Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

The impact of the wanted posters for gods and demons is like a pebble thrown into water, with ripples spreading continuously.

In the first few days, there were noticeably more hostile gazes around the Rock Tribe, including some lone ferocious beasts or small tribes of gods and demons who had been blinded by the generous bounty and overconfident in their strength. They were trying to challenge Lin Xuan's authority and test the depths of this newly formed "forbidden zone".

However, without exception, these testers became living targets for Lin Xuan to verify his newly comprehended "Great Dao of Power" and "Dao of Nirvana," while their essence and fragments of laws became resources to nourish the projection and feed back into the original body.

After several clean and swift, almost overwhelming kills, the greedy and restless gazes quickly subsided, and the area around the Rock Tribe temporarily returned to a state of calm.

Lin Xuan knew this was merely a lull before the storm. The Lei Ze Clan would not let it go easily; an even greater storm was brewing. And he, too, needed more power to deal with the impending wrath, which might come from the true innate god-demon himself.

During this delicate period of equilibrium, a fluctuation, completely different from all the previous auras, appeared at the edge of the Rock Tribe's divine sense perception.

This surge of energy was profound, desolate, and filled with a boundless, vital force that seemed to merge with the earth and mountains, as well as an ancient, indomitable will to fight against nature. It did not creep in silently, but rather approached slowly in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant, with a clear intention to communicate.

Lin Xuan's divine sense instantly locked onto the newcomer.

Those were three giants.

They were all over five zhang tall, like moving small mountains. Their skin was bronze, and their muscles were bulging like the roots of an old tree, full of explosive power.

They were clad in simple yet heavy animal hides, their bodies painted with intricate totems using a savage pigment, and they held enormous, seemingly crude stone axes or bone clubs that contained terrifying power.

The leading giant appeared to be quite old, his face etched with deep wrinkles, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, gleaming with keen light. His aura was the most powerful, reaching a level comparable to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm; his blood and energy blazed like a furnace, scorching the surrounding air. The two younger giants behind him also possessed the strength of the early-stage Nascent Soul realm.

They walked upon the earth, each step steady and powerful, as if connected to the very blood of the land beneath their feet. Lin Xuan had seen records of the race they represented in scattered fragments of information from the Ancient Wilderness Realm—

The Witch Clan!

Another ancient race, who believed in power and used their physical bodies to sweep across the heavens and earth, competing with innate gods and demons for living space, once had a glorious history. Although they are now suppressed, they have never surrendered and are scattered throughout the ancient wilderness, struggling to survive!

The Witch Clan and the gods and demons who rely on laws and bloodline talents are sworn enemies, and their blood debts have long permeated the history of the Desolate Ancient Realm.

The three shamans stopped a hundred miles from the Rock Tribe. The elder shaman, leading the group, raised his head, his voice booming like a bell, carrying a strange, ancient rhythm that pierced through the void and directly entered Lin Xuan's divine sense, echoing throughout the entire Rock Tribe:

"I am Shan, the War Shaman of the Houtu Tribe!" "By order of the tribe's High Priest, I have come to pay homage to the Xuantian Divine Lord to discuss... the matter of an alliance!"

His voice was booming, carrying honesty and strength, without the slightest concealment.

An alliance?

This word startled the tense and vigilant members of the Rock Tribe below. The old priest Cang looked even more surprised and doubtful. The power and pride of the Witch Clan were also known in the legends of the lower-level tribes. Why would they take the initiative to come and seek an alliance with the Xuan Tian God?

Lin Xuan's projected avatar manifested from the altar, his gaze calmly fixed on the three witch giants a hundred miles away. He could sense the sincerity in their words, and the hint hidden beneath their formidable exteriors... an urgent need for powerful assistance.

"allow."

A single word, like a divine decree. The invisible barrier surrounding the tribe quietly opened a portal in the area in front of the witch clan's envoy.

A hint of solemnity flashed in Zhan Wushan's eyes. The opponent's effortless spatial control and masterful control of power raised his opinion of this "Mysterious Heavenly God Venerable" even higher. He led two tribesmen, his steps heavy, through the gate, to the altar in the center of the tribe.

