Want to break away and go solo How can that be allowed

Chen Yi was well aware that Black Earth (Hu Fangyuan) wouldn’t be so easy to defeat!

After all, he was once one of the supreme Yuanzuns of the Divine Realm. Though now greatly diminished, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse—there was no way he’d be taken down in just two moves, right?

So, this bastard’s deliberate opening had to be a trap!

Sure enough, the sly old fox had something up his sleeve!

The moment Chen Yi closed in, Hu Fangyuan unleashed a divine killing technique he’d been brewing all along!

"Wait—you actually know the Five-Finger Fist-Heart Sword?!"

Chen Yi was stunned, shocked by this divine killing move!

Using the five fingers as "Soul-Locking Stakes," the fist’s center as a "Soul-Refining Furnace," and condensing one’s own "Primordial Spirit Will" into a sword, it struck directly at the enemy’s origin consciousness sea!

Such a technique had no physical form, was nearly impossible to guard against, and specialized in shattering primordial spirit wills!

If Chen Yi’s true self were here, this feeble attack would’ve been like a playful tickle, unable to even breach the will barrier around his origin consciousness sea—utterly futile!

But this was just a five-star avatar!

Within its origin consciousness sea, there was no primordial spirit, only a wisp of lingering will!

And Hu Fangyuan, once a supreme Yuanzun, possessed a primordial spirit of extraordinary refinement. Even now, weakened as he was, his will could still suppress Chen Yi’s!

Defense was impossible—he could only endure!

The next moment—

Buzz!

The five-star avatar visibly staggered, its eyes briefly glazing over before snapping back to focus.

Chen Yi swiftly retreated to a safe distance, his lips twitching as he spat, "Black Earth, you old schemer, again!"

But Hu Fangyuan simply shrugged. "No more. I concede."

Others might not understand, but he knew full well—that Five-Finger Fist-Heart Sword had severed the will lingering in Chen Yi’s avatar!

Yet it was pointless. Chen Yi, ever the rule-breaker, not only refused to admit defeat but seamlessly reconnected another wisp of will like it was nothing!

How was that fair?

After finally taking out one of his avatar’s "lives," the guy could instantly revive!

What kind of game was this?!

If death wasn’t acknowledged, was it even a defeat?

Victory was impossible!

Better to just surrender.

No shame in that—Chen Yi knew who’d truly won.

"You concede? I don’t accept! Again!" Chen Yi pressed, relentless.

True, he’d lost once, but it was a valuable loss—Black Earth had exposed a fatal flaw in his avatar’s design!

That was priceless!

Before, sparring with Ling Xiao or Wuji, they’d used imprints or will projections, playing around without ever uncovering such weaknesses.

But this time, Black Earth had come in person. As a former supreme Yuanzun—akin to a Dao Ancestor, equal to a Celestial Emperor in realm (just lacking the invincibility of a Dao Fruit)—he’d instantly seen through the avatar’s limits. A single probing strike, and boom—flaw exposed!

This was... perfect!

Losing wasn’t scary; not knowing why you lost was. Only by refining his avatar through brutal trial could Chen Yi achieve true invincibility!

But now, after winning once, this old fox wanted to quit?

Concede?

That was a slap in the face!

Chen Yi had to reclaim his pride!

He had to milk this opportunity dry!

He had to crush Black Earth completely!

With these three imperatives burning in his mind, Chen Yi made an offer.

"Relax, I won’t make you fight for free. Win against me once, and I’ll purify a Great Luo from your Divine Realm who’s fallen to corruption. Deal?"

Hu Fangyuan’s eyes gleamed, though he feigned hesitation. "Chen Yi, while I’m tempted... even if I exhaust all my trump cards, beating you seems impossible. Like just now—I gave my all and still couldn’t win. What then?"

"Just say you want a higher stake!" Chen Yi cut through the act.

