"If Your Highness wills it, the Nu Jiao Tribe will henceforth submit to the Demon Dragon Royal Family. My one million Nu Jiao Knights will become the Royal Family's elite warriors," Bai Chuan stated, his expression grave.

"This is the sincerity of our Nu Jiao Tribe." "So too does my Byron Tribe pledge," Yin Shuang said in a deep voice. "Good!" I was overjoyed internally.

Although I had anticipated this outcome, hearing it from their own mouths brought me considerable peace of mind. Of course, this sincerity was a mutual offering, something the Royal Family had already prepared for with appropriate arrangements: "This King cannot guarantee success in this campaign against the Sealed Demon Continent, but the only promise I make to you is that all the Celestial Demon God Armors and Heavenly Venerable Robes seized will be distributed to your two great tribes." "We thank Your Highness for your trust." Bai Chuan and Yin Shuang were immensely moved.

They might have foreseen this result, but hearing it directly from my lips still settled their minds greatly. Next came the various matters concerning the merging of the three tribes to form a new legion.

However, it seemed that before Chi Long, Bai Chuan, and Yin Shuang returned, an agreement had already been reached among them. Since we were back, a formal merger conference was necessary.

The meeting took place inside Chi Long’s command tent, attended by Ji Du, myself, and representatives from the three tribes—over three hundred people in total. Considering this was a pivotal meeting determining the future fate of the three tribes, everyone present appeared extremely tense and excited.

I was no exception. I've always been accustomed to a loose and unrestrained lifestyle, and in such a tense, serious, and formal setting, I felt quite ill at ease.

Fortunately, Ji Du was by my side. Ji Du handled most of the negotiation with them.

My role was merely to maintain an icy, stern expression and nod occasionally. In Ji Du’s words, this was the necessary gravitas and depth expected of a great figure.

Even if I understood nothing, I had to project that aura convincingly. It seemed this was my only real contribution, which left me slightly embarrassed, feeling like a mere statue.

And yet, Ji Du’s method proved remarkably effective. At the conference, Ji Du acted like a seasoned diplomat and negotiation expert.

As for Chi Long, Yin Shuang, and Bai Chuan, none of them were fools either. Their shrewdness genuinely surprised me!

Of course, no matter how shocked I was, I had to suppress it internally, desperately maintaining the facade of supreme authority, as if everything were under my command. And that old fox Ji Du played his part well, frequently turning back to solicit my opinions or input.

All I had to do was shake or nod my head with imposing authority. Every time Ji Du looked my way, Yin Shuang, Bai Chuan, and Chi Lang would also look tense.

It seems my image as a bloodthirsty, heinous arch-villain has deeply taken root. While this feeling was somewhat depressing, it secretly pleased me.

After all, my greatest insecurity was this perpetually youthful face and my slender frame. To think that my poor 'hardware' could still make these powerful tribal leaders tremble filled me with a measure of pride!

Watching their nervous expressions nearly made my belly burst with suppressed laughter; I had to fight hard to hold it in. Ji Du’s old face showed a barely perceptible twitch when he looked at me; he clearly knew how hard I was struggling not to erupt in laughter.

But truth be told, he was struggling just as hard! The meeting proceeded relatively smoothly!

First, my position as the overall commander of the legion was solidified—this was the consensus reached by the three tribes. Following this were various specific details, which I was not an expert in; Ji Du essentially spoke on my behalf.

Furthermore, during the discussions, the allocation of the four Celestial Demon God Armors and two Heavenly Venerable Robes was finalized. The Byron Tribe received two Celestial Demon God Armors and one Heavenly Venerable Robe.

The Nu Jiao Tribe received one Celestial Demon God Armor and one Heavenly Venerable Robe. The remaining Celestial Demon God Armor was awarded to the Blood Wolf Tribe!

Everyone was very satisfied with this distribution plan. However, the three tribes fiercely debated the name of the new legion.

