"What!" Even with Samshit's composure, hearing that voice saturated with boundless killing intent made his expression shift slightly, his eyes narrowing as he halted. He turned toward the chaotic army massing in the direction of the Bright Base City, which paused instantly under that single, booming shout.

To project a voice across such an immense distance suggested a level of power that was obvious even if one used their imagination. Everyone, including the Celestial Army, Zhuge Fan, Bai Long, Yang Baiyu, and the other 2000 members of the City Management Department, turned their heads toward the direction behind them, their eyes flashing with shock, joy, and a multitude of other emotions.

Under everyone's gaze, within the central core of the Ancient Martial City, a magnificent hall atop the highest peak suddenly peeled open outwards like the sprouting of bamboo shoots. A single figure, radiating overwhelming majesty, burst forth, ascending toward the sky, accompanied by a terrifying pressure, hurtling toward the Celestial Alliance at an astonishing speed.

Only a select few of the most powerful could discern objects hundreds of kilometers away using their own vision.

The entire Ancient Martial City, vibrating with that single long cry, caused the eardrums of those nearby to ache slightly. They couldn't help but feel a sense of dread, turning to look, their faces involuntarily breaking into expressions of ecstasy and excitement, as if they had spotted a beacon of light amidst the enemy's dense, oppressive ranks.

Whoosh!

Ye Chen's long black hair whipped wildly backward; his eyes were glacial and electric as he stared intently at the Celestial Alliance Palace hundreds of kilometers away, and at the delicate, lovely silhouette among the few figures standing on that grand platform...

Charge! Charge! Charge!

A milky-white horn erupted on Ye Chen's forehead. Like a beast from the primordial wilds, he swept toward the Celestial Alliance Palace, carrying the momentum of the entire world with him.

Xu Tianguo and the others paused for a beat, then ceased hesitating. Since even Ye Chen had personally charged out of the city, there was no reason for them to remain behind. Xu Tianguo handed command of the main army to several nearby commanders, leaped into the air, and followed Ye Chen’s charge. However, his speed was nowhere near that of Ye Chen, who had activated his Lightning Superman mode; in the blink of an eye, he was left far behind.

A fierce gale howled past his ears, the surrounding scenery receding rapidly before his eyes. Ye Chen’s expression was ice-cold, like a peerless God of Slaughter, carving a straight line through the heavens with the imposing aura of one who would advance regardless of ten thousand opponents!

The Black Snail Worm Legion occupying the ocean hundreds of kilometers away, along with their other monstrous subordinates and numerous flood dragons and fierce beasts, all heard that thunderous roar. They rose upright from the ocean depths, tilting their heads back to look up.

Samshit watched Ye Chen hurtle toward him, his brow furrowing slightly, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "So, this is the founder of the Bright Base City, the God of Slaughter, Ye Chen?"

Bai Long and the others exchanged glances, recognizing the joy reflected in each other's eyes.

Below the palace, Yang Baiyu, who had been engaged with the Celestial Alliance army, strained his vision to look, his brow knitting for a moment before he let out a cold snort and gripped his spear tighter, feeling a surge of anger.

"Is this his actual physical constitution?" He clenched his teeth until they ground together. Although he had always heard that Ye Chen of the Bright Base City was incredibly powerful, only now, having reached a physical level above 3000, did he truly grasp the chasm between himself and Ye Chen!

While these thoughts raced through their minds, in less than a few minutes, Ye Chen had traversed the hundred kilometers of ocean—like a beam of light, shooting straight toward the space above the palace. As the radiance faded, his figure was revealed, clad in an exquisitely crafted white-gold combat suit, highly classical in design and brimming with martial energy, accentuating his powerful build and making him appear even more handsome.

Ye Chen looked down from above, gazing at Samshit, his eyes cold yet calm. "You are the Alliance Leader of the Celestials?"

Samshit narrowed his eyes, fixing Ye Chen with a steady gaze, then offered a slight smile. Without showing any undue haste, he retreated a few paces. With a gesture of his hand, the Cold Crystal Dragon Throne below rushed up as if commanded, settling firmly behind him.

Samshit settled comfortably onto the Cold Crystal Dragon Seat, leaning back slightly. He tapped the armrest of the throne, causing a compartment to split open, revealing a row of deluxe, top-tier cigars. He casually selected one, which ignited automatically. Showing no impatience, he slowly took a deep puff before nodding deliberately. "Indeed. I am."

The surrounding figures, such as the Lord of Purple Cloud Island, nodded inwardly. "This young man is intentionally keeping Ye Chen waiting just to deflate his momentum. I didn't expect someone so young to employ such seasoned negotiation tactics."

Following Samshit's composed reply and languid demeanor, the aura Ye Chen had initially projected was somewhat dampened.

Whoosh!

Xu Tianguo and Huang Tianci finally caught up from behind, panting heavily from exertion.

Ye Chen’s expression remained placid; nothing betrayed his thoughts. He swept his gaze over Samshit once, then turned away without replying. He walked to the side and looked at his sister, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. A trace of tenderness softened his eyes as he gently smoothed her disheveled hair. "Are you alright?" he asked warmly.

Ye Zhu shook her head. After a year and a half apart, seeing her brother again filled her with overwhelming joy, bringing tears to her eyes. She threw herself into Ye Chen's embrace, sobbing lightly. "I thought... I would never see you again..."

Ye Chen patted her shoulder gently. "What nonsense are you speaking? With me here, no one in this world can harm you even slightly!" As he finished speaking, a flicker of killing intent crossed his eyes, and he glanced, intentionally or not, toward Samshit seated on the Cold Crystal Dragon Throne beside them.

