Adonis’s scheme was simple enough: since you are prepared and you have issued warnings, I will simply release some Demon Insects and see if you can maintain your composure then!

As a result, over the next two days, Demon Insects began appearing incessantly at various locations across "Jinsou City," already causing casualties. Nobody knew where these creatures came from; it was as if they materialized out of thin air!

This immediately threw "Jinsou City" into genuine chaos. Ordinary citizens lived in constant dread, and an atmosphere of suffocating tension instantly permeated the entire city.

The royal family of the Autumn Cloud Empire finally became truly alarmed. Although they continuously dispatched more personnel, they still could not control the appearance of the Demon Insects! Misfortunes rarely come singly; soldiers stationed at various strategic points began vanishing under bizarre circumstances, further compounding the already complex situation!

It wasn't just soldiers of the "Autumn Cloud Empire" who disappeared; numerous scions of the "Tilarri Family" also vanished as if evaporated, never to be seen again!

The head of the "Tilarri Family" was not foolish. After a moment’s thought, he suspected with 90% certainty that the "Tornado Mercenary Group" was behind all this. However, even if he were certain, it was useless without evidence, and even with proof, what could he possibly do to the "Tornado Mercenary Group"?

This was a time of national crisis; who had the leisure to deal with the "Tornado Mercenary Group"? Even if they tried, the cost would undoubtedly be staggering, and victory wouldn't even be guaranteed! Could it be that this calamity truly could not be overcome?

As the Demon Insects became more numerous and the personnel guarding them continued to disappear, the Royal Family was forced to issue a mission to eradicate the Demon Insects, offering a reward of two hundred million Diamond Coins!

As the saying goes, great rewards attract devoted followers. A wave of zealous mercenary groups surged forth. However, this enthusiasm did not last long, because every single mercenary group that accepted the mission was annihilated, one after another—even the elite mercenary groups could not escape this fate!

The intelligent ones had already sensed foul play, realizing there was a mastermind manipulating events, and the prime suspect was that "Tornado Mercenary Group" which had only recently arrived. Consequently, many mercenary groups began fleeing this dangerous place. Although they desired the money, they valued their lives far more!

In just a few days, the Mercenary Association had become sparsely populated! However, members of the "Tornado Mercenary Group" were frequently seen coming and going.

They weren't there to accept missions, but to monitor the other mercenary groups. While two hundred million Diamond Coins was a substantial sum, it was still far short of their ultimate goal. They were confident that if the situation continued to escalate, the reward would surely double repeatedly! Now, no other mercenary group dared to compete with them for this mission!

Just as they had predicted, as the Demon Insects poured out of the private forests of the "Tilarri Family" in ever-increasing, uncontrollable numbers, the reward suddenly skyrocketed to one billion Diamond Coins!

Just as the "Tornado Mercenary Group" was basking in their triumph, an unexpected event occurred: a mercenary group, whose origins were unknown, actually accepted the mission! "Commander, we've investigated. That mercenary group is called the ▲Ethereal Mercenary Group… They don’t have many members…" Andrew rushed in, saying excitedly.

After resting for several days, they could finally stretch their muscles again! They wanted to see exactly what capabilities this "Ethereal Mercenary Group" possessed to dare accept a mission at this critical juncture. Were they simply tired of living?!

Inside the private forest.

At this moment, the "Ethereal Mercenary Group," led by several young members of the "Tilarri Family," was slowly advancing. They were heading directly towards the densest concentration of Demon Insects.

Initially, Zhong Shenxiu had no intention of lingering long in this city, planning to move on to other adventures after the revelry, but he hadn't expected the sudden news of Demon Insects appearing here. This piqued his curiosity: could the convergence of the "Five Fiends" be happening prematurely?

Later, Zhong Shenxiu discovered something even more intriguing: the unrest in "Jinsou City" was being orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. Subsequently, the successive annihilation of mercenary groups further intensified Zhong Shenxiu's curiosity.

These destroyed groups shared one common trait: they had all accepted the same mission and were all wiped out by the following day! To uncover the truth, and to earn some operational funds, Zhong Shenxiu resolutely accepted the mission! He wanted to see if anyone would dare try to destroy the "Ethereal Mercenary Group"!

Zhong Shenxiu and his party advanced slowly. On one hand, the guides accompanying them were exceptionally cautious, stopping at every rustle of the wind; on the other hand, Zhong Shenxiu’s group was in no rush and treated the mission more like a wilderness outing!

