Dense killing intent filled the air as this voice reverberated through the surroundings, each word seething with hatred.


    Long Chen looked around and quickly found the source. It was Xia Feng of the Heaven Demon Divine Phoenix race.


    Long Chen smirked as he recalled theirst encounter. Back then, he had struck Xia Feng on the back of the head with the Heaven Flipping Seal and snatched his golden sword. For Xia Feng, this was the ultimate humiliation—a disgrace he had vowed to avenge.


    When Xia Feng saw Long Chen again, mes almost burst out of his eyes. The two women of the Heaven Demon Divine Phoenix race were also present, ring at Long Chen with murderous intent.


    Xia Feng had since advanced to a six-vein Heaven Saint, while the two women had be five-vein Heaven Saints. Their rate of progress was astonishing, but Long Chen barely spared it a thought. His attention was more on the encircling group of experts. Seven six-vein Heaven Saints and hundreds of five-vein Heaven Saints surrounded him, forming an imprable wall of hostility.


    “Long Chen? Is this the one senior apprentice-brother Hou Yang warned us about?”


    The voice came from Yan Tong of the ck Rock Nine Underworld Python race. Her gaze shifted between disbelief and curiosity as she scrutinized Long Chen.


    “That’s him!” Xia Feng shouted, his toneced with venom. “He’s a sinister and cunning thief! His specialties are sneak attacks and running away! But today, there’s no escape. Everyone, stay alert. If he even twitches, attack immediately.”


    Xia Feng was especially wary as he had experienced the “touch” of the Heaven Flipping Seal.Everyone immediately drew their weapons and locked onto Long Chen with their Doyen power. If Long Chen made any suspicious movements, they would instantly attack. They wouldn’t even let him take out a divine weapon.


    Despite this, Long Chen remained calm. His expression was t as thunderforce and astral energy swirled faintly around him. He returned their res with icy disdain.


    “I heard you’re a nine star heir. Is that true?” asked Yan Tong.


    “What do you think?” Long Chen replied indifferently.


    At this moment, Long Chen was stealthily channeling his astral energy through his lightning chains into the ground, directing it toward the astralke. While everyone’s attention was on the surface manifestation of his thunderforce, his subtle maneuver went unnoticed.


    “A nine star heir?” Gasps rippled through the crowd.


    “He’s a nine star heir?”


    “The legendary strongest warriors of the nine heavens and tennds?”


    “Is that a joke? If he’s a nine star heir, why hasn’t he condensed a single heaven vein?”


    “Is he a fraud?”


    Suspicion and skepticism grew among the gathered experts. Though most of them were sealed heavenly geniuses from ancient times, they had only heard of nine-star heirs in legend. When they looked at Long Chen, their gazes were doubtful. It didn’t seem like Long Chen matched their impression of a nine star heir.


    Although Long Chen’s thunderforce was strong, hecked any heaven vein dragon qi, making him unable to draw upon the power of the Heavenly Daos. He couldn’t beat them like this.


    One expert from the ck Rock Nine Underworld Python race broke the silence. “He’s incredibly strong, even without heaven vein dragon qi. He managed to break through a blockade of over ten of us. If he condenses heaven vein dragon qi, he will definitely be a monster. Perhaps he really is a nine star heir.”


    “<em>Tch</em>, that’s just because you guys are weak but keep acting strong. A defeat is a defeat. Stop acting like it’s a reflection of his strength! Don’t you think it’s even more embarrassing?” A mocking voice retorted.


    “You—!”


    “What you? Your ck Rock Nine Underworld Python race is a low-tier race. If not for Yan Tong cozying up to senior apprentice-brother Hou Yang, bing his maid, you wouldn’t even have the right to stand here.”


    The one mocking the ck Rock Nine Underworld Python race was an incredibly ugly woman. Her face was as big as a tray, and her copper-colored eyes and fuzzy skin looked hideous. When she spoke, her uneven yellow teeth were clear for everyone to see.


    Long Chen didn’t know what race she was from, but he could see six heaven veins swirling around her. She was another six-vein Heaven Saint, and the fluctuations of her Blood Qi were not weaker than Yan Tong’s.


    Furthermore, she sounded jealous, and her disdain was just to cover up her jealousy.


    Long Chen nced between Yan Tong and that woman with an odd expression. He quickly pieced together the underlying dynamics of their interaction.


    The ck Rock Nine Underworld Python race was considered a low-tier existence within the Heaven Demon Alliance. But in this generation, a genius like Yan Tong had emerged, catching the attention—and possibly the favor—of someone called Hou Yang. Long Chen doubted she was truly a maid, as the hideous woman had implied. It seemed far more likely that she was a trusted follower or subordinate.


    Thanks to Yan Tong, the ck Rock Nine Underworld Python race had risen from the bottom ranks to be one of the alliance''s more prominent members. This rapid ascent naturally drew resentment, particrly from those ustomed to looking down on them. The ugly girl seemed to be one of them and was happy to find a chance to mock Yan Tong.


    Yan Tong’s expression darkened, her voice cold as she retorted, “Xing Yue, are you dering war on me and my race?”


    “If that’s what it takes, then so be it! I’ve had enough of looking at your smug face. How did a lowly insect like you manage to seduce senior apprentice-brother Hou Yang? You’re nothing but a shameless slut!”


    The ugly Xing Yue stepped forward, her movements brimming with hostility. As she spread her arms, her body started to swell grotesquely, transforming into a hulking, gori-like form. In her hands, two massive hatchets gleamed ominously.


    Xing Yue’s sudden actions made everyone jump. While many felt this wasn’t the time or ce for such a confrontation, they also understood the long-standing enmity between the two races. For Xing Yue to so brazenly and openly challenge Yang Tong, perhaps this sh was inevitable or even premeditated. Resolving it peacefully now seemed impossible.


    Yan Tong coldly said, “How did a fat, smelly ape like you end up with a name like Xing Yue? What part of you resembles the moon?[1]”


    Yan Tong refused to take the insults lying down. Each of her retortsnded like a dagger, striking Xing Yue in her most vulnerable spots. After all, which woman didn’t want to feel beautiful? For most races, the journey through the Human Emperor realm brought a shared influence from human aesthetics, shaping their perceptions of beauty and worth.


    While Yan Tong’s own looks were not that great, standing next to Xing Yue, she seemed almost radiant inparison.


    Xing Yue’s face twisted with rage, herposure shattered by Yan Tong’s barbed words. But before she couldunch her counterattack, Long Chen unexpectedly stepped onto their battlefield.


    “You’re wrong,” he said, his voice calm. “Who says she’s not like the moon?”


    His sudden interjection caught everyone off guard. The crowd turned toward him, waiting for an exnation.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    “Are you blind?” Long Chen continued, his toneced with mockery. “Do you not see her wide, saucer-like face?”


    For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then, suppressedughter erupted from the crowd, particrly from the ck Rock Nine Underworld Python race. Their snickers and guffaws only fueled Xing Yue’s fury.


    “Die!” Xing Yue bellowed, her rage reaching its peak.


    With a thunderous roar, she swung her enormous hatchets at Long Chen.


    1. Yue means Moon. Xing is Ape. ?