"However," Avril said, tilting her head curiously. Her beautiful eyes blinked as she asked, "Won’t you come out?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a pawn screamed, and a card with a rose mark flew out, from which a large number of gorgeous roses blossomed! Immediately after, a pair of snow-white Jade Feet stepped onto a rose, walking in mid-air as a figure gradually took shape.
This was a woman in a gown, with the makeup of a noble lady, possessing a curvaceous and voluptuous figure that captivated countless admirers. Her charming face was like a ripe persimmon, rosy and appealing, making one’s first thought turn towards the bed.
She slightly parted her lips and said, "Rose Scholar Hong Yu, greets Miss Avril."
"Hong Yu!" William’s voice turned cold. The newcomer was from the Rose Sect, a faction that advocated indulgence and pleasure, worshipping the Desire Mother Goddess. But unlike the frivolous Desire Sin Sect, this faction indulged in sensuality to the fullest. Or rather, it went by the name Joyful Sect. Yet the leaders thought this lacked sophistication and posed some crackdown risks, so they renamed it the Rose Sect—dedicated to checking if you’re healthy and drawing all sorts of pos... knowledge, a sect with a philanthropic heart. At least, on the side of the Human Federation, they had established branches and were widely welcomed.
But among the sect, due to ideological differences, there were the serious and the non-serious. The non-serious dealt mostly with voluntary romantic endeavors. The serious ones were somewhat insane, researching the mysteries of life, such as reproduction, flesh, and growth.
This Hong Yu was a scholar and also a man... At least, he once was. Perhaps he still is, and if he took it out, it would be bigger than yours. In a series of experiments, his original form had become indescribable. This mature woman’s facade was merely equivalent to high-level beauty filters for humans. Possibly, beneath the outward beauty, lay a malformed, squirming, flesh monster densely packed with eyeballs.
A pawn exploded, and a card with clockwork artistry flew out. From it emerged a giant in a horned helmet, standing three meters tall with four arms. One hand patted its simple-minded head as it wore a foolish grin.
"Bell Tower Association, Long Bo, greets Miss Avril."
The Bell Tower Association was not a weak force; it was once involved with the legendary Titan Giants. Long Bo himself was among the outstanding younger generation, possessing the bloodline of the Titan Race. He consumed dragon-type Pet Beasts and merged their innate domineering abilities into his own Cultivation system. His most famous battle was the conquest of a small world. Long Bo had air-dropped from outer space, transforming into a meteor that destroyed a large city, burying hundreds of thousands of lives. Now, facing a bottleneck, he was constantly seeking the Earth Mother Goddess’s sequence path.
A rustling sound abruptly resonated. A pawn, in terror, saw the ground crack open. A decayed corpse hand emerged, easily kneading him into pulp. And this was just the card symbol of a corpse hand.
Under everyone’s gaze, a man in a top hat stepped out, dancing with devilish grace. He carried a hunting rifle at his waist and a uniquely shaped scythe, resembling a long-handled brush with a head composed of numerous blades.
He removed his top hat, revealing a pair of jet-black eyes, and said with a smile, "A run-of-the-mill doctor from the Healing Church, Monkey D German, greets Miss Avril. Happy birthday," he added, followed by a string of what sounded like an ancient, garbled blessing.
The Healing Church was composed of madmen. They worshipped no deity, yet their power was the most terrifying. They were both doctors and Hunters. The ideals of this sect were few but all related to world purification. Yet, their individual members were incredibly powerful, and nobody wanted to provoke them. Moreover, the Healing Church’s background wasn’t simple either; it involved the forbidden. If the previous two were sheep, then this German was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Once, he passed through a city with extreme wealth disparity. Amidst the stench of sewers and countless floating slave corpses, German felt heartache. Under the guise of healing, in the name of a doctor, and adhering to the church’s ideals, he executed acts of justice. Thus, after meticulous calculations, he randomly slaughtered a large number of people from all societal ranks—nobles, wealthy merchants, commoners, and slaves alike. That way, wouldn’t the gap be eliminated? Such deeds occurred frequently, earning German the nickname "Butcher."
