"Captain," Liu Si Dianqing waved off Peck’s reaction, "that is not something you need to worry about." With a few claps into the air, four burly, grim-faced, scar-faced middle-aged warriors strode into the room.

Peck frowned deeply, realizing that he had no memory of these four warriors belonging to his own band of marauders. Given his current mental state, he would never forget seeing them once. As Peck pondered, two more warriors entered, carrying a heavy wooden dummy between them. The dummy was clad in a thick set of metal armor. The four warriors simultaneously drew hard crossbows that gleamed with metallic luster from behind their backs—their fingers rapidly depressing the triggers!

In an instant, Peck shuddered violently. Goosebumps the size of millet seeds erupted across his skin, and the gray hairs on his head stood straight up, making him recoil like a startled wildcat.

In that fleeting moment of recoil, the wooden dummy in the center of the room was struck by a barrage of sound, like a torrential downpour.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bright metal armor and the sturdy wooden figure, which just a second before looked quite imposing, were now riddled with half-foot-long crossbow bolts, making the entire assembly resemble a giant porcupine. A faint glint flashed off several icy metal bolts as they suddenly detonated!

Clang! ... Clang! ...

The floor was littered with debris; the wooden dummy and the armor had been blasted into dozens of useless fragments. The four warriors smoothly stowed their crossbows behind them, their movements lightning-fast, as if they had nothing to do with the devastation.

"Hss..."

"My stars above."

In the wake of that instantaneous, furious assault, every marauder present sucked in a sharp breath. Peck’s eyes, still deep in thought, flickered frequently with a mix of excitement and astonishment.

Through countless life-or-death struggles, Peck possessed ample confidence in his own strength, yet the attack delivered in that single instant by these four men had shaken him profoundly.

These four warriors had not unleashed their full strength; he couldn't ascertain exactly how powerful they were. But at the very least, they were at the peak state of Demon-Subduing Warriors. Peck was unable, for the moment, to gauge their true capability.

Just now, the four warriors simultaneously used their crossbows to turn an armored wooden dummy into a porcupine, culminating in the detonation of two magical artifacts that utterly destroyed the target. If this kind of attack were used in a sneak assault... Peck thought he might very well be shot dead without even realizing it.

The penetration power of those bolts was simply too terrifying; even metal armor could not withstand their impact. How could the flesh of a warrior possibly resist them?

"What formidable crossbows..."

Peck nodded slightly, gazing at Liu Si Dianqing with a hint of apprehension. To think that, as Captain, he had been unaware of such weapons...

"Captain, these are the Star Repeating Crossbows I just purchased at great expense from the Dwarves," Liu Si Dianqing shrugged. "Among the Demon, Barbarian, and Human races, only these four Star Repeating Crossbows exist. I secured them through old connections with the Dwarven clan. At close range, in a surprise attack, they are more powerful than Demon-Slaying Warriors, capable of easily killing Demon-Exterminating Warriors!"

Peck’s eyes held a glimmer of relief as he nodded gently. This strategist was a sensible man; he wouldn't conceal things from him.

Liu Si Dianqing clapped his hands again. Two more members of the Demon race entered from outside the room!

These two demons were exceptionally broad and powerfully built; even their black warrior uniforms could not conceal their explosive musculature. Their faces held faint expressions of arrogance and pride.

"Captain, these two are members of the Demon Clan’s Dark Division." Liu Si Dianqing stood up with a beaming smile and bowed to the two demons. "They are both top-tier members, four-star in the Dark Division. Judging by our standards, they are both at the peak of Demon-Exterminating Warriors, capable of advancing to the next realm at any moment."

Many of the marauders immediately suppressed their initial displeasure at the newcomers' arrogance. Peak Golden Soul Martial Artists! And they hailed from the Dark Division, responsible for handling the private affairs of the Demon Royalty, reputed to possess the greatest combat power!

Peck, too, smoothed away his initial displeasure regarding the arrogance of the two demons, lifting his head with a faint, polite smile.

Sensing Peck’s attitude, the two demons snorted with cold dissatisfaction through their nostrils. Peck’s expression immediately darkened. Peak Golden Soul, so what? He was in the same tier! Moreover, among ordinary warriors of the Golden Soul level, none could defeat him—not even the demons! He was the strongest among all common warriors in the Golden Soul realm!

"Captain." Liu Si Dianqing bowed again while introducing the two demons. "They are not only peak Golden Soul, but they are also Bloodline Martial Artists who have awakened the power of the Chimera bloodline. The taller one is Ti Feng Tengyun, and the slightly shorter one is Ti Feng Ruili."

"What!"

"Is that true?"

"Chimera bloodline power?"

"The Chimera bloodline, comparable to the Hydra bloodline?"

"My stars above!" The marauder leaders could no longer sit still this time, rising up in surprise to scrutinize the two increasingly smug-looking demons.

Chimera Bloodline Martial Artists! One of the Ten Great Bloodline Martial Artists of the Demon race! The Hydra bloodline warriors, who had fought generationally against the Zhence Dynasty, often found themselves at a disadvantage in combat, yet they possessed incredible tenacity, making them nearly impossible to truly defeat.

