!
The enemy coalition had clearly noticed them long ago.
In an instant, dozens of powerful auras rose into the sky above their camp as well!
The three figures at the head had the most terrifying auras.
They were the strongest of the three-nation coalition: Xie Biyan, sect master of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect of the Chu Yun Empire, a One-Star Dou Zong; Yan Luotian, sect master of the Golden Goose Sect of the Luo Yan Empire, a One-Star Dou Zong; and the three elders of Mu Lan Valley of the Mulan Empire, whose combined attack could reach the One-Star Dou Zong level.
The experts from both sides faced off in the air, their powerful auras colliding.
The clouds overhead were torn apart, and the atmosphere grew unbearably oppressive.
"Jia Xingtian, I didn't expect you to break through to Dou Zong. I underestimated your Jia Ma Empire."
Xie Biyan spoke in a sinister, hoarse voice.
"But do you think you can stop three Dou Zongs with just yourself?"
"If you know what's good for you, hand over half the empire's resources. Perhaps we'll leave you a way to live!"
"Pah! Keep dreaming, you old poison!"
Hai Bodong shot back immediately.
"Jia Xingtian, even if you're a Dou Zong, the three of us can still join forces to suppress you!"
Yan Luotian sneered.
"Besides, the army we brought is enough to flatten Black Mountain Fortress!"
"Enough prattle."
A calm voice rang out, clearly reaching everyone's ears as they traded barbs.
Lin Chen stepped forward.
His indifferent gaze swept across the dozens of experts on the other side before finally settling on Xie Biyan and the other two.
"So you're the ones who want to flatten the Jia Ma Empire?"
Wherever his gaze fell, Xie Biyan and the other two felt their souls tremble.
It was as though an ancient god had fixed its gaze on them. The invisible pressure nearly brought the Dou Qi in their bodies to a standstill!
"Brat, who are you? This is no place for you to speak!"
The First Elder of Mu Lan Valley shouted sharply.
At the same time, he activated their combined cultivation technique. Their three auras intertwined, forming a golden barrier to resist Lin Chen's pressure.
Lin Chen couldn't even be bothered to answer. He simply raised his right hand.
"Since you've come, then you can all stay."
"Boundless Blood Sea..."
"Unleash!"
"Buzz—!!!"
An even denser and more terrifying dark-red domain than the one at the Misty Cloud Sect burst forth around Lin Chen!
The domain expanded at incredible speed, like an enormous bowl turned upside down.
In an instant, it engulfed the three enemy Dou Zongs, dozens of Dou Emperors and Dou Wang, and a large portion of the coalition's elite troops below!
"A domain?! That damned thing again!"
A few who had suffered at the Misty Cloud Sect cried out in shock.
But most of them were experiencing it for the first time!
In an instant, every enemy caught within the domain felt as if they had fallen into an endless abyss of blood!
Their movements became more than ten times slower!
Their Dou Qi circulated with difficulty, sluggish and impeded!
Even worse, countless wraithly shadows shrieked as they rushed at them, frantically assaulting their minds and souls!
The pressure within the domain intensified specifically against Xie Biyan and the other two.
Their Dou Zong auras were firmly suppressed, and they could barely bring even seventy percent of their peak strength to bear!
"Not good! Join forces and break this domain!"
Xie Biyan cried out in alarm.
He formed a seal with both hands, condensing black poison Dou Qi into a gigantic scorpion claw that smashed viciously into the domain's barrier.
Yan Luotian and the Three Elders of Mulan attacked at the same time.
Golden Dou Qi and the light of their combined attack intertwined, their three assaults piling together.
They unleashed enough force to shatter a mountain!
Yet before their attacks could touch the domain's barrier, Lin Chen's figure appeared before Xie Biyan like a ghost.
"I'm your opponent."
Lin Chen's tone was calm as he casually struck out with his right hand.
The palm seemed slow, yet it held an irresistible force.
It pierced straight through the black poison Dou Qi and landed squarely on Xie Biyan's chest!
"Thump!"
With a muffled impact, Xie Biyan was struck as if by a heavy blow.
His body flew backward like a kite with its strings cut, blood spraying from his mouth.
Black, poisonous blood traced an arc through the air.