A fleeing pawn wailed as a card flew out, from which emerged an enormous, mysterious warhorse. A Black Knight was mounted atop it.
"Undead Association, Knight Commander Andre, it is an honor to meet you, Miss Avril."
From beneath the helmet, a deep voice emitted. Fire of the Dead ignited wherever the horse’s hooves trod, burning unceasingly.
The Undead Association was an orderly force, a fact recognized by the Federation. Andre, a strong member of the younger generation and an Undead-specializing Beast Tamer, had ventured to the Undead Holy Land—the Nether River—naturally, to break through his bottleneck.
At this moment, four young powerhouses revealed themselves. As the final seeds of this Divine War, they had been biding their time to seize victory in the King’s Game. As for the pawns? Mere tools.
"Let’s agree first. We’ll all go in together and defeat Albert, that big baddie," Avril said, blinking. She tapped her cup, gaining the acknowledgment of the four.
The heart of this Golden Tree was impossible to penetrate without special means. Therefore, the four didn’t hide anymore. They struck a deal with Avril, also conveniently letting Albert pave the way. Becoming the "King" wasn’t so easy.
Truly impressive, Chu Yi marveled. This Blood Race girl gathered a group of allies to confront her archenemy, laying plans early. Even arriving late this time was a deliberate delay, letting the Werewolf clan explore first—also a premeditated scheme. A praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Backstabbing, ambush... this is to my taste!
"Naturally. Miss Avril received courtly education from the Empire since she was young, taught by countless mentors. She’s different from those barbaric Werewolves," William said. When he spoke of the Blood Race, he immediately adopted an air of superiority, proud of the great ancestral blood flowing within him.
Chu Yi’s mouth twitched, and he asked curiously, "So now, how do we enter?"
"With the Divine Artifact," William said, feigning mystery. "Each of the Empire’s thirteen great ancestral family descendants wields a Divine Artifact of Mighty Power, representing the strength of the ancestors."
Chu Yi understood. The emblem of the goblet and serpent was related to this Divine Artifact. He mentally dubbed it the ’Greedy Serpent.’ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Avril tapped the teacup. A layer of blood dispersed, transforming into a billowing blood mist mixed with a fearsome power. The blood mist writhed, emitting myriad whispers—a blend of unwillingness, fear, despair, and anger—bursting with violent hatred.
Chu Yi suspected this was a replica of the Divine Artifact, possessing a power similar to that of the God of Flesh and Blood.
In the next moment, a hiss erupted from the blood mist. A small snake shot forth like lightning, darting to a crevice in the Blackwood Giant Dragon. It opened its mouth wide, bit something, and a sound like shattering glass echoed—CRACK! A mass of golden light shimmered but was greedily gnawed by the snake. Its fangs opened and closed, shattering the restraint condensed from golden light.
Moments later, the golden light shattered, and the restraint was lifted. The expressions of those present brightened. As expected of the Morgan family’s ancestral Divine Artifact, even if this is just a replica.
Immediately, everyone, now prepared, entered the rift, stepping into the world within the Golden Tree Heart!
The final battle would ignite here!
This Divine War game would now enter its most intense phase!
"Lias, you’d better stay," Chu Yi instructed the young blond girl. She glared at him coldly, biting her lip, her cheeks puffed with indignation.
Chu Yi could only pull her into his embrace, whispering in her crystalline pink ear, "I’m about to cause a big stir inside, and it’s dangerous. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt. From now on, wherever I go, I’ll take you, alright?"
After all, advancing to the Human King Body would attract a Celestial Tribulation, and that is an indiscriminate attack.
Lias hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "...You be careful. If it’s too dangerous, please be wary."
Chu Yi nodded. He had Bika, who had finally managed to extricate himself, pacify his girlfriend, then prepared to take the dim-witted Dragon Maiden and follow Avril into battle.