"Heh..." Hu Fangyuan chuckled awkwardly. "Great Luos are fine, but they’re too bound by the Celestial Realm’s restrictions. How about a hundred Golden Immortals instead? That’d speed up reassembling the Heavenly Dao Key!"

"Not that your help in searching for the key isn’t appreciated—allies should aid each other, and I’m grateful. But you know how it is—even the closest allies are still outsiders to the Heavenly Dao Key. It naturally resists them."

"Perhaps only our native beings can earn its recognition, speeding up the reassembly. No need to trouble you further..."

"Besides, isn’t Ye Wuchen collaborating with Xie Buruo? He’ll be too busy to hunt for the key now, right?"

"So... what do you say?"

As Hu Fangyuan rambled, Chen Yi read between the lines—was this guy trying to cut him out?

Unacceptable!

Weren’t they the closest of allies?!

And now he wanted to hog all the merit of reassembling the Heavenly Dao and saving countless Divine Realm lives?

How selfish!

"Fine, I agree. But I have a condition too," Chen Yi said calmly.

"Which is?" Hu Fangyuan’s heart skipped—this felt ominous.

"Thirty per win. A hundred’s too much," Chen Yi stated.

"So you accept?" Hu Fangyuan narrowed his eyes.

Chen Yi nodded. "One more thing: Under the Celestial Realm’s heavy hand, your people might struggle to move freely. So, as allies, our Ziwei Realm will kindly send a special ops team to help search the ruins for Heavenly Dao Keys. Separate from your efforts. Any objections?"

Still clinging on, greedy little Chen Yi?

Outsiders getting close to our Heavenly Dao Keys?

Dream on!

Hu Fangyuan smirked. "No objections. Having an ally like you is my fortune!"

"One last thing." Chen Yi raised a finger. "Dai Yuanshan and Liu Bi—Ye Wuchen’s nominal disciples—join my team. Any objections?"

Hu Fangyuan didn’t hesitate. "Take them. Want Murong Dugu too?"

What were "Chosen Saviors" before the Heavenly Dao Key?

Tools!

They were replaceable, interchangeable—Hu Fangyuan could appoint anyone, as the former Great Love Yuanzun of the Divine Realm!

"Dai Yuanshan and Liu Bi suffice. Keep Murong Dugu."

Chen Yi knew this too, rejecting the disguised burden.

The brothers mattered far more than Murong Dugu ever could.

The Nine Heavenly Dao Keys of the Divine Realms are scattered across the world, each independent and unconnected. The mysterious Heavenly Dao Key that chose Murong Dugu as the Chosen Savior of Destiny can be influenced by the Black Earth—it reserves the right to replace its chosen one at any moment!

But the Tianxuan·Key of Balance, which selected Dai Yuanshan as the Chosen Savior, is different. After Dai Yuanshan embarked on his journey, it went into hiding. Unless Dai Yuanshan actively summons it, the Key will never reveal itself—let alone consider replacing its chosen one.

Thus, unless Dai Yuanshan perishes, he remains the sole representative of the Tianxuan·Key of Balance. Only by bringing him along can one more easily gain the trust of the other Heavenly Dao Keys!

As things stand now, the Black Earth holds an unknown Heavenly Dao Key behind it, while Chen Yi possesses the Tianxuan·Key of Balance.

One to one—a tie!

Even if the Black Earth eventually finds all eight remaining Heavenly Dao Keys and Chen Yi ends up empty-handed, so long as he holds onto Dai Yuanshan, he retains the right to claim a share of this monumental merit!

"Very well. Since we’ve reached an agreement, dear ally, shall we proceed? A fair warning—this time, I will stop at nothing. I intend to win!"

Hu Fangyuan’s gaze burned with fervor as he stared at Chen Yi.

"Winning once means thirty more—guess I’ll have to get serious too!" Chen Yi cracked his neck and tightened his grip on the halberd.

Fighting without stakes was a waste of effort, and the Black Earth had been half-hearted in its efforts.

But now, with a prize on the line, the Black Earth was fired up—and so was he!