The look on Zhong’s face could not have been uglier; watching Ye Jingyu stride away, he was filled with extreme vexation. Why on earth had he led them down this street? If they had taken any other route, none of this would have happened, right? And what about that damned Rui, why did he have to come slumming around here? It was broad daylight!

Zhong failed to consider that he himself frequently visited this very street whenever he came to Dishacheng; otherwise, he wouldn't have unconsciously wandered down it today.

“What are you standing around for? So someone died, what of it? Do you think his old man is actually going to come looking for a fight with us? What right does he have to challenge us?” Ni Bo walked up to Zhong, gently patted his shoulder, and said dismissively.

Without waiting for Zhong’s reaction, Ni Bo followed Ye Jingyu and left. As for Xiao Taotao, her pair of green eyes darted around, seemingly pondering why those women wore so little clothing.

Zhong blinked. Right, it was already done; how could they bring the person back to life? Did the Lord of Dark City really dare to confront them? Even if he was a peak Zhou level expert, even if he was one of the Seven Fiends of the Earth Alliance, would he really dare to attack them recklessly?

Not only was Lord Yuan himself a peak Zhou level existence, but this Mr. Ye, relying solely on his physical strength, was capable of obliterating a Hong level master. How powerful was his actual strength? It must have reached the peak of the Zhou level as well! At least, Zhong believed that even the other Seven Fiends of the Earth Alliance might not be able to crush a Hong level master with a single punch relying only on brute force.

Coupled with the two Zhou level experts by his side, and his own father, with such strength, would the Lord of Dark City still dare to cause trouble?

Thinking this, Zhong’s expression brightened considerably. In the realm of demons, the strong prey on the weak. The primary reason their conflicts usually didn't result in death was that the powers on all sides were relatively equal, thus maintaining a balance. They didn't want to shatter this equilibrium only to end up fighting to the death. But if one side's strength far surpassed the other, why bother holding back?

“Mr. Ye, wait for me! I’ll show you Tianxiang Garden…” Seeing Ye Jingyu’s figure about to disappear at the other end of the street, Zhong completely ignored Rui’s petty squabbles and quickly hurried after Ye Jingyu. However, he instructed Zuo Miao to immediately find his father and tell him everything that had happened here.

After all, they should always offer courtesy before force, shouldn't they?

Zuo Miao’s eyes shone with excitement. Before him was the Young Lord of Dark City, the only treasured son of the Dark City Lord, and now Ye Jingyu had killed him so casually. What an imposing display of dominance! With such a powerhouse emerging among humans, weren't their hopes greatly increased?

Excited, he swiftly sprinted toward Yuan’s residence...

The news of the death of Rui, the Young Lord of Dark City, spread rapidly. The position of commander of the Blood Demon Legion was crucial to every City Lord. The Nine Great City Lords and over a hundred other City Lords all gathered. When this news reached the ears of these powerhouses, shock flickered across every face, though the face of Jian, the Dark City Lord, was filled with pure fury.

In the tavern where Jian was staying, clad in black and covered entirely in black scales, Jian sat coldly in his seat. The Black Profound Stone coffee table beside him shattered under a single slap from his hand. Standing below him, seven or eight subordinates watched their lord’s immense anger, each one frozen in terror, daring not to utter a word...

Jian was seething with rage. The moment he learned his son was killed, his first instinct was to seek immediate revenge. But when he discovered the perpetrator was a Zhou level expert, he forcibly suppressed his anger. In the Earth Alliance, Zhou level experts were a privileged class. Even if he disliked his own son and killed him, nothing would come of it, let alone when his son had repeatedly provoked the other party first.

It could be said that his son deserved to die, but no matter how deserved it was, he was still his son!

“Tell me, what exactly should I do to swallow this rage?” Seeing the petrified subordinates below, Jian practically roared out...

Silence filled the room. They all understood that if the opponent had been an ordinary expert, given their lord’s status and strength, he could simply demand the person from Yuan. After all, Yuan, needing to consolidate the stability of the Earth Alliance, could not easily afford to offend Jian. But the enemy was a Zhou level expert—someone capable of shattering his Young Lord with pure physical force; his strength was certainly not low.

Furthermore, he seemed to have two other Zhou level experts by his side. With such power, Yuan would absolutely not hand them over to Jian, and might even go to war with Dark City for the sake of these three. Gaining the allegiance of a Zhou level expert was worth any price.

Seeing his subordinates remain silent, Jian felt a surge of fire—how could he be surrounded by such useless trash?

Just as he was about to curse again, he heard a thin, human figure standing at the very end speak up...

“My Lord, if I’m not mistaken, that person is likely a formidable candidate sought by the Lord of Tianman City to contend for the position of commander of the Blood Demon Legion...”

“What time is it, and you’re still talking about that? Do you only have that Legion Commander position on your mind?” Hearing this man bring up such matters at a time like this, the other demons sneered contemptuously...

This man was named Zhong Tianrui, a pure-blooded human with extraordinary talent, whose strength was firmly established at the Hong level. He was meticulous and had always served as Jian’s strategist, but due to his bloodline, he was constantly marginalized by the other demons.

“My Lord, if Yuan steps in, we naturally cannot seek revenge from him. But what if he were accidentally killed during a duel? Even if the Great Lords emerge from seclusion then, they couldn't blame you!” Zhong Tianrui ignored the others' mocking remarks and laid out his plan...

The moment these words were spoken, the demons present immediately quieted down. This was indeed a good idea. An accidental killing in a duel wasn't something only others did! If he were killed during a formal challenge, even Yuan would be powerless to intervene...

“But his demonstrated strength clearly reached the Zhou level. Who among us is confident enough to kill him?” Jian’s brow furrowed tightly...

The excitement that had just appeared on the faces of the others instantly faded. None of them had reached the Zhou level; they were simply no match for Ye Jingyu. If they rashly volunteered, they would just be sending themselves to their deaths...

“My Lord, Tianman City can invite Guest Elders to hold the fort; why can’t we? Have you forgotten about that person?” Zhong Tianrui offered a mysterious smile, and upon hearing this, Jian’s eyes lit up...

To the readers: (Stars, let's keep fighting! I’ve found my groove again these past few days!)