His proud Dou Zong body had been shattered by that single palm strike, his bones broken and the Dou Qi inside him thrown into chaos!
"A One-Star Dou Zong dares to act insolently before me?"
Lin Chen flashed forward and caught up with Xie Biyan as he flew backward.
His left hand curled into a claw and seized him by the throat, pinning him brutally in midair.
Xie Biyan struggled desperately.
But his throat felt trapped in an iron vise. No matter how he circulated his Dou Qi, he couldn't break free.
His eyes were full of fear and disbelief—could this young man really be so powerful?
After taking care of Xie Biyan, Lin Chen turned his gaze to Yan Luotian.
Yan Luotian was trying to evade Queen Medusa's attack when Lin Chen locked onto him.
"Trying to run?"
Lin Chen pointed with a fingertip.
A streak of blood-red light shot through the air at incredible speed.
It pierced Yan Luotian's Dou Qi defense in an instant and struck his dantian dead on!
"Crack!"
The sound of shattering glass rang out.
Yan Luotian's body went rigid. The Dou Zong essence within his dantian had been severely damaged by the blood-red finger strike!
He lowered his head to stare at his dantian, the color draining from his face.
He let out a shrill scream: "My Dou Zong essence!"
Before he could react, Queen Medusa appeared behind him.
She swept out a delicate hand, and seven-colored Dou Qi sliced through like a blade.
It severed Yan Luotian's arm cleanly!
The power of a Three-Star Dou Zong erupted. Yan Luotian was utterly powerless to resist.
Queen Medusa kicked him in the chest, sending him crashing heavily toward the ground and leaving him completely unable to fight back.
The last of them, the Three Elders of Mulan, saw Xie Biyan captured and Yan Luotian gravely wounded. They were already scared out of their wits.
How could they dare keep fighting? They turned and tried to break through the domain and flee.
"Stay."
Lin Chen's voice rang out.
The blood sea within the domain instantly churned, and countless Blood-colored Tentacles burst forth.
Like a surging tide, they wrapped around the Three Elders of Mulan.
The three frantically activated their combined cultivation technique, golden light flashing again and again.
But they still couldn't break free of the Blood-colored Tentacles.
Hai Bodong seized the chance to rush forward, an ice spear forming in his hands.
He drove it viciously through their Dou Qi defenses, freezing them into three ice sculptures, unable to move.
In the space of a few short breaths, Lin Chen had crushed three low-star Dou Zongs!
The Dou Emperors and Dou Wang below witnessed the scene and fell into utter despair.
After dealing with the Dou Zongs, Lin Chen turned his gaze toward them, the corner of his mouth lifting into a cold smile.
"Now it's your turn."
Lin Chen swept his right hand out, and the blood sea within the domain surged.
Countless blood-red blades appeared from thin air, raining down toward the Dou Emperors and Dou Wang below.
These blood-red blades possessed terrifying penetrative power.
The Dou Emperor experts' defenses were like paper before them, pierced through in an instant!
Screams rang out one after another. In fewer than ten breaths, more than half of the dozens of Dou Emperors and Dou Wang had fallen.
The rest were also surrounded and slaughtered by Zi Yan and the Dou Emperors of the Jia Ma Empire, utterly incapable of fighting back.
Zi Yan was the most excited of all, charging into the enemy ranks with gleeful yells.
Her tiny fists swung, each one carrying terrifying strength.
One Dou Wang after another was sent flying by a single punch, their bones broken and bodies mangled beyond recognition!
Lin Chen himself hovered at the center of the domain, watching the battlefield coldly.
Every so often, a fish slipped through the net and tried to attack him, but before it could get close,
the Blood-colored Tentacles within the domain dragged it into the sea of blood, where it became nourishment.
Below, the allied forces of the three nations watched as their three Dou Zong were effortlessly subdued and their top fighters were cut down like vegetables. They were already scared out of their wits.
Their morale collapsed completely!
A million troops scattered without a fight, trampling one another as they abandoned their helmets and armor and fled wildly to the rear!
The Jia Ma Empire's army seized the opportunity to pursue and press its advantage.
In less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the battle in the sky had ended.
Lin Chen crippled Xie Biyan's cultivation and threw him to the ground.
Yan Luotian's dantian was gravely injured, one arm had been severed, and he was at death's door.
