Then let them offer their loyalty!

Rumor has it that the reason the two of them have such a deep conflict is mainly because of inheritance rights.

However... anyone who knows the racial characteristics of the "Tree Spirit" knows that this reason is utterly absurd.

The reason is simple: the tree spirit race has an incredibly long lifespan. Some can live to be several hundred years old. And since catastrophic creatures can extend their lifespan even further, no one knows how long a powerful tree spirit can live.

Furthermore, although the age of the "Tree Ancestor" is unknown, judging from his condition, he is clearly still in his prime.

In this situation, the two sons of the "Tree Ancestor" truly exemplify the saying, "How could there be a prince who reigns for a thousand years?"

Therefore, it's simply impossible for them to fight each other over inheritance rights.

What's even stranger is that... even after the two brothers had a falling out, the younger brother, "Shuxia," would still go to his older brother's house whenever he felt like it.

However, every time they went there, the two would continue to argue and even get into a physical fight.

This strange behavior has led many to speculate that "Shuxia" is deliberately causing trouble for her brother.

But now it seems more like... he was coveting his sister-in-law.

That's why... even after falling out with her brother, she still went to his house. And then... her sister-in-law could watch whenever she wanted. And they argued whenever they felt like it.

The only problem is... after all that fighting between the two brothers, it seems like their sister-in-law has ended up in Qiu Tu's hands?

Thinking of this, Jin Ni suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He wasn't interested in women, but he knew that throughout history, too many heroes had fallen victim to them.

Women can indeed influence a man's judgment and rationality.

Moreover, now that the "Tree Ancestor" has just fallen and the Empress's husband is dead, "Tree Summer" has arrived alongside "Apocalypse." This is clearly not a good omen...

At that moment, just as Jin Ni was thinking this...

The crown of fortune finally slowly approached the golden lion and the white-robed figure. "Apocalypse" and "Shuxia" also landed not far from them.

Upon seeing this, Jin Ni snapped out of his daze and quickly went to greet them together with Bai Yi. He then gave a slight bow and greeted them, "President."

The president of "Apocalypse" was a very imposing man. He was tall and well-proportioned. He had a square face and his eyes were like deep, dark hells. Just by looking into his eyes, one could feel the overwhelming sense of oppression.

As the man second only to the God King in the "Western Kingdom," he had every reason to be proud.

As the person who single-handedly developed the "Hidden Mist Society" into the strongest force in the "Western Kingdom," he also had boundless confidence.

To some extent, the high-pressure environment within the "Hidden Mist Society" is inseparable from its modus operandi.

Before becoming a god, "Apocalypse" was the king of a kingdom, and his governing philosophy was very simple and direct: high pressure.

Born a monarch, he knew all too well how to manipulate the common people.

His methodology told him that if the treatment of the lower class is reduced while ensuring their basic needs are met, they will become even more loyal.

Resistance does not occur when oppression intensifies; on the contrary, it occurs during the relaxation phase following high pressure.

Therefore, he leeches off the blood of those races that have just suffered a great catastrophe, and he also leeches off the blood of the lower levels of the "Hidden Mist Society".

Only by rising from the bottom to become a middle manager can one enjoy certain special privileges.

Even so, the middle-level members are still just big ants in the "Mist Shadow Society". In order to maintain the ambition of the middle-level members, he will still harvest a batch of middle-level members from time to time, and then force them to continue to improve.

Only when the best among the middle-level members are promoted to the eighth rank, becoming high-level members and the top combat force of the "Mist Shadow Society," will he fully incorporate them into the management team.

Even so, "Apocalypse" deliberately divided its upper echelons into different ranks, such as loyalists and peripherals, and continued to oppress them.

It was through this rigid hierarchy, cruel exploitation, and dictatorship that he successfully transformed the "Mist Shadow Society" into the largest power in the "Western Kingdom."

The twelve eighth-tier gods, supplied by the flesh and blood of the lower classes and resources from various races, were like a galactic warship, dazzling other top forces!

This is precisely why the "Hidden Mist Society" attracted the attention of the "God King".

Back then, the human world was invaded by the "Boundless Heart Sea". The "Mist Hidden Society" wanted to use this same exploitative method to absorb human elites, exploit ordinary humans, and cultivate 5-8 eighth-order gods for them again.

As a result, they were directly punished by the "Western God King," who not only dismantled the territory of the "Mist Shadow Society," but also helped humanity break away from the "Mist Shadow Society" and establish the Second Sanctuary.

The fact that the "God King" personally intervened to deal with them demonstrates the power of "Apocalypse" and "Hidden Mist Society".