This was because each tribe had a distinct totem and worshipped different gods. The Blood Wolves worshipped the Wolf God Hachi; the Byron Tribe worshipped the Dragon God Demora; and the Nu Jiao Tribe worshipped the Sea God Katon.

The banners of the three tribes also displayed clear differences. The Blood Wolf Tribe’s banner was a blood-red wolf-head standard, known as the Blood Wolf Banner.

The Byron Tribe’s banner was a golden coiled-dragon standard, known as the Golden Dragon Banner. The Nu Jiao Tribe’s banner was a purple flood-dragon standard, known as the Purple Flood-Dragon Banner.

Each tribe was unwilling to abandon its long-inherited tribal banner, yet a single legion could only adopt one standard, making the matter exceedingly complicated. A wrong move could easily spark conflict between the three tribes.

This was one of the problems they had been unable to resolve before my return, and now it was back on the table. Although everyone understood that unity required harmony and concession, when it came to matters of national faith, there was no room for ambiguity.

The debate grew heated, faces flushed red, neither side yielding. The air in the command tent was thick with tension; if not for my presence as the God of Slaughter holding sway, a fight might have broken out already.

"It should be the Wolf Banner that serves as the legion standard," Chi Long argued passionately, noting that the Blood Wolf Legion was the initiator of this alliance. "How can that be?" Even the usually demure Yin Shuang appeared fierce and combative.

"We in Byron worship the supreme Dragon God; how can we use a Wolf Banner?" "Supreme Dragon God! Supreme Dragon God!" Over a hundred Byron dignitaries who accompanied Yin Shuang cheered almost maniacally behind her.

My heavens! The power of religion is terrifying; even I, the God of Slaughter, was struggling to hold the line.

"Let's look for an alternative solution," I stated calmly. "I believe a way will present itself." Seeing their escalating agitation, I knew this deadlock couldn't continue.

My intervention brought a measure of calm to all three sides. "Then let's see whose god's power is greater and use that tribe's banner," Bai Chuan proposed, a seemingly fair solution.

"Then tell us how we measure that," Chi Long challenged. "Since our three clans share ancient symbiotic bloodlines, it is simple: let the knights of the three tribes duel to determine the victor," Bai Chuan suggested.

"A mount duel?" Yin Shuang gasped. "Are you proposing a free-for-all between the Giant Wolf Knights, the Sword-toothed Dragon Knights, and the Nu Jiao Knights?" "Exactly," Bai Chuan affirmed.

"Each side draws one hundred tribal knights for a massive brawl. Whichever tribe's knights achieve ultimate victory, that tribe’s banner shall be used.

Should that not be fair enough?" "A duel it is!" Chi Long was greatly tempted. "Our Blood Wolf Knights have never feared anyone." "Hmph!

You will soon witness the might of the Sword-toothed Dragon Knights," Yin Shuang declared with complete confidence. However, Ji Du quickly discerned the flaw in the plan: "The Scarlet Giant Wolves excel in jungle and desert warfare; the Sword-toothed Beasts are masters of open-plain charges; and the Nu Jiao Beasts are supreme in aquatic environments." Ji Du looked exasperatedly at the three leaders and the assembled representatives.

"How do you propose to compete? On the plains?

In the sea? Or perhaps we should all dive into the jungle and desert for the contest?" "Uh..." Now it was the turn of the three leaders to look stunned.

Indeed, the war beasts of the three tribes each possessed distinct advantages, and it was genuinely unclear how a competition could be staged fairly. If the contest took place in the water, the Nu Jiao would undoubtedly be the final victor.

On the plains, the Sword-toothed Beasts would reign supreme. As for the desert, the Scarlet Giant Wolves would naturally dominate.

No matter the setting, it seemed impossible to definitively prove which tribe was superior. The problem remained unsolved!

Consequently, everyone subconsciously turned their gaze toward me, the supreme commander of the new legion. "............" I felt a prickle of unease inwardly.

This was a difficult problem. Yet, despite my internal anxiety, my outward expression remained impassive—that cold, somber look.

