195: You are all my compatriots, you are all my...family.

Su Chen's majestic body, over forty thousand meters tall, slowly began to shrink as his energy converged. No longer appearing as a child, the leap in life essence brought by his advancement to the Awakening Realm allowed his Shapeshifted state to mature accordingly.

Amidst the flowing light, a figure coalesced.

It was a youth of about fourteen, with a tall and straight posture, ink-black hair, eyes as deep as stars in the night sky, and a handsome face. One could vaguely discern the contours of Su Chen from his previous life, but the youthful naiveté had faded, replaced by the resolute and contained sharpness of someone who had experienced life and death.

He floated in mid-air, his aura harmonious and restrained. If he didn't deliberately release it, he would appear almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person.

His gaze slowly swept across the battlefield below, over Lei Zhen, Chen Feng, and all the surviving Shenxia Warriors.

Every one of them bore wounds, their armor shattered, covered in blood and grime, yet their eyes still shone brightly, burning with an unyielding flame.

Su Chen's voice rang out, carrying a trace of imperceptible emotion, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"General Lei, everyone... you've worked hard."

"Your mission has been successfully completed. Please... return to Blue Star and rest well."

His gaze once again swept over this hellish scene of mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and scattered wreckage, finally settling on the tired but excited faces. His voice, though soft, carried the weight of a thousand jin:

"Thank you."

This thanks came from the bottom of his heart.

Upon hearing Su Chen's words, all the warriors were first stunned, then genuine, brilliant smiles bloomed on their blood-stained faces. To be able to fight alongside their guardian god, and to receive a word of recognition from him, made all their previous sacrifices and bitter struggles seem worthwhile.

"Hahaha! Your Highness, why are you being so polite with us!"

Lei Zhen strode forward, his power armor severely damaged, yet his spine remained straight, his laughter resounding with heroic spirit.

"Although you and we are not of the same race, in my heart, Old Lei, and in the hearts of all Shenxia sons, you have long been our most steadfast spiritual belief, our compatriots with whom we share life and death! We couldn't ask for more than to do something for Your Highness!"

Su Chen looked at Lei Zhen, and at the unreserved trust and fervor in the eyes of all the surrounding warriors. He gently shook his head, a deep light flashing in his dark eyes, his tone carrying a different meaning:

"Not of the same race? No, in my eyes... you are all my compatriots, all my... family."

These words held a weight that only he himself understood.

Lei Zhen was slightly startled by the words, then his smile became even more hearty, and he nodded heavily: "Hahaha! That's right! That's right! We're already family, bound by bone and sinew!"

He abruptly turned and vigorously waved to the gathering troops, his voice still loud, showing no trace of the tragic heroism from nearly dying with the enemy just moments before:

"Little rascals! Don't just stand there! Clean up the battlefield, bring the dog tags of our fallen brothers, and let's... go home! The next big show is for His Highness Kraken!"

The Divine Summer army began to efficiently and orderly withdraw through the maintained spatial channel.

"General Lei," Su Chen finally transmitted, "Please inform General Qin to completely take over the entire Shadow Kingdom as soon as possible. This matter is crucial to me."

Lei Zhen turned back, grinning to reveal a mouthful of white teeth:

"Your Highness, rest assured! Old Qin and I had already pushed halfway before we stopped because of these beasts. Now it's perfect, we can concentrate our forces and uproot the old nests of those fish-spawn in the Shadow Kingdom!"

After watching the last warrior's figure disappear into the depths of the spatial channel and seeing the channel slowly close, Su Chen slowly turned around.

The gentle expression on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp gaze like a hunter locking onto its prey.

His gaze traversed a great distance, accurately landing on the pale altar that exuded an ancient, majestic aura.

A cold, confident arc formed at the corner of his mouth.

"Next, it's... harvest time!"

Before his words finished, his body stirred, and the air beneath his feet let out a soft, sonic boom-like sound. He had already transformed into a black stream of light, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, as if tearing through space, shooting towards the beast emperor altar!

...beast emperor altar, First Trial Zone.

This was not a simple platform, but a vast space constructed from pale giant bones, seemingly separate from the rest of the world. The sky was a twisted dark red, the land cracked and covered with countless massive beast bone remains, and the air was filled with an ancient, desolate, and murderous aura.

When Su Chen (in human form) stepped into this space, he immediately felt five oppressive gazes, as if substantial, simultaneously focusing on him from different directions!

At the center of this battlefield, five colossal figures, reaching to the heavens, each occupied a position, surging with immense energy, clearly undergoing a deeper level of trial.

They were none other than the Sky-Rending Giant Ape King Yuan Tiangang, the Sea-Overturning Dragon Whale King, the Heaven-Burning Vermilion Bird King, the Thunder Winged Dragon King, and the Abyssal Ghost Eel King!

They had sensed Su Chen's presence almost the instant he entered.

"Hmm?!"

The Heaven-Burning Vermilion Bird King, whose entire body burned with an inextinguishable flame, was the first to let out a surprised cry, its magnificent tail feathers gently fluttering with energy fluctuations. "This little brat... actually wasn't torn to shreds by the beast tide outside?! He got damn lucky!"

Beside it, the Sea-Overturning Dragon Whale King, the most massive of them all, like a moving mountain, let out a dull hum like a deep-sea current. Its huge eyes glanced at Su Chen, with a hint of condescending scrutiny and disdain:

"Heh heh, to survive such a beast tide, perhaps he has some luck and cunning. But this place... is the Beast Emperor's trial ground. Under the rules, only absolute power and bloodline can pass! Those who rely on tricks will eventually reveal their true form and be crushed to dust!"

"Hmph!"

The Thunder Winged Dragon King let out a sharp sneer, lightning crackling around its body, not bothering to hide the contempt and disgust in its words.

"Such a supreme beast emperor inheritance, yet a small worm who slipped in by luck has infiltrated it. It truly sullies the aura of this place for nothing! Does he think that with his mediocre skills, he can also glimpse the power of an emperor? Truly... he doesn't know his place!"

The Abyssal Ghost Eel King, hidden in a shadow, let out a cold hiss, filled with schadenfreude:

"The first trial is to face the combat phantoms left by past Beast Emperors. Although they are phantoms, they contain supreme majesty and power! If not for our profound foundations and all-out efforts, we wouldn't easily pass. In this King's opinion, this little worm... probably won't even be able to withstand the first wave of impact and will be crushed into meat paste instantly!"

And among them, the most intense killing intent, almost solidifying into erupting flames, came from the Sky-Rending Giant Ape King — Yuan Tiangang!