The Blood Demon Legion, though a newly formed army, was sanctioned by all Nine City Lords. To command this force was akin to the status of the War Generals of old; one’s standing within the Earth Alliance would soar to heights comparable to a City Lord, wielding unimaginable authority.

Setting aside other considerations, the ten thousand soldiers assigned to the Blood Demon Legion alone represented an immensely formidable power. Considering the Earth Alliance's relatively small population, ten thousand troops were more than enough to dominate a territory.

It was for this very reason that over a hundred representatives from various clans sought to participate in this duel. The Nine Great City Lords all sent envoys, and the lesser City Lords dispatched their most trusted confidantes.

Yet, when the news spread that even a master of the Cosmos Rank, Ye Jingyu, intended to compete, the number of participants did not decrease; instead, it skyrocketed several times over. This turn of events was unexpected by Ye Jingyu and the others, but as Ye Jingyu stepped onto the arena, he instantly understood the reason for the massive surge in attendance… The arena stood north of Dishag City, a colossal structure capable of holding several hundred thousand spectators.

The dueling platform itself spanned the area of several football fields, constructed from Purple Cloud Luo Iron and layered with countless restrictive formations—formations that even a Cosmos Rank master might fail to breach. The perimeter of the fighting stage was also encased by massive barriers, rumored to be woven together by the three supreme Lords of the Earth Alliance, ensuring that no stray residual energy would reach the audience in the stands.

This was the largest, most luxurious, and sturdiest arena in the entire Earth Alliance, hosting countless duels throughout the year… Ye Jingyu currently stood on this platform, surrounded by over six hundred assembled masters. The strongest among them had reached the Cosmos Rank, though they were few; the weakest were at the initial stage of the Great Flood Rank.

Every single one eyed him with undisguised killing intent… Their strategy was straightforward: as a Cosmos Rank master, he must be eliminated first by forming a temporary alliance, and then the remaining competitors would decide the ultimate outcome. Ye Jingyu even suspected that upon learning of his participation, the rival City Lords, eager for the commander position, had dispatched even more high-level experts specifically to deplete his strength.

After all, according to the rules of this particular duel, there were no preliminaries, no elimination rounds, and certainly no grand final; all contestants entered the stage together, and whoever remained standing was declared the victor—the commander of the Blood Demon Legion… Despite this, not a flicker of fear showed in his eyes; instead, they were alight with excitement. A mere group of fiends?

Did he truly fear them? By this time, the stands were packed with hundreds of thousands of spectators.

Many were fiends Ye Jingyu had never encountered before: some dragged long tails, others possessed seven or eight heads, some resembled scorpions yet were closer to crabs, and some looked strikingly human. He even noticed a group standing near the edge, women draped in sheer gauze, alluring in appearance, with long tails trailing behind them—these were the most famous race of the Earth Alliance, the Snow Fox Clan, whose maidens were considered the ultimate female concubines.

The presence of so many Snow Fox maidens at the sidelines naturally served as the cheering squad. The thought of these Snow Fox maidens singing and dancing at the edge of the arena while actual carnage unfolded struck Ye Jingyu as profoundly bizarre.

Besides the hundreds of thousands of spectators, nearly all high-ranking officials of the Earth Alliance, save for the three supreme Lords, were present, seated in specially reserved private boxes. There, cloaked entirely in black, Yuan sat in one such opulent box above the stands.

Compared to the past, his appearance had changed little; he remained handsome, but the youthful immaturity was replaced by a profound composure, overlaid with an air of dominance—a commanding aura of total control. Beside Yuan sat a young woman in a floral dress.

Her beauty was not striking, yet she exuded an aura of possessing the very essence of heaven and earth's spiritual energy. Especially her large eyes, which were like twin mirrors, capable of reflecting every speck of impurity in the world.

Anyone, be they demon or human, gazing into those eyes would find it difficult not to feel a surge of adoration. At this moment, the maiden’s pure gaze was fixed on the murderous contestants below, her brow deeply furrowed, clearly showing her repulsion toward such brutal slaughter.

The maiden’s expression did not escape Yuan’s notice, and watching her look of disgust, he sighed deeply within his heart. Thousands of years have passed; why has her disposition not shifted in the slightest?

Can the inherent nature of the demon race truly fail to alter an individual? She remained so kind, so innocent.

In an era of peace, such a nature would be wonderful, but she lived within the Earth Alliance, an environment saturated with demons whose core existence was built on slaughter. Such kindness would only bring her immense harm.

Yuan had always wished to change her, yet over the years, he felt he had failed to alter her at all; conversely, his own nature had been subtly reshaped by her influence. “Ling, if you dislike it, I shall send someone to escort you back immediately!” Seeing Ling’s troubled expression, Yuan spoke.

If change is impossible, then perhaps accepting things as they are is the only path? “No, I want to stay and watch!” Luo Linger, reborn and having completely lost her memories of her previous life, shook her head.

She could not articulate why, but despite hating the slaughter, she felt an inexplicable reluctance to leave; she sensed that something significant was about to happen today… Hearing Ling refuse his suggestion, a trace of surprise flickered across Yuan’s face. In the past, such an offer would have been accepted without a second thought.

What was different today? Had she finally begun to change?

At that moment, a knock sounded from outside the private box, and Mu, clad in black armor, entered… He bowed respectfully to Yuan and Ling before speaking, “My Lord, something seems amiss!” “Hm? Are you referring to the sudden surge in participants?” Yuan asked calmly without turning around.

“Yes…” “It matters not. The person you brought is not a Cosmos Rank master; dealing with these low-level brutes below should not be an issue.

If he cannot even pass this test, then there is no point in keeping him around!” Yuan waved his hand dismissively. His logic was simple: if the individual was truly a Cosmos Rank master, he would undoubtedly win this duel, or at the very least, manage to survive.

If he couldn't even ensure his own survival, what use was such a person?