Thank you to everyone who voted with monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, subscribed, and helped click the public chapters. Old Gu bows three times in thanks! …… Bang! At this thunderous sound, the porcelain cup on the table cracked open.

Xu Tianguo's expression shifted abruptly, and he hurried to look at Ye Chen, saying, "This is bad, these people know you are here!"

Ye Chen glanced at him calmly and slowly said, "Not many people know my whereabouts."

"Hm?" Xu Tianguo caught the implication in Ye Chen's tone, and his expression changed slightly. However, instead of hastily explaining, he settled down, his voice deep. "Neither I nor Huang Tianci would ever betray you!"

Ye Chen gazed at him for a long moment, then walked over, patted his shoulder, and said plainly, "I know it wasn't you. There's no airtight wall in this world. Besides, I was planning to look for them anyway; I didn't expect them to find me first."

If Xu Tianguo intended to sell him out, he wouldn't have come in person; passing on the intelligence would have sufficed, allowing him to watch from the sidelines without putting himself in danger—especially since he had brought equipment too.

The only ones who knew he was in the base city were Bai Long and the others, his sister, Xu Tianguo and his companion, and Gu Xinghe. Given Gu Xinghe's arrogance, he absolutely disdained such despicable actions, and it was unlikely for Bai Long's group either.

Only one possibility remained...

Ye Chen's thoughts raced, recalling a hunting squad he had run into on his way into the base city. It was most likely that team had reported back to the city, and the city guards, checking for anomalies, had noticed him. A skilled detective could reconstruct the entire scenario from the slightest clues.

Xu Tianguo felt the broad, warm palm on his shoulder. His expression was calm, but his heart was tense. If Ye Chen wanted to kill him, one second would be enough, and he certainly didn't want to die without understanding why. But hearing Ye Chen's words and seeing he wasn't suspected, a wave of relief washed over him, mixed with a touch of gratitude. Only a handful of people knew about this matter, and anyone who knew Ye Chen’s current coordinates knew him. Any other person, in a fit of rage, might have struck him dead with a single palm!

In the apocalypse, there was no one truly trustworthy.

"What do we do now?" Xu Tianguo asked, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Ye Chen pondered for a moment. "You go out now with the other guests. I'll come out later to avoid connecting our presence." His tone brooked no argument.

Xu Tianguo gritted his teeth, knowing there was no other option, and nodded solemnly. "Be careful. If things get really bad, just activate your Superhuman Mode and run for now."

Ye Chen waved his hand without replying. After Xu Tianguo left, the muscles in his face shifted, restoring his original appearance: sharp eyebrows and bright eyes devoid of emotion. With a flick of his finger, the three-meter-long blood-red battle saber reformed from energy and settled into his grip. He kicked out, shattering the door of the private room. Immediately, he saw many guests in the small hotel stumbling out of their respective rooms in panic, all rushing downstairs. Xu Tianguo was nowhere in sight; he had clearly left the hotel ahead of time.

"Ah..."

"That demon is really here!"

Several guests spilling out of adjacent rooms screamed upon seeing Ye Chen—clad in gold and black scaled armor, his head wrapped in a kerchief, wielding a three-meter blood-red battle saber. They were so terrified their legs went weak, scrambling and crawling toward the exit.

Ye Chen spared these people a cold glance and walked downstairs. The surrounding crowd gave way, fleeing in a frenzy, chilling their spines. They never imagined they had shared the same roof as this demon, the most wanted man since the founding of the base city, whose bounty was the highest in history.

"Traitor Ye Chen, get out here now!" a rough voice, like an erupting lion's roar, bellowed. Many people scrambling out of the hotel clapped their hands over their ears and fled wildly, only to be intercepted by the soldiers surrounding the hotel, their wrists grabbed and twisted behind them. Only when they saw the real Ye Chen emerge did the soldiers release them.

Ye Chen reached the doorway and looked up. The previously deserted street was now inexplicably crowded. In the distance, the masses stretched as far as the eye could see, people craning their necks to look. Outside the hotel, thousands of soldiers stood, forming a dense cordon around the building. Security personnel were positioned behind them to prevent Ye Chen’s escape. On the chests of these thousands of men were different medals: some depicting a golden divine dragon roaring toward the heavens, others showing two crossed swords—medals belonging to guilds like Dragon Ascent and Iron Blood.

At the forefront of the crowd stood two figures leading the rest. One was a burly, dark-skinned man with a thick, grizzled beard, thick lips, and a square jaw. His small, round eyes beneath heavy brows held an imposing air that commanded respect even in silence.

The other man was tall and imposing, clad in animal hides, his hair neatly combed. His eyes were wild, carrying a hint of untamed arrogance. He looked down upon Ye Chen emerging from the hotel, his gaze lingering on the three-meter battle saber in Ye Chen's hand before his lips curled into a sneer of disdain.

Behind these two stood seven or eight men wearing various medals, including two women. They were of ordinary appearance, with rough hands, clearly the result of wielding weapons for long periods—certainly not easy targets themselves.

