“Is it finally over?”
Monkey Commander leaped down from a tree branch, stretched lazily, and looked through the black mist toward the nearby Fallen Hegemony Continent.
“Better finish the business early so I can go back to sleep.”
In his heart, he didn’t actually want to be a Commander.
The reason was simple—it was too much trouble.
Now, with the Dragon Commander’s awakening, the border forces were beginning to integrate, and various trivial matters were cropping up one after another.
When he first arrived at the border, his only thought was to attach himself to the strongest power there and then comfortably lie low.
Relying on his decent strength, he resolutely joined the ranks of the previous Monkey Commander.
But who would have expected that the previous Monkey Commander would just up and die!
Furthermore, it was baffling that despite having so many trusted aides available, he had passed his position to the one person who craved comfort and lacked ambition.
Before dying, he had repeatedly urged that if the Dragon Commander woke up, he must let him take charge, and so on and so forth.
And so, he was driven like a duck onto a perch, forced to take on this thankless job, and he had been doing it for fifty-two whole years…
“Sigh…”
He couldn’t help but heave a heavy sigh; it was truly a long story.
As for that subordinate continent, it didn’t look like a bad place to settle down.
After all, whether they were “criminals” or “foreign races,” there was no essential difference to the Nine Tribes.
He wondered if the leader of that foreign race was easy to talk to; it would be even better if they could understand human speech.
To be honest, he hadn’t thought about using force at all; fighting and killing were just too annoying.
However, just as his mind was wandering, a sudden, intense sense of crisis surged in his heart.
Almost as an instinctive reaction, without a word, Monkey Commander’s body instantly became as ethereal and transparent as a phantom.
While successfully avoiding the enemy’s sneak attack, he quickly pulled back to a safe distance.
It was a young man radiating a monstrous demonic aura, looking like a demon walking out of a dark abyss.
His cold gaze swept the surroundings, carrying a heart-palpitating pressure.
“A Ghost?”
He snorted coldly, his words full of disdain.
He didn’t seem to care about this identity, or rather, he didn’t hold it in his eyes at all.
At this moment, Monkey Commander’s eyes were filled with shock.
As a member of the Ghost Race, his perception of auras and his own surroundings was extremely keen.
From just the opponent’s single move, he immediately judged the other’s strength—a newly ascended Legendary rank!
According to what the Dragon Commander had said before, the highest realm the rulers of this subordinate continent could reach was the Legendary rank.
And now, the young man before him had clearly surpassed that limit.
But the Dragon Commander said this was the upper limit they would need a year to reach; how many days has it been?
But right then, one, two, three… a total of six figures appeared one after another! These people came from various different races, but without exception, they were all Legendary-rank experts!
How could a mere subordinate continent suddenly produce so many Legendary figures?
This was completely beyond Monkey Commander’s understanding.
He couldn’t help but start to wonder if this place had already been conquered by the three races of the Fallen Continent, and they were specifically waiting here for him.
But he had clearly seen the intact barrier just now; how could that be explained?
While Monkey Commander was lost in thought, Qi Lin wasn’t going to give him much time to ponder.
In fact, the wait just now was only to allow the other clones to arrive and gather.
At this moment, the real battle had just begun…
In the next second, the seven of them attacked Monkey Commander simultaneously, and he was instantly alarmed.
What kind of joke was this, one against seven of the same rank?
“Wait, I have no ill will! I came here just to make friends with you all!” he explained hurriedly.
But Qi Lin couldn’t be bothered to listen to his nonsense, because they all knew what Monkey Commander would say next.
Furthermore, their goal from the beginning was his identity as a Commander.
“Dammit, can’t you guys understand human speech?”
Seeing that communication was hopeless, Monkey Commander could only quickly transform into a spirit body, his figure darting through the crowd like a ghost, skillfully avoiding attack after attack.
“Are you all a bunch of mutes?”
His greatest fear had come true: the opponents he encountered were not only stronger than him but also completely impossible to communicate with.
“What exactly do you want? Power? Wealth? As long as you speak up, everything is negotiable…”
Qi Lin turned a deaf ear to his words, and his offensive grew even more ferocious.
