Interrupted by Chief Lieshan, the Midgod gave an embarrassed smile. "Chief, word has come from the Heavenly Wind Tribe. Another one of their Midgods has broken through."
Chief Lieshan was not surprised by the news and showed little reaction. "It's just one more Highgod. He only just broke through, so he won't amount to much."
With that, Chief Lieshan patted the Fire Element Midgod on the shoulder. "Go make preparations. Notify the other chiefs that we'll act according to plan in one year. If we succeed in destroying the Heavenly Wind Tribe this time, I'll reward you with a High Godhead."
At Chief Lieshan's promise, the Fire Element Midgod's face lit up. "Thank you, Chief. I'll go prepare right away."
The Fire Element Midgod had broken through by refining a divine spark and ranked among the weakest of Midgods. If he had not been Chief Lieshan's trusted subordinate, he would never have had a chance to obtain a Midgod Spark to refine.
Now that Chief Lieshan had promised him a High Godhead, the Fire Element Highgod was naturally overjoyed.
A year later, Leijia was researching the Divine Beast Bloodline in his small courtyard.
A furious roar, loud as a thunderclap, rang out above the Heavenly Wind Tribe. "Heavenly Wind Tribe, get out here and die!"
A scorching blade of light then slashed down from above the Heavenly Wind Tribe. The attack, carrying violent fire elemental energy, exploded in an instant toward the few houses at the heart of the tribe.
In the courtyard, the wall built from Black Jade Stone, as hard as a Lowgod Artifact, was instantly smashed to pieces.
The violent fire elemental energy burst through the wall, its aftershock sweeping toward Leijia.
Leijia raised a hand and waved it, creating a protective net of interwoven lightning that firmly enclosed his dozen or so test subjects and neutralized the fierce attack.
A broad-backed greatsword appeared in Leijia's hand. Holding it low, he charged out of the thick smoke and dust.
Rising into the sky, Leijia found that the air above the Heavenly Wind Tribe was bustling with activity.
The Heavenly Wind Tribe's three Highgods stood in a triangular formation, with Chief Tianfeng at their head.
Around them, the chief of the Blazing Mountain Tribe and seven Highgods had completely surrounded the three men of the Heavenly Wind Tribe.
Chief Tianfeng's face was livid, and his eyes blazed with anger as he looked at the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief. "Lieshan, do you want to go to war with my Heavenly Wind Tribe?"
The burly chief of the Blazing Mountain Tribe held a saber in his hand and burst out laughing. "War? Tianfeng, you think too highly of yourself. Is your Heavenly Wind Tribe a match for my Blazing Mountain Tribe?"
"If you know what's good for you, obediently join my Blazing Mountain Tribe. Otherwise, all of you will fall here today!"
As he spoke, Lieshan snorted coldly. His aura rose steadily, and the fire elemental energy around him grew denser.
Chief Lieshan had made ample preparations to take down the Heavenly Wind Tribe. Not only had he mobilized all the Highgods in his own tribe, but he had also paid a price to enlist Highgods from four other tribes.
"Attack!"
Without wasting any more words, the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief waved his hand, and the Highgods beside him pounced on their respective opponents in a coordinated move.
Six Highgods split into two groups of three, each surrounding one of the Heavenly Wind Tribe's other two Highgods.
The Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief shouldered his saber and blocked the path of the Heavenly Wind Tribe's chief.
The remaining Highgod stood in Leijia's way.
In an instant, the battlefield had been divided, with each of the Heavenly Wind Tribe's four Highgods trapped by enemies.
A Highgod holding a long staff blocked Leijia's path. "You're the kid from the Heavenly Wind Tribe who just broke through?"
The staff-wielding Highgod was one of those the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief had invited to help. He had yet to begin fusing profound mysteries, but he had been a Highgod for a thousand years.
In the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief's view, the staff-wielding Highgod had broken through many years ago. Whether in combat experience or accumulated power, he was beyond the reach of a newly advanced Highgod like Leijia.
Even if he could not take Leijia down on his own, he was more than capable of holding him back.
Grinning, the staff-wielding Highgod said, "Kid, the Heavenly Wind Tribe is doomed today. If you know what's good for you, exchange a few hundred moves with me, then pretend I've injured you and run in that direction."
As he spoke, the staff-wielding Highgod discreetly pointed out a direction to Leijia. It was not that he was particularly kindhearted; he was worried that Leijia would think he could not escape and fight him with his life on the line.
The staff-wielding Highgod believed he was stronger than Leijia, who had only just broken through. But he himself was only an ordinary Highgod who had not fused any profound mysteries. His combat experience might give him the upper hand, but if Leijia fought desperately, he would inevitably get hurt.
For the little the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief had given him, putting in a token effort was enough. There was no need to risk his life.
The other three Highgods invited by the Blazing Mountain Tribe felt the same way. Although they were not slacking off too blatantly in battle, they were still going through the motions.
The Heavenly Wind Tribe's Highgod under attack by three opponents seemed to be handling them with ease, even while fighting one against three.
On the other side, the Heavenly Wind Tribe's Highgod trapped by three of the Blazing Mountain Tribe's Highgods was not doing nearly as well.
The three joined forces, every move aimed at killing the Heavenly Wind Tribe's Highgod. After only a few dozen exchanges, he was already struggling to fend them off.
If he had not possessed a Highgod Artifact of Material Defense to protect him, his divine body would probably have been blasted apart by the three Highgods' combined attacks.
Even so, his defensive armor was covered in damage. Once the Highgod Artifact was destroyed, this deputy chief of the Heavenly Wind Tribe would fall on the spot.
Gripping an artifact longsword, the Heavenly Wind Tribe's chief wanted to help, but the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief held him firmly in check.
The two traded over a hundred slashes before Chief Tianfeng was overpowered and sent flying.
He was driven back more than a hundred meters before he barely managed to steady himself. Chief Tianfeng's expression changed. "You broke through?"
The Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief chuckled. "I can't take you down, but stopping you is well within my abilities."
As he spoke, the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief stopped holding back. His saber unleashed violent blade energy as he slashed at the Heavenly Wind Tribe's chief with all his strength.
The two had already been evenly matched, and once the Blazing Mountain Tribe's chief broke through, Chief Tianfeng's advantage vanished. Let alone helping the tribe's other Highgods, he now had to fight Chief Lieshan with great caution.
After another hundred or so exchanges, a piercing scream rang out. The Material Defense Artifact of the Heavenly Wind Tribe's besieged Highgod could bear no more. After blocking another slash, it finally broke.
Through the cracks in the armor, their attacks pierced his divine body and blasted it into a bloody mist.
A High Godhead burst from the bloody mist and fell toward the ground, only to be snatched up by a quick-eyed Highgod of the Blazing Mountain Tribe.
He also took the two damaged Highgod Artifacts belonging to the owner of the High Godhead.
With the first Highgod's fall, the balance of victory tipped toward the Blazing Mountain Tribe.
After that Highgod of the Heavenly Wind Tribe fell, the other Highgod deputy chief could no longer hold out. Enduring injuries to his divine body, he forced his way through the three Highgods surrounding him and fled madly in one direction.
Leijia was not surprised. The Heavenly Wind Tribe's other two Highgods, like him, had been recruited by Chief Tianfeng; they were not close enough to entrust their lives to one another.
Now that the Heavenly Wind Tribe had already lost a Highgod, staying would mean throwing his life away, so the other Highgod had chosen to flee without hesitation.