Those dozen or so Blood Clan powerhouses stood dumbfounded, watching Kaba emerge from the dust cloud, their expressions grim. They hadn't anticipated his strength to be so terrifying; he had withstood their combined assault without sustaining even the slightest injury.

"Time plays tricks," Kaba stretched his bones with a warm-up movement, then tilted his head toward the Blood Clan experts, licking his lips. "That bastard ordered me to eliminate all obstacles. So, you either surrender, or..."

Whoosh!

Before he could finish speaking, his form surged forward, attacking without granting the enemy a chance to reply, moving straight in for the kill.

Xu Tianguo and the others watching nearby felt their hearts leap into their throats, daring not utter a word. Though they didn't know where this mysterious powerhouse hailed from, his actions suggested he was a distinguished guest invited by Ye Chen. They immediately dared not show any disrespect, quietly standing aside to observe the unfolding situation.

Xu Tianguo's eyes flickered as he mused: "I wonder where the Chairman found such a terrifying operative. Even a demigod powerhouse perished under his hand without the slightest resistance..."

"Wait a moment!"

"A demigod powerhouse?" Xu Tianguo's heart skipped a beat. "Doesn't that mean this Heavenly God Alliance Master's strength has reached a level capable of defeating a demigod?" Thinking this, he turned to gaze eastward. He saw the white clouds drifting lazily, the blue sky clear, wondering what fierce battle might be transpiring in that other world at this very moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Above the banks of the Yangtze River, two figures clashed violently, then separated instantly, each taking a stance on opposite ends, staring intently at the other.

To the left, behind one figure, floated a Cold Crystal Dragon Seat, majestic and imposing, intricately carved, deep blue in hue, emitting a faint luminescence. This man hovered above the seat, his demeanor haughty, clad in white and gold armor whose graceful lines were etched with arcane runes, like lines of poetry. In his hand, he held a Vajra spear, its tip wreathed in dark, malevolent energy.

What drew the most attention were his eyes, intensely crimson, lacking any white or black sclera—pure scarlet. A mere glance made ordinary people feel a chill run down their spines.

"Decent strength!" Samshit regarded Ye Chen, a cold sneer touching his crimson eyes. "But your Superman Mode should be ending soon, shouldn't it?"

Ye Chen's expression was cold; he gripped his sword and offered no reply.

After departing from above Brightness Base City, he had traveled straight eastward. Before long, he reached the banks of the Yangtze River, calculating that fighting here would ensure that even if the opponent chose to self-detonate, no harm would come to Brightness Base City. Only then did he slowly halt. He retrieved the Xuanyuan Divine Sword from his rune space, gripped it, and turned to look ahead, spotting Samshit calmly approaching, seated upon the Cold Crystal Dragon Seat, a faint smile gracing his face. [Provided by Dawn God. First release on Baidu.]

He exchanged virtually no pleasantries, charging forward immediately. His figure tore through the air like a streak of light, leaving an afterimage, and with a swoosh, he arrived above the Cold Crystal Dragon Seat as if teleporting. He looked down at Samshit, whose fair, handsome cheek held a flicker of astonishment, and without hesitation, swung his sword down!

The trajectory of this strike was like a mountain falling, heavy with immense force. Even the usually smiling and composed Samshit could not help but change expression slightly. He instantly entered Ghost God Transformation and activated Superman Mode without a second thought!

Alas, Ye Chen, in his Lightning Superman Mode, moved at nearly a hundred times the speed of sound. Although Samshit activated his Superman Mode temporarily, it was too late to evade. The edge of his robe was grazed by the divine sword, instantly turning to ash.

Samshit hadn't expected that Ye Chen, despite being the master of a city, would possess such poor etiquette, attacking without even a preliminary greeting. His expression darkened. Through that initial strike, he also recognized the terrifying strength of his opponent—strength capable of harming him even while in Ghost God Mode.

His mind was meticulous; he knew Ye Chen’s Superman Mode had already been activated and would automatically cease after the duration expired, leaving him utterly vulnerable, like fish on a cutting board, waiting to be slaughtered!

Therefore, although Ye Chen attacked fiercely, Samshit merely stalled for time, holding back his full power.

In his estimation, defeating the strongest opponent with the least effort was the true victory!

As a result, the two battled intensely above the Yangtze River, yet neither sustained any injuries.

A gentle breeze stirred, and faint sunlight, warm and comforting, streamed down from the sky.

Hoo!

A surge of potent energy retreated from Ye Chen’s body like an ebbing tide, flowing through his limbs and bones like a whale playing in the water, drawing back toward his heart until it vanished. In its place came a wave of profound exhaustion.

He breathed deeply.

Superman Mode had ended!

Samshit, who had been closely monitoring Ye Chen’s condition, saw this and a cold, sharp smile curved his lips, as if in mockery. He tilted his head back slightly. "I offer you one last chance: submit, or commit suicide! Otherwise, if I have to act myself, you will undoubtedly suffer some torment!"

Ye Chen fought through the fatigue and drowsiness, managing to lift his eyes in the warm sunlight to meet Samshit’s gaze. The depths of his eyes were ice-cold and ruthless. He stared for a moment, then his expression suddenly relaxed, returning to placidness. "What benefit is there in submitting to you?"

