Chapter 200: The Cunning Zhou Nan

War God Ares was a remnant deity within the Ruins Battlefield. The countless War Phantasms were actually fragments of his will.

As the prodigies hunted down the War Phantasms, these will fragments gradually returned, finally awakening War God Ares.

His colossal, divine figure stood towering in the air, and behind him, the massive Gate of War emerged.

Defeating him would activate the Gate of War, allowing access to the second stage of the Divine-Demonic Trial—the true test, the Divine-Demonic Battlefield

War God Ares slowly opened his eyes, his cold voice echoing across the battlefield.

“Mortals, hear my roar!”

A terrifying aura burst forth. In this moment, he was war incarnate.

With a towering frame, three heads, and six arms, each hand wielding a divine weapon, his presence was utterly overwhelming.

[War God Ares]

– Danger Level: Boss

– Type: God Manifestation

– Level: 45

– Abilities: War Summon, Strength Empowerment, War Precognition…

– Description: In ancient legends, the War God was the guardian of all warriors. His power was unmatched—cruel and merciless, yet also the embodiment of courage and strength. Wherever there was war in any world or civilization, Ares would bear witness to the battlefield…

Before Ares, over a thousand prodigies had gathered, their expressions solemn.

Unlike the War Phantasms, War God Ares was a true deity-level being, on par with the divine entities in the Divine-Demonic Battlefield.

Yun Tianlu and Lu You arrived at the scene, just as Lu You’s face changed dramatically.

“Yin Yingxin!” Yun Tianlu followed his gaze and saw her—an enchanting yet chilling gaze staring at him mockingly.

It was her, Yin Yingxin, their greatest enemy. Both Yun Tianlu and Lu You tensed up. But there was no avoiding this confrontation.

Since they were both participating in the Divine-Demonic Trial, they were bound to cross paths eventually.

That said, Yin Yingxin was unlikely to make a move here. After all, Yun Tianlu was now a student of Daxi Academy.

As powerful as the Yin Clan was, they wouldn’t dare openly kill a student from Daxi Academy—it would spark direct conflict between the two forces.

But what truly unsettled Yun Tianlu was the man standing beside Yin Yingxin—Qin Xian.

Just looking at Qin Xian sent a chill down his spine, a primal instinct warning of imminent danger.

Yin Yingxin’s lips curled into an eerie smile, “He really came.”

Qin Xian noticed her expression and asked casually, “What is it?”

Yin Yingxin smirked. “Nothing much. Just an insignificant insect from before… Though it seems he’s grown faster than I expected.”

“Oh?” Qin Xian hadn’t paid much attention before, but now he was intrigued.

This sounded an awful lot like a Child of Destiny.

Yin Yingxin chuckled. “A fairly talented one. I originally wanted to turn him into one of my puppets, but he slipped away. Later, he joined Daxi Academy, making him harder to deal with.”

She gestured toward a certain direction. “If I recall correctly, his name is Yun Tianlu, future heir to Kangshan City’s ruling family.”

Following her gaze, Qin Xian spotted Yun Tianlu and Lu You. And at that very moment, a system notification echoed in his mind.

[Villain System Activated: Stage 7 Main Mission Unlocked]

– Mission: Eliminate the threat of Yun Tianlu.

– Reward: +400 Villain Points.

A Child of Destiny.

Qin Xian’s smile deepened.

So it was indeed another Child of Fate.

He glanced at Yun Tianlu—a student from Daxi Academy?

That identity might make the Yin Clan hesitate but to him, it meant nothing. He had already massacred over twenty prodigies from Jixia Academy without hesitation.

Even when Jixia Academy personally investigated the matter, they couldn’t do a thing to him.

What was Daxi Academy compared to that? The academy might be a dominant force in Longxi Province, but within the Empire, it was nothing.

Qin Xian sneered and then—he attacked.

Golden divine runes shimmered across his armor, while his holy sword radiated an unbearable brilliance. Thunder rumbled in the heavens.

As his blade fell, dark clouds converged, beams of holy light piercing through the sky, gathering at his sword’s tip.

A colossal slash of divine light extended across the land, roaring toward Yun Tianlu.

[Oracle Retribution]

This divine ability was bestowed upon him by the gods. And now, with his nearly 4000 strength points, the power of his attack easily surpassed a million damage—enhanced further by multiple divine effects.

For Yun Tianlu and Lu You, this was judgment from the heavens.

Their faces twisted in shock and despair as they felt the unstoppable might descending upon them.

They wanted to run, but beneath their feet, the entire battlefield spanning a thousand miles was engulfed in holy light.

There was nowhere to escape.

Why?!

Yun Tianlu’s mind screamed in confusion.

He had no grievances with Qin Xian. If anyone wanted him dead, it should have been Yin Yingxin, not Qin Xian!

But he had no time for answers.

“AHHHH!!!” Yun Tianlu roared in desperation, his last life-saving artifact activating.

A glowing scroll unfurled, forming a massive shield before him, covered in intricate divine runes.

[Runic Divine Shield]

– Summons an indestructible barrier with 150,000 HP.

– Reduces all incoming damage by 50%.

– Each hit restores 20,000 HP to the shield.

But the next instant—the shield shattered. The divine runes crumbled, and the shield collapsed.

Yun Tianlu gritted his teeth, pushing himself to endure. His body buckled under the crushing force, blood pouring down as he was forced to his knees.

Even so, the divine sword continued to fall. Behind him, Lu You’s pupils dilated, turning into swirling black vortexes.

Then, he smiled, “Yun Tianlu… The rest of the road… is up to you now.”

His body dissolved into a cloud of black mist, radiating an eerie power.

Yun Tianlu’s eyes widened in horror, “No—no! Don’t!”

Within the black mist, Lu You’s face appeared one last time, giving him a final, parting smile.

The next moment, time froze. The mist engulfed Yun Tianlu, swallowing his figure whole and in an instant—he vanished.

Lu You’s body fell from the air, turning to stone before crumbling to dust.

[Sacrifice]

– The user offers their own life to the Abyss.

– In exchange, they may teleport a chosen target to a random location.

Qin Xian watched the scene unfold, furrowing his brows slightly before relaxing again.

A Child of Destiny escaping with some kind of plot armor?

Not surprising but it didn’t matter Kangshan City still existed. If Yun Tianlu didn’t show himself, Qin Xian could simply slaughter the city’s million residents and force him out.

In the crowd, Zhou Nan trembled slightly.

The sheer power Qin Xian had just displayed—it was overwhelming. One flick of his finger could obliterate him.

But then, a thought struck Zhou Nan.

Why was Qin Xian after Yun Tianlu? If he could find Yun Tianlu’s whereabouts…Or better yet—if he could capture him and deliver him to Qin Xian…

Wouldn’t that be a chance to gain Qin Xian’s trust?