“This continent is far beyond your imagination, and you foreign races are nothing more than arrogant, narrow-minded frogs at the bottom of a well. Killing me will bring you no benefit!”
Monkey Commander still hadn’t given up, still bitterly trying to persuade them.
However, at this point, he seemed to be gradually losing his patience, and his tone became increasingly agitated.
“You sure talk a lot of damn nonsense.”
At this point, the hot-tempered Werewolf clone couldn’t help but speak up.
At the same time, he glanced at the Ghost clone nearby.
“Is your Ghost Race always this afraid of death?”
“What do you mean ‘our Ghost Race’?” he immediately retorted.
Damn, so they can talk.
Monkey Commander cursed inwardly.
Also, why did these seven people feel both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time?
As time passed minute by minute, the battle became increasingly intense.
Monkey Commander’s spirit body became more and more blurred and illusory, as if it would dissipate at any moment.
This undoubtedly indicated that his injuries were worsening. But surprisingly, from beginning to end, he had never taken off the mask on his face, let alone used his full strength.
Qi Lin couldn’t help but feel suspicious: Could it be that, like the Dog Commander, he also had a hidden killing move?
Because of this, several people, including Qi Lin, were secretly accumulating power, waiting for that perfect moment to deal a fatal blow to the enemy.
After all, Monkey Commander’s own strength was indeed greater than the Dog Commander’s.
Although both were at the same rank, there was a world of difference between the initial stage and the peak state.
However, at this very moment, Monkey Commander, who was struggling to figure out the reason, still couldn’t understand why the other party would suddenly attack him.
He had come this time with the intention of negotiating; how did he end up in this situation?
Not only that, these people seemed quite familiar with this place… wait!
A flash of inspiration struck Monkey Commander’s mind, and he seemed to suddenly realize.
They didn’t covet power, had no interest in amassing wealth, and didn’t even care about intelligence, so… could what they wanted be him?
Thinking carefully, if one compared his own status and position to that of a subordinate leader, which side was more important to the Dragon Commander?
The answer was obvious—naturally, the latter.
In that case, Dragon Commander and the others would not only not avenge him, but would likely use his identity to win over and bribe the other party.
To be able to become a Commander and hold the position for over fifty years, he was the longest-serving Commander besides the Dragon, Tiger, and Pig trio.
If he didn’t have a brain, he would have died long ago.
At this moment, he had an epiphany.
Although he didn’t know why a leader of a subordinate continent that had just had its seal lifted would know about the situation inside the border.
But they were foreign races to begin with; who could say for sure?
With a flash, Monkey Commander pulled back to a distance, his body solidified, and his arm began to reach for the mask on his face.
Seeing this, Qi Lin and the others also began to gather their strength.
He was seen taking off the mask and throwing it directly in front of the Demon clone, which left the seven of them stunned for a moment.
Beneath the mask was a handsome, young face, appearing to be only in his youth, though his complexion was pale and looked somewhat feminine.
“The mask is the symbol of a Commander. Take it, and you will be the new Monkey Commander. I will be responsible for helping to introduce you.”
He said flatly, and without waiting for the others to react, he continued to add,
“I am willing to join you. As you have seen, I am of the Ghost Race, from the Fallen Continent. I understand the situation there better than you do. It’s better to have one more friend than one more enemy.”
These people acted decisively.
He had seen it all today; if he proposed to hand over his Commander identity and let him leave, they probably wouldn’t let it rest.
So the best way was to join them and become one of them.
Qi Lin was slightly stunned, secretly surprised in his heart.
He didn’t expect this guy to be so clever.
As the saying goes, “He who understands the times is a wise man.”
At this moment, he truly did need someone witty like this to assist him.
Whether facing the border forces or the Fallen Continent, these were areas he did not yet understand.
“Fine. You are a smart man,” Qi Lin said with a cold expression.
Hearing this, the stone hanging in Monkey Commander’s heart finally fell to the ground.
This was the first sentence the other party had spoken since the fight began, and he had indeed guessed correctly; their true goal was to seize the identity of the Commander.
Compared to this, he was currently in an environment where the various border forces were constantly in conflict and fighting their own battles; he had long lost any attachment to this massive force.
After all, at the moment of life and death, what could be more important than saving one’s life?
