Ye Jingyu had only taken a few dozen steps when he sensed four immensely powerful auras instantly materialize ahead, blocking the path for him and his companions. Looking up, he saw four hulking figures, each over ten feet tall, with visages so hideous they barely resembled humans, standing guard. Every face was etched with sheer cruelty...

At that moment, the man resembling a steward’s face had turned ashen. He scrambled back, his backside barely touching the ground as he hurried over, frantically signaling to Ye Jingyu and the others...

“Master, heed my warning! Hand over this young girl to them, or they will surely kill you!” Sensing the oppressive power emanating from the four brutes, the steward dared not approach Ye Jingyu too closely, yet he still refused to cease his pleas...

Ye Jingyu glanced at the steward, then at the four giants. He could clearly feel the genuine human essence radiating from the steward, whereas these four behemoths were clearly not human.

These four must be the bodyguards of the young master behind the steward. Seeing that persuasion had failed, they were now preparing to resort to outright robbery—the very thing these self-proclaimed civilized demons habitually did. But if things had already escalated to this point, why did the steward keep trying to persuade him?

Without wasting time pondering the steward’s true motives, Ye Jingyu turned back to Xue Ling. He noticed she showed no trace of fear; only the hand she gripped in his tightened slightly...

A young girl, barely a teenager, with a face of exquisite purity and brightness, coupled with those stubborn eyes, was indeed captivating. No wonder they mobilized such a massive force to seize her. Four Hong-level masters—even within the Earth Alliance, these were considered top-tier experts. What kind of person must this young master be?

Ye Jingyu felt a flicker of curiosity, yet there was no hint of retreat in his eyes. Hong-level masters were indeed top experts, but they simply did not register in his consideration...

Ni Bo, behind him, was already cracking his knuckles, frankly bored and eager for a fight. Now, four punching bags had arrived—how could he not be excited? As for Xiao Taotao, despite being quite large, she was threading the spirit fruits together like candied hawthorns and constantly stuffing them into her mouth, her pair of emerald-green eyes darting towards all the various delicacies nearby, completely ignoring the confrontation unfolding before her...

It made sense. They had already reached the Zhou-level. While they couldn't contend with the ultimate experts like the Ten Great Heavenly Sovereigns, they could likely handle ordinary Zhou-level masters, let alone these underlings who hadn't even reached that realm...

The gulf between realms was the difference between heaven and earth. After all, not everyone possessed Ye Jingyu's abnormally perverse physique...

“Human, obey your companion’s words and hand over the young girl. Perhaps our young master, in his great benevolence, will spare your life...” Seeing Ye Jingyu remain silent, one of the giants assumed he was frightened and spoke up. He clearly remembered his young master’s strict orders: bring the maiden back unharmed...

If they could avoid conflict, that would be best. At their level of cultivation, a human with no discernible power couldn't withstand a single blow. What if they carelessly failed to control their strength and harmed the girl?

“Nonsense…” Facing the giant’s words, Ye Jingyu merely uttered this one phrase, then took Xue Ling’s small hand and walked forward, paying them no mind whatsoever...

Seeing Ye Jingyu treat them with such utter disdain, the four giants’ faces simultaneously contorted into expressions of rage. The giant who had spoken roared and lunged directly at Ye Jingyu. The other two charged toward Ni Bo and Xiao Taotao behind him. The last one headed straight for Xue Ling; he did not want his comrades to harm the young girl out of anger...

Witnessing this scene, the steward figure couldn’t help but shut his eyes. He knew that when his young master’s Four Great Demon Guards made a move, there was never a survivor...

As for the surrounding passersby, they had long since retreated far away, clearly aware of the terror these Demon Guards commanded. Some of the human-faced pedestrians showed faint expressions of regret, but not a single soul dared step forward to intervene.

In the Earth Alliance, humans were the race with the lowest standing. Even though many possessed considerable strength, they could only endure this unjust fate...

Meanwhile, the man in the wine house held a bronze wine cup and elegantly brought it to his lips, taking a delicate sip...

“Slaughter, is the true…” The man seemed about to recite a poem to express his current mood, but the words choked off mid-sentence. His body shot upright with a jolt, his eyes fixed ahead, bulging almost out of his sockets...

Although the four giants had moved simultaneously, Ye Jingyu still gave them no attention, as if they simply did not exist. He continued pulling Xue Ling forward. Xue Ling felt terrified inside, but the tight grip of Ye Jingyu’s hand brought her a profound sense of warmth. Facing the two rushing figures, her expression showed no hint of fear either.

Xiao Taotao made no move to intervene, still savoring her spirit fruit kebab. Such trash opponents were a task perfectly suited for his little brother, Ni Bo...

Ni Bo’s body materialized instantly before the giant attacking Ye Jingyu, slamming a punch into the giant’s sternum. He then reappeared in front of the giant lunging for the girl, delivering another punch. Finally, he returned to his original spot, having thrown two consecutive blows, each smashing into the center of two different giants’ chests...

His speed was so blinding that only four afterimages were visible. By the time his final punch landed, the body of the first giant was just beginning to fly backward, two clouds of dark golden blood mist erupting from his chest, the majority of his torso shredded by the violent force of the punch. The same fate instantly befell the second, then the third, and finally the fourth...

From a distance, the four giants seemed to be struck simultaneously, flying backward before crashing to the ground, each with a gaping, bloody hole blown through their chests...

Their bodies convulsed once...

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The man in the wine house was utterly stunned. The steward, hearing the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground, involuntarily opened his eyes, but upon seeing the scene, he too was frozen. Just like his young master, only one thought occupied his mind...

(Apologies for the long wait, everyone. I truly felt exhausted and slow today, my head hurts badly. I’m uploading this chapter first; I’ll try my best to write another one!)