"I'll go right now! 1,"

The two middle-aged men nodded, then each turned and walked into the Enforcement Hall, their expressions solemn and grave, knowing this matter was extraordinary. If not handled correctly, the consequences would be unthinkable.

A joke.

A member of the Genius Hall being killed right at the main entrance—that would be a colossal laugh if word got out! If it wasn't handled well, the negative impression created would bring an extremely poor reputation upon the Blazing God Empire, becoming fodder for gossip everywhere.

While these few were discussing, Ye Chen’s eyes flashed. He stood silently on the spot, unmoving, gazing distantly at the sky, lost in a daze.

After the old man in the gold robe finished speaking, he turned to look at Ye Chen. Seeing that the youth had neither fled nor done anything else, but instead stared into the distance for a long time, he paused briefly, then frowned, a shadow of gloom crossing his expression.

With the efficiency of the Enforcement Hall, the orders were quickly disseminated. Not long after, every single member of the First-Rank Genius Hall received an email notification through the virtual world, and the place instantly exploded.

"Hua Longtian is dead?!" "That arrogant brat is finally dead, haha...!" "Holy crap, he was killed right at the headquarters’ main gate!"

"Tsk tsk, which formidable assassin was that? Too strong!"

Strangely, upon receiving the news, some members were shocked, while others gloated or were filled with interest, showing not the slightest sign of tension or worry.

The incident spread like wildfire among the high ranks of the Blazing God Empire. Everyone knew that a member of the First-Rank Genius Hall had fallen!

The demise of a genius was not unheard of. Many prodigies throughout history had met an untimely end before they could fully mature. But this time was different. Geniuses in the First-Rank Genius Hall held inherently noble statuses; they were extremely few. Across the entire Blazing God Empire, spanning over a thousand vassal states and countless populations, only a few hundred individuals could join the First-Rank Genius Hall.

The loss of even one was a loss to the Empire, because any one of these geniuses might one day become an entity surpassing the gods. Given the aptitude of these First-Rank Genius Hall members, they had an 80% chance of becoming true gods. Therefore, this loss was equivalent to losing a potential God Emperor.

Amidst the shockwaves rippling through the high command of the Blazing God Empire, the headquarters of the First-Rank Genius Hall also became a hubbub. All geniuses within the Imperial Capital swiftly returned to headquarters, converging upon the plaza where the Enforcement Hall stood, immediately spotting Ye Chen standing before the hall, gazing vacantly into the distance.

These newcomers gathered around, pointing and scrutinizing Ye Chen. As they sensed the aura emanating from him, their expressions shifted from initial amusement and curiosity to a degree of shock and solemnity.

The surrounding murmurs grew louder. Less than two hours after the gold-robed elder issued his command, nearly a hundred people had gradually appeared in the plaza, automatically forming a wide circle far away, not daring to approach closely.

Before long, a middle-aged man emerged from the Enforcement Hall and whispered low beside the gold-robed elder, "We just sent his image out. He isn't in the records of the Supreme Genius Hall. However, a communication from the Second-Rank Genius Hall stated that this individual was a member there but was promoted to our First-Rank several months ago. He simply hadn't had time to complete the necessary procedures, so his information wasn't officially logged."

"Our person?" The gold-robed elder frowned slightly, gazing at Ye Chen in the distance, and stated in a low voice, "According to the Genius Hall Regulations, how should the self-inflicted killing of another genius be handled?"

"In the third paragraph of Article Twenty of the 'Genius Hall Regulations,' it is recorded that if two geniuses engage in unauthorized combat and one kills the other, the offender’s cultivation must be abolished, and they shall be expelled from the Genius Hall, never to be admitted again!" the middle-aged man murmured.

"Then that is what we shall do," the gold-robed elder stated coldly.

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I will call the Enforcers." With that, he turned and entered the Enforcement Hall.

Time slipped by.

...

More and more people arrived in the plaza, enclosing Ye Chen in a ring, observing and murmuring amongst themselves. Upon sensing his aura, their expressions shifted from solemnity to excitement.

"The Enforcers are here!" A sharp cry suddenly rang out from the distance.

Everyone in the plaza quieted down, turning their heads to see a hulking great man slowly approaching from the east. He was clad in golden armor, enveloped by surging killing intent, looking like an Asura emerging from a sea of blood. He strode forward, wielding a battle saber wreathed in thick crimson light.

"It's the Gold-Rank Enforcer!" "Tsk tsk, looks like we're in for a show." "I’ve seen this guy before; he's the one who chopped up that little Li and his crew when they caused trouble outside." "Pah, he’s just a thoughtless machine, a killing automaton."

Seeing the burly man in golden armor, the crowd buzzed with speculation, their eyes carrying varying degrees of apprehension.

