Chapter 5: A Conversation with Xing Tian

As Li Mingxing climbed, his disdain for these high-and-mighty figures only grew. The Sword Saint he had encountered previously was just the same; despite Li Mingxing making it clear he had no intention of becoming a subordinate, the man had insisted on putting him through various trials.

He had hoped that with his strength temporarily boosted to the sixth rank, he might avoid such trouble this time. Yet, here stood Xing Tian, acting as if Li Mingxing were begging to serve under him—it was truly exasperating.

The mountain was as slick as jade, and as he climbed, it would periodically assault him with icy gales, snowstorms, and thunderbolts. That would have been one thing, but Xing Tian was a combat-oriented deity—why did he need to use spatial magic? Every time Li Mingxing reached the midway point, a careless step would see him teleported three or four hundred meters back down.

Though this infuriated him, Li Mingxing had no choice but to keep climbing; he had to meet Xing Tian.

Unbeknownst to Li Mingxing, Xing Tian was observing him the entire time. Through the trials, the expert warrior easily spotted the lack of coordination in Li Mingxing’s movements. He hesitated, realizing that Li Mingxing had likely not come to improve his own strength, but for some other purpose. Thus, he waived the final few hurdles and pulled Li Mingxing directly up to the summit.

Once he landed on the peak, Li Mingxing collapsed, unwilling to move a muscle. Xing Tian spoke up: "If you want your body to be better coordinated, you had better stand up immediately."

"It’s no use. I’ll only be using this body for fifteen days at most. Coordination doesn't matter," Li Mingxing said, struggling to his feet.

Seeing this, Xing Tian realized his intentions had been laid bare. He wasn't one for beating around the bush, so he asked directly, "I thought you came here to improve your strength, but it seems you are here on a different mission. What do you need?"

"Cooperation. I need you to work with the faction I represent," Li Mingxing replied.

Upon hearing this, a surge of killing intent erupted from Xing Tian, pinning Li Mingxing to the spot. "Work with your faction? Were you sent by Apollo?"

"Apollo? I don’t know what you’re talking about." Li Mingxing was bewildered by the sudden shift in demeanor.

"Don't think that just because I stay here, I don't know what's going on! If Apollo wants to unify this world, he’ll have to prove his worth. Joining some 'League of Gods' as his underling? Not a chance!" Xing Tian roared.

"Wait, are you saying Apollo is planning to establish a League of Gods to unify and manage this world?" Li Mingxing pushed forward, staring at Xing Tian.

"Don't play dumb. Forget it. For the sake of us coming from the same place, I’ll let you leave. Don't appear before me again." Xing Tian waved his hand, dismissing him.

Alarmed by this news, Li Mingxing shouted, "Wait! If Apollo is doing that, he must be my enemy. I am from the East; even if I were looking for allies, I would look to Easterners, not Westerners."

"Your enemy?" Xing Tian lowered his hand.

Li Mingxing took the opportunity to explain the situation between the Light Alliance and the Dark Alliance, emphasizing the Light Alliance's desire to control the world.

"If that’s the case, I’m inclined to believe you. If I were part of the Light Alliance, I’d naturally seek out deities like the Sun God first, just as the Dark Alliance would seek out their own. Is it because I am a dark deity that you came to me?"

Li Mingxing smiled, knowing he was halfway there. "Of course not. I came because of your courage. What I am doing is effectively opposing every other god in this world. A deity without courage would never agree to this."

"Fair point. Without real capability, one couldn't possibly be a match for those gods," Xing Tian conceded.

"Things are simpler now. If Apollo has already started moving, he must be offering benefits to win gods over. His territory is limited, so if he wants to satisfy other gods, he'll have to abandon some. I suspect he can only manage to recruit five deities at most."

"Are you suggesting I contact the remaining four to oppose them?" Xing Tian asked.

"No, I just need you to help when they move against the others," Li Mingxing explained. "Those gods have already been burned by Apollo; if we approach them as an alliance, they might resent our interference. It’s better if we intervene ourselves and share the spoils later. It would be an alliance in everything but name."

"And you, kid? You don't expect me to help you for free, do you?"

"Of course not. But I am merely a lobbyist; my word doesn't hold the final say—the Dark Alliance behind me does."

"Kid, don't pretend I don't know. I can sense the power of the sun within your soul. That’s why I suspected you were sent by Apollo. Now that I see you aren't, tell me: who is the sun god behind you?"

Li Mingxing was momentarily stunned, but he quickly realized: Xing Tian’s former master was the Flame Emperor. Though known as Shennong, some legends identified him as a sun god. It made sense that he could detect the presence of another sun god. After weighing his options, Li Mingxing told him about the Temple of Di Jun.

After hearing this, Xing Tian tapped his head. "Kid, how many more temples can you build?"

"Three large ones and nine medium ones," Li Mingxing replied instantly.

"That means you have space for three more. How about this: do you want to build a Temple of the War God?" Xing Tian grinned. If he had a head, he would have looked like a merchant who had just landed a great deal.

"I’d love to, but there are so many who could claim that title—Chi You, you, or even figures like Xiang Yu or Lu Bu from certain eras."

"You brat, haven't you heard of 'first come, first served'? How about me? Make my statue big. I’ve been stuck here for ages with no one to fight."

Li Mingxing was taken aback. In ancient Chinese lore, while Xing Tian might not have been the strongest of the four, he was certainly the most resilient—the only one who dared to fight the Heavenly Emperor to the death. Having such a War God in his city would be a boon, but he worried about the other three. Xiang Yu and Lu Bu might be agreeable, but Chi You? Would he accept Xing Tian as the primary deity?

Seeing his hesitation, Xing Tian patted his shoulder heavily. "I know what you're worried about. Don't worry. If you recruit other War Gods later, I’ll spar with them. If I lose, I’ll gladly cede the position of main deity."

With that, Li Mingxing had no further objections. He agreed, planning to return and have the Red-Crested Goose-men build the temple for Xing Tian.

Once the agreement was sealed, Xing Tian leaned in and whispered, "Since I’m now your guardian deity—and with Chi You potentially joining later—can you promise me one thing?"

"What is it?" Li Mingxing asked, curious.

"It’s nothing major. Just promise you won't let that fellow, the Yellow Emperor, become your guardian deity."

Li Mingxing understood immediately. Xing Tian had served the Flame Emperor, who had been pushed south by the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor had even been the one to take Xing Tian's head. It was only natural that he would harbor such hatred.

Li Mingxing agreed without hesitation. To him, the Yellow Emperor was just another deity, or perhaps a decent king, and with Di Jun already in his corner, he didn't care for adding another ruler.

"Excellent," Xing Tian said, patting his shoulder again. "If I ever fight the Yellow Emperor, I’ll be sure to call on you."

Li Mingxing was left speechless. He thought to himself, *If you need me to help you fight the Yellow Emperor, you’re probably already on your last legs.* But he dared not say it aloud, instead steering the conversation back to Apollo and the conflicts of this world.