"These are yours to accept! Do not stand on ceremony!" Yuan burst into laughter. Frankly, for Ye Jingyu to slay an Absolute Immortal and destroy the physical body of Heavenly Monarch Xuanmiao—such merits warranted far more than this meager offering. After all, Heavenly Monarch Xuanmiao was one of the Ten Great Heavenly Monarchs of the Heavenly Alliance; even the Seven Fiends of the Earth Alliance hadn't achieved such a feat. If not for Ye Jingyu's shallow foundation, he could have been rewarded with an entire magnificent city outright.

"Thank you, my Lord..." Ye Jingyu bowed again, his face alight with excitement. His eyes drifted toward the direction of the Savage Forest, watching the demons relentlessly pursuing the fleeing Heavenly Soldiers and Generals. He spoke once more, "However, my Lord, do you not find this sudden attack by the Heavenly Alliance on the Earth Alliance somewhat unusual?" Ye Jingyu asked, looking toward where the Heavenly Soldiers were scattering, a clear note of confusion in his voice.

"Indeed, in all these years, this large-scale offensive by the Heavenly Alliance against the Earth Alliance is unprecedented. I, too, have been pondering this. Does General Jing perhaps have an insight to share?" Yuan nodded with deep satisfaction. Humans were humans; their intellect was indeed somewhat superior to that of demons. He had considered these questions long ago, yet not a single subordinate beside him had raised them. Even Mu, the City Lord who was the most composed and sagacious among his immediate staff, had never brought up such a point.

"I dare not claim insight, my Lord. I merely find this Heavenly Alliance assault extremely peculiar. They deployed millions of Heavenly Soldiers, and aside from Heavenly Monarch Xuanmiao leading three hundred thousand troops against Savage City, the rest of the forces seemed confined only to the fringes of the Savage Forest, showing no intent to penetrate deep into the Earth Alliance territory. This perplexes me," Ye Jingyu remarked, adopting a thoughtful posture.

Hearing Ye Jingyu articulate it, Yuan and the others experienced a sudden realization. Yes, though they all sensed something was amiss, they hadn't pinpointed what was strange. Now that Ye Jingyu had pointed it out, they recalled that the Heavenly Alliance soldiers appeared to be encircling without attacking aggressively. Their sporadic assaults looked fierce, but clearly lacked full commitment. Upon closer inspection, it was the Heavenly Alliance soldiers who were tightly guarding the Savage Forest; reports from the perimeter indicated that almost every demon who entered the forest was annihilated.

At this thought, glints of sharp light sparked in Yuan's eyes. Demons generally disliked deep contemplation; their preferred method was direct slaughter, engaging their enemies with the most savage and brutal means possible. Yet, Yuan was an exception among the demons. Whether it was the current establishment of the Earth Alliance, the structure of their military system, or even their commodity trading, all these developments occurred only after Yuan took command of the Earth Alliance.

It could be said that under Yuan's leadership, the demons, who previously knew only slaughter and possessed no semblance of civilization, were gradually embarking upon a path toward it.

It was for this very reason that many sagacious demons began to emerge within the Earth Alliance, Mu being one of them.

"Judging by their demeanor, they clearly intend to prevent us from entering the Savage Forest. But over these years, neither they nor we have found any effective way to deal with the forest. What purpose could they have for doing this now? It makes no sense," Mu's brow was tightly furrowed. To command one of the Nine Great City Lords while only possessing the strength of an initial Cosmos-level entity required an intelligence far beyond that of ordinary demons.

Yuan remained silent. Ye Jingyu had pierced the veil of the mystery; further speaking now might invite scrutiny. Sometimes, as a subordinate, simply demonstrating capability to one's superior is enough. But letting the superior realize that one's ability surpasses theirs could easily lead to disaster.

Ye Jingyu still needed to conceal his true brilliance and establish his own power base within the Earth Alliance. Only with sufficient strength could he eventually challenge those figures above him.

"Could it be that there is something within the Savage Forest they wish to keep hidden from us?" After a moment, a sudden light flashed in Mu's eyes as he spoke.

Yuan’s eyes instantly brightened. The sudden offensive by the Heavenly Alliance was already incredible; now, their formation suggested a siege without full commitment—was this not an overt attempt to conceal something? Could there truly be something vital hidden within the Savage Forest?

"When will those others arrive here?" Regardless of what lay within the Savage Forest, the fact that the Heavenly Alliance deployed such a massive force merely for concealment was enough reason for Yuan to remain vigilant.

The Heavenly Alliance already held the advantage in strength over the Earth Alliance. If they were to obtain whatever they desired now, how could Yuan and his faction possibly continue to thrive? Therefore, Yuan's immediate thought was to foil the Heavenly Alliance's plan. Whatever they intended, if they didn't want Yuan's forces entering the Savage Forest, then he would enter.

"They should arrive within three days!" A wolf-headed general standing nearby reported.

"Three days? Three days is not enough time! No, we absolutely cannot let those devils rest easy. Is there anyone willing to lead a detachment, infiltrate the Savage Forest, and serve as a vanguard for our main army?" Yuan's gaze flickered as he spoke suddenly.

At these words, none of the assembled demon generals spoke up. This was no laughing matter; the enemy had deployed experts like Heavenly Monarch Xuanmiao, and their numbers swelled to over a million! The main forces of the City Lords were still three days away. To be sent ahead now with a small contingent, and face encirclement without hope of immediate reinforcement, would mean certain annihilation. Who would volunteer for such a suicide mission?

Of course, if the Earth Alliance armies arrived three days later, such concerns would vanish.

Seeing the ensuing silence, a shade of disappointment crossed Yuan's face. Just as he was about to issue a forced command, Ye Jingyu stepped forward.

"My Lord, perhaps you would permit me to undertake this mission?" Ye Jingyu's face was a mask of intense hatred.

Witnessing Ye Jingyu step forward during such a perilous moment, Yuan and the others exchanged looks of surprise. The Heavenly Alliance's greatest enemies were the demons, not this human! These demons hadn't even volunteered, so why was he so eager? He had just gravely wounded Xuanmiao, securing a monumental achievement; taking further risks seemed unnecessary. However, noticing the look of resentment on his face, Yuan and the others nodded with self-assured understanding.

Precisely! He held a deep, irreconcilable hatred for the elites of the Heavenly Alliance. It was entirely reasonable for him to seek to disrupt their grand scheme now.

"But General Jing has just..." While Yuan was pleased with Ye Jingyu's initiative, as a superior, he was expected to show consideration for his subordinates. The man had just endured a massive battle and hadn't even had time to rest, yet he was being sent into combat again—was that not rather heartless? However, before he could finish his sentence, Ye Jingyu interrupted him...