Little Zhang Daoist pursed his lips and smiled, then glanced back at Hei Zhu Xuan Beng Wu with worry before sighing, "There is no need to dwell on past events. Your subordinate, Mr. Xin Jia, mentioned that Mr. Gu is willing to form an alliance with us? Heh heh, given Mr. Gu's current relationship with the Heaven Star Expeditionary Force, why should we ally with you?" Gu Xiechen pulled out the Small Universe Brocade Pouch and asked Jie Hua with a smile, "Do you mind?" Little Zhang Daoist’s eyes flickered, and he shook his head gently. Peng Hua glared angrily at Little Zhang Daoist and said reluctantly, "If the old bald donkey says so, I don't mind!" A stream of green light erupted from the mouth of the pouch, completely unprepared, Miao Hua yelped, and with a single wuwu, he was sucked into the pouch. Then, with a flick of Gu Xiechen's wrist, Peng Hua was spewed out of the green light once more. However, Peng Hua was now completely naked, wreathed in black smoke across his body, looking utterly wretched.

Little Zhang Daoist's mouth gaped wide, and he exclaimed in surprise, "What... what artifact is this?" Gu Xiechen smiled faintly, "I obtained it in some ruins a day ago. One of my subordinates is extremely skilled in various formations and restrictions. If he leads the way, as long as we find similar ruins, we can gain immeasurable benefits from them." Peng Hua, still smoking black fumes, immediately leaped up and frantically nodded at Little Zhang Daoist. Peng Hua had just experienced the terrifying power of the Small Universe Pouch; the moment he was sucked in, countless winds, fires, lightning, and thunder assailed him. Especially the Samadhi True Fire, which was supremely yang and supreme, nearly scared Peng Hua to death. This substance's harmful effect on a zombie was equivalent to that of potassium cyanide on a mortal. It was a powerful artifact Peng Hua had never heard of or witnessed; the ingenuity of its internal restrictions was simply baffling. Among all the magical implements handed down through the Nine Nether Dao lineage, none could compare to this brocade pouch.

"If that is the case..." Little Zhang Daoist exchanged a look with Peng Hua.

"If we find treasures, the Asian Dao Alliance takes seventy percent, and I only require thirty!" Gu Xiechen stated firmly. "However, all ordinary gold, silver, and jewels are mine. As for other marvelous artifacts, you take seven, and I take three. If the Heaven Star Expeditionary Force makes any move, the Asian Dao Alliance must provide full support to the Hell Angel Mercenary Group... Upon returning to Earth, you must help the Hell Angel Mercenary Group become a federally registered defense company!" Little Zhang Daoist and Miao Hua exchanged glances again. Peng Hua sinisterly raised a single finger, "Our Asian Dao Sect is vast and has great foundations, with an extremely large number of organized members. We must take ninety percent of the artifacts; we can only give you ten!" "My brothers!" Gu Xiechen pointed toward the door of the room.

"They will receive the best hospitality and treatment. Upon returning to Earth, the Hell Angel Mercenary Group will become a legitimate defense company; our Asian Dao Alliance will be responsible for setting up a complete executive team for you," Little Zhang Daoist promised resolutely.

"Good, deal!" Gu Xiechen stomped his foot hard. "But the Three Witches Sect holds a grudge against me, so not a single artifact can fall into their hands." Little Zhang Daoist immediately made the decision, raising his hand to the heavens and swearing an oath in the name of his sect.

Gu Xiechen and Little Zhang Daoist looked at each other and smiled, firmly shaking each other's hands.

The naked Peng Hua also walked over and forcefully placed his hand upon theirs. Gu Xiechen and Little Zhang Daoist twitched their noses simultaneously, both smelling the strong aroma of roasting meat.