It is said that the "God King" is the best among the "Gods". If the one supporting the Second Sanctuary is an ordinary God, "Apocalypse" may directly rebel and kill the God!

......

And so, the four met and greeted each other. Soon, "Apocalypse," surrounded by the white-robed figure and the golden lion, returned to the "Mist Hidden Society's" temporary stronghold.

Upon arriving at the main hall of the fortress, "Apocalypse" took the seat of honor, "Tree Summer" sat in the guest seat, and Bai Yi and Jin Ni stood to the left and right respectively.

Once the four were seated, "Apocalypse" surveyed the group with an air of authority before speaking expressionlessly, "I met Pavilion Master 'Tree Summer' on the road."

He said, "The situation in the Northwest region seems to have changed abruptly. A lot has happened?"

Upon hearing "Apocalypse's" question, Jinni and Baiyi exchanged a glance and then slowly recounted the events of the past few days.

Upon hearing that two previously unknown seventh-tier Cataclysmics had advanced to the eighth tier and then went on a killing spree, not only slaying seven or eight eighth-tier Great Evil Gods but also killing the "Tree Ancestor" of the "Siyuan Pavilion," "Apocalypse" was visibly taken aback.

However, he quickly stopped caring. He placed his hands on the armrests of his chair and said with an air of authority, "The 'Tree Ancestor' is the weakest among the peak eighth-tier cultivators."

"This is because although the 'Tree Spirit' race has a long lifespan, their talents are relatively average."

"For him, the most suitable path would be to stay in one place, live a quiet life, and endure the hardships without vying for any 'divine status.'"

"Therefore, killing the 'Tree Ancestor' is nothing."

After belittling the Tree Ancestor, "Apocalypse" with his square face turned to look at "Tree Summer".

But Shuxia clearly didn't care much about her father's life or death. He seemed a little lost in thought, as if he were pondering something.

At this moment, Jin Ni also roughly guessed Tian Qi's attitude from Tian Qi's words.

So he added with a smile, "The chairman is right."

"Moreover... according to the intelligence we have obtained, Qiu Tu and Zhao Ji turned the tables on their pursuers after successfully advancing to the eighth rank."

"When they advanced to the eighth rank, they must have been in an area under their control. Therefore, the pursuers who were killed by them were also most likely in an area under their control."

"Within the controlled area, the strength of the area lord is enhanced, and will directly reach the peak state of the same level."

"Therefore, it's not surprising that 'Tree Ancestor' crashed."

Although the "Hidden Mist Society" has many informants in the "Northwest Region," they are not human after all.

Jin Ni can deduce what happened by combining the intelligence gathered over the past few days with the changes in the list of participants in the "Trial of the Gods". However, it is difficult to know the specific details.

They were unaware of crucial information, such as the fact that Zhao Ji killed the "Tree Ancestor" in the real world. This led them to successfully mislead "Apocalypse's" thinking.

Sure enough, after listening to Jin Ni's words, Tian Qi nodded slightly and agreed, "If that's the case, then their strength is even less surprising."

After discussing Zhao Ji, "Apocalypse" began to talk about other things. He sat upright in the main seat and said with a majestic expression, "These past few days, I have also toured all four regions."

"Some strange things seem to be happening in the Northeast and Southeast regions."

"Originally, the 'Boundless Sea of ​​the Heart' was supposed to only conquer two worlds in this cataclysm."

"But now it seems as if a third world has quietly connected to us."

"A special kind of 'parasitic organism' took advantage of the situation and invaded the 'Northeast Region' and the 'Southeast Region'."

"The Long-Eared Clan, the Skywing Clan, the Demi-Human Clan, and the Heyuan Beast have suffered heavy losses during this period, with less than one-tenth remaining."

"Only a few elites and high-ranking officials survived."

"According to my prediction, this disaster will likely eventually spread to two areas inhabited by humans, and then further to the 'core area.'"

Upon hearing the word "Apocalypse," the expressions of the white-robed man and the golden lion also turned serious.

Seeing this, "Apocalypse" continued majestically, "However, there's no need to worry for now: these 'parasitic creatures' can only parasitize ordinary beings and low-level Cataclysms."

"It won't have much impact on our rule."

"After all, even if they live off the lower classes, they still have to serve us if they want to survive."

"Moreover... because of this disaster, many forces within the 'Trial of the Gods' have been distracted. This is good news for us."

He said calmly, "Although I don't know how many 'Celestial Ranks' will be awarded in this 'Trial of the Gods,' getting first place on the leaderboard is definitely the safest bet."

"We currently possess the strongest force and the advantage of being the first to act. Once we take control of the Northwest region, we can practically sit back and relax our grip on power."