Samshit sneered. "Given your current state, killing you would take no effort. You have no standing to negotiate with me! However, seeing as you are wise enough to yield, I can offer you the position of Vice Alliance Master once you submit. Then, the two of us can rule the world together, stepping on all humans and monsters globally, forging our own era and building our own empire!"

Ye Chen remained expressionless. "After notifying the world, you plan to kill me, is that it?"

Samshit frowned slightly, his tone turning cold. "Don't worry. Once you submit, we can sign a contract. You should know that in Rune Civilization, there is a Contract Rune, a technological sigil that can be embedded in the brain's central nexus. If the programmed procedures are violated, it self-detonates! I promise I will not kill you."

Ye Chen was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Your Superman Mode is Tier Two; you have about one minute left, correct?"

Samshit started, as if realizing something, and his expression slowly darkened, becoming like ice-covered stone. "You played me?" He finally understood that Ye Chen had no intention of submitting; he was merely stalling for time.

Ye Chen’s face was impassive. "All's fair in war."

Samshit glanced at him dismissively. "Never mind a minute; even a second is enough to kill you." With that, he roared low, his eyes turning cold and ferocious, and charged at Ye Chen with his spear. He vanished in an instant like a cannonball, and the next moment, he was directly before Ye Chen.

At this instant, time itself seemed to slow, becoming very, very sluggish. But Samshit’s crimson eyes were right before him, carrying a hint of chill, a touch of cruelty, as he raised his hand to strike.

As if having slumbered in boundless darkness for a thousand years, ten thousand years, only opening one's eyes when God whispered a promise, revealing a single ray of light...

"Superman—Activate!"

A deep, frenzied voice issued from the man's mouth, each word distinct, like the roar of a demon god from the Nine Hells, echoing across the entire sky. The breeze ruffled his messy black hair, blowing it wildly backward, making him resemble a prehistoric beast slowly awakening. A familiar power, drawn from the deepest core of his being, surged forth like a spring, bit by bit, like the stampede of a thousand armies, erupting violently, akin to a dam breaking, instantly flooding his entire body.

Unbeknownst to anyone, heavy dark clouds had begun to gather in the sky.

Bang!

A heavy sound, like a muffled thunderclap, resonated between the two figures. The next instant, Samshit’s body was violently flung backward, like a stone, his face a mask of utter horror, slamming heavily into a large mountain not far away. He embedded deeply, causing the mountainside to tremble slightly, sending shattered rock tumbling down and vines shaking.

Ye Chen lifted his head.

What was revealed to this world were a pair of chilling eyes!

On Ye Chen's forehead, a pair of black horns had sprouted, making him look like a demon from the underworld—savage and terrifying.

A common Ant Superman Mode Tier Two grants a 50-fold strength amplification. However, Ye Chen's had undergone a minor mutation; at Tier Two, it grants a 60-fold amplification!

With his current physique level of 9900, a 60-fold amplification equated to nearly 600,000 points of strength!

Originally, Ye Chen needed only a few more days to break past the 10,000 mark and enter the Ghost God Realm. However, receiving an urgent report, he knew that Xu Tianguo would only disturb him in a critical moment. Thus, without hesitation, he ceased his cultivation, preventing his breakthrough into the Ghost God Realm.

The punch that struck Samshit just now was entirely due to the Saint Flame Armor, combined with his own physical strength, which had reached the late stage of the Fourth Layer of the Qi Source Realm. With Qi filling every part of his body, every punch and every kick could injure a powerhouse in the Ghost God Realm!

Strike while the enemy is down!

Ye Chen showed no hesitation, charging toward Samshit with his divine sword, plunging directly into the rocks. The hard stone crumbled like tofu dross before him. Before he even drew close, the intense heat radiating from the Saint Flame Armor incinerated the rock into magma, which, upon friction, evaporated into air.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ye Chen gripped the divine sword, locking onto Samshit’s aura, and slashed at him relentlessly. While this sounds drawn out, it all occurred within seconds. Samshit was still trapped in shock; he never dreamed that one person could fuse two different genes and activate two Superman Modes!

Facing the overwhelming barrage of sword techniques rushing toward him, he dodged and weaved desperately, his figure like the wind. Despite being amidst the rocks, his movements were unimpeded.

Not long after, the two burst out from the opposite side of the mountain range, sword lights dancing furiously between them, relentless and without pause.

Ye Chen knew the weakness of the Ant Superman Mode was its slow speed; once the opponent escaped his range, catching up would be nearly impossible. Therefore, while they were still close, he attacked furiously, knowing that injuring the foe would inevitably affect their speed.

"With Kaba at Brightness Base City, along with him and the Demigod level puppet army, they should be sufficient to help the city resist the main force. Furthermore, there are two Pseudo-God level puppets there; I don't need to worry about that location. I only need to kill Samshit here."

Ye Chen had planned this from the start.

With his current strength, staying to defend Brightness Base City would only allow him to defeat the enemy army twice using his two Superman Modes. Once those modes ended, he would struggle to make a significant impact among the five-million-strong army. It was far better to leave Kaba there to hold the line.

Kaba and the puppet army consumed Qi, Ghost Qi, and other energies to replenish themselves. Although they were currently depleted, once battle commenced and they killed some enemies, they could gain replenishment and would only grow stronger as they fought.