A voice suddenly crackled from the communicator worn on Little Zhang Daoist's wrist: "...Daoist Master Zhang? Daoist Master Zhang, a Federal fighter jet is requesting landing clearance. They claim to be members of the Hell Angel Mercenary Group: Siren, Naiad, and the Fire Goddess, Aredia!" "They escaped?" Gu Xiechen said in surprise. "They do have some methods." Little Zhang Daoist's eyes lit up suddenly, and he exclaimed loudly, "Are they both Jie Shi (Boundary Masters)?" Gu Xiechen nodded. "Yes, they are both Jie Shi!" ... Little Zhang Daoist immediately started laughing. "Then, we are already allies. As allies, Mr. Gu should help me resolve a small problem, shouldn't he?" Gu Xiechen replied decisively, "Please, Daoist Master Zhang, just say it. As long as it's within my ability!" Little Zhang Daoist's request was simple. Several days ago, in the hidden valley where Daoist Gu Chen was cultivating in seclusion, the heavily injured Little Zhang Daoist, Peng Hua, and Daoist Nun Ao Jing were simultaneously attacked by the Roman commander Ducat Holsam and Ingley among others... To save the lives of Peng Hua and Daoist Nun Ao Jing, Little Zhang Daoist was forced to hand over the bamboo slips that Gu Xiechen had traded. The intelligence now indicated that Ducat Holsam had played his cards better and ultimately seized the bamboo slips.

"The alloy formula recorded on the bamboo slips has already been memorized by me, but my junior sister's injuries were aggravated by their sniping. Her condition has now reached an irreversible point; the only way to preserve her life temporarily is to freeze her body and soul using the Nine Nether Stygian Qi!" Little Zhang Daoist looked pleadingly at Gu Xiechen. "If you help me take revenge on Ducat Holsam and Ingley and the others, from now on, I, Little Zhang Daoist, will be Mr. Gu's best friend for life!" Such a promise? Such a request? To risk it all for a fair lady!

Gu Xiechen pondered for a moment, then agreed to Little Zhang Daoist's request while simultaneously contemplating the profound question of whether a Daoist could marry.

Ingley and the other four had already been slain by him; designing a trap for Ducat Holsam was nothing.

Gu Xiechen also put forth his request to Little Zhang Daoist: "The leaders of the Hell Angel Mercenary Group and all the Innate Warriors have fallen into Vaggli's hands. You must help me get them out." Little Zhang Daoist also readily agreed to Gu Xiechen's demand.

The two slapped each other's palms three times, cementing their covenant.

Gu Xiechen stood once more on the treetop of a great tree.

A dozen Roman fighter jets were locked in a fierce dogfight with over thirty Earth Federation fighters. Missiles screamed as they twisted and refracted through the air, streams of high-energy rays shot everywhere, sweeping through the dense forest, kicking up flying leaves and branches, incinerating a small section of woodland with intense heat. Both sides' aircraft executed maneuvers that, to Gu Xiechen's eyes, bordered on the absolute limits of tactical prowess; he could almost hear the groans of the airframes under unbearable stress.

Several kilometers ahead, an armored unit, equivalent to a reinforced Federation regiment, was assaulting a small pass held by the Romans. The Federation Expeditionary Force led with more than twenty ultra-heavy Land Cruiser Tanks, followed by nearly a hundred heavy tanks, with over three hundred medium and light armored vehicles screening the flanks, launching a storm-like attack on the pass, supported by over a thousand infantry. Countless shells and missiles blasted the pass, originally barely thirty meters wide, open to nearly a hundred meters across.

The Roman counterattack, however, was even more vicious. The axe-spears of nearly a hundred Roman warriors continuously spat out streams of high-energy particles, stubbornly sniping at the advancing Land Cruiser Tanks. Hundreds of Spirit Race warriors, fighting alongside the Romans, returned fire with missiles and energy beams crisscrossing the air. Essentially, a Federation tank was destroyed every few minutes.

Occasionally, long, vine-like tendrils, dark green and covered with venomous spines, dozens of meters long, would erupt from the ground, slicing through the air with a muffled sound toward the Expeditionary Force infantrymen, and even the light vehicles weighing no more than ten tons. Soldiers were either shredded by the vines or poisoned by the toxins within the spines, while the light vehicles were dragged into huge chasms that split the earth. Only slightly did the ground ripple before a fireball shot into the sky, the light vehicle's engine destroyed, leading to the ammunition payload detonating.

Two all-gold Roman fighters broke through the clouds, diving almost vertically toward the ground. Four Federation fighters immediately moved to intercept them.

