Chapter 1068: Swear Blood Alliance

“Jadeleaf King?” Zhang Xuan was startled.

This was the third strongest among the top five kings; he hadn't expected him to show up too. Stoneleaf King alone had almost wiped them out. With an even stronger one, Zhang Xuan truly didn't know how they would cope. However, since his current identity was Purpleleaf King, he couldn't refuse. Besides, now that he knew the other party was coming, it was better to meet them proactively and devise a strategy rather than hide.

“He's nearby; I'll have him come over now...”

With a flick of his wrist, a communication jade token appeared in Stoneleaf King's palm. He tapped it casually, sending a message. After doing this, he looked back at Zhang Xuan, his eyes filled with doubt: “Since he's a Celestial Master, how could he possibly come here and be discovered by you?” Clearly, he was still somewhat uneasy about Zhang Xuan. It was understandable. Purpleleaf King had been missing for over half a month, then suddenly reappeared, and had even disguised himself as a human to attack Stoneleaf King. It would be impossible not to be suspicious. Furthermore, Celestial Masters were incredibly rare. If one appeared, they would certainly be under the strictest protection of the Master Teacher Pavilion, with no news allowed to leak. How could Zhang Xuan have easily discovered him and even lured him here?

“It's quite a coincidence, actually. This Celestial Master didn't appear among the Sage Clans, nor at the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Instead, he emerged in an insignificant small kingdom and progressed step by step...” Zhang Xuan's expression remained unchanged as he smiled faintly. He explained, “To prevent others from discovering him and causing unnecessary trouble, he has always kept his identity hidden. This means the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters is unaware of his existence. My discovery was also a stroke of luck; while investigating news of the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City, I happened to witness him being acknowledged by the heavens, which confirmed his status...”

“Are you saying... you saw him precisely when he was receiving the acknowledgment of heaven and earth?” Stoneleaf King was startled, finding it hard to believe.

“Exactly!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“And... what kind of phenomenon was that?” Stoneleaf King asked curiously.

“It's simple,” Zhang Xuan smiled. “Heaven and earth descend a special aura that surrounds him. Any master teacher present will feel immense pressure and instinctively acknowledge his identity and status... Additionally, the Master Teacher Pavilion will experience the ringing of ten thousand bells and various strange phenomena...” Zhang Xuan had personally experienced the acknowledgment of a Celestial Master three times, so he knew exactly what would occur and could describe it effortlessly.

“It seems he truly is a Celestial Master...” After hearing the description, Stoneleaf King nodded. Although he had never witnessed such a grand scene himself, he had heard various legends and read corresponding books. The phenomenon described by Purpleleaf King closely matched those accounts. It seemed the person lying on the ground, even if not a Celestial Master himself, must have an extremely significant connection.

“Capturing a Celestial Master and delivering him to the royal family would bring the greatest, immeasurable merit...” A glint appeared in Stoneleaf King's eyes as he mused. The importance of a Celestial Master was undeniable. If this news were true, the entire Spirit Race would be astonished. With this achievement, he could undoubtedly impress the Elder Council. Even if it didn't lead to a promotion in royal bloodline, it could easily be exchanged for various cultivation techniques and resources, helping him become the strongest expert in the Saint Domain! However, if the merit belonged solely to him, obtaining these benefits would be easy. But if it belonged to the other party... he would merely be assisting and would gain almost nothing. After all, this Celestial Master had been deceived and captured by Purpleleaf King, making the capture entirely Purpleleaf King's achievement.

“If it comes down to it, I could just kill this guy. That way, it'll be done without anyone knowing. He's been missing for so long anyway; who knows if he's betrayed the Spirit Race? As long as I act quickly and destroy the evidence, no one should suspect anything...” His gaze flickered as he secretly glanced at Purpleleaf King, who was not far away. Although they were both among the Ten Great Kings, there was no real camaraderie between them; on the contrary, there was intense rivalry. The Qingtian royal family had always distributed resources based on merit. With more monks than gruel in recent years, they had long wished for the deaths of other kings. For this very reason, upon hearing news of another king being killed, there was no sympathy or sadness; instead, everyone was secretly pleased!

“This fellow was brought by me, and I know all his secrets. Moreover, during this time, he has come to regard me as a true friend... If you kill me, not only will you fail to make him submit, but it might even backfire!” Zhang Xuan saw the murderous intent in Stoneleaf King's eyes and smiled faintly. He already knew about the relationship among the Ten Great Kings from Purpleleaf King's own accounts. The Spirit Race was inherently cold-hearted, and it was clear that Stoneleaf King wanted to monopolize the immense merit of capturing a Celestial Master.

“What are you talking about, Purpleleaf King... You discovered and brought this person here, so the merit is naturally yours. Why would I attack you...?” Stoneleaf King gave a dry laugh, his vicious gaze hidden deep in his eyes, his hand tightening around the Thunder Elemental Orb, as if ready to strike at any moment.

“Let's not pretend,” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “If I were stronger, I wouldn't be wasting so much breath telling you about his identity... However, I advise you not to act. Otherwise, if this fellow dies, his identity can't be confirmed, and even if he's sent back to the clan, it'll all be for naught.”

