Gazing up at the powerful figures from the four great civilizations, Fuxi and the others felt a chill. It was clear from their bearing that only the pinnacle experts of these civilizations had arrived, especially from the Hentian Civilization, whose Civilization Lord himself was present, signaling their absolute determination to seize the treasure.

The Lord of the Hentian Civilization was named Hen Litian, a gaunt young man clad entirely in black. Faint wisps of baleful energy coiled around him, his raven-black hair streaming in the wind. His merciless eyes swept over the assembly, and the very void around him rippled from the mere aura exhaled through his pores.

"Hand over the treasure and you may leave," Hen Litian stated coldly.

Fuxi frowned, but at that moment, Ye Chen, who had been chatting and laughing beside Bai Yijun, fell silent. He stopped smiling, looked up toward Hen Litian in the sky, and murmured to himself, "Only four civilizations? Still too few."

Fuxi and the others couldn't help but offer a bitter smile upon hearing this. These were the peak experts gathered from four major civilizations—a terrifying force in any other circumstance. Yet, in Ye Chen's tone, it sounded as if he were barely inclined to exert himself.

Though Ye Chen's voice was soft, the experts from the sky heard him perfectly clearly. They merely glanced at the young man and dismissed him; their seasoned eyes instantly perceived Ye Chen as nothing more than a deity-level expert! Such a person could be swept away by a mere gesture, and they paid him no mind. Had it not been for Bai Yijun standing beside him, they would have pierced Ye Chen's soul with a single thought and annihilated him, preventing him from being an eyesore or, worse, causing them to stumble during the treasure acquisition later.

Fuxi understood Ye Chen's sentiment. After a moment of thought, he looked up at the figures in the sky and stated coldly, "That line should be ours to say. You all lay down your treasures, and we will allow you to depart. Otherwise, do not blame us for being merciless. Do not lose your lives due to a moment of ignorant aggression!"

He puffed out his chest and declared with a chill, "Have you considered that since we dared to wait here quietly for your arrival, we must possess some hidden trump cards?"

This question struck a nerve among several of them.

Hen Litian knitted his brows, scanning the assembly. His eyes flickered slightly as he said indifferently, "Perhaps Patriarch Baitan is hiding among you? With Patriarch Baitan's strength, we are naturally inferior, but more people will arrive shortly. You should all give up now!"

Fuxi merely let out a cold laugh and offered no reply, standing with a composed air, utterly unconcerned with Hen Litian and the others above.

The people from the four civilizations grew sullen. Fuxi's words planted seeds of doubt, particularly when they noticed Bai Yijun nearby, which amplified their unease. A rash attack might provoke Baitan, who was hidden somewhere, forcing them into a retreat. But if they waited, the arrival of the main forces would make acquiring the treasure exceedingly difficult.

As these thoughts warred in their minds, a whistling sound echoed from the adjacent passage. A cluster of white light suddenly streaked in, radiating a brilliant glow, seemingly without defined form—just a crystalline white sphere. It hugged the wall and settled near the easternmost edge.

The light cluster appeared to spot the Hentian group, hesitating briefly before stopping. Then, several men emerged slowly from within, their backs adorned with wings of white light, all dressed in long white robes, resembling ancient Western celestial beings. These individuals glanced at Hen Litian with a degree of apprehension, then turned to Fuxi’s group. Upon seeing the three Sovereigns gathered, they couldn't help but frown, before finally looking toward Ye Chen and the woman beside him. Their gaze lingered on Bai Yijun, becoming noticeably serious.

"The Myriad Manifestations Civilization," Fuxi commented, tilting his head toward them, his eyes glittering with a slight smile. "Elder Hanfeng, long time no see. I didn't expect you to be here too."

Among the newcomers, a white-haired elder with a ruddy complexion and kind eyes inclined his head slightly. "Brother Fuxi, we heard you obtained two keys to the Ancient God's Cave Mansion. Did you manage to secure this entire area as well?"

At these words, the atmosphere instantly ignited with tension.

Fuxi's expression darkened, and the Emperors beside him, including Huangdi and Nuwa, glared at the Myriad Manifestations Civilization with undisguised anger and coldness. The Myriad Manifestations Civilization and the Immortal Realm Civilization had once been close allies, and through them, they had connected with the Spiritual Civilization, maintaining a friendly relationship. For them to turn hostile at this critical juncture, drawing fire onto Fuxi's side without hesitation, was a shocking betrayal.

"What a vicious calculation," Fuxi clenched his fist, his brow twitching slightly, and he spoke with icy severity. "Elder Hanfeng, you are naturally here for the Ancient God's Cave Mansion keys too. We heard last time that you acquired one key and two fragments of the incomplete Void Heaven Artifacts from the treasury at the North Cold Peak—one a weapon shard, the other an armor shard. With offense and defense covered, it seems the Myriad Manifestations Civilization will soon become the tenth transcendent power, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Nine Ancient Great Families!"

