"Agreed, but Lei has never been one to deal with those who hide their faces," Lei Dong said, using his divine sense to steady his somewhat scattered troops, hands behind his back in a posture of proud arrogance. "King of Dawn, if you have any sincerity, step out and speak plainly. If you lack even that much courage, you might as well find a cool place to retire immediately."

"Hmph, brat, don't try to provoke me. If you anger this King, don't blame me for ignoring the consequences to keep all of you here." As he spoke, a faint ripple spread from the entrance of the side hall, and the figure of the King of Dawn—tall, slender, and clad in intricate, magnificent white armor—gradually materialized. Behind him, however, were clustered a group of White Armored soldiers, each exuding an immensely powerful aura, surrounding him like stars revolving around the moon; clearly, this contingent was the elite of the elite, every single one possessing the strength of the Nascent Soul peak.

White Armored soldiers of this caliber could theoretically hold off a cultivator in the early Divine Transformation stage for a mere ten or twenty exchanges if fighting alone. Theoretically, those at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage were only a single step away from Divine Transformation. Yet, crossing that final step was monumentally difficult.

Throughout history, countless individuals had achieved the peak of Nascent Soul, but fewer than one in ten had ever managed to ascend to the Divine Transformation stage.

Of course, even in the eyes of a Divine Transformation expert, a peak Nascent Soul cultivator was still considered a figure of some standing. Dealing with them required a certain amount of effort; it was difficult to simply strike them down with one casual blow.

Thus, the King of Dawn’s bold advance to the front was not an act of brainlessness. Although Lei Dong’s group possessed four Divine Transformation experts, instantly overwhelming him without a chance to fight back, even among guards of this rank, was likely extremely difficult. Furthermore, the King of Dawn himself was a Divine Transformation expert; he possessed that degree of confidence.

"Save the harsh words," Lei Dong replied, utterly unmoved by the aura the King of Dawn deliberately displayed. "However, for you to reveal yourself so openly while holding the advantage does merit a proper discussion. As you said, there is no irreconcilable conflict between us. The reason Lei came to stir up trouble in your territory is simple: the Water of Life."

Hearing this, the King of Dawn felt a wave of humiliation wash over him. For the Water of Life! You want the Water of Life, why not just ask properly? Why must you turn the territory I have painstakingly managed for so long upside down?

But then he stopped to consider: if this fellow named Lei hadn't nearly subverted the entire Dawn Continent, perhaps approaching him directly to beg for or trade for the Water of Life would have been met with total indifference. Never mind this mere youth; even powers like the Purgatory Demon King, if they came seeking a trade for the Water of Life, the King of Dawn would most likely refuse, unless they offered something like Chaos Spiritual Medicine.

But if one possessed Chaos Spiritual Medicine, why would they trade for the Water of Life? Although both could enhance the cultivation of Divine Transformation experts or temper the divine soul, the greatest utility of the Water of Life was healing—especially repairing soul trauma. It was a divine medicine for that purpose.

Moreover, the Winged Folk were inherently proud and arrogant, and they regarded the Water of Life with extreme importance. Unless an unimaginably high price was paid, obtaining a single bottle of the Water of Life from the Winged Folk was harder than ascending to the heavens.

If it weren't for this, why would Lei Dong expend so much effort to come here and forcibly seize it? Robbery, too, had its benefits: it honed the actual combat capabilities of his army, and substantial rewards were gained. After only a short period of plundering across the Dawn Continent, Lei Dong’s resources soared. Excluding the five bottles of Water of Life he collected, the rest, if converted, could fund an entire cultivation cycle within a Grotto-Heaven.

This method achieved his goal without paying exorbitant costs or incurring major debts, while also netting a massive fortune to boost his own strength—where else could one find such a beneficial opportunity?

"Good, good, so you came for the Water of Life," the King of Dawn laughed instead of showing anger, appearing remarkably patient. "Actually, this is a small matter. If we form a sincere alliance, you can have as much Water of Life as you wish."

If Lei Dong actually believed that, he’d be a fool. However, a bit of feigned compliance was necessary. He couldn't help but let a look of greed surface. "Is that true? Tell me, how would we cooperate?"

"Unify the Bright Holy Domain," the King of Dawn declared astonishingly. "Both our sides are powerful. If you and I join forces sincerely to unify the Bright Holy Domain, you shall receive thirty percent of all resources."

Lei Dong’s eyes widened in shock. It wasn't the magnitude of the plan that stunned him, but the sheer absurdity of it. Among the Eight Kings who ruled territories within the Bright Holy Domain, the King of Dawn was either the weakest or second weakest in terms of overall strength and prestige. If this statement came from one of the Radiant Twin Kings, it might seem plausible, but hearing it from the King of Dawn nearly made Lei Dong laugh himself into spasms. Seeing the seriousness on the King's face, Lei Dong was even more bewildered—was this fellow actually serious?

