Chapter 485 483: Alliance Countries

"Where are you looking?" Lin Xuan asked with a placid smile, leaving them utterly stunned and horrified.

As the golden light faded, the Lin Xuan before them vanished. The young man then saw Lin Xuan standing behind him, completely unharmed. Forget serious injuries—not even the hem of his robe was touched.

"A devouring power? Not bad, but you have to actually hit me for it to count..." The Yulan Sacred Fire on Lin Xuan's arm flickered, and a frigid aura instantly enveloped the young man, making him tremble as a terror born from the depths of his soul surged forth.

"I... I'll give you the Token! I surrender!" the young man stammered, hastily pulling the Token from his robes. He could already feel the touch of death from the eerie blue flame. But before he could toss the Token away, Lin Xuan's fist shot out, its speed breaking all limits.

With a thunderous boom, the young man was sent flying! While still in the air, he visibly froze solid into an ice sculpture, which then shattered with a loud CRACK, raining down as countless shards of ice.

Another shower of ice fell before the onlookers, leaving them speechless, their legs trembling uncontrollably. 'They're both at the Spirit Pill Stage Cultivation, so how can the difference in power be this huge?!'

"I gave him a chance," Lin Xuan said, his gaze sweeping over the area. The onlookers broke out in a cold sweat. One by one, they took out their Tokens and chose to teleport away. They had no other option.

Handing over the Token meant they'd lost anyway, and they couldn't hope to keep it, so teleporting was their only way out. Even though they hadn't made it to the next stage of the competition, at least they could keep their lives.

Back in their own Empires, their talent was considered quite outstanding. If they survived, becoming an Empire's Protector was a fine prospect. Their future patronage might be in question now, but staying here was a dead end. Why force it?

"Here's a Token for you. If you want to make it into the top fifty, you'll have to rely on yourself from here on out." Lin Xuan tossed one of the Tokens to Zi Yanqian. He was only giving him one; he had no intention of splitting the rest equally.

His good relationship with the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was thanks to Zi Yi acting as a bridge. He didn't feel any particular obligation to anyone else. Giving Zi Yanqian one Token was generous enough. If he wanted more, he'd have to earn them himself. Splitting everything would be a major loss.

"Of course!" Zi Yanqian caught it and said gratefully, "Thank you for your help, Brother Lin. I know I have to rely on myself to break into the top fifty. But I'm also self-aware; I'm afraid I won't be able to make it. So, I'll just give any Tokens I manage to acquire to you, Brother Lin. I hope it can help you, even if it's just a little."

Zi Yanqian was quite self-aware. He wasn't the overly arrogant type; even if he were, he would only act that way back at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. He couldn't afford to be arrogant here. Geniuses were everywhere. Out of the five opponents from before, at least one or two were stronger than him. He had no grounds for arrogance.

Therefore, he figured he might as well use this opportunity to curry favor. By handing over any future Tokens he acquired, he could earn some goodwill from Lin Xuan. Why not? He couldn't make it into the top fifty anyway, so it was better to just give them to Lin Xuan.

"Alright, that works," Lin Xuan said, not bothering with pleasantries. He turned his gaze toward the forest. 'This Empire War is truly ruthless. I wonder how many people will be eliminated for the sake of these rewards?'

The initial rule was to eliminate at least half the contestants. Now, it seemed the number of survivors would be even lower. Of course, he didn't know exactly how many people were on this battlefield, but he was sure the number was significant.

"Friends from the Soaring Dragon Empire? We're from the Wind Spirit Empire, your allies! I am Zhang Cheng." Four people walked over as Zhang Cheng spoke excitedly. "We just watched your battle. Brother, your strength is astonishing! If you're willing, could we team up? It would be much safer for all of us."

"Allies?" Lin Xuan had noticed them watching from a distance earlier. Since they hadn't approached, he had ignored them. From what he'd been told, the Wind Spirit Empire was indeed an ally.

'But this alliance doesn't mean we're bosom buddies. They shouldn't backstab me, at least... but there are no guarantees.' The so-called Alliance Countries were all under the jurisdiction of the Bu Family, who forbade infighting. If anyone was caught, the punishment would be severe!

'Still, there are loopholes. You could just take someone's Token and trade it with another person. A simple enough method. Besides, the Bu Family's Patrol Envoys aren't here. As long as you destroy the evidence and the body, who would ever know?'

"No need. You can manage on your own," Lin Xuan refused flatly. His reasoning was simple: the more people in his group, the harder it would be to gather Tokens. He was aiming for the top fifty, and a larger group would only slow him down.

He was no saint, especially not with strangers. 'So what if we're from Alliance Countries? Does that mean they won't stab me in the back?'

"Brother, you won't even consider it?" The man's expression turned ugly. To be rejected so quickly... it was clear Lin Xuan didn't think much of them at all.

"There's nothing to consider." Lin Xuan turned to Zi Yanqian. "Let's go." He couldn't be bothered with them; staying here was just a waste of time.

But as soon as Lin Xuan turned, a vicious glint flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes. His fist morphed into a rigid palm, and he silently thrust it toward Lin Xuan's back. The attack was completely soundless. He emitted no aura, his presence entirely concealed.

CRACK!

A sharp, crisp sound echoed—the sound of breaking bone. Zhang Cheng let out a blood-curdling scream and staggered back, clutching his hand, which was now drenched in a cold sweat. His entire hand was grotesquely bent.

They were shocked to see that a patch of hard Dragon Scales had materialized on Lin Xuan's back, coated in a thin layer of Martial Intent. The sheer rebound force had shattered Zhang Cheng's hand!

"So this is an 'Alliance Country'?" Lin Xuan turned around and sneered. "Not a bad sneak attack. I'd guess you all moonlight as assassins. But I saw it coming a mile away! Since you've decided to treat me this way, don't blame me for what comes next!"

Zi Yanqian was only just processing what had happened. It had been so silent; if not for Zhang Cheng's scream, he wouldn't have even known they were being attacked. A cold sweat broke out on his brow. 'If that had been aimed at me,' he thought, 'I'd have been run through.'

"Y-You can't kill us! We're from an Alliance Country! If you kill us, the Bu Family will—" Zhang Cheng shrieked in terror.

BOOM!

Lin Xuan mercilessly threw a punch, turning Zhang Cheng into a shower of ice shards—the exact same fate as his previous opponents. The sight terrified the others. He killed without hesitation, without a shred of mercy!

"Alliance Countries?" Lin Xuan sneered. "Since you dared to try, you must pay the price! Just as I thought. The alliance is a pile of shit. In an environment driven by personal gain, it's completely unreliable!"

So much for the alliance. This was the perfect example of its worth—a great irony. They were driven by self-interest. They were strangers, after all; an alliance on paper meant nothing.