Little Daoist Zhang was utterly horrified. He pointed at Ruhua and burst out laughing and cursing, "No wonder your power has been skyrocketing lately. You... you... Ouch! Drought Demon Essence Blood! Heavens! When we get back to Earth, you’re treating—ten matches, not a single one less, or I’ll tear down your zombie den!"

Andre recoiled in shock, leaping up and screaming, "Oh, great Lord! Mr. Gu, are you planning to absorb the zombie essence blood and become a monster? That is an evil abomination!"

Gu Xiechen's Dao Embryo pulsed faster and faster, as if the Prince’s core that formed its very essence was roaring, struggling to burst free from Gu Xiechen’s body.

It was a primal instinct within the Dao Embryo, a ravenous, proprietary desire for the Drought Demon’s essence blood.

Just as Gu Xiechen was about to speak, Ruhua grabbed his lower body and roared at Andre, "Monster? Damn it, what kind of monster? Have you ever seen a monster like me who can talk, eat meat, drink booze, and chase skirts? If you want to talk about monsters, aren't the ones created by your Angelic Sacred Blood the real freaks? Half energy body, half flesh—tell me, do angels even have sexual functions?"

Andre stared blankly at Ruhua, his lips trembling for a long time, before finally shrieking, "How dare you insult the divine..."

Gu Xiechen flung the tiger he was holding far away. The tiger, which had just awakened from unconsciousness and was preparing a mighty roar to the heavens, slammed into a cliff face and passed out again without so much as a peep. The loud crash of the tiger hitting the cliff startled Andre, forcing the words back down his throat.

Gu Xiechen pointed at Ruhua and laughed, "Three drops of Drought Demon Essence Blood? Does such a thing truly exist in this world? Excellent, excellent! I want that Nine Dragon Vessel, and I want the three drops of Drought Demon Essence Blood too. Triple every single pill you promised me, and line up some more cash for me. This scroll is yours! I’ll even lead you to the location of that valley.”

Andre stood frozen. Ruhua and Little Daoist Zhang simultaneously brought their right palms together in a heavy clap.

Ruhua threw his head back and roared, "Done!"

Little Daoist Zhang laughed heartily as well, "Done!"

Andre stomped his foot hard, glaring darkly at Gu Xiechen as he sneered, "Mr. Gu, you should reconsider. You have rejected the goodwill of our Holy See."

Little Daoist Zhang stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Gu Xiechen. He swept his right hand in front of his Daoist robe, pulling out a six-barreled high-speed machine gun and a massive ammunition box. The muzzle was pointed directly at Andre. Little Daoist Zhang’s handsome face twitched as he coldly mocked, "Just say it—what are you planning? Mr. Gu is now under the protection of our Asian Dao Alliance. Does your Holy See want a fight?"

Ruhua strode to Gu Xiechen's side, swinging the scythe in his hand with a sinister grin, "Want a fight? Should we start a civil war within the Federation, or perhaps an underground war between our Dao Alliance and the Holy See? Or maybe our controlled syndicates can have a worldwide gang shootout? Heck, would anyone believe it if tomorrow someone showed up at the Vatican with a backpack full of explosives?"

Gu Xiechen gave a small cough, offering a placid smile and clasping his hands toward Andre. "Your Excellency the Bishop, business is about mutual benefit, not just righteousness. Why make things so unpleasant? Next time you have something good, I’ll consider the Holy See first, how about that?"

Andre shot a hard glare at the high-speed machine gun in Little Daoist Zhang’s hand and the scythe in Ruhua’s, nodding grimly before turning and striding away with his subordinates.

Gu Xiechen sighed softly, "It seems I've gained another enemy."

Little Daoist Zhang intimately threw an arm around Gu Xiechen’s shoulder and laughed, "Interested in taking them on? You must still have followers on Paradise Star. Why don't we join forces and wipe out the Holy See’s people? The Pantheon Alliance would surely help us—the three of us together, taking them down would be a breeze!"

Ruhua flipped his hand and produced a bronze-like vessel the size of a fist—the Nine Dragon Cup. An intense surge of evil energy immediately permeated the surrounding air, a tremendous aura of power seeping from within it. Faintly visible on the cup, where a dragon’s horn had been inadvertently broken off, the noxious energy continuously poured out.

Ruhua grinned wickedly at Gu Xiechen, "This is the three drops of Drought Demon Essence Blood. Take this, and you’ll be one of us, the Clan of the (Zombie Gods). Heh heh, our Nine Nethers Dao is quite formidable."

Gu Xiechen took the Nine Dragon Vessel, smoothly handing the bamboo scroll in his right hand over to Little Daoist Zhang. Gu Xiechen chuckled lightly, "Hurry up and give me what I asked for, and we'll be square. As for Mr. Andre, this Paradise Star is actually quite dangerous... not just poisonous insects and ferocious beasts, but also the Roman people!"

The three exchanged glances and then shared a low, resonant laugh.

Two kilometers west of the valley, deep within a dense thicket, the brothers Banya and Maho, along with thirty-odd fighters, lay silently in ambush, led by Siren and Aredia. This was the contingency Gu Xiechen had arranged for himself; further west in another patch of woods, hundreds of pseudo-Innate fighters lay hidden with heavy weaponry.

The group silently surveyed the direction of the valley. Maho, bare-chested, suddenly patted his stomach and grumbled, "Damn it, too much beer. I need to take a leak!"

A spark flared in Aredia’s eyes. Siren sneered, "Go far away. If you dare relieve yourself within five hundred meters of here, hmph."

Maho glared fiercely at Siren, grabbed an automatic rifle and slung it over his shoulder. He walked toward the southern thicket, muttering under his breath, "Is being a Realm Master such a big deal? Are female Realm Masters so high and mighty? Ugh, I just need a quick pee, why all the fuss?"

Though grumbling incessantly, Maho dared not disobey Siren; Realm Masters indeed held immense deterrent power.

Humming a little tune, Maho walked to a clump of bushes several hundred meters away. He set down his weapon, unzipped his trousers, pulled out his manhood, and unleashed a vigorous stream of water.

A delicate, fair, and tender little hand silently reached out from beside Maho and clamped down hard on his vital spot.

A sensation of corrosive soul and melting bones surged from the point where the small hand gripped him, spreading throughout his body. Maho turned his head in horror. A small girl, barely five feet tall, utterly adorable and clad in a pink kimono, was smiling at him.

The girl, with short, cropped hair and a large red bow tied at the nape of her neck, gazed at Maho with wide, innocent eyes. Her cherry-red lips parted slightly, and she asked in a delicate, sweet voice, "Uncle