“This...” Hearing this, Stoneleaf King paused, then relaxed his grip. “You're right. Don't worry, I won't attack you.” What Zhang Xuan said was true. Whether the other party was a Celestial Master wasn't up to them to decide; it required verification. Once the person died... it would be impossible to confirm, and no matter how good the story, it would lose all value.

“You won't attack me? I don't believe you, unless you swear an oath to the Spirit God!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“Swear an oath?” Stoneleaf King frowned.

“Exactly. As long as you dare to swear you won't harm me, when we report the merit, I'll say we both discovered and captured him together.” Zhang Xuan stated.

“Oh?” Stoneleaf King found this strange. Such a great merit would naturally be best monopolized. With an extra person, there would be an extra share to divide.

“My strength is nothing remarkable among the Ten Great Kings. If someone covets the merit, I wouldn't be able to resist even if I wanted to. Moreover, the merit of a Celestial Master is simply too immense for me to enjoy alone. Having someone to look out for each other would make things much safer... Why not?” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“This...” Stoneleaf King pondered. What the other party said was true. The merit from a Celestial Master was indeed enormous, and relying solely on the strength of the person before him, monopolizing it would certainly be impossible. Bringing Stoneleaf King into the alliance would make things considerably safer. Of course, the most crucial point was that with his own strength, once the clan confirmed the news and bestowed rewards, dealing with this guy afterward would be effortless.

“What do I need to do for you to believe me?” Stoneleaf King thought it through quickly and looked over.

“It's simple. I have some wine here. Let's swear a blood oath to the Spirit God, promising that neither of us will harm the other. Then I'll naturally trust you!” With a flick of his wrist, a pot of fine wine appeared in Zhang Xuan's palm. Zhang Xuan looked at him.

“A blood oath?” Stoneleaf King hesitated.

“Exactly. I advise you to consider it quickly. Once Jadeleaf King arrives and learns his identity, I fear he might harbor murderous intent and attack both of us...” Zhang Xuan said. Wealth moves hearts; even master teachers are not exempt from this, let alone the Spirit Race, who have no principles whatsoever. If Jadeleaf King were to learn that the person before them was a Celestial Master, there's a high probability he'd try to monopolize the merit and target both of them. Most critically... if Stoneleaf King were to switch sides, Zhang Xuan would likely be isolated.

“Alright, I agree!” With a flicker in his eyes, Stoneleaf King made his decision. He was very familiar with the nature of the Ten Great Kings, especially this Jadeleaf King, who was greedy and ruthless and truly capable of fratricide. With Jadeleaf King's strength, even if the two of them teamed up, they might not be able to contend.

“Then let's begin!” Seeing him agree, Zhang Xuan said no more. He drew some blood, dripped it into the wine gourd, gave a shake of his hand, and tossed it over. Stoneleaf King took it casually. His divine sense subtly entered the gourd, confirming it was indeed fine wine with no foreign substances. Only then did he feel at ease. He bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall into it.

“Drink!” After the blood ritual was complete, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

“Okay!” Stoneleaf King raised the gourd, about to drink, when his eyes darted, and he paused: “You first!” Zhang Xuan glanced at him, knowing what he was worried about, but couldn't be bothered. He took the gourd and directly took two large gulps. Seeing Zhang Xuan drink it down with no apparent issues, Stoneleaf King finally relaxed. He then took the gourd, drank a few mouthfuls, and raised his palm to the sky to swear.

“I, Stoneleaf King, swear to the Spirit God that I am willing to form an alliance with Purpleleaf King, to help each other from now on, to be brothers forever, and never to harbor ill intent...”

“I, Purpleleaf King, also swear to the Spirit God that I am willing to form an alliance with Stoneleaf King...” Seeing Stoneleaf King make his oath, Zhang Xuan promptly followed suit. In any case, he was swearing in Purpleleaf King's name, which had absolutely nothing to do with himself.

“Now that we're allied, if Jadeleaf King harbors other intentions, I hope we can unite and face him together...” Zhang Xuan looked at him.

“Don't worry!” Stoneleaf King nodded. Celestial Masters were simply too rare, and only Jadeleaf King had the means to verify one. Otherwise, they wouldn't have called him over. He thought, *In a moment, once it's confirmed to be real, if Jadeleaf King has no other intentions, then fine. But if he does... I won't hesitate to kill him!*

“Alright, once it's confirmed that this person is truly a Celestial Master and Jadeleaf King shows other intentions, follow my lead...” After a moment of thought, Stoneleaf King looked at Zhang Xuan. Having formed a blood oath and sworn to the Spirit God, while he couldn't trust Zhang Xuan one hundred percent, he was certainly more inclined to trust him now.

“Good!” Zhang Xuan nodded and said, “In a bit, after his identity is confirmed, I'll probe him. If he doesn't say anything, fine. But if he intends to kill... I hope Stoneleaf King can act decisively and strike immediately! We are now like grasshoppers tied to the same string, sharing honor and disgrace.”

“Mmm!” Stoneleaf King nodded. As the two were about to speak, they heard a sharp roar in the air, and a tall figure flew toward them.

“Stoneleaf King, don't you know I have more important matters to attend to? Why are you calling me so urgently?”

*Wham!*

A powerful Spirit Race expert landed on the ground.