The Chimera Bloodline Martial Artists were a lineage of glorious prestige within the Demon race, but a terrifying nightmare for the Zhence Dynasty! The number of human warriors slain by this bloodline could not be counted... When comparing those at the peak of Golden Soul, bloodline warriors were inherently stronger than ordinary ones! When comparing those at the peak of Golden Soul, a martial artist of one of the Ten Great Bloodlines would certainly possess far greater power than many other bloodline warriors.

The two Chimera Bloodline Martial Artists were thoroughly satisfied with the reaction of the crowd—this was the feeling they craved!

Peck once again observed the two Dark Division martial artists carefully. He noted that these two young martial artists were indeed extremely powerful. Although he could not discern their true strength, they possessed an aura about them—a nearly emotionless aura of death, so chilling it made one’s heart grow cold just by looking at them.

This was the caliber of martial artists trained by the Dark Division! Even when both were at the peak of Golden Soul, the outcome of a real fight would be entirely different.

Peck had seen young bloodline warriors with the Golden Soul level before. While their strength might not be inferior to these two demons, in an actual engagement? Peck suspected that the Dark Division martial artists could secure victory in just a brief moment; they exuded a scent of death, like the grim reapers rumored to harvest souls.

Liu Si Dianqing said with a smile, "These two Dark Division martial artists followed my instructions. They searched for and intended to kill Gan Jin a few days ago, so they came here." Peck nodded in understanding. "So that's it. With the addition of these two, killing the Marauder Hunter should be extremely easy..."

"Is that so? The Demon Clan’s Dark Division? I’ve killed members before. I’m quite interested in just how easy you think it will be?" The door to the room suddenly burst open again! All gazes snapped to the young man who had violently kicked the door inward, and the massive Zhanmadao (horse-slashing saber) that made anyone gasp in alarm!

Peck looked suspiciously at the newcomer and the area behind him. The bandit fortress had somehow fallen silent; no one had reacted to the intrusion, and he himself hadn't noticed anyone approaching.

"You are quite correct; I am here to establish dominance! Usually, you kill merchants to show your power and rob them for wealth. Today, I will use your heads to tell the entire Outlands that the Luo Family caravans cannot be touched! Anyone who touches them dies!"

Gan Jin stepped forward, blocking the doorway, his chest puffed out as he unleashed his overwhelming presence, sweeping his gaze across the assembled marauder leaders. He casually swung the Zhanmadao, leaving a streak of brilliant white light in the air that instantly decapitated the nearest marauder leader attempting a sneak attack. Stinking blood jetted high from the severed neck.

"Today, not a single one of you will leave here! I—I am here to kill men and slay demons!"

Thud!

The marauder leader’s corpse struck the ground, the sound echoing the heroic words of Gan Jin like an invisible hammer blow against the morale of the crowd.

One man, one saber blocking the doorway, with flickering firelight and howling winds behind him. Gan Jin’s body subtly radiated an indescribable majesty. The two Dark Division members felt their vision blur—they had only encountered this level of imposing aura once before, on the Crown Prince—the aura of one destined to rule the world!

Gu Yue Jiaying stood silently behind Gan Jin, gripping her Twin Moons. After receiving Gan Jin’s signal a few days prior, she realized upon meeting him that her man had become more mature and spirited than before. As the woman of the household, her duty was to secure his rear.

The slumbering Lion King, Hong Zhelínguān, stood yawning beside Gan Jin, watching with genuine interest as Gan Jin burst through the door with the Zhanmadao. This young man’s growth rate was truly astonishing. In a while longer, perhaps he would genuinely have a chance to catch up to me?

Let’s hope so! Hong Zhelínguān smiled lazily. It had been rare to encounter such an interesting young man lately. Watching his progress had made him feel a little restless himself.

Clang! Clang! Clang! ...

Gan Jin took a step into the room. Peck immediately stood up. The other marauder leaders, seasoned veterans of life and death, also rose alertly, drawing the weapons they carried, fixing their stares on Gan Jin, who walked slowly toward the center of the room, and Hong Zhelínguān, who stood by with a lazy, smiling silence.

"You are Gan Jin?" The Chimera Bloodline Martial Artist, Ti Feng Tengyun, was the first to truly react, displaying the highest level of ability among everyone present in the room.

Although he had never seen Gan Jin before, Ti Feng Tengyun’s amber-gold eyes instantly identified the newcomer. Two sharp, golden horns on Ti Feng Tengyun's forehead twitched subtly, revealing the Demon race’s most prominent feature.

"I am."

Gan Jin surveyed the group. "The leaders of the Peck Marauder Band are all present, and even two Demon Chimera Bloodline Martial Artists? This is excellent! I was just wondering if killing you all would be enough to truly shock the Outlands. Having the Dark Division demons here assisting makes things even better than I could have hoped."

Gan Jin advanced step by step toward the center of the room. The shattered wooden fragments beneath his feet instantly turned to dust, swirling around his boots, making him look like a true God of Slaughter descending upon them.