After walking for about an hour, a sudden change occurred in their surroundings. Countless black pillars materialized out of thin air, completely encircling Zhong Shenxiu’s group. Simultaneously, numerous figures emerged from the dense undergrowth—it was the Tornado Mercenaries! The two formidable mercenary groups had finally met!

Zhong Shenxiu's lips curled slightly as he curiously observed the people before him.

The members of the "Tornado Mercenary Group" were sizing them up in return, one of them wearing a sly, triumphant grin as if a conspiracy had succeeded!

"What's happening? What exactly are these things?" A young scion of the "Tilarri Family" started to reach out and touch one of the black pillars.

"Don't move rashly. This is the 'Black Cage' from dark magic!" Faraday stopped the youth’s reckless action.

"Oh? You even know this is the 'Black Cage.' Does that mean you're also a Necromancer?" Adonis looked at Faraday with interest.

Faraday offered no reply, nor did Adonis become angry; in his eyes, these people were already dead men walking. The only reason he hadn't struck immediately was that he found it utterly tedious!

"You are the 'Ethereal Mercenary Group'?" Adonis asked again.

"That's us!" Zhong Shenxiu replied with an amused expression, looking at the assembly of villains.

He finally understood the meaning of the phrase, "Birds of a feather flock together." Not a single person before him looked remotely like a good person!

"Then I am truly sorry; all of you will die here today!" As Adonis uttered these words, he watched Zhong Shenxiu and his group expectantly, hoping to see shock or dismay on their faces!

However, to his utter astonishment, these people were still capable of smiling. Did they think he was joking?

As he stood there perplexed, Zhong Shenxiu's voice drifted over: "You took your sweet time getting here!" Huh? What did that mean!?

"Commander, stop wasting words with them! I can't hold back any longer; I'll go first!" Andrew shouted, and then actually charged toward Zhong Shenxiu’s group. With a deafening boom, Andrew was sent flying backward. It was Rachel standing in front of Zhong Shenxiu, staring sternly at Andrew and the others!

Having suffered an unseen blow, blood was oozing from the corner of Andrew’s mouth. He hadn't expected Rachel to be so powerful. Although he had protected his vital spots during the instant of contact, two of his ribs were still fractured!

With just this single exchange, the previous smugness on the faces of the "Tornado Mercenary Group" vanished, replaced by shock!

"I wondered why you were so calm; so you have a strong fighter!" Adonis laughed rather than got angry, shifting his tone: "But if you think you are safe because of this, you are mistaken!"

As he finished speaking, a massive green skull materialized above Rachel’s head. However, the skull did not persist for long; it transformed into a small green orb that fell into Paige’s hand and vanished instantly!

Adonis’s expression changed. He hadn't expected his newly cast "Skull Curse" to be broken so easily. Unwilling to concede, he immediately used another technique, "Soul Reaping." Instantly, indistinct green shadows flickered before him and began drifting toward Zhong Shenxiu’s group.

But this time it was even simpler. Paige merely flicked her finger, and those green shadows instantly dissolved into nothingness! To deploy such trivial tricks in front of a master Ghost Cultivator like her was utterly laughable! Adonis, seeing this, was completely stunned! "Commander, your moves aren't working! Let us show you how it’s done!" The speaker was a thin, tall man. A yellow light shot from the staff in his hand, striking the ground beneath his feet.

While Paige and the others wondered what foolishness he was up to, the ground began to ripple, and dozens of Stone Golems emerged—this was a Summoning Spell!

Zhong Shenxiu’s eyes visibly brightened, and a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind. He had previously read many books on High-Level Summoning Arts but had always lacked the foundational understanding. Seeing this man perform the summoning technique now suddenly illuminated many previously confusing problems for him! So this is how Summoning Arts work!

Zhong Shenxiu had always been fascinated by this "Summoning Art." Now, with someone demonstrating it right in front of him, he momentarily forgot that this was a moment of confrontation between two factions!

Although these Stone Golems were incredibly tough, they couldn't withstand Rachel’s assault and were shattered across the ground in the blink of an eye. "Don't worry, this was just the warm-up. The main event is next!" As the thin, tall man spoke, he unleashed yet another summoning spell. In moments, dozens of animals wreathed in flame materialized out of thin air before him! "Qi’er, leave the rest to me!" Zhong Shenxiu said, stepping forward in front of Rachel. The light of undisguised excitement shone in his eyes! Zhong Shenxiu was about to attempt the Summoning Art he had just comprehended for the very first time!

(I truly wonder what kind of monster he will summon; I await with anticipation…) [F]