The Roman fighters released four equally gold-shelled heavy breaching bombs at maximum speed toward the ground. The Federation fighters had already launched six short-range combat missiles at them. One Roman fighter exploded in mid-air; the other Roman fighter executed a series of thirteen rapid, sharp course changes and frantically rocketed back into the clouds. Two combat missiles chased closely behind its tail for a long distance before finally losing target lock and detonating harmlessly in the air.

The four heavy breaching bombs landed, striking the top armor of two ultra-heavy Land Cruiser Tanks. Each bomb weighed a full ton; the armor of the two ultra-heavy tanks was shattered, and the bombs detonated directly inside. Two fireballs engulfed an area spanning several hundred meters around. Nearby heavy tanks were flipped over, and nearly a hundred soldiers taking cover behind the tanks were blown to smithereens.

The Spirit Race auxiliary troops inside the pass seized the opportunity to charge out, unleashing dozens of man-portable high-velocity anti-armor missiles toward the Federation lines, igniting and destroying yet another ultra-heavy tank.

"That is quite intense!" Gu Xiechen chuckled, shaking his head helplessly. "The Roman way—it truly costs lives!"

His Daoist robe and crane cloak shifted their form again; Gu Xiechen's clothing transformed to resemble the uniforms worn by the Spirit Race auxiliary troops. He pushed off the treetop with the tips of his toes, and Gu Xiechen slipped through the fiercely fighting pass without alerting anyone, utilizing the cover of branches and leaves.

The Federation forces were thrown into momentary chaos; no one noticed Gu Xiechen. A few Roman warriors glimpsed the fleeting shadow of Gu Xiechen, but he was wearing a Spirit Race uniform. The Romans couldn't immediately process why the Spirit Race suddenly had such tall figures. By then, Gu Xiechen was already several miles away.

Traveling continuously over mountains and across ridges, Gu Xiechen's speed, accelerated by the Cloud Boots, far surpassed the cruising speed of an ordinary fighter jet. After running wildly forward for over three hundred kilometers, Gu Xiechen finally stopped to catch his breath.

Between two mountains ahead stood a colossal metal gate, a hundred meters high, shimmering with golden light and carved with countless celestial star charts. The gate was densely lined with firing points on both sides; massive energy cannons proudly extended their long barrels from these positions, their crystalline surfaces gleaming in the sunlight.

Three hundred Roman warriors hovering on disc-shaped craft hovered before the metal gate, arrayed in three imposing Wild Goose Wing formations, layered high, middle, and low. The energy armor they wore vented a foot-thick blue halo, and shimmering blue arcs of electricity flowed between them, creating an extraordinarily magnificent spectacle.

"Style! That's the Roman style! Truly magnificent, truly grand!" Gu Xiechen shrugged helplessly.

Behind a rock formation in the Roman blind spot, Gu Xiechen allowed his Daoist robe and crane cloak to revert to their original appearance, carefully tucking the Jade Dao Crown into his sleeve—it was a talisman against Roman mental assaults. He tightened the silk sash around his waist and slowly walked out, approaching the great gate between the two mountains.

The three hundred Roman sentinels held their heads high with arrogance, their gazes fixed on the clouds drifting high in the sky. Gu Xiechen walked step by step into their defensive perimeter, yet not a single one of these Romans detected him. Only when Gu Xiechen reached less than a hundred meters from the golden gate did the scanners on dozens of firing points sluggishly pivot, finally discovering him. Immediately, alarms blared all around, and dozens of large-caliber energy cannons simultaneously locked onto Gu Xiechen's body. The three hundred Roman sentinels snapped awake and raised their axe-spears.

"Hu... Human!" a Roman sentinel exclaimed in shock, stammering as he pointed at Gu Xiechen, "What are you doing here?" Gu Xiechen gracefully pulled out a state document tied with a golden silk ribbon from his sleeve. He carefully smoothed the exquisite bow tied with the ribbon, then smiled genially at the Roman sentinels, "I am here, following Roman tradition, to deliver a formal challenge of duel to Mr. Ducat Holsam. A true Roman warrior would never refuse a duel challenge, would he? I request Mr. Ducat Holsam to step out and personally accept my challenge!" "A duel challenge? You?" The Roman sentinels were stunned. After a full minute, ten sentinels piloted their disc craft over the golden gate and flew back into the base.

