He was a thin and somewhat frail-looking man, with a fair complexion. He didn’t look like a martial artist but rather almost scholarly. If he wore a scholar’s band and held a white fan in his hand, he would look even more like one.

That was the first impression that Xia Chen gave Long Chen. Long Chen could sense his aura and knew that he was definitely a Soul Transformation expert. However, the fluctuations of his spiritual yuan were very weak, so weak that Long Chen found it unimaginable. They were even weaker than a Foundation Forging expert.

“Are you surprised?” In a private room, Xia Chen faced Long Chen with a slight smile.

“I really am a bit. No wonder you were unwilling to reveal yourself until now,” said Long Chen.

“It’s not that I was unwilling, but that I didn’t dare. I’m very afraid of dying.” Xia Chen smiled bitterly.

A formation cultivator didn’t necessarily have a good life. They could only move within the protection of their own formations. If they left their formations, they would be like plucked hedgehogs. They would lose all ability to resist.

It was a rare profession in the cultivation world. They had both amazing powers as well as fatal weaknesses.

Long Chen knew that Xia Chen couldn’t reveal himself easily, as that was exposing himself to danger. Even the weakest of Empyreans would be able to easily slay him.

“I’ve never had a chance to thank you. However, I also don’t like such formality, so if you have any difficulties, just tell me,” said Long Chen.

Whether it was the barrier in the Grand Xia or the formation diagram he had gifted to the Xuantian Dao Sect, those were huge favors. A single word of thanks was unable to make up for it.

“Brother Long, you’re as direct as the rumors said. Yes, I came to ask if you have any of the devil cores of the Empyrean Winged Blood Devils that had reached the Life Star level,” Xia Chen also spoke directly upon seeing Long Chen was so straightforward.

“I do.”

“How many?”

Long Chen thought for a moment. “I’m not too sure on the exact number, but it should be over one hundred thousand!”

It was Liu Ruyan who had cleaned up the battlefield. Long Chen didn’t know how many devil cores she had gathered, but he knew how many of the Empyrean Winged Blood Devils he had slain.

Those Empyrean Winged Blood Devils had been extremely strong, and their devil cores were priceless treasures. Even the devil cores belonging to those at the Soul Transformation level had managed to survive the touch of the black water, so the ones belonging to the Life Star level should be even harder to destroy and must have mostly survived.

“Over a hundred thousand?!” Xia Chen gasped upon hearing that number. He then bitterly smiled. “No wonder your Dragonblood Legion is so powerful, the number one legion on the Martial Heaven Continent. This kind of money-making ability is unrivaled.”

The value of the devil cores from Soul Transformation level Heavenly Winged Blood Devils was extremely high, while the devil cores from those at the Life Star level were absolute treasures. The total price of the devil cores in Long Chen’s hands was not lower than the reward Qu Jianying had given them.

“You came for the Life Star level devil cores?” asked Long Chen.

Xia Chen smiled with a touch of embarrassment, but he thickened his face and nodded.

“Alright, then I’ll call someone over to get them all for you.” The devil cores might be treasures, but they weren’t valuable when compared to lives.

Back in the Grand Han, if it hadn’t been for Xia Chen’s barrier, it was unknown how many Dragonblood warriors would have died. So if Xia Chen needed the devil cores, Long Chen would give them all to him without hesitation. He immediately called for someone.

“Wait a moment!” Xia Chen hastily waved his hand.

“What is it?”

Xia Chen was conflicted. He sighed, “In truth, I shouldn’t have come to the Xuantian Dao Sect.”

“Why is that?” asked Long Chen curiously.

“I’ve long since heard about your magnanimity and grandness that gives you the charisma to win over others. I didn’t want to see you because I didn't want to be won over as well. I made all kinds of preparations before coming, but I didn’t expect to fall into your trap with just a word from you,” said Xia Chen.

Long Chen couldn’t help but smile. He understood what Xia Chen meant. “I’m not such a good person, but I know how to repay favors. If someone helps me, I’ll remember them. Didn’t you also help me because I helped your Grand Xia? Money is just a worldly possession, and compared to the lives of my brothers, these devil cores are worthless. Of course, if you were to join the Dragonblood Legion, we would all be brothers, and we would welcome you with open arms. If you would rather continue being a lone operator without any constraints, I won’t force you either. We would still be friends and brothers. However, I feel like the Dragonblood Legion suits you very well. If you were to join, your weakness would be made up for by others. By joining a group, you would become a real expert.”

Xia Chen bitterly smiled. “Sorry, I rather like being alone.”

“That’s fine. Even if we aren’t together, we can still cooperate. There will still be chances to fight alongside each other in the future.” Long Chen didn’t mind Xia Chen’s refusal. Top experts always liked to be solitary. They were used to it, and it was very difficult for them to join a group. This was just their habit, and they felt a revulsion toward groups.

