A dozen or so menacing-looking mid-to-small-sized flying vessels pierced the sky, arrayed in a tight V-formation, charging toward the assembled group with palpable aggression. The Asura female, Beiyena, saw this sight, and her expression shifted slightly: "Not good. It's the old devil Huyan leading people here to cause trouble."

"Hmph, that old thing has always been insatiably greedy. Beiyena, I told you long ago this man was not worth associating with." In Beiyena’s contingent, another Golden Core High-stage expert, Wusi, narrowed his gaze as well, pursing his lips with apparent disdain for the Old Devil Huyan.

This Wusi hailed from the Infernal Realm's lower-tier species, the Ovine race. This classification arose because he sported two spiraling, curved white horns atop his head, in addition to possessing four hooves and a tail. Were it not for his face being strikingly similar to a human's, he would have appeared exactly like a bipedal, upright goat—hence the name of his species. The prostitute Lei Dong encountered immediately upon entering Ghostly Heaven City was also an Ovine.

This race was not native to the Infernal Realm. During the ancient Great Wars, the Demon Race somehow acquired this species, typically using them for logistical support and then as cannon fodder to deplete enemy strength during battles. After the Demon Race retreated, the surviving Ovines were unwelcome everywhere. They eventually drifted to the Infernal Realm, a place of harsh environments but high species compatibility, where they managed a difficult existence and propagation. However, the race's overall strength was mediocre, placing them among the lower tiers even within the Infernal Realm, with few true masters or experts.

In fact, low-tier cannon fodder races, swept up by the tide of war like the Ovine race, were far from unique exceptions. Many such groups have gradually taken root and survived within the Three Realms, Six Domains, and Nine Continents.

Within any race, exceptional individuals will always emerge. Take Wusi, for instance; his cultivation aptitude was comparable to the most gifted members of any race. In a domain where strength reigns supreme, his power naturally secured him a certain standing within Ghostly Heaven City. Being recognized and included in the five-person squad by the proud Asura, Beiyena, was a testament to both his capability and character.

Indeed, his combat prowess was undeniable. During the recent struggle against the Profound Nether Ice Silkworm, he pressed to the very front, showing remarkable performance, and he remained silent even after sustaining injuries. Even Dongfang Fu and Ding Wanyan held a favorable impression of him.

"Wusi, befriending the Old Devil Huyan was indeed my error. However, that Old Devil Huyan possesses formidable strength, and his Gu arts are incredibly difficult to guard against, especially his specialty against demonic insects. I only sought to minimize casualties..." The fact that the Asura race, which considered itself the most noble lineage under heaven, offered such a sincere apology demonstrated that Wusi was truly convincing.

"Alright, alright. What’s done is done. Let’s figure out how to resolve this now." Tulei, as the Ghost King’s foremost battle general, naturally carried a special authority. He stepped in to mediate: "We stood up the Old Devil this time. Given his personality, he certainly won't let this rest easily. I just hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly, and it seems he's gathered quite a few people..." Tulei, whose face was hidden by a mask, flashed a sharp glint in his eyes and scoffed: "Huyan acts so arrogantly. Never mind that he hasn't advanced to Nascent Soul yet; even if he had, this Ghostly Heaven City wouldn't be his to command." Meanwhile, Wanyan, Dongfang, and the others watched the proceedings in quiet observation. But privately, Wanyan had already dispatched a lone spectral envoy.

As the group spoke, the dozen or so mid-to-small flying vessels arrived overhead. A gaunt cultivator, completely shrouded in black robes, leaped down and shouted: "Brothers, that person surnamed Bei played us for fools, only to sneak off and hoard the spoils! She absolutely must give us an explanation!"

"Exactly! That Asura female is too oppressive!"

"Kill her!"

"I think her looks are quite nice, why don't we—"

Laughter and chatter, unrestrained, fell upon the group's ears. Led by the Old Devil Huyan, a large contingent of cultivators, numbering no less than two to three hundred, descended from the dozen or so vessels—a massive display of force. However, the cultivation levels of this group were quite uneven. There were perhaps only thirty to forty at the Golden Core stage; the rest were Foundation Establishment level. Even among the Golden Core cultivators, most were early stage, with only a few in the middle stage.

"Hmph." Tulei, leading the Ghost King's command, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, letting out a cold snort of disdain as he chastised them: "All of you, shut your mouths for this commander!" Tulei was heralded as a Ghost General with the potential to achieve Ghost King status, often subtly implied to be the Ghost King’s successor; thus, despite being called a commander, he functioned as a young master. Coupled with his own significant strength, he had always commanded respect in Ghostly Heaven City. His anger silenced the previously outspoken rabble. They cast glances filled with resentment toward the Old Devil Huyan for dragging them into a confrontation with Beiyena to seize the Ice Silkworm, all without informing them Tulei was present. Had they known Tulei was here, perhaps thirty to forty percent of them wouldn't have joined this disturbance.

"Tulei, the Ghost King Senior governs Ghostly Heaven City by adhering strictly to rules." The Old Devil Huyan, however, showed no fear of Tulei, revealing two withered, skeletal hands from beneath his black robe as he let out a sinister, drawn-out cold laugh: "As the Ghost King's personal guard commander, you should stand on the side of fairness and justice to mediate for us. Otherwise, even if this matter is brought before Senior Guizhi, I, Huyan, will accompany you to the end."