Gu Xiechen stood leisurely with his hands clasped behind his back; the stern watch of hundreds of Romans couldn't even exert the slightest pressure on him. Instead, the confidence and ease radiating from Gu Xiechen made the surrounding Romans feel increasing internal pressure. Many Roman sentinels gripped their axe-spears tightly, and several nearly lost control, fighting the urge to activate their weapons and blast Gu Xiechen with a stream of high-energy particles.

Less than five minutes later, the golden gate rumbled open to the sides.

A disc-shaped craft, over five meters in diameter, flew toward them a few meters above the ground. On board stood the smug-looking Polpot Holsam, the ashen-faced Ducat Holsam, and Roman high-ranking officials Gu Xiechen had met before, such as Polugin and Yakkin. Nearly a thousand elite Roman warriors clustered around the craft, forming an impenetrable defensive line.

Gu Xiechen smiled, flicking the ribbon-tied document toward Ducat Holsam.

"Ducat Holsam, this is the challenge for a duel. By the honor of your Holsam family, you will not refuse, will you? I have specified the time and location on it. It is only you and I—no one else is permitted to interfere in this duel. Do you accept?" Ducat Holsam gripped the challenge tightly, glaring sternly at Gu Xiechen; he recognized Gu Xiechen as the one who had nearly killed him and Philly last time!

Polpot Holsam’s face broke into unconcealable delight, and he roared with laughter, "Of course, we will not refuse! The honor of our Holsam family must not be sullied in any way. I authorize this on Ducat's behalf; he will duel you according to the terms of the challenge. Ducat Holsam, this is your only path to wash away your shame!" Polpot Holsam suddenly turned to Ducat Holsam and rebuked him sternly, "What shame do I have?" Ducat Holsam gritted his teeth until his jaw ached, barely managing to squeeze out the words.

"You caused the death of Master Montetedi! You must bear full responsibility!" Polpot Holsam stated triumphantly. "Don't think you earned merit by seizing that bamboo slip; it was seized under my brilliant leadership—all glory belongs to me, Polpot Holsam; it has nothing to do with you. Conversely, you caused the death of Master Montetedi, so you must bear that guilt. You are guilty and must clear your disgrace with an honorable duel." Gu Xiechen looked at Polpot Holsam with surprise; it seemed this fellow had thrown away all sense of shame in order to claim credit. What was strange was how he knew Montetedi was dead.

Polpot Holsam jumped down from the disc-shaped craft, floating before Gu Xiechen using his powerful psychic abilities. Gu Xiechen cautiously stepped back a few paces. Polpot quickly spread his hands to signal he meant no harm, then bent down and whispered into Gu Xiechen's ear, in a voice only Gu Xiechen could hear, "Evil Dragon, if you can kill Ducat Holsam in the duel... then I can pretend the feud between you and me never happened." Gu Xiechen looked at Polpot, who looked back with feigned sincerity, trying his utmost to appear natural. However, the occasional flash of fierce light in the depths of his eyes let Gu Xiechen know that this man still harbored deep resentment over the black crystal sphere and the extortion Gu Xiechen had subjected him to at the Aurora Power Station.

Nodding firmly, Gu Xiechen laughed, "Deal. You can watch the duel between me and Ducat via satellite. But you must guarantee that you will abide by the fair terms stipulated in the challenge." Gu Xiechen reiterated the clauses of the challenge: only Gu Xiechen and Ducat Holsam, and their respective Jie Gui (Boundary Puppets), could participate; no other living being was allowed to join, and any interference from outsiders in this sacred, solemn, and serious duel was strictly forbidden...

"Don't worry, I guarantee Ducat absolutely will not violate the principles of fairness in the duel." Polpot smiled cheerfully, even patting Gu Xiechen's shoulder forcefully as a gesture of intimacy. "Very well!" Gu Xiechen turned and quickly departed.

Dozens of high-energy cannons watched Gu Xiechen leave. Due to the Romans' stubborn traditions, any attack on a messenger delivering a challenge was strictly forbidden. Gu Xiechen left the Roman base unharmed and without incident.