The hulking man’s face was expressionless, his dead-gray eyes devoid of any emotion. He looked at Ye Chen amidst the throng, fell silent for a moment, then glanced at the gold-robed elder beside him, awaiting orders.

"Kill!" the gold-robed elder commanded coldly.

A flash of murderous intent ignited in the burly man’s eyes. He shifted his gaze to Ye Chen, and his body suddenly shot forward.

Ye Chen slowly withdrew his gaze from the distance and lowered his head. In his perception, the entire world narrowed down to the small patch of ground before his feet. All surrounding sounds vanished, and deep within him, blood seemed to boil and burn.

He closed his eyes.

The entire world became utterly still.

The next instant, a brilliant, intense light erupted from Ye Chen's palm, dazzling with ten thousand beams. His hand glowed with dense purple light, and centered on him, an area spanning a hundred li radius was completely covered, enveloped in a world of purple thunder.

Even the slight breeze in the air seemed to carry a crackling sound.

The purple thunder ring in Ye Chen's palm shone brilliantly. Ye Chen looked at the gold-robed elder and said softly, "Stop for now."

Under the domain of the 'Thunder Realm Six,' the surrounding genius contestants found their bodies unable to move, though their minds could still function. Their hearts filled with shock; they couldn't believe someone of their own level possessed something so terrifying!

A Domain Artifact!

Moreover, 'Thunder Realm' was a peak-tier Domain Artifact; converted, it would require over a hundred peak divine artifacts to exchange for it.

The burly man holding the bloodstained saber became stiff and slow, his movements resembling a leisurely stroll, agonizingly protracted.

Within the entire domain world of the Thunder Realm, only the gold-robed elder was largely unaffected. A flicker of shock crossed his eyes, then he frowned slightly and commanded softly, "Halt."

The burly man stopped instantly, glanced sideways at the elder, frowned, but said nothing more, lowering his saber and standing still.

"Speak," the gold-robed elder regarded Ye Chen coldly. "Your dying words."

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, flung his hand, grasping the Raging Thunder Battle Saber. A purple orb on the saber's hilt suddenly flashed, and a figure drifted out from it, as if kicked, tumbling clumsily several times on the ground.

All eyes in the square instantly fixed on that figure.

That figure was none other than Hua Longtian!

The gold-robed elder blinked, unable to help but ask, "What is going on?"

Ye Chen’s expression was detached. "I didn't kill him; I merely shattered 99% of his physical body as punishment." There was a storage space within the Raging Thunder Battle Saber. With his intellect, he would never do anything that would put him in a completely disastrous situation; thus, he left himself an out.

The gold-robed elder couldn't help but pause, staring at Hua Longtian, whose aura had significantly weakened. He felt an urge to smile bitterly, sensing he had been toyed with. His expression remained solemn as he frowned. "Although he is not dead, this can still be judged as unauthorized fighting. Both parties shall be penalized 50 Divine Points!"

"What?!" Hua Longtian yelped as if his backside had caught fire. "Deduct 50 Divine Points? Elder Jin, this brat provoked me first! Why should I be penalized too?"

The gold-robed elder frowned, shot him a look, and said, "My decision is not for you to question!"

Hua Longtian choked on his words.

Ye Chen knitted his brow, glanced at Hua Longtian, and a fleeting trace of cold killing intent flashed in his eyes. He quietly clenched his fists until they audibly cracked.

Whoosh!

The Thunder Realm domain retracted from all directions, sinking back into the Thunder Realm Ring.

Ye Chen flicked his hand slightly, opening the Rune Space, and placed the Raging Thunder Battle Saber inside. He then turned back to face the gold-robed elder and asked, "I am here to report. Where do I exchange my emblem?"

The gold-robed elder looked at him. "At the Personnel Hall. What is your name? You will also have 50 Divine Points deducted."

"Ye Chen," Ye Chen stated indifferently, not sparing Hua Longtian beside him a glance. He turned and walked toward the densely packed crowd surrounding them. These people instinctively made way, watching Ye Chen’s receding back with eyes full of gravity.

"I didn't expect our First-Rank Genius Hall to have acquired such a freak."

"Was that a high-tier Domain Artifact?"

"I wonder which influential family he comes from. The Heavenly Ranking genius competition is going to be interesting."

Everyone discussed animatedly, and soon, they began to disperse one by one.

Hua Longtian stood in the plaza, gasping heavily, his face alternately red and white. He clenched his teeth, his fists grinding audibly. He stared at Ye Chen's retreating back, his eyes brimming with vicious resentment, flashing faintly.

Leaving the plaza, Ye Chen followed the directions of the attendant maid along the edge of the square to the Personnel Hall on the other side, walking directly into the magnificent great hall.

Inside this hall was a large office where a bewitching girl sat behind a large desk. Dressed in extremely flamboyant attire, with golden curly hair and high heels, she leaned languidly against her office chair, wearing a headset blasting very loud music.