"Meow~ River Valley City is our territory, the Cat Ear Tribe's land, an autonomous region of the Cat Ear Tribe within the Empire. We do not welcome cults!"
A cat-eared girl in white martial arts attire said.
"The True God Cult is not a cult; its history has merely been distorted!"
"And we have no hostile intentions. We are only here to find something. Once we have it, we will leave. We don't want to cause trouble!"
"After all, the ancestors of the Cat Ear Tribe had a period of sweetness with the True God Cult, having once assisted them in resisting the invasion of powerful enemies."
"We are unwilling to act against former comrades."
Tang Xueyao said slowly.
"Let the past be the past. Besides, it’s been hundreds of years; who remembers?"
"All I know now is that the True God Cult is a declining cult, and the city and land behind me belong to the Cat Ear Tribe. We will not allow you to set foot here!"
The cat-eared girl in white martial arts attire said sternly.
"Wait, little sister, don't be so hasty!"
"You mentioned you were looking for something. What is it you seek?!"
"We don't wish for a battle either. As long as you get what you want, you can leave!"
The cat-eared girl in black clothes asked with a gentle voice.
"Sister!"
The white cat-eared girl stomped her feet anxiously.
This was a great opportunity to display her strength before her tribesmen and the Imperial soldiers. Why did her sister have to appear so weak, further causing the Imperial nobles to look down on the Cat Ear Tribe?!
Although the Cat Ear Tribe had continued since ancient times, they had always been unrecognized by mainstream society, especially the nobility.
Many cat-eared individuals had even become maids for nobles, bought and sold like commodities.
Of course, this was also related to the fact that no powerful figures had emerged from the Cat Ear Tribe in over a hundred years.
The twin sisters currently present were the strongest in terms of strength and talent among the remaining Cat Ear Tribe members.
They were only 18 years old but had already reached the third level of the Hua Ling Realm.
With time, reaching the Feng Hou Realm, or even the King Realm, was within reach.
Upon entering the Feng Hou Realm, one was considered a powerful figure, commanding the respect of all nations, and being granted nobility was a common occurrence.
Therefore, the Cat Ear Tribe was desperate for the emergence of a powerful individual to establish prestige and change their inferior social status.
"You don't understand, don't speak!"
The elder sister gently squeezed her younger sister's slender waist.
She wasn't afraid of Zhang Chen and Tang Xueyao.
Instead, she was worried about the Imperial soldiers behind them.
Although these soldiers and their commander were nominally assisting in the defense, they were actually there to secretly monitor.
If they easily revealed their strength like this,
And if anyone in the Empire did not wish for the Cat Ear Tribe to rise, they would definitely send people to eliminate the sisters.
There were many in the Empire capable of killing Hua Ling Realm experts. Before they were fully established, they absolutely could not reveal their trump cards easily.
"We want a pink crystal, and nothing else!"
Tang Xueyao replied respectfully.
"Pink crystal? Could it be..."
Upon hearing this, the younger sister's expression turned cold.
The elder sister's expression was also displeased.
"The pink crystal you speak of is the eye of our Cat Ear Tribe's totem. The totem is the most sacred existence for our tribe."
"It's like your relationship with your True God. Would you agree if someone wanted to carve out the eyes of your True God's statue?!"
The elder sister was clearly more composed, speaking calmly and logically, making it difficult to refute.
"This..."
Tang Xueyao hesitated.
How should she answer? The True God was right beside her; even if she wanted to say yes, she couldn't!
"I would agree!"
Zhang Chen replied with a calm smile. "After all, a statue is lifeless, but a person is alive. It's merely a decoration; why not?"
"But by giving up these two items, which are of little use to you, you can gain a powerful ally. Isn't that worthwhile?!"
"A powerful ally? Just the two of you?!" the younger sister said dismissively.
"Little sister, show respect to guests!"
The elder sister pinched her sister's slender waist again, then, with a smile, slowly said:
"May I ask for your name, sir?"
"My name is Zhang Chen!"
Zhang Chen replied truthfully.
"Zhang..."
The elder sister only uttered one word before she seemed struck by lightning, standing frozen, her mouth agape, too astonished to speak for a long time.
"I recall the True God worshipped by the True God Cult is named Zhang Chen. You share the same name?!"
The younger sister asked carelessly.
"It's not just the same name; I am Zhang Chen!"
Zhang Chen said with a smile.
"You are Zhang Chen? What proof do you have?"
The younger sister asked with crossed arms, her expression full of doubt.
"Then allow me to provide some proof!"
As soon as Zhang Chen finished speaking,
A powerful energy was instantly released from his body.
The unparalleled energy generated a strong pressure, as if gravity and the air itself were affected.
The twin cat-eared girls possessed considerable strength, and coupled with Zhang Chen's current weakened state, the energy released was limited. This allowed them to barely maintain their footing, but they were still trembling. If they hadn't supported each other, they might have fallen by now.
However, the soldiers on the city wall did not possess such strength. They were all lying on the ground, utterly unable to move.
This situation lasted for only a few seconds.
Zhang Chen retracted his energy once more.
On the surface, he appeared calm, but in reality, he had expended a great deal of stamina.
However, this display had a chilling effect. The twin cat-eared girls turned ashen, while the soldiers on the wall, though exhausted and immobile, would have long since abandoned the city and fled if they could.
"How about it? Is that enough proof?!"
Zhang Chen asked with a smile.
"Y-yes... it is. But... regarding the totem, we must consult our oracle. Only he has the authority to decide..."
The elder sister spoke truthfully.
As soon as she finished speaking, a figure suddenly appeared behind the two sisters.
It was a middle-aged cat-eared woman, appearing to be in her early thirties, still possessing a captivating charm. Every step she took was filled with allure.
"True God above, I, Oracle Milar, on behalf of the entire Cat Ear Tribe, surrender to you... Please forgive the ignorant offense of these two children..."
Milar said, kneeling gracefully on the ground. Simultaneously, she forcefully pushed the two sisters down to the ground as well.
Then, she took out two pink crystals, each about the size of a thumbnail, and presented them to Zhang Chen with both hands.
"I forgive you!"
Zhang Chen nodded.
Tang Xueyao immediately took the crystals.
In an instant, the crystals' power flowed into Tang Xueyao's body again, circulating within before flowing into Zhang Chen's.
The current spiritual body was bound to Tang Xueyao, and Zhang Chen's new body was too weak, so he relied on Tang Xueyao's body as a medium to absorb the crystals' energy.
"Thank you, True God, praise the True God!"
"To express the loyalty of the Cat Ear Tribe and to apologize for our recent ignorant offense, we hope the True God will take these two under his care!"
"Also..."
The oracle glanced towards the city wall.
Immediately, hundreds of Cat Ear Tribe warriors emerged, brandishing their weapons and charging at the Imperial soldiers, who had temporarily lost their ability to move...