"Traitor!" the burly man glared at Ye Chen, anger evident in his tone. He roared sharply, "You still dare roam freely within the base city, courting death! Hand over the Python corpse today, and I’ll leave you a whole body!"

The bystanders nearby were slightly taken aback by Ye Chen’s composed demeanor. They hadn't expected that, despite the city-wide warrant, he would still dare to dine in a city hotel. Such audacity was unbelievable!

"The corpse?" Ye Chen spared the burly man a glance. Recognizing his voice, Ye Chen knew he was the one who had roared earlier. He replied flatly, "I already ate it. If you want it, I can pass it to you later."

The entire street froze. After a brief moment of silence, someone started to laugh, and the rest followed suit, erupting into loud guffaws. The tense atmosphere, sharp as drawn swords moments before, completely evaporated.

The burly man’s face turned ashen. The representative from another guild standing behind him desperately wanted to laugh, but constrained by the burly man's authority, he managed only to suppress it, causing his mouth to twitch strangely.

The burly man shot him a glare, then turned back to glare furiously at Ye Chen. "You're facing death and still dare to boast! I was going to offer you a chance to beg for mercy, but now you’ve lost it!"

The man beside him looked down at Ye Chen with disdain and sneered coldly, "With so many people here today, you can’t escape even if you sprout wings. Better not struggle! Your crimes are numerous enough: killing base city powerhouses, seizing base city resources—utterly shameless! You are a disgrace and a stain on humanity!"

The laughter in the crowd died down. Recalling the charges on the wanted poster, people began to view Ye Chen with cold eyes.

"Killing base city powerhouses?" Ye Chen glanced at that man. "That was a fight to the death. Murong De didn't even blame me, so who are you to criticize me? You say I seized base city resources? Treasures of the world belong to the capable. If you lack the skill to keep them, do you forbid others from taking them?"

The crowd paused, and the anger in their eyes toward Ye Chen visibly lessened. Some of the more rational individuals nodded involuntarily.

The man choked, then his face darkened. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he stared at Ye Chen like a venomous snake, sneering, "Twisting logic! If you hadn't challenged Yun Shaojing, would he have been killed by you? Giving the Python corpse to the base city would benefit many more people; what good does it do given to you?"

Ye Chen slanted a look at him and said indifferently, "Those who don't know the truth are not qualified to speak! Shut up, or I won't mind adding another soul to my tally!"

He slowly walked out of the hotel entrance. The soldiers surrounding the building involuntarily retreated a few steps, causing the encirclement to loosen slightly. Each man gripped his battle saber tightly, watching him in dread.

The man’s chest tightened. He stared fixedly at Ye Chen, his face contorted with fury, his body trembling slightly. But he knew Ye Chen possessed the power to kill him. He gnashed his teeth fiercely and fell silent.

Ye Chen glanced at him, reversed his grip on the saber hilt, and began to walk step by step toward the group. The surrounding soldiers retreated in terror, backing up seven or eight meters until they reached the vicinity of the burly man and his companions. The burly man roared angrily, "All of you are useless! Who told you to retreat? Anyone who moves back again, I'll kill them!"

Everyone stopped, their hearts heavy with resignation.

Ye Chen, however, did not stop. His gaze was flat and cold as he fixed on the burly man, walking toward him one step at a time. With every step he took, his imposing aura intensified. After seven steps, his presence was already monstrous, like a towering demon god. Each footfall seemed to land directly on the burly man's heart, causing his heartbeat to quicken and his breathing to grow ragged.

"Whoever blocks a step, I kill," Ye Chen stated coldly and calmly.

The burly man's frame trembled slightly. He knew he could not retreat; doing so would diminish his dominance. But under Ye Chen’s relentless advance, he felt as if his heart was about to explode, beating wildly, blood surging in reverse. Like a cornered, enraged beast, he gritted his teeth and roared, "All of you, attack! Seize him, and you will be richly rewarded!!"

The surrounding soldiers hesitated for a moment, but compelled by the burly man's authority, they gritted their teeth and charged forward. Most of these were ordinary soldiers, brandishing swords and blades toward Ye Chen, quickly filling the open space within the cordon, threatening to engulf him.

Ye Chen’s expression did not change; his eyes remained fixed on the burly man. He paid no heed to the charging soldiers, merely flicking his great saber like a massive fan. Using the flat of the blade as his edge, he swept away seven or eight soldiers who got close, sending them flying. They crashed down, ribs undoubtedly broken, spitting up blood.

The man beside the burly figure stared at Ye Chen with a chilling look. Seeing Ye Chen momentarily surrounded, a cold smile flickered in his eyes, and his composure returned. He shouted coldly, "All of you, attack him! Kill him!"

Ye Chen’s steps did not halt. After sweeping away several charging soldiers with one blow, he glanced at that man. That single glance, utterly devoid of emotion, chilled the man to the bone.