CHAPTER 1031: CHAPTER 1028: MAKING THE NEXT MOVE!

Under the cherry blossom tree, Li Chen poured a bottle of superior Monkey Wine in front of Knife Scar’s grave.

"She’s doing well now, you can rest in peace!"

Ximen Qingxue and Lian Hongshang exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other’s eyes.

That day, Li Chen and Knife Scar drank together under this cherry blossom tree.

But somehow, they ended up fighting.

In the heat of the battle, Knife Scar suddenly died...

The entire situation seemed mysterious.

The reasons behind it were probably only known to Li Chen alone.

But given the current situation, since Li Chen wasn’t talking, the two of them couldn’t ask more questions.

So, they could only contemplate silently in their hearts.

Suddenly!

The wind rose!

The branches shook violently, and petals of cherry blossoms were blown away by the wind.

In the distance, the clouds rolled, giving a sense of impending doom like "black clouds pressing down on the city."

"It’s the Black Demon King coming!"

Lian Hongshang’s face changed dramatically, exclaiming in shock.

Ximen Qingxue also lost her composure, her Spirit Sword already unsheathed, ready to be drawn at any moment.

Li Chen, on the other hand, remained composed.

He slowly stood up, his gaze fixed forward.

The rolling clouds transformed into a wisp of black smoke, landing steadily in front of Li Chen.

Lian Hongshang and Ximen Qingxue were tense, bracing for a major confrontation.

However, the next moment, the Black Demon King’s actions took them by surprise.

The Black Demon King stepped forward and courteously saluted Li Chen.

"Master, I failed to capture the Heng Mountain Ancestor, but I have wiped out most of his subordinates!"

After speaking, the Black Demon King threw two bloody skulls in front of Li Chen.

"Baili Xiang?"

"Bloodthirsty Monk?"

Lian Hongshang and Ximen Qingxue both recognized the identity of these skulls’ owners and gasped in unison.

Immediately, they both turned their puzzled gazes towards Li Chen.

Wasn’t the Black Demon King defeated by Li Chen and then escaped? Why would he now acknowledge Li Chen as his master?

Li Chen noticed the confusion in Lian Hongshang and Ximen Qingxue’s hearts and gave a slight smile, offering a simple explanation.

After hearing Li Chen’s explanation, Ximen Qingxue and Lian Hongshang looked at him with newfound admiration.

Especially Ximen Qingxue, who thought to herself: With Li Chen being so formidable, if they were to have a child, wouldn’t that child’s talents be even more exceptional?

Though the process might be a bit painful, ultimately, it would be worthwhile.

She wondered if she might have conceived a child last night.

Thinking of this, Ximen Qingxue unconsciously rubbed her flat belly.

Li Chen caught this movement from Ximen Qingxue with the corner of his eye, and his face darkened.

However, Li Chen’s change in expression was misunderstood by the Black Demon King, who assumed Li Chen was displeased due to his failure.

"I failed in my task, seeking punishment from the Master!"

Li Chen waved his hand dismissively, casually saying, "It’s not your fault, no need to blame yourself. The Heng Mountain Ancestor wields unmatched Magic Artifacts; if he’s determined to escape, even I might not be able to capture him!"

"By the way, Black Demon King, are you familiar with the Barbaric Land?"

The Black Demon King, seeing Li Chen wasn’t blaming him, let out a sigh of relief.

"I have been to the Barbaric Land a few times, and I have some acquaintance with Black Stone Duke, a Commander of the Black Tiger Tribe in the Southern Barbaric Wilderness!"

Li Chen nodded slightly and asked again, "I’ve heard there’s a Yu Emperor’s Treasure Cauldron in the Barbaric Land, is that true?"

Hearing Li Chen’s question, the Black Demon King was startled.

"It’s true. When Yu Emperor unified the world, he hurled a Divine Tripod, killing millions of barbarian soldiers. To completely eliminate the threat of the Barbarians, he left the Divine Tripod in the Barbaric Land to suppress the barbarian Great Powers!"

Li Chen’s eyes lit up, eagerly asking, "Do you know where this Yu Emperor’s Treasure Cauldron is now?"

The Black Demon King pondered for a moment and replied, "It’s in the Barbaric Divine Domain, the origin Holy Land of the entire Barbarian tribe. It’s truly a place filled with danger and powerful beings."