What confidence did he possess? What was his basis? Was it this force of over a thousand White Armored soldiers? Perhaps the assembly of such an organized military unit was indeed beyond Lei Dong's initial expectation. But to think this force could unify the Bright Holy Domain was sheer hubris. Did he think the others in the Bright Holy Domain were weaklings? Especially the Radiant Twin Kings—even the Nether Ghost Emperor wasn't entirely confident of victory in a one-on-one fight. Their subordinates were also teeming with talent and countless strong experts. Their comprehensive strength was likely more than ten times that of the King of Dawn.

Lei Dong chose to target the King of Dawn initially after careful consideration, the primary reason being simple: the King of Dawn had the weakest foundation and was the easiest to deal with. Now, this very individual, whom Lei Dong deemed the easiest target, was proposing to unify the entire Bright Domain?

"I know you harbor doubts," the King of Dawn sneered coldly. "You have witnessed my elite White Armored soldiers; assess their power. In your estimation, how many such elite soldiers would I need to qualify to contend for the Bright Domain?"

Could it be that this fellow cultivated these White Armored soldiers through some unorthodox means? Lei Dong’s heart stirred again, and his keen divine sense swept over the White Armored soldiers. Indeed, he discovered something different. Lei Dong had encountered many Nascent Soul-level Winged Folk before. However, these White Armored Nascent Soul-level Winged Folk seemed oddly peculiar upon closer inspection.

Each one wore an expressionless face, their eyes lacking the usual spark of vitality, possessing only an unconcealable, fervent zeal. Moreover, their auras lacked the robustness of normal Nascent Soul-level Winged Folk. Puppets? Constructs? The feeling was somewhat similar.

This suggested the King of Dawn truly possessed some unique methods? Lei Dong couldn't help but feel tempted—not by the prospect of cooperating with the King of Dawn, but by a genuine desire to obtain the ability or method he used to cultivate these White Armored soldiers. After a moment of thought, he said gravely, "King of Dawn, if you could field an army of ten thousand soldiers of this caliber, I wouldn't say you could definitely unify the Bright Domain, but you would at least possess the qualification to try."

"Close to my own estimation," the King of Dawn stated confidently. "By then, even powerhouses as formidable as the Radiant Twin Kings would only have the option to bow their heads in submission before my White Armored Army."

"Can you really produce ten thousand White Armored soldiers?" Lei Dong asked, half deliberately and half genuinely astonished. If the King of Dawn could achieve that, it meant the method or treasure in his possession was extraordinary.

"Of course," the King of Dawn looked at Lei Dong with proud arrogance. "Did you truly take this King for a mindless idiot? Without some certainty, do you think the Radiant Twin Kings and other strong figures are mere decorative pieces?" As he said this, he kept a close watch on the reactions of the four Divine Transformation experts. To him, this young man named Lei was undoubtedly doomed. But those four Divine Transformation experts were genuinely worth winning over. He had the capability to cultivate White Armored soldiers, but not to produce Divine Transformation experts. Therefore, even if he aimed to unify the Bright Holy Domain, he would be significantly disadvantaged in terms of high-end combat power.

As expected, those four Divine Transformation experts all displayed genuine surprise, which reassured the King of Dawn. He continued to elaborate, "Once we cooperate and unify the Bright Domain, we will share all resources. With sufficient investment of these resources, not only mid-stage Divine Transformation, but even high-stage, perhaps even the unattainable Void Refinement stage, might become attainable." He no longer feared revealing some of his secrets now. With the Dawn Temple sealed and a thousand White Armored soldiers glaring menacingly behind him, these individuals were merely meat on the chopping block. Refuse to surrender, and the path ahead was death.

In Lei Dong's mind, calculations were already underway. The King of Dawn’s arrogance likely stemmed from real backing. However, whatever method he used to create these elite White Armored soldiers, the process could not have been too simple or easy. Otherwise, what Lei Dong faced today would not be merely a thousand White Armored soldiers. If he could truly produce more, his forces would likely consist entirely of soldiers of this rank. At that point, unifying the Bright Holy Domain would present few obstacles; unifying the Six Domains and Nine Continents might even become feasible.

Even so, Lei Dong was deeply moved by the existence of such a method. With a thought, his entire being ascended into a mysterious state of overlooking the world, his bearing instantly transforming. This was one of Lei Dong’s ultimate trump cards: the second change of the Emperor Demon Transformation, 'World Sovereign.'

Before the King of Dawn, whose attention remained fixed on the four Divine Transformation experts, could react to the shift in Lei Dong's composure, Lei Dong uttered a few words imbued with supreme majesty: "I say, time, freeze."

"Great Prophe..." The King of Dawn instantly felt a deep sense of dread in his heart, realizing that what the opponent was casting appeared to be the Great Prophecy Art. But to any outside observer, the moment Lei Dong uttered those two words, the King of Dawn froze on the spot, stiff as a puppet.

……(To be continued)