But my brain cells were firing faster than ever before. What should I do?

To be honest, I had anticipated many potential crises before this—conflicts over resource distribution or personnel arrangements among the three tribes, perhaps. But surprisingly, they had already settled these matters before I returned.

The haggling negotiation meeting I had envisioned never materialized. Instead, this seemingly simplest issue had caused me the greatest headache.

Tribal totems, legion banners, three distinct national faiths, yet only one military emblem could be shared—this truly stumped me. Hmm!

The current situation instinctively brought to mind the Five-Star Red Flag, the August 1st Army Flag, and the Party Flag. The Party Flag represents faith, the Army Flag represents strength, and the National Flag represents the nation—each carrying its own distinct meaning!

So, is there a way to integrate these concepts? With this thought, a spark of inspiration suddenly flashed in my mind: "Every people possesses its own unique faith.

On this point, this King believes that even at the cost of their lives, the three tribes would never abandon their beliefs." As I spoke, I looked at everyone, "Once a people loses its faith, it loses its soul." "Your Highness speaks truly," Chi Long exclaimed excitedly. "Under no circumstances can we abandon our faith in the Wolf God." ".........." Yin Shuang and Bai Chuan said nothing, but their determined gazes clearly conveyed their stance.

"Therefore, this King does not intend to sacrifice the faith of any of you," I stated solemnly. "However, a single legion can only have one military emblem.

Thus, this King decrees that the new legion shall have no totem emblem whatsoever." "No totem emblem at all?" Yin Shuang was shocked. "Then, what is the legion's symbol, as Your Highness said, if it has no soul?" Bai Chuan's face also darkened considerably.

"........." Chi Long's expression became even more grim. "No soul?" I countered.

"Can any of you tell me where the soul actually resides?" "The soul of the Wolf God exists eternally within every citizen of the Blood Wolf Tribe." "The blood of every Byron warrior flows with the Dragon God's essence, embodying the Dragon God's soul," Yin Shuang asserted firmly. "You are all correct," I confirmed.

"The soul resides within you—in your blood and your thoughts. Therefore, whether the legion banner displays your tribe’s totem becomes irrelevant." "We understand Your Highness's meaning," Bai Chuan realized suddenly.

"Indeed, if the legion banner displayed any symbol that was not ours, we would all feel uncomfortable. But if the banner carries no totem at all, it is fair to everyone, as none of us will be forced to heed the command of another tribe's totem." "What matters are the spirit and the soul, not the external form," Chi Long marveled.

"The Blood Wolf Tribe has absolutely no objection to Your Highness's proposal." "Then what kind of banner will the legion flag be?" Yin Shuang asked seriously. "A black flag—a great black banner!" I announced in a deep voice.

"Ah!" Every face in the room changed drastically, including that of the usually composed Ji Du, who stared at me, dumbfounded. "Black represents death, destruction, and ruin," Yin Shuang murmured.

"It is the most ominous color on the continent." "Precisely," I took a long, steady breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "The new legion shall be called the Black Flag Legion.

From this day forward, all enemies of the Black Flag Legion will face the most merciless destruction, slaughter, and death." "Hahahaha!" Bai Chuan roared with laughter. "Your Highness has spoken perfectly!

The name Black Flag Legion is both domineering and profoundly meaningful!" "Wherever the Black Flag leads, none shall withstand!" Chi Long and the Blood Wolf Tribe cheered with immense excitement, their shouts shaking the heavens. "Roar!

Destruction! Ruin!

Slaughter!" In the command tent, every representative present roared in unison: "The Black Flag Legion is invincible!" "..........." Ji Du looked at me with disbelief, as if he had witnessed something terrifying. "The great black banner planted in every corner!" Ji Du muttered to himself.

"Could the black flag the Shaman spoke of be the Black Flag Legion?" "The great black banner planted in every corner!" I was overjoyed. "Haha, Ji Du, General Ji Du speaks truly!

Let the banner of our Black Flag Legion be planted in every city, every fortress, every corner of this continent!"