Experiencing it up close, the three battle-hardened Wu Clan experts were deeply awestruck by the aura emanating from Lin Xuan's projection—a projection that contained the supreme Daoist essence of the Nine-Turn Golden Core and the true meaning of the Dao of Annihilation and Power. This was no ordinary technique; the essence of its power seemed to be different from any system they knew, carrying a transcendent "Dao" flavor.

Zhan Wushan abandoned all arrogance, and following ancient etiquette, clenched his right fist and struck it heavily on his left chest, near his heart, producing a dull, drum-like sound. He then bowed slightly.

"The Houtu tribe fought at Wushan, and paid homage to the Xuantian God!"

The two young witches behind him also bowed at the same time.

"No need for formalities," Lin Xuan said calmly. "Let's discuss the alliance."

Shan Zhi stood up, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Xuan: "Your Majesty speaks frankly, so I will speak plainly as well. Your Majesty's slaying of Lei Yi and your defiant resistance against the Leize Clan's wanted notice have already spread throughout the surrounding territories. Our Wu Clan and the gods and demons are sworn enemies, and the Leize Clan is one of the main culprits who oppress our tribe. The power and courage Your Majesty has displayed have earned the admiration of my Houtu tribe!"

He paused, his tone turning grave: "However, the Leize Clan will never give up so easily. Their next attack will likely be a devastating force, possibly even mobilizing other gods and demons. The God-Emperor is powerful, but he cannot withstand it alone. My Houtu tribe is willing to form an alliance with the God-Emperor to jointly fight against the Leize Clan and its minions!"

"This alliance is not just empty talk," Lin Xuan said, his tone unchanged. "What price can your clan pay? And what do you wish to gain from me?"

He knew all too well that in this cruel world, there are no allies without a reason, only alliances based on interests.

Shan was clearly prepared, and said in a deep voice, "My Wu Clan can provide: 1. Detailed intelligence about the Lei Ze Clan and its vassal forces; 2. Sharing resource information about some hidden areas of the Ancient Wilderness Realm; 3. Sending troops to assist when the territory of the God Venerable is attacked; 4. Some ancient combat techniques passed down in my clan regarding the tempering of blood and the application of power!"

These are all tangible resources, especially intelligence and ancient combat techniques, which are of great value to Lin Xuan.

"And what our clan desires," Shan's gaze burned even more fervently, "is that the Divine Lord grant some of our clan's younger members the privilege of receiving protection here, and... to observe and learn the Great Dao aura passed down by the Divine Lord! Furthermore, in the war against gods and demons, may they fight alongside the Divine Lord, supporting each other!"

What they coveted was the relatively safe area around Lin Xuan, enveloped by his power, as a backup base. More importantly, they sought to uncover the Great Dao, so different from this world, that seemed to point directly to the source of power! This held a fatal attraction for the Witch Clan, who specialized in physical strength and power.

Lin Xuan remained silent for a moment. The Wu Clan's conditions were very practical: they provided intelligence, resources, and limited military support in exchange for a safe zone and the opportunity to contact different Dao systems. This was not dependence, but rather a relatively equal cooperation.

"Alright." Lin Xuan finally nodded. "However, those who enter this place must abide by my order. Anyone with disloyal intentions will be killed without mercy."

"This is only natural!" A look of joy appeared on Shan's face, and he pounded his chest and bowed again. "The alliance is complete!"

As he finished speaking, a faint yet solid causal connection was established between Lin Xuan and the distant Houtu tribe.

"To show our sincerity," Shan took out a bone fragment from his robes, crafted from the bone of an unknown beast, covered with densely packed ancient shamanic script. "This is a simplified map compiled by my clan, detailing the defensive arrangements of the Thunder Swamp Mountains and the distribution of surrounding divine and demonic forces. I offer it to the Divine Lord!"

Lin Xuan scanned the bone fragment with his divine sense and read the information. Although the content was not top-secret, it was quite helpful for him to understand the current enemy situation.

"Good." Lin Xuan accepted this "pledge of allegiance," which was considered a formal acceptance of this alliance.

He looked at the three powerful and imposing witch giants before him, a hint of consideration flashing in his deep eyes.

The addition of the Wu tribe was like placing an important piece on a chessboard.

This not only means an increase in intelligence and assistance, but also signifies that he is no longer fighting alone in this desolate ancient realm, and has begun to have true allies.