The Three Elders of Mulan had been frozen into ice sculptures and lost consciousness.
Most of the Dou Wang and Dou Emperors had been slain. A few had been captured alive, and not one escaped.
The three nations' elite forces had been wiped out!
A million troops fled for a hundred miles, leaving countless dead and wounded!
Before Black Mountain Fortress, corpses carpeted the ground, and cries of agony filled the air.
Yet even more were prisoners kneeling to surrender.
The Blood Sea Domain slowly receded.
Sunlight shone down once more, but it could not dispel the bloodshed and chaos across the battlefield.
Jia Xingtian and the others still felt somewhat dazed as they looked at the scene before them.
A crisis vast enough to destroy a nation had just been crushed and averted by Lin Chen alone?
They gazed at the black-clad figure before them with boundless awe.
Lin Chen drifted down and landed before Xie Biyan and the other prisoners.
"Now, we can discuss the terms."
His voice remained calm, yet it sounded like a whisper from the god of death.
It made Xie Biyan and the others tremble all over.
Several days later, news reached the imperial capitals of the Chu Yun Empire, Luo Yan Empire, and Mu Lan Empire.
The whole nations were shaken, their people horrified!
Under the threat of overwhelming force, the three emperors had no choice but to dispatch envoys.
They went humbly to the imperial city of the Jia Ma Empire and signed a ceasefire treaty that was nothing short of humiliating.
The treaty's main terms included:
1. The three nations had to pay the Jia Ma Empire enormous war reparations, including gold coins, medicinal herbs, Magic Cores, and ores. The amounts were so vast they would leave the treasuries of all three nations empty for ten years.
2. They had to cede vast stretches of fertile land and important cities bordering the Jia Ma Empire and the Tagor Great Desert.
3. They had to recognize the Jia Ma Empire as their suzerain, paying tribute every year and coming to court year after year.
Jia Ma Holy City, imperial palace hall.
The envoys of the three nations were deathly pale as they trembled while pressing their national seals onto the treaty.
Lin Chen sat high beside the dragon throne—Jia Xingtian had insisted that he take the seat of honor.
Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, Queen Medusa, Zi Yan, and the others stood on either side.
As they watched the humiliating treaty that stripped the three nations of their sovereignty being signed, everyone on the Jia Ma Empire's side felt vindicated.
At that moment, Lin Chen spoke again, his voice carrying throughout the hall:
"Additionally, the lands ceded by the three nations will not all be incorporated into the Jia Ma Empire."
Everyone was taken aback. Even Jia Xingtian looked at Lin Chen in confusion.
Lin Chen turned his gaze toward the cool and beautiful Queen Medusa beside him and said calmly, "The Tagor Great Desert is harsh, and life is difficult for the Snake-People Tribe."
"The ceded lands will be combined to establish a new kingdom—the Snake-Person Empire."
"Queen Medusa will serve as its first empress."
His words sent a shock through the entire hall!
Queen Medusa's delicate body trembled slightly, and her pale violet eyes snapped toward Lin Chen.
Her eyes filled with a complex light of disbelief.
She had never expected Lin Chen to secure such a vast foundation for her and the Snake-People Tribe!
A true empire, with fertile lands and cities!
It was ten thousand times better than being trapped in the desert!
The envoys of the three nations looked even more despondent, but they dared not voice their anger.
Jia Xingtian and the others were only momentarily surprised before they quickly understood.
They all congratulated Queen Medusa: "Congratulations, Empress Medusa!"
They had long regarded Lin Chen's words as gospel. Besides, this move would also give the Jia Ma Empire a steadfast and reliable ally.
Queen Medusa took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
She gave Lin Chen a solemn bow. "Thank you."
She understood that this generous gift meant the fate of the Snake-People Tribe would be changed forever.
With this, the borderland conflict ended in complete victory for the Jia Ma Empire and the Snake-People Tribe.
The Jia Ma Empire's prestige soared, making it the undisputed overlord of the Northwest Continent!
The Snake-People Tribe, too, had been granted a new beginning!
After taking care of these minor matters, Lin Chen turned his gaze toward the distance once more.
As though he had pierced through space, it landed within the Chu Yun Empire.
"Next, it's time to claim the Nether Poison Fire."
Before you continue