Fox King Cyril eyed Evan Chu suspiciously, clearly unconvinced. "Who exactly are you? Why should I trust you? I won’t gamble the lives of all the beastkin in my Northern Beast King Hall on your word."
Evan Chu knew it would be hard to earn Cyril’s trust, so he just smiled. "My words represent the Western Beast King Hall itself. Even Heaven Ape Tyren has to follow my commands—every single beast in the Western Hall does, too."
Cyril was even more bewildered. Heaven Ape Tyren, following orders from this young man? It sounded impossible. Maybe Evan Chu had used some bizarre trick to control the Western Hall, and that was why he dared to boast so wildly.
Seeing the shock on Cyril’s face, Evan Chu said calmly, "Don’t doubt me. I’m telling the truth. In fact, I’m Heaven Ape Tyren’s master. I believe you know who that is."
Cyril glanced at Evan Chu, then burst out laughing. "Kid, you might fool others, but you’re not going to fool me. I’ve never met Heaven Ape Tyren’s master, but I’ve definitely heard of him."
That guy was a true powerhouse from the ancient era of the Azure Tide Ruins. With your current strength, you’re not even worthy to carry his shoes!
Evan Chu chuckled, "You mean Lord Frostbane, right? That’s me. If you don’t believe it, ask Heaven Ape Tyren yourself. I was forced to reincarnate after being gravely wounded on the Divine Battlefield. Otherwise, do you really think Heaven Ape Tyren would ever take orders from a human? You’re smart, Cyril—you know what choice you should make."
Just then, Heaven Ape Tyren smashed Bear King Bran with his black staff, sending Bran crashing to the ground near Cyril. Seeing Bran’s wounds, Cyril’s heart lurched—he hadn’t expected Heaven Ape Tyren to recover his strength so quickly. If this kept up, Bear King Bran might really be killed.
If Cyril didn’t help Bear King Bran now, he might be next on the chopping block. But if he intervened, the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox—Alex Xiao—might never return to the fox clan, and the foxes would lose their chance to become true beastkin overlords.
Just as Cyril hesitated, Bear King Bran dragged himself up from the ground, roaring, "Cyril! Are you just going to stand there while Heaven Ape Tyren kills me? What are you waiting for? Or do you want to wait until I’m dead before you act? If that happens, you’ll be next!"
Heaven Ape Tyren rushed over, glanced at Cyril, and said, "You'd better think carefully—even if both of you attack me together now, I'm confident I can kill you. This stupid bear barely has any fight left; I could finish him off in just a few moves."
Cyril looked at Bran, then at Heaven Ape Tyren, struggling internally before finally asking Tyren, "What is your relationship with this young man?"
Heaven Ape Tyren didn't understand why Cyril was asking about Evan Chu, so he just smiled and said, "A very good relationship. I'd risk my life for him."
Heaven Ape Tyren's words didn't directly reveal Evan Chu's identity, but their weight was significant. Hearing this, Cyril was startled—he could now be certain Evan Chu was telling the truth.
For a human to make Heaven Ape Tyren risk his life, there could only be one person—his master. But Cyril still didn't know how to choose. If he helped Heaven Ape Tyren, he'd be betraying Bran; if he helped Bran, Alex Xiao might never return to the fox clan.
Finally, he sighed and said to both Tyren and Bran, "For the sake of the fox clan, I won't help either of you. I'll remain neutral. Tyren, I hope you keep your word."
Evan Chu was very satisfied with Cyril's answer—at least Heaven Ape Tyren was no longer in danger, and if Bran was truly killed, the Southern Beast King Hall would fall quickly, letting the Western Hall's power rise fast.
Bran was furious at Cyril's words. "Cyril, you hypocrite! We allied our Southern Hall with you, and now you just watch while I'm in trouble? I treated you as a brother, but I was blind to trust you!"
"You think after I die, your Northern Hall will have it easy? I'm telling you, that's impossible. You should know the saying 'lips die and teeth grow cold.' You'll regret this!"
Bran's words left Cyril speechless. He truly had wronged Bran, but for Alex Xiao to return to the fox clan, he was willing to be a traitor. As long as the fox clan grew strong, even death was worth it.
Cyril looked at Evan Chu—the youth worth Heaven Ape Tyren risking his life for. He hoped to earn Evan's approval.
Evan Chu understood Cyril's meaning and smiled. "Don't worry, Fox King—the Western Hall won't trouble you. We'll formally ally with the Northern Hall, and I'll honor your conditions."
Cyril nodded knowingly. It seemed he'd made the right gamble—he trusted this youth wouldn't break his word.
Bear King Bran could no longer contain his rage. He glared at Evan Chu, growling, "Kid, you’re the real culprit—I’ll kill you!"
Bran lunged at Evan Chu, but Evan wasn’t about to meet him head-on. Grabbing Alex Xiao’s hand, he instantly used Shifting Position, leaving only an afterimage as he dodged to the side.
Bran was already injured and nowhere near as fast as Evan Chu. By the time he struck, Evan had vanished—and Heaven Ape Tyren raised his black staff, smashing Bran from behind.
Bang! The black staff slammed into Bran, sending him flying dozens of meters. The force shattered dozens of trees before he finally crashed to the ground.
Blood spurted from Bran’s mouth—Heaven Ape Tyren’s blow had left him gravely wounded. If Bran had kept his wits, Tyren might not have been able to land the attack.
First, Evan Chu’s taunts had made Bran reckless. Then Cyril’s betrayal made him hate Evan even more. Already badly hurt, he saw Tyren’s attack coming but couldn’t dodge.
Bran struggled to his feet, glaring at Evan Chu and the others. "Even if I die today, I’ll drag you down with me. Cyril, you’ll regret this!"
Bran’s words made it clear he intended mutual destruction. If a Saint Martial Realm powerhouse self-destructed, everything within hundreds of meters would be reduced to ashes—a truly terrifying technique.
Cyril and Heaven Ape Tyren were both shocked. Tyren immediately shouted to Evan Chu, "Evan, run! He’s about to self-destruct—the blast will kill you instantly!"
Evan Chu was startled by Tyren’s warning and was about to flee when Luna, the Sword Spirit, suddenly spoke: "Evan, the blast may be powerful, but it can’t hurt you if you hide underground."
Self-destruction has a fatal weakness—the attack only affects the surface and has no power underground.
Evan Chu was delighted by Luna’s advice. He immediately called to Alex Xiao, "Xiaoxiao, get on my back—I know how to dodge his self-destruction!"
Alex Xiao flashed with violet light and vanished. Meanwhile, Bran’s body glowed fiercely as Tyren and Cyril both fled at top speed.
Instead of running, Evan Chu moved closer to Bran, gathering dual ice and fire elements in his hand. He unleashed the seventh form of Demon-Breaking Fist, striking Bran directly.
Evan Chu’s move stunned Tyren and Cyril. Before they could react, a world-shattering explosion erupted where Bran and Evan stood—they knew Bran had self-destructed…