"Yes! We will stand with you to the end!" Huyan's trusted subordinates immediately began shouting, inciting the crowd: "Lord Tulei, you are the successor of our Ghostly Heaven City; you cannot favor personal ties over righteousness! That Beiyena deceived us and broke faith; we implore Commander Tulei to uphold justice!" The rest of the crowd also began shouting with rising fervor, aiming their accusations directly at Tulei, effectively roasting him alive.

Tulei’s eyes, behind the mask, flashed with cold light as he glanced at Huyan and the leaders of the troublemakers, feeling a surge of discontent. But in truth, the Ghost King’s governance of Ghostly Heaven City was indeed quite rule-bound, which was precisely why this situation had arisen. For Tulei, the Ghost King's closest confidant, to lead the way in breaking those rules would easily invite trouble.

"Old Devil Huyan, say whatever you have to say to this grandmother!" Beiyena roared, sharply reprimanding him: "What right do you have, Old Devil Huyan? So what if this grandmother tricked you? Speak up—what are your terms?"

"Nothing much," the Old Devil Huyan chuckled sinisterly. "There are so many of us; we only require seventy percent. Hand over seventy percent of the spoils honestly, and I, Huyan, will submit to you."

"Pah! Submit to you? Look at your vile, sneaky, unsightly face! Does this grandmother need your submission?" The Asura temper flared, and Beiyena was no exception. Hands planted on her hips, she pointed at the Old Devil Huyan and cursed him out: "Why don't you take a good look in a puddle? Seventy percent? I don't know how your mother even gave birth to you! If you have the guts, fight me one-on-one, and I’ll teach you such a lesson that I'll take your surname thereafter!" Such words would have sent almost any man into a rage. But the Old Devil Huyan remained unmoved, continuing his sinister cold smile: "One-on-one? Beiyena, do you think this is a child’s game? I’m too weary to waste more words with you. You cheated us. We want seventy percent, or don't blame us for using superior numbers to bully the few." With over two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators and thirty-odd Golden Core experts, he certainly had grounds for arrogance for a time.

Beiyena and her group were not without confidence. The enemy was indeed numerous, but their side was not to be trifled with, especially those friends from the Yinsha Sect, each possessing terrifying strength—even Tulei admitted they surpassed him.

"Then—then why waste so much breath with these trash?" A member of the Raging Bull race, standing nearly ten feet tall, burly with dark muscles, spoke in a muffled, booming voice, his bell-like eyes wide: "This old bull’s Mountain-Cleaver Axe, with one swing, can slaughter them until not a single scrap remains! Let’s see which piece of trash dares act arrogant then?" The Raging Bull race, while not one of the four great superior races of the Infernal Realm, was still a formidable species. Regardless of gender, members of this race were innate warriors, fearless of death and fiercely courageous. However, their temperament was quite good, disproportionate to their ugly and ferocious appearance.

"Heiniu, you brainless brute relying on brute force! If you have the guts, fight me one-on-one, and I, Huyan, will not fail to kill you!" Facing the fellow called Heiniu, the Old Devil Huyan showed no fear, provoking him with a sly grin: "Do you have the guts? Are you even a man?" It must be said that the Old Devil Huyan was utterly shameless. Knowing he couldn't defeat Beiyena in a duel, he refused to fight one-on-one under any circumstance. But against the Raging Bull expert, who possessed tremendous strength and was peerless in frontal engagements, his Gu arts could exert their maximum effect. The Raging Bull, with his lack of fine control over minute things, found it incredibly difficult to counter the swarms of small insects. Furthermore, the Raging Bull's temperament made him the easiest to provoke.

"Aooaaooaaahhh~" Heiniu’s savage nature was triggered by the provocation. His already ten-foot-tall frame surged several feet further, bolstered by a surge of immense power. A domineering, fierce aura radiated from him. Wielding his great axe, he roared furiously: "Old Devil Huyan, take one of Heiniu's axe swings!" With that, he brought the massive axe down, instantly transforming into an axe shadow several yards wide, tearing through the air with a whistle. Its might suggested it could cleave a mountain in half.

Heiniu’s uncontrolled rampage was proceeding exactly as the Old Devil Huyan had intended. Letting out a triumphant, wicked chuckle, he prepared to use an evasion technique to slip past the axe, intending to humiliate Heiniu further with his swarm Gu arts, when the space around him began to ripple and distort. The Old Devil was startled just as a figure clad in grotesque, pitch-black armor, with a pair of massive wings sprouting from his back, stepped out of the void. Without a word, he drove a punch toward the Old Devil's head.

The distance between the vessels was too close, and the Old Devil Huyan was notoriously weak in close combat. Caught completely off guard, with only his protective aura active, he was violently struck. The immense impact sent him hurtling like a cannonball toward the ground, smashing into the frozen earth and sending shards of debris scattering everywhere.

Lei Dong, having landed his sneak attack punch, blinked forward immediately and stomped down hard on the downed figure several times before finally exhaling with satisfaction: "Turns out punching people feels quite good," he said.