Li Chen inquired, "Have you ever seen the Divine Tripod yourself?"

The Black Demon King shook his head, saying, "I haven’t seen it personally, only heard that after Yu Emperor ascended, the sealing power on the Divine Tripod suppressing the Barbarians has weakened daily. The Barbarians’ High Priest, along with the five Shamans of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, attempted to break the seal together."

"It is said that the Barbarian High Priest, like the Demon Emperor Potian, tried to control the Divine Tripod, but something went wrong at the last moment, causing failure. Not only did they fail to control the Divine Tripod, but they also suffered severe backlash, requiring Soul Summoning Grass from the Netherworld Crossing to sustain life!"

Li Chen asked, "What happened after that?"

The Black Demon King replied, "Later, the Barbarian High Priest and the five Shamans sealed the Divine Tripod under the Sacrificial Altar. But that’s just what I’ve heard and never seen myself, so its truth is uncertain!"

After speaking, the Black Demon King looked up at Li Chen.

Seeing Li Chen’s thoughtful expression, he tentatively asked, "Master, the Barbarian High Priest has not obtained Soul Summoning Grass from the Netherworld Crossing for two consecutive cycles of 60 years and is currently very weak. We should seize this opportunity to take the cauldron!"

"With you and I working together, if we act unexpectedly and aren’t stopped by all five Shamans at once, we have at least a fifty percent chance of capturing their Yu Emperor’s Treasure Cauldron!"

Li Chen paused for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Given our current uncertainty, acting rashly would only alert the snake. Although the Barbarian High Priest is gravely ill, the five Shamans, hundreds of Barbarian Generals, and a million barbarian soldiers still remain. If they become alerted, seizing the cauldron would be exceedingly difficult!"

"Black Demon King, let’s do this. Right now, assume the role of a traitorous Demon Clan member and seek refuge among the Barbarians to probe the cauldron’s authenticity!"

"Once you have clarified the situation, crush this Jade Token immediately to notify me. If we’re going to make a move, we must ensure absolute success!"

The Black Demon King took the Jade Token from Li Chen, carefully examining it before cautiously storing it in his own storage space.

Then, he respectfully saluted Li Chen again.

"What the Master says is true, I didn’t consider it thoroughly!"

Seeing the Black Demon King agree with his proposal, Li Chen nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very well, go ahead. Once the task is completed, there will certainly be great rewards!"

"Thank you, Master!"

The Black Demon King bowed in gratitude, then transformed into a cloud of black smoke, drifting away.

After watching the Black Demon King’s figure disappear into the clouds, Lian Hongshang turned to Li Chen and asked, "Chen, where do we go now?"

Li Chen thought for a moment and said, "Let’s go check out the Azure Dragon Tribe!"

Hearing Li Chen’s words, Lian Hongshang was also surprised.

She sensed that Li Chen was planning a grand strategy!

Li Chen didn’t just want to obtain the Yu Emperor’s Treasure Cauldron from the Barbarians, he also wanted to subjugate the entire Barbaric Land, just as he had with other tribes in the Barbaric North.

"Azure Dragon Tribe? Is it the newly rising Azure Dragon Tribe in the Northern Barbaric Wilderness?"

Ximen Qingxue suddenly thought of something, her big eyes sparkling with delight as she asked.

Hearing Ximen Qingxue’s words, Li Chen and Lian Hongshang both froze.

Recently, when the two of them were in the Azure Dragon Tribe, they truly caused a huge uproar in the Northern Barbaric Wilderness, successively destroying or annexing the Divine Turtle, Mammoth, Fierce Tiger, and Black Wolf Tribes, completing the unification of the Northern Wilderness.

But that was just an internal matter of the Barbarian tribe, and these tribes wouldn’t even count as second-rate within the entire Barbaric Land, at most considered third-tier.

Moreover, in the Barbarian tribe, where the strong preys on the weak, such annexations happen almost daily, and they are quite commonplace.

Not to mention the Human Clan wouldn’t pay it much attention, even the further-off Barbarian tribes wouldn’t take this inconsequential matter seriously.

There was the natural barrier of the Dragon River separating the Barbarian tribe and Human Clan, with mountain ranges obstructing and communication cut off. Dragon Ascending Valley, where Ximen Qingxue resided, was thousands of miles away. How did she know about the Azure Dragon Tribe’s recent powerful rise?