Just as the two of them were speaking, Guo Ran came into the room, holding a spatial ring in his hand.

“Let me introduce you two. This is Guo Ran, one of my brothers,” said Long Chen.

“I’ve long since heard the great name of the Golden Armor Warrior. You even managed to leave your name on the Devil Slaughter Rankings this time. Congratulations.” Xia Chen cupped his hands toward Guo Ran.

“Wait, the Golden Armor Warrior? I actually have such an amazing nickname? I didn’t even know! Brother, no, big bro, my dearest brother, do you know any other stories about me? Please, let me hear them! Here, I’ll pour some water right now…” Guo Ran immediately forgot everything else after hearing this nickname.

“Stop messing around and give the spatial ring to Xia Chen,” said Long Chen.

“Xia Chen? You’re Xia Chen?” Guo Ran jumped.

Long Chen took the spatial ring from Guo Ran’s hand and gave it to Xia Chen. “All the Life Star level Empyrean Winged Blood Devils’ devil cores are in here.”

Xia Chen received the spatial ring. After that, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “You win. I wish to join the Dragonblood Legion.”

Xia Chen was a generation’s genius and the heir of the grand Spirit Immortal Formation Sect. However, he had been completely won over by Long Chen’s methods.

The reason he had refused to join the Dragonblood Legion before had just been a test. However, even though he had refused to join, Long Chen had still given him all these priceless devil cores. That had won Xia Chen over.

“Hahaha… fool, you’ve fallen for it!” Guo Ran suddenly laughed.

From outside the door, Gu Yang, Li Qi, Song Mingyuan, and Yue Zifeng walked in. They cupped their fists to Xia Chen. “Congratulations on joining the Dragonblood Legion.”

After greeting Xia Chen, they unwillingly bowed toward Guo Ran and said, “Boss Guo Ran.”

“What are you fellows up to?” demanded Long Chen.

Xia Chen was startled and suddenly looked at the spatial ring in his hand. Only now did he look inside it to see that there were no devil cores inside. Instead, there was just a piece of paper.

That paper had a single line of ugly writing on it: Congratulations on joining the Dragonblood Legion. Starting today, we’re all brothers, so don’t take offense from this little joke.

“Hahaha, wasn’t I right? What hero could possibly resist boss’s charisma? Those who can resist aren’t heroes. You didn’t believe me when I said this, but look now! Your boss Guo Ran’s prophecy has come true!” Guo Ran laughed, extremely pleased with himself.

It seemed that they had already received word that Xia Chen had come. Guo Ran had prophesied that Xia Chen wouldn’t be able to run away after coming. He would definitely join the Dragonblood Legion.

Gu Yang and the others had felt that Xia Chen joining them would be very difficult. After all, he had always been a solitary figure. Even if he could become friends with Long Chen, it wasn’t likely that he would join the Dragonblood Legion. As a result, they had made a bet, and Guo Ran had won.

Xia Chen’s expression was odd while Long Chen was speechless. He scolded, “Guo Ran, this joke of yours is a bit too much.”

“It’s not too much at all. Big brother Xia Chen definitely won’t get angry, right?” Guo Ran laughed and nudged Xia Chen. “Let me tell you, joining the Dragonblood Legion is definitely the best decision of your life. With your divine formations and my forging arts, plus boss’s wealth, we can accomplish anything!”

“You want to merge my formations with your forging?” Xia Chen’s eyes suddenly began to shine.

“Exactly. Adding your formations onto my concealed weapons and then adding my concealed weapons into your formations… That kind of power…” Guo Ran involuntarily gulped. His fervent expression was very frightening.

“I haven’t thought of that. If we could merge your explosives into my formations, their power would multiply. However, I haven’t managed to merge my formations with martial weapons. I don’t know if it will work, but we can try it.” Xia Chen was also excited.

This kind of thinking was absolutely wild. It was practically a fantasy. However, Guo Ran felt that it was possible, and the two of them clicked instantly.

“There’s no time to lose. Let’s start testing right now!” Guo Ran was a fanatic when it came to testing new things like this. He didn’t even want to waste a second.

“Don’t. We have to have a celebration for Xia Chen first,” said Gu Yang.

“There’s no need for a celebration. I feel like some of Guo Ran’s ideas might really work, and I also want to test them out. Sometimes inspiration is fleeting, so we can’t wait.”

No one had expected Xia Chen to also be such a fanatic. He and Guo Ran were birds of a feather, and they vanished like a puff of smoke.

Long Chen and the others looked at each other. This ending was so sudden that they didn’t quite know how to react. Guo Ran and Xia Chen had actually hit it off so easily.

“I feel like with those two fellows together, they’ll be able to create some extraordinary unique things.” Gu Yang looked in the direction the two of them had left. The others nodded profoundly.

With Guo Ran’s crazy ideas, he could come up with anything. Adding formations into the mix, who knew what he would make?