Coincidentally, Samshit was also looking at Ye Chen. Their gazes met mid-air for an instant before breaking apart. Ye Chen, acting as if nothing had happened, turned toward Bai Long and the others nearby, his expression relaxed. "It's been a while; it seems you have all improved significantly."

Bai Long rolled his eyes with mock exasperation. "Is that even a question? Otherwise, wouldn't we just be dead weight?"

Zhuge Fan chuckled merrily. "But if we're talking about improvement, Brother Ye Chen is the fastest. He hasn't personally entered the Evolution stage, yet he's reached this status purely through his own strength—that's something most people can't match." He seemed to glance at Samshit as he spoke.

Yue Heng, carrying his golden staff, grinned playfully. "Too bad you were late. I just killed twelve; you’re still behind."

Bai Long preened smugly. "Don't get too cocky. I took down sixteen!"

Zhuge Fan froze, then looked ready to weep. "You two beasts! I was busy just holding off their attacks and didn't even get a chance to kill anyone—only three in total!"

Mo Ji stated expressionlessly, "Twenty-one."

Bai Long glared at him. "What's so great about twenty-one? I wounded forty or fifty of them! If I hadn't shown mercy, they’d all be pushing up daisies by now."

Mo Feng glanced at him, a faint expression of disdain lifting the corner of his mouth.

Yue Heng scoffed. "Wounding forty or fifty? That’s nothing. Little Zhu scared that whole lot away just by doing a little dance."

Bai Long: "..."

The group were busy tallying their recent kill counts in front of Samshit, acting as if he were invisible. Their words enraged the many powerful figures from the Divine King's Mansion below, who clenched their fists but restrained themselves from rash action.

A cold glint flashed in Samshit's eyes as he swept his gaze over Bai Long and the others, before settling on Ye Chen. He spoke calmly. "Chairman Ye, I see you are not weak in strength. Why cling to this foolish path and drag the masses into disaster?"

Ye Chen frowned slightly. "Speak plainly."

Samshit let out a cold laugh and raised his hand, summoning a personal guard who flew over. Samshit whispered a few instructions into the guard's ear, and the guard turned and left. Not long after, he returned escorting another figure: Togger.

"Chairman Xu..." Samshit turned toward Xu Tianguo and sneered. "Do you recognize this man?"

Xu Tianguo peered at Togger, his heart sinking. He knew this man was not one to forgive or forget, and he would certainly twist the facts upon returning. However, he couldn't offer an explanation in this critical moment, so he merely nodded. "I recognize him. Mr. Togger came to the Base City as a guest, and I treated him with respect, temporarily housing him while we prepared a response to the alliance proposal. Unfortunately, Mr. Togger is restless and dislikes staying put, so he left before I could even see him off—a real pity, a real pity!"

Samshit appeared slightly surprised and studied Xu Tianguo. He hadn't expected the man to so deftly turn the tables with just a few words. He frowned slightly and secretly nudged Togger.

Sensing Samshit's subtle cue, Togger's mind raced, and he stepped forward, announcing loudly, "Chairman Xu, you..." Before he could finish, he was suddenly interrupted.

"What alliance proposal?" Ye Chen asked, turning his head slightly.

Xu Tianguo inwardly exclaimed, Brilliant! He replied respectfully, "It's like this, Chairman Ye. You have been in seclusion recently. Alliance Leader Samshit sent Mr. Togger to discuss an alliance between the Celestial Alliance and the Bright Base City."

Ye Chen suddenly understood and said no more.

Togger shot him an annoyed glance for interrupting, but he dared not say anything aloud. Having served under Samshit, he knew the leader was immensely proud and usually wouldn't spare a glance for common folk. If he had simply taken Togger's word, Samshit would have launched the invasion immediately, crushing the Bright Base City. At that point, Togger’s lies would have become established fact, with no one left alive to refute them.

However, after witnessing the sheer force of Ye Chen’s entrance, Togger realized Samshit was already harboring some apprehension and likely wished to persuade them to surrender to avoid heavy losses.

What was about to erupt into a massive battle unexpectedly reverted to negotiations due to Ye Chen's arrival. Togger sighed inwardly. He had originally hoped to conquer the Bright Base City and capture Zi Wan, but an unexpected obstacle had emerged. Thinking of this, his anger toward Ye Chen intensified, and he stated sternly, "When I first came to the Bright Base City, I came with an attitude of seeking wise men. I never expected Chairman Ye to refuse to even meet me, resorting instead to schemes to detain me and delay matters, and ultimately, to humiliate me!"

"Humiliate?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow.

Samshit smiled faintly, thinking Togger was clever—since the evidence was concrete, there was no room for denial.

Togger stepped forward, pointed at the characters engraved on his armor, and declared loudly, "Look! What is this? This was personally inscribed by your so-called City Management officers as I departed the city. If it were merely an insult to me, fine. But I represent the Celestial Alliance! By insulting me, you insult the entire Celestial Alliance, including the Alliance Leader, the 365 strong experts of the Divine King's Mansion! And the tens of millions of troops from every nation!"

At these words, the atmosphere instantly tightened.

Xu Tianguo inwardly cursed his bad luck, secretly glancing at Ye Chen. He couldn't read any emotion on his face and worried. Having followed Ye Chen for so long, he knew Ye Chen was not inherently bloodthirsty. If a negotiation could be reached, it would be the best outcome; otherwise, a true war would lead to rivers of blood. Even in victory, many would surely die, and the common people would ultimately suffer the most!