"Hmm?" Hen Litian and the others looked over, their gazes toward the Myriad Manifestations Civilization filled with suspicion and blazing avarice.

Although they knew Fuxi was leveling an accusation to sow discord, the mention of two Void Heaven Artifact fragments and an Ancient God's Cave Mansion key fragment, even if likely fabricated, was enough for them to choose belief.

The men from the Myriad Manifestations Civilization glared, their eyes wide with fury. Elder Hanfeng pointed accusingly at Fuxi. "You are speaking utter nonsense! When have we ever been to the North Cold Peak!"

Fuxi laughed coldly. "Why get so agitated? If you hadn't done it, why be so incensed? Everyone knows our two civilizations have an excellent relationship. Your acquisition of the treasure was incidentally known to me. We kept silent out of respect for our bond, not wanting to spread the news. Yet, you act guilty, perhaps fearing exposure sooner or later, so you preemptively frame us here."

Hen Litian and the others aloft listened, their suspicions deepening, their eyes growing unfriendly toward the Myriad Manifestations Civilization.

"You... you!" Elder Hanfeng trembled slightly with rage at Fuxi's groundless fabrication, his eyes blazing with fury. He knew that the Myriad Manifestations Civilization's strength was not comparable to the Spiritual Civilization's. If this rumor spread, regardless of truth, the Myriad Manifestations Civilization would suffer a devastating blow! This realization was the source of his explosive anger, yet, to Hen Litian and the others, his rage appeared as the shame of being exposed, making him even more frantic.

Fuxi’s gaze turned piercingly cold. "I once thought you were a man of benevolence and justice. I must have been blind to trust someone like you, who completely disregards past affection and seeks to deliver us to death with a single word. From this day forward, my clan severs all ties with your Myriad Manifestations Civilization!"

Elder Hanfeng’s chest heaved violently. Listening to Fuxi’s righteous condemnation made the blood in his veins boil. His fists cracked as he clenched them, but he ultimately suppressed his urge to strike, taking a deep breath. A look of composure returned to his face as he smiled at Fuxi. "You don't need to frame us like this. You won't be leaving here today. Possessing two Ancient God's Cave Mansion key fragments—the Demon Realm Civilization knows this secret too; I am not speaking idly."

Fuxi replied calmly, "Then go summon someone from the Demon Realm Civilization to verify. If they confirm it, I will open the spatial bags of all three of us for you to search."

Elder Hanfeng frowned. Seeing Fuxi’s unshakeable confidence, his own heart sank slightly. He said coldly, "You don't need to feign strength. Once we leave the treasury and encounter the Demon Realm Civilization, I will naturally seek them out and make this public."

"As you wish," Fuxi responded with utter indifference, acting as if he feared nothing. Only those few present knew the highest echelons of the Demon Realm Civilization who knew this secret had already been brutally slain by Ye Chen during the previous fighting. This secret would remain buried forever!

Elder Hanfeng contained his fury, but in his heart, he knew he had courted disaster today. Sensing the intensely hot stares from Hen Litian and the others nearby, he desperately wished he could pry open their skulls and curse them as fools. His hatred for Fuxi was an itch he couldn't scratch.

Just then—

Whoosh, whoosh...

A rapid succession of whistles filled the air. Streaks of white light shot out from all the surrounding passages, quickly converging on the plaza. Ancient warships of every conceivable design materialized, suspended in the void. At a glance, including the Hentian group, there were now sixteen or seventeen civilizations present.

The sudden influx of so many factions made the atmosphere on the plaza tense and feverish. An oppressive tension, sharp as drawn swords, permeated everyone's being. They all knew that a single spark would ignite the entire confrontation here!

"Quite the crowd has arrived," Ye Chen observed, nodding slightly. His casual tone made it seem as if he were facing piles of cabbages rather than the leading forces of numerous civilizations. This nonchalant demeanor caused many to frown and feel revulsion, each thinking that if it weren't for the status of Bai Yijun next to Ye Chen, they would have already attacked. In their eyes, Ye Chen was merely an insignificant ant, not worth offending a transcendent power like the Bai family over.

"The Heavenly Script Civilization, Ancient Inscription Civilization, Yi Tian Civilization—they've all come," Fuxi murmured, his brow tightly knit, a trace of worry creeping in. Could Ye Chen truly handle this many people alone? He knew Ye Chen possessed the Heavenly Dao Mecha, but that terrifying machine consumed energy at an alarming rate. What if the power ran out?

At that precise moment, Elder Hanfeng suddenly roared, "Fuxi! Hand over the two Ancient God's Cave Mansion fragments, and we will spare your lives! I’ll count down for you: three, two, one! Hurry up and surrender them!"

Fuxi’s heart sank, icy rage flashing in his eyes.

"No need to count," a detached voice cut in abruptly, interrupting the Myriad Manifestations Civilization's ultimatum and drawing the attention of the newly arrived factions—whose blood had been boiling and heads heating up from the challenge—all toward the source. (To be continued)