Pig Teammates

"Better a godlike opponent than piglike teammates!"

The words were like a ladle of cold water splashed into a boiling pan of oil, instantly throwing the entire Ice-Fire Plaza into an uproar.

The Fire Dragon King's illusory figure shuddered violently, and the flames around her surged. Her fury nearly solidified into something tangible. "Insolence! How dare you insult the Soul Beast race like this? Are you saying we're all pigs?!"

Even the Ice Dragon King, renowned for her composure, had frost rise in her eyes.

As former overlords who had once ruled entire realms, when had they ever suffered such an insult, one that sounded like vulgar street slang?

Facing the furious pressure of two first-class deities, Zhang Qingxuan seemed oblivious to the agony freezing his soul and scorching his flesh. Instead, he chuckled, his gaze clear and teasing.

"Looks like neither of you enjoys hearing the truth. No matter. I have a few key questions for you. If you can answer them, perhaps I'll reconsider the possibility of cooperation."

"Ask!" the Fire Dragon King snarled through gritted teeth. She already understood that this young man probably knew something.

"Let's get straight to the point—during the divine war, the Soul Beast race held an absolute advantage. Why did you lose?"

Zhang Qingxuan did not beat around the bush. He stabbed directly at the wound that had festered for tens of thousands of years.

The instant his words fell, the two Dragon Kings, who had been so aggressive moments before, went silent like chickens with their throats seized.

The Ice Dragon King fell silent, and the rage in the Fire Dragon King's eyes swiftly faded, replaced by a despair and helplessness that seeped into her bones.

Of course they knew the answer. It was etched into their very souls. But that answer was too cruel, too difficult to speak aloud—it was the pillar of shame for the Soul Beast race. They did not want to admit it, much less reveal it at a time like this.

Yet Zhang Qingxuan's certain gaze told them that this young man had likely seen through everything long ago.

"What? You don't know, or you don't dare say it?" Zhang Qingxuan crossed his arms and watched them leisurely, his tone carrying the playful amusement of a cat toying with mice. "Since we can't come to an agreement, there's no need for me to stay here and waste my time."

With that, Zhang Qingxuan truly did not hesitate. The Yin-Yang Creation Fire swept around him as he turned into a streak of light and shot toward the exit of the barrier.

There was not the slightest trace of reluctance in his resolute retreating figure.

"Stop him!" the Fire Dragon King shouted instinctively, only to discover that the power of her dragon soul could not restrain the young man at all.

The Ice Dragon King panicked completely. He was their last hope!

If they allowed this prodigy to leave, the revival of the Soul Beast race would become impossible. They themselves would vanish completely, without even a chance at resurrection.

Just as Zhang Qingxuan's figure was about to disappear into the darkness, the Ice Dragon King let out a heart-wrenching cry.

"Wait! Don't go!"

Zhang Qingxuan paused. His figure slowly emerged again, but he did not turn around.

Behind him, the Ice Dragon King's voice trembled with sorrow as she finally revealed the secret buried for tens of thousands of years.

"It was the Dragon God... Our leader, the Dragon God, suddenly went mad, severely injuring several Dragon Kings before charging alone at the five God Kings in a delirium..."

Hearing that answer, Zhang Qingxuan's lips curled into a mocking smile. He slowly turned around and pressed forward step by step. "Heh, so that's what happened. The Dragon God went mad. What about the remaining forces?"

"You should also know who the surviving 'legitimate' leader of the Soul Beast race is now, shouldn't you?"

The Fire Dragon King had barely pulled herself free from the whirlpool of emotions. Gritting her teeth, she said, "It should be the Silver Dragon King! She was the only one who escaped in the chaos back then!"

"Yes, her. She inherited the Dragon God's wisdom, half of the Dragon God's elemental laws, and half of the Dragon God's spiritual attributes." Zhang Qingxuan nodded, his gaze sharp as fire.

"Then what do you two think of this 'legitimate heir'? How did she perform in that decisive battle that determined everyone's fate?"

That question once again plunged the two Dragon Kings into deathly silence.

It was a memory even more shameful than their defeat.

The Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King remembered clearly that when the Silver Dragon King had just been split from the Dragon God, she possessed peak combat strength second only to the Dragon God.

Yet after taking one look at the chaotic battlefield, she had not chosen to support the severely wounded Dragon Kings, nor had she attempted to assume command.

Instead, she had chosen without hesitation—to run.

And the Golden Dragon King was not particularly bright. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, he slaughtered wildly, and the two pillars collapsed one after another.

Dragon Valley and the Heart of the Dragon God lost their masters and could only disappear without a trace.

Meanwhile, on the human God Realm's side, although the five God Kings were left terribly weakened after using their fusion skill, they remained united.

The Soul Beast army, its morale shattered, was picked apart one by one amid the chaos.

"Looks like neither of you thinks much of her abilities." Zhang Qingxuan hit the nail on the head, mockery filling his eyes.

"If the leader is incompetent, why should I jump in and fill that hole?"

Seeing that Zhang Qingxuan was about to leave again, the Ice Dragon King became utterly desperate and hurriedly argued, "No! It wasn't like that!"

As if clutching at a lifeline, she forced out an explanation at breakneck speed. "The Silver Dragon King had only just been split off at the time, and her intelligence had not yet fully matured! She simply couldn't see the situation on the battlefield clearly, so... so that was merely a temporary strategic retreat!"

Hearing the Ice Dragon King forcibly dress up such disgraceful desertion as a "strategic retreat," Zhang Qingxuan was not the only one stunned. Even the Fire Dragon King stared at the Ice Dragon King in shock, as though seeing her usually rational companion for the first time.

Ignoring the Fire Dragon King's look as if she were staring at an idiot, the Ice Dragon King remained immersed in her own airtight logic and said as though comforting herself.

"After so many years of recovery and accumulation, I believe her mind has long since matured, and that she has come to deeply understand her mission!"

"She must be lying low in some unknown corner right now, waiting for the best opportunity to lead the Soul Beast race back to the God Realm and restore its former glory!"

By the end, the Ice Dragon King's voice even carried a hint of yearning, as though she could truly see the day the Soul Beast race rose again.

Zhang Qingxuan looked at the two first-class deities still dreaming their impossible dreams. The smile on his face grew increasingly brilliant, though an icy chill seeped through it.

"Do you really think she could have escaped the battlefield unharmed? Is there any chance that she got badly injured like an idiot and is recuperating somewhere?"

At that, the Fire Dragon King immediately shook her head in denial. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Only the Asura God chased after her back then. Unless the Silver Dragon King chose to flee into spatial turbulence, the Asura God could only have defeated her by taking advantage of that!"

The Ice Dragon King nodded as well. Neither of them believed the Silver Dragon King could have been that foolish.

Watching them, Zhang Qingxuan knew that even if he told them the answer, they probably would not believe him. In the end, he shook his head lightly, and the last trace of warmth vanished from his eyes.

"Heh heh, it seems that no matter what I say, you won't believe me."

"How about this? Let's make a bet!"