Therefore, discarding his identity held no psychological burden for him.
“My name is… Xiusi. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
He paused slightly before speaking slowly.
After all, this name had not been used for a long time, so much so that he had almost forgotten his original name.
“Qi Lin,” Qi Lin responded concisely.
Monkey Commander—no, it should be said the previous Monkey Commander, Xiusi—thus joined the side of the Fallen Hegemony Continent as a matter of course, and took the initiative to introduce Qi Lin’s Demon clone to become the new Monkey Commander.
The one responsible for these matters was the Tiger Commander.
To him, this was simply an easy task, something he could do with his eyes closed.
However, what exceeded his expectations was that the leader of a subordinate continent was actually willing to act as a Commander and actively join their ranks.
Overall, no matter what intentions the other party harbored, this was undoubtedly good news.
As for those Commanders who gave up their positions before dying, their response strategy was also to treat it with indifference.
Whether these people chose to leave or stay put had nothing to do with them.
The reason was that they knew the Nine Tribes would never again take in such sinners.
If this precedent were set, the crime rate within the tribes would surely soar.
Those criminals driven to desperation would not sit still and wait for the army to come and arrest them; instead, they would eagerly flock to the border to seek a chance at life.
In that case, it would inevitably push the border forces to continue expanding.
True, it was currently an extraordinary time with the Dragon Commander’s awakening, and the atmosphere in the border region was also extremely tense.
In fact, every single Commander was under the Tiger Commander’s close surveillance.
If during this special period they dared to barge into the continent without receiving orders, only death awaited them.
—
On the other side, within the Border Royal City.
Tiger Commander relayed this information to the Dragon Commander.
Upon hearing it, the other party remained silent, showing no information or concern, just an indifferent expression.
Meanwhile, the Pig Commander beside them was thinking; the Sheep Commander had just talked to her about this issue, and immediately after, the Monkey Commander and Dog Commander were killed.
It was hard not to be suspicious of the connection between the two, but upon careful thought, she felt it was a coincidence.
Setting aside the fact that the subordinate continent had always been closed off, just the fact that they had reached the Legendary rank made it so that, as the first native creatures they encountered after the seal was lifted and being of the same rank, these foreign races indeed had no intention of negotiating.
Even the Sheep Commander had negotiated only on the basis of having a fight with the other party.
Of course, that was because she won; otherwise, the outcome would not have changed.
Furthermore, the Sheep Commander was of the Angel Race.
This race tended to emphasize faith and absolute strength; they would subdue weaker races for their own use, but they would never engage in political schemes.
So the possibility of the Sheep Commander being a spy could basically be ruled out.
Moreover, after spending time together, let alone Pig Commander herself, even Dragon Commander had personally said: Sheep Commander is different from ordinary angels.
Thinking about it this way, her ability to win at the same rank relied entirely on racial advantage.
After all, her opponent was just a human, and had also nearly killed her, which is probably why she asked that question.
“When shall we summon them to the Border Royal City for a meeting?”
Pig Commander suggested.
Tiger Commander took the initiative to respond, “Dragon Commander’s identity cannot be exposed to them. I will be responsible.”
“Mm, I’ll leave it to you. I still need some time to recover to my peak,” Dragon Commander said calmly.
“Take your rest. I can suppress them on my own.”
Having broken through, Tiger Commander’s strength was now at the same level as Dragon Commander’s.
This was also the main reason they dared to assemble again to counterattack the continent.
“Only the human subordinate continent is not ours yet. Should we replace them?”
Pig Commander said coldly.
Dragon Commander shook his head, “No matter. These foreign races are all proud. What difference is there for us between ‘cooperation’ and ‘submission’?”
“But in their eyes, this is an attitude from us; only then will they focus on helping us. Don’t forget, the ones eyeing the subordinate continents most deeply are those Mundane and Sacred races.”
True, what if the other party surrendered on the surface but secretly sided with the three major races of the Mundane Continent?
The three races joining forces was already enough to suppress them, not to mention when that time truly came, how could those cunning humans possibly send their own troops?
Their forces would surely contact other continents.
“Mm, it is better to avoid unnecessary trouble as much as possible.”