At this point, he looked at Baiyi and Jinni and said, "So... in a little while, you will call Zhiyan back, and then all three of you will give up the trial, pledge allegiance to me, and gather your combined attributes into me."

Upon hearing "Apocalypse's" words, the man in white remained silent, but Jin Ni quickly reminded him, "President, in that case, your overall ranking is very likely to rise to first place."

"Won't this be too high-profile and make us a target of public criticism?"

Upon hearing Jin Ni's words, "Tianqi" snorted coldly and said majestically, "A king must have a heart that never wavers."

"If you hide your abilities and bide your time for fear of attracting the attention of other 'god candidates,' you'll never become number one!"

"Moreover!" At this point, "Apocalypse" paused, then said in a deep, arrogant voice, "So what if we become the target of everyone's criticism?"

"You must understand. There are differences even among the eight ranks."

"And those below the peak of the eighth rank are nothing but ants!"

"Gods below the peak of the eighth rank cannot even last a single move against me."

"Even at the peak of the eighth rank, the four of us—Shaohua, Kabane, Doris, and I—are completely outmatched by other peak eighth-rank individuals."

"Therefore, as long as it's not Shaohua, Kabane, and Doris, the other peak eighth-tier opponents are no threat to me."

At this point, "Apocalypse" paused, then continued, "Moreover, don't be fooled by their ranking ahead of mine on the list. In reality, the three of us are about the same strength."

"They just have some other advantages."

"Besides, I'm not even afraid of the 'Western God King,' so why would I be afraid of them?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Yi smiled and replied, "What the president said makes sense. Moreover, since we are already prepared to win first place, we should aim to defeat everyone."

"You might find a bargain that gets you into the top 10, but you're unlikely to find number 1."

Upon hearing this, "Apocalypse" nodded in deep agreement, then said, "Since we're aiming for first place, all the 'God Candidates' are enemies. There's no need to harbor any illusions."

After he finished speaking, he seemed to have grasped the hidden meaning in the white-robed man's words.

He looked up, glanced at the man in white, and then asked, "You just said you managed to snag a spot in the top 10?"

"What do you mean?"

Upon hearing this, the man in white seemed taken aback. After a moment, he said, "President, you don't know?"

"After breaking through to the eighth rank, Zhao Ji has entered the top 10 of the 'Trial of the Gods' ranking, currently ranking 9th."

Upon hearing the words of the man in white, "Apocalypse" frowned slightly and asked, "What did you say?"

"Made in the top 10?"

He's been on the road these past few days and clearly hasn't been paying attention to the rankings.

Hearing the white-robed man's reminder, he closed his eyes with a solemn expression and checked the "Trial of the Gods" list.

Sure enough, he found Zehime in the 9th position.

'Ze Ji....' I pondered the name carefully.

"Apocalypse" opened his eyes, a thoughtful look flashing in them.

He looked at the man in white and asked, "You mean... this Zhao Ji, with her early eighth-tier strength, is currently ranked 9th in the 'Trial of the Gods'?"

Upon hearing "Apocalypse's" words, the man in white smiled and nodded, "Yes."

"Apocalypse" frowned even more deeply. He said, "Do you have any video or audio footage of Zhao Ji? Let me see it."

The man in white seemed to have anticipated Apocalypse's request. He reached into his pocket and took out an eyeball-shaped artifact from the Cataclysmic Treasure, which was clearly the "Hundred-Eyed Vision" that Qiu Tu had used before.

Upon obtaining this cataclysmic artifact, "Apocalypse" quickly grasped it with one hand, closed his eyes, and began to examine the video data of Zephyr recorded inside.

As it turned out, it would have been better not to look. Upon seeing it, "Apocalypse's" body froze. If you looked closely, you could even see his hands trembling slightly.

When "Apocalypse" made his domineering declaration that he would win first place in the "Trial of the Gods" and that no hero in the world could compare to him, the white-robed man, the golden lion, and even "Shu Xia" who had been lost in thought just now all turned their attention to him.

Everyone knew Apocalypse's personality, so they didn't care about his arrogance.

After all, "Apocalypse" has every right to be arrogant!

As a result, when "Apocalypse" began to question Zhao Ji in detail, they began to feel that something was wrong: this was not "Apocalypse's" personality.

When "Apocalypse" asked for Zhao Ji's video footage, and his hands trembled as he watched it, question marks began to appear on their minds.

But that wasn't the end of it. After reviewing the intelligence, something even more unexpected happened.

"Apocalypse" opened its eyes, crushed the "Hundred-Eyed Vision" in its hand, and then said with a solemn and authoritative expression, "Withdraw from the 'Northwest Region'."

"Let's abandon the Northwest region immediately and transfer all our personnel to the Southwest region!"